Director: Jay Oliva
Distributor: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
Duration: 69 minutes
Batman: Bad Blood (DVD) – Movie Review
One would expect that criminals in Gotham would simply stop trying with Batman, Nightwing and Robin closeby, but for some reason these thickheaded goons keep committing crimes, even though they tend to get caught every single time. Of course, the vigilante trio doesn’t truly ‘dispose’ of the criminals, allowing them ample chance to escape from prison and start all over again. Nonetheless, it seems for once Batman’s ‘no killing’ rule might just get him into trouble, as his foes are not as kindhearted as he is. The original teaser already presented us with the question if Batman loses his life in this story or not and how his allies would handle the situation. We know the answer but we’re not really going to spoil that adventure for you.
Gotham has its own set of gangs that still remain active, even though Batman (Jason O’Mara) is prowling around each and every corner. You’d expect that the gangs would slowly start fading into nothingness, but actually another gang has set up base in the city but not that much is known about them, except for the fact they are messing with the gang of ‘The Black Mask’(Steve Blum). When this new gang abducted someone Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski) rushed in headfirst which is not to Batman’s liking, as he is unsure if she’s a liability or an asset to take under his wings. He does an effort to extract her from the danger and while it seemed like everything was under control, out of the blue another masked figure arrives on the scene. This character called Heretic (Travis Willingham) seems to have a personal vendetta against Bruce, who gets his fair share of the punches. Nonetheless, when this strong fighter also directs his rage towards Batwoman, Bruce tries to save her, but soon after the building catches fire. While Batman is successful tossing his stubborn ally to safety, he is still caught within the blast of the facility and disappears into thin air.
As weeks go by, and no one is able to get in touch with Batman, the city fears the worst. Nonetheless, to make sure things stay under control, Nightwing (Sean Maher) temporarily takes up the mantle of Batman, to make it seem like he’s still around protecting the town. When Damian (Stuart Allen) hears of the disappearance of his father, he immediately rushes home from the temple where he was staying to control his temper, and he suggests aiding Nightwing to find Bruce. While this already proves to be hard enough, things get even worse when the new gang actually knows some of their secrets, such as where they stock their weapons.
Seeing the movie only lasts 65 minutes there is a lot going on onscreen at all times. The movie is simply action packed, with the necessary information sprinkled in-between, making sure you have all you need to enjoy this short movie from start to finish. In all honesty this movie could have lasted a tad longer, but everything is worked out properly nonetheless. This movie also served as a great introduction for Batwoman (nope, not Batgirl – yet) and Batwing’s (Gaius Charles) first appearance in an animated movie. Both renditions are topnotch and it makes you wonder how certain other characters will be presented in future movies, as it seems that DC has no intention of slowing down on their animated movies lineup anytime soon.
With little to no change to the superb cast compared to the previous movies, it was only to be expected that this movie would again offer great voice acting. The veterans keep up the quality of the other titles, while the newcomers throw in their weight as well.
Oddly enough this movie is for an audience of six years and up, instead of twelve like some of the previous titles. While there isn’t that much blood to be seen, there is a reasonable amount of deaths to be seen, as well as a sturdy amount of swearing. While the scenes are still very ‘watchable’ for children, it’s still a rather strange choice to have is this way.
There’s only one special feature that comes with this DVD release, namely a sneak peek for the upcoming DC universe animated movie Justice League vs. Teen Titans. You’ll get an eleven minute ‘documentary’ about the concept of the movie, the fact that Damian is now the ‘new Robin’ in the Teen Titans lineup and the story at hand, which causes a feud between the two superhero groups. Of course, it’s clear that the danger presented will eventually cause both parties to have to cooperate with one another. Certainly a movie to look forward to, and as a special feature this one will already get you stoked for this release.
Conclusion
Batman: Bad Blood continues the overall story of the previous movies and does so in a great way. Of course, those who haven’t watched the previous parts will still understand this one properly. You’ll be treated to a short action packed animated film, that constantly presses the question of what happened to Bruce Wayne and if the rest of the ‘Bat-team’ will handle the situation properly. Fans of Batman and his underlings will certainly appreciate this movie.
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