Batman vs. Dracula
This movie is based off the cartoon show The Batman, and not Bruce Timm’s version of Batman. I’ve always been a huge fan of the old Batman TAS show, while hating this newer more kid-friendly version. The Batman cartoon show isn’t one of the bright spots from WB programming, but the voice acting from the show is top-notch. I can’t say that I’ve seen enough of this newer vision of Batman to make a judgment, but the movie is a completely different animal.
I actually enjoyed the movie. The story is much darker than the more New Age stuff from the TV show. Dracula is an interesting counterpoint to Batman and to Bruce Wayne. The animation leans toward the Japanese style of cartoon making, but for this movie, it works. It’s a hundred times better than some of the animation that Marvel has put out with its Ultimate and Iron Man cartoons recently. Okay, the story isn’t deep or rich as many of DC’s other animated superhero movies (from the Bruce Timm camp), but the creators of the movie should get credit for not turning this into Batman & Robin II.
While the design of the Joker isn’t to my liking, Kevin Michael Richardson ("The Knights of Prosperity") does a good job with the voice of the Clown Prince. He seems to be channeling Mark Hamill’s Joker, while maintaining a different voice. Tara Strong (from FFX as Rikku) is no stranger to the Batman franchise; she played Batgirl in the later seasons of Batman TAS. Here, she plays a passable Vicki Vale. Too bad Vale looks like a she’s hasn’t eaten in weeks in this movie. Did they have to make her look this skinny?
In the end, the movie has some flaws. However, the animation, story, and voice acting are much better than the TV show from which it spawned. It isn’t Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, but it is an enjoyable movie.
Grade: C+
Dracula: “I've been in hundreds of movies...more than Batman.”
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I have to give them credit for keeping the design of The Penguin very close to the source. Tom Kenny is pretty good as this character.
Kiss and make up.
That's not a Vampire, it's just ILM screwing around with you, Alfred. Damn, that Lucas.
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2 comments:
There is, i think a reason for Joker's different change of appearance. I saw the movie and noticed he had a meaner and more aggressive look, and his voice was actual villain like, no the cartoon villain like in the series, something that you wouldn't normally show on a regular cartoon series, but with the movie there weren't any producers to please for making it every kid worthy, so maybe they made it a bit more mature thinking a bigger age for the audience was expected.
Yeah, I was surprised on how much stuff they showed. Such as the joker going through withdraw. The Joker drinking blood isnt something you'd see on a cartoon show.
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