#StuartAllan

[adamwatchesmovies]

Batman vs. Robin (2015)

Batman vs. Robin. Don't let the terrible title fool you. It's among the best of DC's direct-to-video Animated films. It isn’t really about Bruce Wayne / Batman (Jason O'Mara) going toe-to-toe with his son Damian/Robin (Stuart Allan). A much better title would've been “Batman and the Court of Owls” but let's dig into the review proper.

A sequel to the 2014 Son of Batman, the story begins with the dynamic duo at odds. Damian was raised to be an assassin, Batman is trying to convince him to use nonlethal force. Their relationship is further strained when it becomes clear that Batman does not trust his son. When Talon (Jeremy Sisto), the chief assassin of the mysterious Court of Owls, extends a hand to Damian and immediately relates to the boy, the temptation may be too much.

This sequel is even better than the first. The relationship between the father and son provides drama to compliment the action provided by the terrific villain. Much of this interesting dynamic comes from Damian Wayne, a terrific addition to the Bat Family. Firstly, we have the strained relationship between Batman and Robin. Bruce Wayne grew up without a father, and wants to be there for his son. We want to see them working as a team - they’d be unstoppable together. Unfortunately, things are understandably complicated between them. Batman doesn’t trust his son not to kill. Damian resents his father for not believing in him. They’re both being jerks by not setting aside their feelings and reaching out to the other but you can see why they act the way they do.

The relationships make the characters feel fuller than you'd expect. Alfred (David McCallum) and Damian relate to each other differently than Batman and his butler do. As Bruce's first "son", Nightwing (Sean Maher) also relates to them differently than anyone else. The story's inevitable conclusion is a given - most genres have a formula we come back to because that's what we want to see - but these relationships keep you guessing. The players do not feel as though they're at the story's mercy. They move within it at their own pace.

It’s all nice that we have these heroes with emotions. We'll care for them when put in jeopardy and rejoice when they triumph. But what about the antagonist? Talon is compelling but the one who struck me immediately is an incredibly creepy serial killer the crimefighters encounter at the beginning of the film. In any other film, the character voiced by "Weird Al" Yankovich (that's right) would be the main villain. He’s got a great look, a cool backstory and is pure nightmare fuel but he's just a sidebar. Talon's the star, a baddie that is destined to endure and become a new favorite among comic book fans.

When stories who haven't yet proved their worth by remaining popular years after they've ended are chosen by Warner Bros. Animation as the subject of their next project, I become apprehensive. Are these stories REALLY worth highlighting, or are they just pushing the new hotness? In this case, they've recognized a story full of rich characters and intrigue. You'll need to watch the other films in the series to fully grasp how great it is but they don't run long and if this is the one you're building up to, it's well worth the effort. (On Blu-ray, June 3, 2020)

[alexprime117]

365 days of sketching, day 77: Damien Wayne. In the beginning he was a spoilt brat and I honest to god hated him but he’s gone through some decent character development. #365daysofsketching #day77 #damienwayne #sonofthebatman #stuartallan #dc

[movizark-blog]

First Trailer for ‘Teen Titans: The Judas Contract’ Is a Awesome!! Check It Out!!!

First Trailer for ‘Teen Titans: The Judas Contract’ Is a Awesome!! Check It Out!!! #TeenTitans, #TheJudasContract, #SeanMaher, #KariWahlgren, #JakeT.Austin, #TaissaFarmiga, #BrandonSooHoo, #StuartAllan

Synopsis – Tara Markov is a girl who has power over earth and stone; she is also more than she seems. Is the newest Teen Titan an ally or a threat? And what are the mercenary Deathstroke’s plans for the Titans?

Directed – Sam Liu

Starring (voices of) – Christina Ricci, Miguel Ferrer, Kevin Smith

Check out the trailer:

[adamwatchesmovies]

Son of Batman (2014)

Do not get discouraged by the overly comic-book beginning of Son of Batman. It gets better from there and wraps itself up nicely.

The supervillain Deathstroke (voiced by Thomas Gibson) has killed Ra's Al Ghul in an attempt to take control of the League of Assassins. Two people stand in his wife, Ra's daughter, Talia Al-Ghul (Morena Baccarin), and her son, Damian Wayne (Stuart Allen). Talia leaves the boy in the care of his father, believing Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) will keep him safe.

The beginning is where the film is at its weakest. Multiple scenes look good but don’t hold up under scrutiny. No matter how augmented or skilled, I never buy anyone blocking more than one or two bullets with a sword but apparently, no-name ninjas can block them like snowballs thrown in slow motion. Seems Superman's not the only one "faster than a speeding bullet". Until Batman shows up, there are multiple “What?” moments ranging from ninjas preferring ancient weapons to guns, objects who are quiet as long as they’re off-screen, and other action clichés that will make you wonder if Damian Wayne's first movie appearance will be a total bust.

Then, it starts getting good. You’re used to seeing Batman and Robin as partners, friends, and father/son. When the dynamic duo are actually related by blood, they can hardly stand each other. It’s the whole Dick Grayson thing flipped on its head. This Robin has all of the training already. It’s his attitude that needs to be tempered. That's good but what's beneath the surface is even better. You can tell Damian wants to be loved and that a piece of him is missing. He’s been trained to kill from the time he was old enough to walk. He’s never been a kid. He doesn’t even know what a kid is supposed to be like.

Under the Red Hood featured the kind of action that only animated films can deliver balanced with strong themes of guilt and a desire for redemption. The same applies here. Rather than get another appearance by the usual Arkham inmates like Two-Face and the Joker, we get Dr. Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat (voiced by Xander Berkeley) and it's a new interpretation of the character. That’s what fans want to see; interesting twists on the familiar material that keeps the essence of classic stories but find a way to remain fresh. The side characters are also utilized. Even familiar faces that have just a few lines (such as Nightwing or Alfred Pennyworth) leave a nice impact.

Aside from the opening act, the film's only other weakness is that this could've been more than just one movie. Why not adapt "Son of the Demon" to build up the complex relationship between Batman, Ra's, and Talia? There was no need to rush into it. Then again, this story does stand on its own so you may not share this sentiment.

Though the beginning of Son of Batman tries too hard to be awesome by throwing logic and physics out the window and Talia Al Ghul's design is overly and unnecessarily sexual, you'll be able to move past them. The film delivers the action, compelling story, and the human moments desired by those who have been following the direct-to-video DC Animated films. (On Blu-ray, April 9, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)

If you’ve always wanted to see Beast Boy beat up Superman, that’s not what you’re getting in Justice League vs. Teen Titans. That’s alright. This may be a flawed film - certainly not the strongest in this series of DC Animated features - but it’s still pretty good.

Robin/Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan) is sent to hone his superhero skills with the Teen Titans, a rag-tag group of super-powered youngsters. When the Justice League is overwhelmed by a mysterious demonic force, Raven (Taissa Farmiga), Robin, Beast Boy (Brandon Soo Hoo), Starfire (Kari Wahlgren), and Blue Beetle (Jake T. Austin) team up with Cyborg (Shemar Moore) to deal with this new threat.

This isn't an instance where the cover lies completely but there aren't a whole lot of scenes of Superman fighting the Teen Titans. If you've been following each "episode" of this story, you won't mind too much because we finally get to see this universe's version of the Titans. Their character dynamics are interesting, their abilities are cool, and being vastly underpowered compared to the likes of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Superman, Batman, and the others, raises the stakes. There’s a different level of tension when these heroes with something to prove face off against the big bad.

To be clear, this iteration of the Titans is unrelated to those we've seen in past animated series. There are missed opportunities in that respect, but the film also gets many elements right. Starfire and Beast Boy both shine. Cyborg being bumped up to a member of the Justice League means Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle is a mainstay and he’s a great fit. The real gems of this story, however, are Robin and Raven. The boy wonder's character development continues to pay off in this new adventure. As for Raven, she is well fleshed out. She truly feels like a teenage superhero, someone who's often insecure, caught in a transitional period of her life, and given plenty of opportunities to show off her powers.

The animation is pretty good (not quite as good as 2014’s Assault on Arkham but better than in Justice League: War). The character designs are terrific. Unfortunately, the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired. There's so much clumsy exposition. I wish Warner Brothers would charge a dollar or two more per Blu-ray so they could make these animated films just 15 minutes longer and give these stories a bit of time to breathe. This would reduce the need to have characters just tell each other (and the audience) what’s going on. It’s also obvious that the voice actors did not record their lines simultaneously, resulting in conversations that always feel slightly off.

After Batman: Bad Blood, Justice League vs. Teen Titans is a disappointment. Then again, it’s miles above Throne of Atlantis and Justice League: War. With a scene during the end credits hinting at a sequel, I have no guilt about giving this film a recommendation despite the now-familiar story (we've seen the big bad several times now) and certain technical aspects that leave a bit to be desired. The special features included make this a nice package worth picking up. (On Blu-ray, June 28, 2016)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is sort of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies' answer to "Avengers: Endgame" but grittier, edgier and less impactful. If you've followed the series that began with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox in 2012 it's probably worth checking out, though I wouldn't call it 100% satisfying.

After Superman (voiced by Jerry O'Connell) leads a disastrous attack against Darkseid (Tony Todd), most of the Justice League's members are crippled, killed, or forced to serve the galactic despot. Two years later, John Constantine (Matt Ryan), Raven (Taissa Farmiga), a de-powered Superman, Etrigan the Demon (Ray Chae) and Lois Lane (Rebecca Romijn) must scrape together what forces they can in a final, desperate gambit to free humanity and finish what they started.

This film wastes no time reminding you it's R-Rated. The heroes you love are dismembered, disemboweled, have their eyes gouged out, and die gruesomely minutes in. Yikes. I can understand wanting to show the attack on Apokolips went bad but you could've also left some carnage to the imagination. Trim the massacre and use the time to strengthen the story and characters. Although the film lasts 90 minutes, it moves so quickly there's hardly room to breathe as we go through a checklist of survivors. The Bat-family, Suicide Squad, Justice League," Dark" Justice League, Superman's supporting cast, and everyone in-between is confirmed dead or participating in this last-ditch effort as briefly as possible.

Several aspects of the story don't feel right. Superman suggests the Justice League attack Darkseid. Seems out of character. Just a few more lines could've cleared that up. Why's Harley Quinn (Hynden Walch) part of the main mission while Batgirl and Batwing are sent as distractions? She's just a loony with a gun! The few humourous reprieves don't land the way they should. It's nearly there consistently. The story isn't inherently bad but the execution leaves to be desired; like they just didn't have the time to hammer out all the kinks.

It's interesting to see a story that features a rag-tag team of heroes rather than the usual roster. Raven is particularly well utilized. Considering its home video destination, the animation is pretty good. If the objective is to shock and make it undoubtedly clear that this is it...JLD:AW certainly meets its objectives. Even the ending is well handled in the sense that it's all been foreshadowed and makes logical sense (even a little better than the way it was done in "Endgame") while still managing to surprise. If you've been enjoying the series, this is an appropriate conclusion to everything that's happened.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is accompanied by an Adam Strange short which is also excessively violent and morbid but is a nice bonus. Admit it. You're curious. Even though you're ready to be let down at least a bit, you want to see how it all ends. I'll say "sure, go ahead" but this isn't one you'll enthusiastically revisit. (On Blu-ray, June 21, 2020)