12 Reviews of Christmas - Merry Little Batman (2023)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and today for 12 Reviews of Christmas, I'm taking a look at Merry Little Batman, the new DC Animated holiday movie released recently on Amazon. 

        So, it's the Christmas season in Gotham, and things aren't so silent at Wayne Manor. Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne, causing a bit of a ruckus in the mansion, all in an attempt to train to be a superhero like Bruce. And, the movie sets up that Bruce, as Batman, pretty much cleaned up the city, leaving the criminals and villains not locked up to go into retirement, and Gotham literally becomes the safest city there is. Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve, Bruce is called back into action by the Justice League, who need him to tend to a weather anomaly in Nova Scotia, Canada. So, Bruce suits up in the Batsuit and takes off, leaving Damian at home with Alfred. 

         This leads to a number of Batman's archenemies, including the Joker, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and the Penguin, to team up and launch an attack on Gotham. With his dad preoccupied, Damian suits up as Little Batman to fend off these baddies and keep Gotham safe for Christmas, and recover the utility belt he got from his dad for Christmas.

        Let me start off by discussing the animation style. The art style is very cute, similar to the art style of the Cartoon Network series Chowder. While not nearly as iconic as the classic art style of Batman: The Animated Series, it definitely works well for a more family friendly animated movie, and is definitely appropriate for the lighter, more kid-friendly tone the movie is going for. 

        The voice acting is also a lot of fun. Yonas Kibreab does a really good job as Damian, as does Luke Wilson as Batman. James Cromwell as Alfred is pretty enjoyable, and has more than a few humorous moments. As for the villains, they're pretty much standard for villain portrayals in animation. David Hornsby as the Joker is pretty much in line with the Mark Hamill Joker, and Dolph Adomian as Mr. Freeze is somewhere between Maurice Lamarche in Arkham City and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin, even to repeating the same ice puns from the Batman & Robin movie. As for Brian George as the Penguin, Theresa McLaughlin as Poison Ivy, and Chris Sullivan as Bane? Well, they all give pretty standard portrayals for the characters. 

       Now, something that is a frequent thing throughout the movie is how Damian pretty much makes a massive mess as he deals with the criminals, and tries to get the belt back. But, honestly, it makes sense, because it's Damian's first time out as a superhero, so it makes perfect sense that he wouldn't get it right on his first go around. The idea that he wouldn't be perfect on the first attempt at crime fighting is logical, especially given that Damian is supposed to be and eight year old kid. Also, I like the choice of villains in the movie. Having the likes of Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Bane is a lot of fun, and is a great lineup to start out with. 

        Overall, Merry Little Batman is a fun little holiday romp for Batman fans of all ages. I'm giving it a rating of 4.75/5. Log on to Amazon, give it a watch, and enjoy. I should also point out that Amazon is currently planning on a spin-off series called Bat-Family, which might be pretty fun when it comes out. 

        Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and next time for 12 Reviews of Christmas, we'll be diving back into the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

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