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Join UsStar Cast: Yonas Kibreab, Luke Wilson, James Cromwell, and David Hornsby
Director: Mike Roth
What’s Good: The movie feels like a fresh offering for both the Christmas movie and superhero genres.
What’s Bad: While the characters are fun, they don’t have much of the characteristics that make Batman and Robin household names.
Loo Break: The film clocks around 90 minutes, but there could be a couple of places that feel redundant.
Watch or Not?: This is a good choice for Batman fans to watch during this holiday season, even if this Batman might feel a bit unfamiliar.
Language: English
Available On: Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 90 Minutes
User Rating:
Christmas is upon us, and that is the signal for every cable network and streaming service to open the gates to their Christmas offerings for the year. However, in a strange turn of events Amazon Prime Video is offering a Christmas movie starring Batman and Robin on their service, titled Merry Little Batman, and it tells the story of Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s son as he tries to prove himself as a superhero during Christmas, but achieving will be harder and more dangerous than he ever thought.
Merry Little Batman Movie Review: Script Analysis
Merry Little Batman is a strange kind of project, because it isn’t precisely the most common Christmas movie, and also not the most common Batman movie either. The film is a strange combination of both elements, and the result is a fun adventure with strange pacing and redundant scenes, but still worth watching for fans of either genre. The film is being directed by Mike Roth, who has experience in the world of animation, having worked on projects such as The Regular Show and Phineas and Ferb.
Another strange thing about Merry Little Batman is the fact that it is being released on Amazon Prime Video instead of Max, the house for all Warner Bros. content. This strange release strategy might talk a bit about the quality of the movie, having not been deemed good enough to stand beside the many movies and shows we can find on Max about The Dark Knight. Indeed, Merry Little Batman is not the best Christmas movie and definitely not the best Batman movie, but it still manages to be a fun ride, thanks to its humor and a classic Christmas message.
The film feels like it could have been so much more, especially when it comes to being a Christmas Batman film. So far, the best parody Batman film has been the Lego Batman Movie, and Merry Little Batman cannot touch that film’s level of quality. It wishes it could, but there is something missing, something very important, and that thing is having Batman being a part of the film in the first place. Let me explain. While the movie says it is about Batman and his son, these are not these characters.
It is understandable that the target audience for a film like this is mostly kids, but nevertheless, it is very strange to see a movie with a character named Batman who doesn’t act like Batman at all. Contrasting the seriousness of Batman’s persona with the cheering Christmas tone would have made for some great comedy. Instead, Merry Little Batman decides that it should just make Batman a completely different character and throw tons of references to the Batman Universe.
Merry Little Batman Movie Review: Star Performance
Merry Little Batman might not have the Batman we wanted or even the Batman we know of, but at least you can feel that the voice actors are having a good time recording this crazy dialogue. Of course, like it is usual, the villains are the ones who always stand out in this Batman films, and in this occasion, it is David Hornsby’s Joker who takes the cake home by being both funny and dangerous at the same time. It is a great performance and a fresh take on the Prince of Crime.
The rest of the cast is doing a great job as well, although, again, their voices don’t really match their characters. Kibreas does an amazing job as Damian Wayne, and he is really the protagonist of this entire tale. It is also appreciated that in the character design, Damien has darker skin than Bruce, demonizing his Middle Eastern heritage. Luke Wilson is a weird Batman, not a bad one, but just a weird one because his voice seems too gentle to be Batman’s.
Merry Little Batman Movie Review: Direction, Music
The visual production of Merry Little Batman could be the best thing about the project; those out there who are fans of The Regular Show will have an amazing time watching this movie. Most of the character designs are quite grotesque, and that might be a turn-off for many Batman fans out there, in the same way that the latest Aquaman animated series also was for fans of that character. Nevertheless, the visual style makes this a unique Batman project, and it feels great to say that we might need more experimental stuff like this in the DC Library.
The score composed by Patrick Stump is great, and it helps create a sense of urgency throughout the entire movie. The score is also used to raise the level of both action and comedic moments, which at the time might have fallen a bit flat if the score hadn’t supported the weight of the moment. It might not be the most memorable score that you have ever heard in a Batman movie, but it does the join, while the addition of some punk rock music gives us some variety.
Merry Little Batman Movie Review: The Last Word
Merry Little Batman is a very strange Batman project, and it doesn’t make the landing completely when it comes to being a great Batman film or a great Christmas film. The movie ends up sitting somewhere in between; it is still very entertaining, but most people will take it more as a curiosity than something that is a must-watch or a great addition to the Batman library. As it is right now, it makes for a cool watch this holiday season, but if you need some real Batman, you better look somewhere else.
Merry Little Batman Trailer
Merry Little Batman releases on December 8, 2023.
Share with us your experience of watching Merry Little Batman.
For more recommendations, read our Wonka Movie Review here.
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