Note, I did not read comics, so I will be judging this movie solely on its own merits, even though Grant Morrison is easily the best comic writer currently working in the industry.
Anyway, the movie. I really liked it. The title can be a tad misleading, as Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne) only come to blows once during the film. Really, the conflict between the two is a psychological one. Damian is a young, jumped-up kid with a major thirst for justice and not a little blood, which puts him at odds with Batman. Batman, meanwhile, is the stern, unyielding figure that he almost always is, never letting Damian out of his sight and keeping him close, more than a little paranoid about Damian's upbringing within the League of Shadows.
Their conflict is brought to a boiling point when a Talon from The Court of Owls approaches Damian about joining, encouraging his latent bloodlust and pushing him ever further past Batman's point of no return. Things only get worse when the Court tries to recruit Bruce Wayne into their ranks, unaware of his dual-life. Will Damian remain true to his father's hardline sense of ethics, or with this hardline stance only serve to push him away and into the talons of the Court?
I'll go ahead and say that out of all the things the movie does right, the main reason I love it so much is because it gives both of its main characters story arcs. Both Batman and Damian come out of this movie noticeably changed but also in a way that's not shoved in your face like it was with Nolan's Dark Knight movies. Most other Batman media, be it Batman Returns, the Schumacher movies, the Justice League TV show and films, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold either reaffirm Batman's character or just cut out a story arc all together. This is one of those rare exceptions that actually develops Batman beyond the persona of the brooding jerk that he's acquired in recent years.
Damian, too, gets a story arc, but not one that's as subtle. It's pretty easy to see how he develops as a character; after all, the entire conflict of the film hinges on his anxieties about his identity and his parents, a struggle that all young kids go through in their lives.
I only have two complaints about this movie. The first is that the Court of Owls' true motivation for recruiting Damian is rather anticlimactic, and it brings the tug-of-war going on between them and Batman for Damian's trust to an abrupt and disappointing end. The second reason is that early on, Batman thinks Damian killed someone, even though any fool would be able to look the situation over and easily be able to tell that Damian was guiltless. It feels really contrived and really forced. Then again, that could just be Batman seeking to reaffirm his own paranoid suspicions about Damian's nature. Either way, I didn't like it.
Aside from those complaints, I'd call this a solid film, definitely better than the last two Batman titles that DC Animated released. It's dark, it's suspenseful, and it shows a side of Batman that many people have forgotten about.
Anyway, the movie. I really liked it. The title can be a tad misleading, as Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne) only come to blows once during the film. Really, the conflict between the two is a psychological one. Damian is a young, jumped-up kid with a major thirst for justice and not a little blood, which puts him at odds with Batman. Batman, meanwhile, is the stern, unyielding figure that he almost always is, never letting Damian out of his sight and keeping him close, more than a little paranoid about Damian's upbringing within the League of Shadows.
Their conflict is brought to a boiling point when a Talon from The Court of Owls approaches Damian about joining, encouraging his latent bloodlust and pushing him ever further past Batman's point of no return. Things only get worse when the Court tries to recruit Bruce Wayne into their ranks, unaware of his dual-life. Will Damian remain true to his father's hardline sense of ethics, or with this hardline stance only serve to push him away and into the talons of the Court?
I'll go ahead and say that out of all the things the movie does right, the main reason I love it so much is because it gives both of its main characters story arcs. Both Batman and Damian come out of this movie noticeably changed but also in a way that's not shoved in your face like it was with Nolan's Dark Knight movies. Most other Batman media, be it Batman Returns, the Schumacher movies, the Justice League TV show and films, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold either reaffirm Batman's character or just cut out a story arc all together. This is one of those rare exceptions that actually develops Batman beyond the persona of the brooding jerk that he's acquired in recent years.
Damian, too, gets a story arc, but not one that's as subtle. It's pretty easy to see how he develops as a character; after all, the entire conflict of the film hinges on his anxieties about his identity and his parents, a struggle that all young kids go through in their lives.
I only have two complaints about this movie. The first is that the Court of Owls' true motivation for recruiting Damian is rather anticlimactic, and it brings the tug-of-war going on between them and Batman for Damian's trust to an abrupt and disappointing end. The second reason is that early on, Batman thinks Damian killed someone, even though any fool would be able to look the situation over and easily be able to tell that Damian was guiltless. It feels really contrived and really forced. Then again, that could just be Batman seeking to reaffirm his own paranoid suspicions about Damian's nature. Either way, I didn't like it.
Aside from those complaints, I'd call this a solid film, definitely better than the last two Batman titles that DC Animated released. It's dark, it's suspenseful, and it shows a side of Batman that many people have forgotten about.