"Batman vs. Robin (2015)" Plenty of Swings, Plenty of Misses

 

    Huh? What? I was ready to give this movie a semi-positive score, not too positive, but just enough for attempting to try new things with a story that I admitted was very flawed. I felt the source material for this movie could have done more, though I'm just not quite sure this movie understood what it should have/was supposed to do. It definitely includes many of the same lines/imagery from the comics, and for that I appreciate it, but I feel like once again they've missed the mark about Bruce and Damian's relationship in these films, and I feel it is much too flimsy for me to care about. Let's talk about it.

    First off, let's start with the good. They flesh out the court of owls, ever just slightly, but it's what I asked for. You see them with an actual leadership structure, you see them do more than just sit there and stare at Batman in their porcelain-white masks and they also even talk a little bit. By that same token it probably could have done just a little bit more though. They're an aristocratic society that had to go into hiding because of some "secret" faction, yet they never bring up who or what it was. They get rid of the whole secret Wayne aspect that I was iffy on, but they didn't exactly make him that compelling.

    On top of it all, they threw the wrench that is DCAMU Damian Wayne into the mix. The relationship between the two is simply too weak. Despite being called Batman vs. Robin they only fight briefly, and you basically spend most of the time following Damian as he struggles with the no-kill rule. Then Damian is MIA for the final fight, still watches as the villain dies 'by his own hand," and then screws off to go find some peace in the Himalaya's. Bruce and Damian have exactly one heartfelt scene together, and once again they don't feel very much like father or son. What they needed was more time apart form each other?

    Don't even get me started on Dick Grayson. As someone who loves Nightwing I simply cannot have them do my beloved like this. I am clearly biased but he goes out in such weak ways in this film, it's so disheartening. Like that dude is so useless he's basically there to be horny for Starfire. Like I said though there were some nice moments. Alfred rocking the shotgun as if he's in some zombie apocalypse movie was fun, Batman is the giant-robo suit was also cool, and dare I say the maze being all mental was also an interesting interpretation.

    At the same time it's not clear how Batman escapes. This movie is more concerned about fitting together these two clunky storylines then actually making them mesh well. Like they had some inspiration for what to do. They had the great Batman in Bethlehem design for Damian which I've always enjoyed, the trench coat just looks good. Personally, the film could have leaned into that. Damian was created to kill, to inherit and rule this world. He's grappling with that inheritance while also trying to balance it with his now supposed inheritance as the heir to Batman mantle. That way Dick could have also been a mentor for him, instead of this antagonistic relationship they have in the film. The Talons/court of owls could be the ones showing Damian that there's another way other than Batman's. 

Final Score: 40/100

    I want to say I enjoyed watching this but I really didn't. Whoever makes these films does not enjoy the concept of the Batfamily at all. Is this a symptom of people liking edgy Batman? Like it oddly pumps up Damian to a hilarious degree. I have been very underwhelmed with these films so far. Please don't tell me that Justice League: War will end up being my highest rated film in the DCAMU. Please tell me it gets better. I don't know how many more shoddy Batman movies I can take.