Batman: Son of Batman (2014) Online
Synopsis: In Son of Batman, the Caped Crusader (Jason O'Mara)
discovers that his nemesis Ra's al Ghul (Giancarlo Esposito) and former lover
Talia al Ghul (Morena Baccarin) have been hiding a secret: after a night of
passion, Bruce Wayne and Talia had a son. Raised to be the future commander of
The League of Assassins, young Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan) is a killer in a
young boy's body.
However, when the Ra's other protegé,
Deathstroke (Thomas Gibson), attacks The League, Talia decides to hide Damian
in the safest place possible: with his father. Under Batman's guidance, Damian
finds Ra's training being challenged; but a thirst for vengeance against
Deathstroke and a life of being a trained killer pushes Damian into the streets
of Gotham City looking for his own twisted version of "justice." Can
the Son of Batman be saved from himself before Deathstroke hatches a plan to
create an army of super-assassins?
The third film in DC Entertainment's shared animation universe based
on the "New 52," Son of Batman is pretty much
consistent with its predecessors (Flashpoint Paradox and Justice
League: War) in terms of overall style - for better or worse. Where Son
of Batman falls short, however, is in accomplishing its principal
task: successfully introducing the character of Damian Wayne into the animated
universe.
Director Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The
Last Airbender) steps in for his first DC animated feature - taking over
for DCE mainstay Jay Oliva, who has directed the company's most recent (and
generally liked) animated work, such as The Dark Knight Returns, Flashpoint
Paradox, Justice League: War and some of the best episodes of Young
Justice. If that introduction doesn't spell it out for you: Spaulding's
freshman pains are all the more noticeable with Oliva absent. (But don't worry,
Jay is busy working on the upcoming Assault on Arkham animated
flick!)
Action and fight sequences are probably
the most glaring issue, thanks to rough animation that seems well below the DCE
standard. The film is once again presented in the anime style of previous
"New 52" animated features - in this particularly unpolished
case, Son of Batman looks like something closer to a Last
Airbender TV episode than an animated feature designed for full HD
Blu-ray. More than that, the shots and angles of the film are often peculiar,
the editing is jerky and awkward, and the movie can't really manage the
fluidity and immersiveness that makes an animated world feel real. If there's a
choice between DVD and Blu-ray, don't pay extra for this one.
The story by League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen writer James Robinson and screenplay by Joe R.
Lansdale (writer of the "Jonah Hex" DC animated short) manage to do a
satisfactory job in adapting comic book writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy
Kubert's "Batman and Son" comic book storyline into a thrilling
concept for animated film. There's an impressive selection of side characters
(Talia, Ra's, Deathstroke, Man-Bat, Killer Croc, Nightwing); an interesting
theme at work (Batman's values, as reflected through his son); interesting
scenes of character interaction and even some pretty good action.
Unfortunately, the lack of good visuals
and some bad voice work (more on that later) make it hard to fully appreciate
the finer points of some well-written scenes. The narrative is also strangely
distant from its central character: Batman. The majority of the best scenes in
the film occur between Damian and supporting players like Deathstroke, Alfred
and Nightwing - but his interactions with Bruce/Batman seem strangely cold, and
rarely capitalize on the opportunity to provide insight into the Dark Knight
from a new angle (having to examine himself as an example to his son). There
are some moments of interest and humor as Damian is brought into Bruce's world,
but the big super-soldier terrorist plot overshadows the richer core of this
story. It's not a deal-breaker (because who doesn't love action?) but it is a
case of missed opportunity.
Jason O'Mara reprises his Justice
League: War role as Batman, and in my opinion, he's earned the spot as
a suitable understudy for Kevin Conroy (who is also currently working on Assault
on Arkham). The crucial failing in casting is Stuart Allan as Damian, a
role the young actor just can't bring the right gravitas or wit to. Damian
comes off as a bratty kid in all the wrong kind of ways, and if the Son of
Batman is off-putting, then the Son of Batman movie is going
to suffer heavily for it (and does).
It's no secret that Damian Wayne wasn't an immediate slam-dunk with comic fans when first introduced, but the character has since earned a strong following and should therefore be easy to sell. This film just misses the mark. The supporting cast is ironically stacked with talent by comparison: Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds) is solid as Deathstroke; Xander Berkeley (The Mentalist) is fine as Kirk Langstrom; Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) is good as Ra's al Ghul; Sean Maher (Arrow) is great as Nightwing - but Morena Baccarin (Homeland) can't maintain an accent as Talia. That lineup makes Allan's miscasting that much more apparent.
All in all, Son of Batman is a letdown as an introduction to an important newer character from Batman lore. The film has good elements, but is deficient in the two most crucial areas: the characters of Batman and Damian. Son of Batman has action, it has fan-favorite character cameos, but it will be best enjoyed if expectations are tempered, and if one ill-voiced boy can be endured.
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