Batman vs. Robin

Batman vs. Robin
Directed by Jay Oliva
Produced by James Tucker
Screenplay by J. M. DeMatteis
Based on Batman: The Court of Owls 
by Scott Snyder
Greg Capullo
Jonathan Glapion
Starring
Music by Frederik Wiedmann
Edited by Al Bretienbach
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Home Video
Release dates
  • April 7, 2015 (2015-04-07) (Digital)
  • April 14, 2015 (2015-04-14) (Physical)
Running time
 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Batman vs. Robin is a direct-to-video animated superhero film which is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film is partially based on the Batman: The Court of Owls story arc written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion, and serves as a sequel to 2014's Son of Batman. The film was shown during WonderCon on April 3, 2015. The film was released for downloading on April 7, 2015 and was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on April 14, 2015.[1]

Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, David McCallum and Sean Maher reprise their respective roles from Son of Batman.

Plot

During an investigation of missing children, Damian Wayne, still fighting crime as Robin, has taken the Batmobile out to an abandoned toy factory without Batman's consent, where he finds Anton Schott, who is responsible for the children's disappearance and has also transformed some of them into grotesque, mutilated "Dolls". Damian's father, Bruce, arrives as Batman to aid Damian in the resulting battle with Damian chasing after Schott while Batman knocks out the Dolls with gas and frees the remaining children. Damian chooses to spare Schott only for an owl-masked assassin to kill him with his bladed glove, telling Damian to never doubt his instincts. The assassin leaves Damian and Schott's body behind leading Batman to accuse Damian of murdering him when he arrives. Damian insists he spared Schott out of respect for Batman, and after inspecting the body further, Batman discovers an owl feather.

The next night, Bruce has dinner at Wayne Manor with Samantha Vanaver, a wealthy woman whose family like the Waynes have had positions of influence in Gotham City for hundreds of years. After dinner Bruce shows Samantha his plans to make Gotham a better place. Samantha then meets Damian, and after she leaves Bruce tries to connect with Damian by watching a movie with him. However Damian later tries to sneak out of the mansion but is thwarted by Bruce's security systems. Damian voices his frustration of being "kept prisoner" as both Damian and Robin saying that Bruce never trusts him. Bruce tells Damian he needs to earn his trust with Damian telling him it should work both ways. Bruce goes out as Batman leaving Damian with Dick Grayson as Nightwing to look after him as he investigates the owl feather he found leading him to the Gotham Museum of Natural History's Hall of Owls.

Bruce is reminded of a story his father, Thomas, told him when he was a child; a story about the Court of Owls, a secret society of rich men who ruled Gotham from the shadows and killed any who opposed them by sending agents called "talons." Although Thomas insisted it was just a story, the night Bruce's parents were murdered Bruce saw an owl clutching a bat flying away from the scene of his parents' murder and became convinced the story was true and that the Court of Owls was to blame. Bruce swears vengeance and takes his frustrations out by killing an owl nesting in the attic of Wayne Manor, but after finding no evidence of the Court of Owls from his search of a high society club, Bruce conceded and dismissed the legend.

In the present Batman is attacked by three owl-masked assailants all seemingly inhuman and impervious to harm, with one shown to appear zombie-like after Batman unmasks it. Although he manages to destroy one with explosives, the other two nearly kill Batman before they suddenly liquefy into black ooze, and he sends out a distress beacon to the Batcave before losing consciousness. Damian, having escaped Grayson and the mansion, stops a mugging and is again approached by the assassin he met, who introduces himself as Talon. Talon encourages Damian's choice of punishing criminals and offers Damian a chance to join him. Damian is unsure of this decision and returns home where Bruce is waiting disappointed that Damian sneaked out again. Bruce warns Damian that he will be sent away to a school in Switzerland unless he learns to discipline himself. However the next night, the young boy sneaks out again.

While driving to a date with Samantha, Bruce's car is crashed by white owl-masked people and he is brought before the Court of Owls, who offer Bruce a chance to join them as a member of one of Gotham's wealthiest families. After Bruce leaves, given time to consider the offer, it is revealed that Talon is working for the Court of Owls, who are secretly raising an army of the inhuman, undead warriors, also known as "talons," through a process similar to the Lazarus Pit, so that they can destroy Gotham City and allow the Court to rebuild it as they see fit. Unfortunately the serum they have developed to create and awaken the talons only lets them last for 24 hours at a time outside of their storage tanks and be submerged in the serum inside of the tanks before they rot and dissolve. Talon will soon be forced by the Court to undergo the process himself and become one of these undead but not before bringing Damian over as his apprentice and replacement.

Damian, having contacted Talon, has gone out on missions with him to take out some criminals. Damian has constantly hesitated to kill due to Batman's code, which frustrates Talon. Sensing how Damian looks up to Batman as a father, Talon tells his story about how he and his own father were thieves. Talon looked up to his father and wanted to be just like him, but could not and was always punished for it. One night he gave his father up to the police, who shot him, and afterwards Talon was recruited by the Court of Owls. Batman shows up, having tracked his son's activity but is blocked by Damian from capturing Talon. Batman tries to convince Damian that Talon and the Court of Owls are using him to get to him, but Damian believes Batman is selfish, trying to hold him back from his potential. A confrontation breaks out between father and son with Damian nearly getting the chance to kill Batman before leaving.

Talon is revealed to be in a relationship with Samantha, who is secretly the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls. Despite their social class divide, Samantha wants to spare Talon from the ritual and have him stand by her side as they plan to destroy Batman with Robin. Batman sneaks into the Court of Owls through the sewers and when he arrives is revealed to have been exposed to psychotropic gas by the Court, causing Batman to hallucinate a large white labyrinth and the night his parents were murdered. There he sees the shooter is revealed to be not Joe Chill but a grown up Damian as Batman. Realizing that his identity as Batman will cause Damian the same rage and hatred as the Court of Owls, Bruce asks the grown up Damian for forgiveness, who reverts to the child Damian.

Bruce awakens from his hallucination finding himself back at the Batcave with Alfred Pennyworth and Grayson. Meanwhile Talon introduces Damian to the society, but when Damian reveals himself to the Grandmaster, Samantha realizes that if Robin is Bruce's son, then Bruce must be Batman. Ordering Talon to kill Damian, Talon instead turns against the society murdering every member including Samantha. Now in control of the Court's army of resurrected talons, Talon leaves Damian behind at the Court offering him another chance to join him once he has killed Batman.

Talon and his undead soldiers attack the mansion breaking into the Batcave as Batman, Grayson, and Alfred fight them off. Batman and Talon ultimately face off with Talon gaining the upper hand before Damian, who escaped from the Court, comes in to take over for a badly wounded Batman. Damian eventually defeats Talon holding a sai to his throat. After telling Damian one last time never to doubt his instincts, Talon commits suicide by forcing Damian's sai through his own neck, leaving Damian stunned and confused.

Bruce tries to welcome Damian back home, but Damian refuses claiming he needs to sort out who he is. Damian leaves for a monastery in the Himalayas that Bruce suggested to him.

Cast

Reception

Batman vs. Robin received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on five reviews.[4]

Sequel

In 2016, a sequel to Batman vs. Robin was released under the title of Batman: Bad Blood.

References

  1. ↑ "Batman vs Robin Release Dates". The World's Finest. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Jason O'Mara, Jeremy Sisto and even "Weird Al" Yankovic are among those lending their pipes to the 'Son of Batman' sequel.". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Batman vs Robin: Backstage - Cast and Crew". The World's Finest. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  4. ↑ "Batman Vs. Robin (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-08-23.

External links

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