Son of Batman

This article is about the 2014 film. For the fictional DC character, see Damian Wayne.
Son of Batman

Home video release cover art
Directed by Ethan Spaulding
Produced by James Tucker
Screenplay by Joe R. Lansdale
Story by James Robinson
Based on Characters appearing in comic books published 
by DC Entertainment
Starring
Music by Frederik Wiedmann
Edited by Christopher D. Lozinski
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Home Video
Release dates
  • April 22, 2014 (2014-04-22) (Digital)
  • May 6, 2014 (2014-05-06) (Physical)
Running time
 74 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Son of Batman is a direct-to-video animated superhero film which is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.[1] It is an adaptation of Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's 2006 Batman and Son storyline.[2][3] The film was released as a digital download on April 22, 2014,[4] and was released on physical media May 6, 2014.[5][6]

Plot

At the headquarters of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul grooms Damian Wayne (son of his daughter, Talia, and Batman) to succeed him as head of the league. The league is attacked by a group of assassins led by Slade Wilson, Ra's al Ghul's initial choice for successor before Ra's met Batman. Feeling betrayed, Slade decided to seize power. During the battle, Ra's is fatally burned in a missile strike explosion, dying inches away from reaching the Lazarus Pit. Although Damian stabs Slade in the eye, Slade escapes, vowing vengeance. Talia takes Damian to Gotham City to protect him with his father's help.

In Gotham City, Batman confronts Killer Croc, who is stealing mutagenic chemicals and steroids to enhance himself, to the point where he grew a reptilian tail. Batman gets ambushed by Croc before Talia electrocutes Croc from behind. She tells Batman about her father's death and leaves their son in his care, though Damian believes that he can take care of himself and does not need Batman. Although Damian wants to avenge Ra's al Ghul by killing Slade, Batman objects to this. Slade, now calling himself Deathstroke, captures Dr. Kirk Langstrom, who was working with Croc to enhance him in return for the mutagenics he stole and also had worked with Ra's, promising a formula for his soldiers. Slade threatens Langstrom's family to force him to recreate the Man-Bat formula for him and his soldiers. Damian bypasses Wayne Towers security to speak to Bruce, telling him about Slade's contact, Ubu, who was part of the raid on the League's headquarters and is stationed in Gotham. Although Damian wants to avenge Ra's al Ghul by killing Slade, Bruce objects to Damian wanting to kill. Talia is captured by Deathstroke when she and some remaining League members attack his compound.

Against Batman's orders, Damian leaves the Batcave and, after a chase and a long fight, defeats Ubu, whom he located by accessing the Bat-Computer. Before Damian can kill him, Nightwing arrives, mistakes him for a criminal and subdues him before bringing him back to the Batcave. Batman berates Damian for his recklessness, willingness to kill and exposing their operation. Batman then has Damian don the mantle of Robin to teach him discipline. Searching for a lead on Langstrom's location, Batman goes to Arkham to interrogate a rabid Killer Croc, who supplied the mutagens to Langstrom in exchange for his enhancements and is currently going through drastic, agonizing withdrawal symptoms that cause him to shed his scales and tail. Since others are too afraid of him to medicate him without being harmed, Batman promises Croc help in exchange for information. Batman follows Croc's lead about the formula's mutagen to Langstrom's apartment, where he finds a throwing star that he takes evidence of Deathstroke's involvement. Before he leaves, he goes throughout the building and finds a storage room filled with caged bats, with one larger cage being empty and broken open from inside. Batman then finds a rabid gorilla with bat like mutations, one of Langstrom's unstable subjects, and it attacks him until it dies from its mutations. A drone aircraft sent by Deathstroke then flies past and crashes on the building, destroying it, though Batman evades the explosion. Commissioner Gordon warns them about an abandoned stadium believed to house Deathstroke's men.

At the stadium, Batman and Damian question Langstrom but are attacked when Damian becomes violent. Before they successfully escape, they fight off a swarm of Man-Bats. In the cave, Langstrom reveals Deathstroke's plan to create superhuman, flight-capable assassins. While Nightwing works with Langstrom on an antidote, Batman and Damian rescue their family. Batman guesses that Talia has been abducted when he finds evidence of torture in an empty cell, which he keeps from Damian to not set him off. They find and rescue Langstrom's family, but Batman is unaware that Deathstroke challenged Damian to a fight in exchange for Talia's life through a video device he gave Langstrom's daughter in exchange for sparing them. Both Langstrom's daughter and Deathstroke's video tell him not to involve Batman in their fight.

Nightwing learns that Deathstroke is operating in an oil rig off the Scottish coast, and when Batman is distracted, Damian goes to the rig. He finds Deathstroke and Talia in an underwater base with a swarm of Man-Bats and another Lazarus Pit, whose fluid Deathstroke intends to sell. Damian pulls a gun on Deathstroke, who holds one against Talia's head until Damian drops his gun. Deathstroke fires at him, but Talia is hit instead after she jumps in the path of Deathstroke's gunfire. As Deathstroke corners Damian, Batman appears and the Man-Bats attack. Batman wards them off with sonar-emitting batarangs, and Deathstroke flees after losing to Batman in a brief fistfight.

Batman heals Talia in Lazarus Pit, while Nightwing and Langstrom reach the oil rig and cure the Man-Bats. At the same time, Damian fights and defeats Deathstroke, but refuses to kill him because he is his father's son. The elevator from the rig to the underwater base is destroyed when the Man-Bats, overwhelmed by the sonar devices, overcrowd the glass elevator shaft, flooding the base. Batman, Talia and Damian escape, but Deathstroke gets left behind and dies via flooding. Batman believes that Damian should stay with him and remain as Robin while Talia still wishes to recreate the League with Batman, who would rather disband the League, and Damian at her side. She decides to let him care for their son and leaves with the League of Assassins though she says she will return for him.

As the credits roll, a slideshow of the fight between Damian and Nightwing is played between credits.

Cast

Differences between the comics and film

The film bears only a superficial resemblance to the Batman and Son story arc in the comics; as a result, it carries no on-screen "based on" credit as DC Animated Movies usually do.

Soundtrack

Son of Batman (Music from the DC Universe Movie)
Film score by Frederik Wiedmann
Released May 20, 2014
Length 65:52
Label La-La Land Records

The soundtrack to Son of Batman was released on May 20, 2014, with music composed by Frederik Wiedmann.[10]

Tracklist

Reception

The film received generally mixed to positive reviews. IGN gave the film a rating of 7.5 out of 10, saying "Son of Batman finds the humor amidst the more adult-oriented action elements in this latest DC animated adventure".[11] On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 75% based on 8 votes.[12] Common Sense Media gave the film a 4 star rating out of 5, stating "Violent and noirish Batman is engaging but cynical".[13] Conversely, Brian Lowry of Variety stated "at times this feels like a sitcom premise — a chop-socky "Full House", or maybe, “Full Cave”".[14] Tommy Cook for Collider.com also gave the film a negative review, commenting "Striving for the dark edge of what I guess people expect from a Batman movie while still maintaining that Saturday morning toon sheen, the film feels mass produced to appeal to all (give the adults – gore; the kids – a spunky child sidekick.); however in the effort to appease everyone, SoB in fact caters to none".[15]

Sequels

In 2015, a sequel to Son of Batman was released under the title of Batman vs. Robin. In 2016, a third movie was released under the title of Batman: Bad Blood.

References

  1. ↑ Bricken, Rob. "Damian lives in DC's next direct-to-DVD movie, Son of Batman". io9. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Watch the first trailer for DC animated movie Son of Batman - Flickering Myth". Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  3. ↑ Serafino, Jason. "First "Son Of Batman" Trailer Debuts Online". Complex. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Son of Batman Review - IGN". 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  5. ↑ ""Son Of Batman" Animated Feature Hits Home Video May 6th, 2014, First Look At Cover Art". Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  6. ↑ "First Look: It's Father's Day for the Dark Knight in Son of Batman - Today's News: Our Take - TVGuide.com". Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Harvey, Jim (2014-05-02). "Main Cast And Crew Details For Upcoming "Son Of Batman" Animated Feature". Worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  8. 1 2 Harvey, Jim (March 8, 2014). "World Premiere Of "Son Of Batman" Animated Feature Confirmed For WonderCon Anaheim 2014". World's Finest Online. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Twitter / SuperPRGuy: Somebody's lurking in the shadows". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  10. ↑ "Cover Artwork, Track Listing For "Son Of Batman" Soundtrack Released". Worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
  11. ↑ "The Dad Knight". ign.com. IGN. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Son of Batman". rottentomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Son of Batman review". commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Blu-Ray Review: 'Son of Batman'". Variety.com. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ "WonderCon: DC Animation's Son of Batman Review". Collider. Retrieved July 6, 2014.

External links

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