Batman: Bad Blood

First of the DC animated films this year.

Honestly, it was good. Better than the last 2 movies with Damien in them.

Is it just me who thinks this, or does this movie share some fairly prominent plot similarities with Metal Gear Solid?

I don't see them myself. Care to share?

Well, Damien's a complete asshole, so that's not saying much.

Well there's the whole thing with Damien's deeply insecure obsessed-with-the-main-character age-accelerated secret clone being the main bad guy, who also happens to lead a band of quirky henchmen that each have their own themed powers. In this way, Heretic is practically a copy of Liquid Snake. The entire rest of the movie I was expecting him to rip off his shirt and scream Les Enfants Terribles! in as hammy a manner as possible. There's even electric torture, and Bruce gets strapped to a restraint similar to the one Snake gets strapped to, only upside-down.

This movie is replete with Metal Gear Solid references.

edited 24th Jan '16 11:26:11 AM by Gault

But what's the better/worse word, 'nunjas' or 'revengeance'?

(Realizes that nunjas implies nuns who are ninjas. Which sounds rather awesome.)

Can't we have both?

In any case, I just might have to see this for myself because of that...

Yes, this movie does have ninja nuns.

I can better understand your position now, thanks.

Probably the best of the new wave of Animated Batman films that started with Under the Red Hood, though it's admittedly a low bar. Like Son of Batman we have a villain that feels out of place, and honestly, whose actions clash with the characterization established in earlier films. I mean, I get it's drawn from Batman Incorporated, but still, feels like we're missing some development here. Heretic is a complete waste of screentime. At least most of the bat crew get decent screentime. Especially Dick who's been too often ignored.

Is it just me, or does the movie bend itself over backward to try and fit as many gruesome and brutal death, despite having characters who will not kill? Killer Moth and that other dude crushed by boulders. Firefly sucked into a jet Engine. Calculator eletrocuted and his eyeball exploded. Mad Hatter's head exploded, that dude who got dropped through a fan despite Damien trying to save him. It's like the writers took the idea that "Batman doesn't kill" and went "Not if we can help it". The movie would almost make more sense if they revealed The Spectre was following people around while invisible and using his power to pull a Final Destination on people.

edited 24th Jan '16 4:55:53 PM by Ghilz

Yeah I was really surprised by all of the villains dying. I knew Talia was going to bite it once I saw her role in the plot, but everyone else jut kinded got fed to the grinder. Bronze Tiger got the crappiest death though, a rock just fell on him after he did the whole "showing off my martial arts skill before I kick your ass" dance.

Well Bronze Tiger basically Tempted fate. We've all seen Indiana Jones, and since Dick doesn't carry a gun, it was a given something was going to take him out. But the rest do feel really contrived. And brutal. It almost gets comical when you consider how brutal those deaths are, yet the movie is squeamish about showing any blood. I mean, Mad Hatter had the CLEANEST head explosion. If they'd edit the blood in there, this would rival a Saw movie.

edited 24th Jan '16 5:16:45 PM by Ghilz

The only thing I didnt was how people got offed for like no reason.

On the other hand, I don't remember seeing Tim - bat-master of getting ignored - in there anywhere.

edited 24th Jan '16 10:14:11 PM by KnownUnknown

@Very Melon, you're welcome.

It's a movie based on the Post-Flashpoint DCNU. Of course lots of established characters will go through gratuitous gory deaths for no good reason.

Tim and Jason should have been in this movie somehow. That's my main issue with it.

That they were able to get Stephanie Brown in the ending makes the lack of Tim and Jason stand out.

edited 25th Jan '16 9:13:35 AM by VeryMelon

That wasn't Stephanie Brown, that was Barbera Gordon, you can tell because that's her current costume in comics, and Stephnie Brown has Blonde hair. Continuity reboot remember?

Oh, I just assumed it was Stephanie because it looked like her robin costume.

Man, Tim's stealth skills have really improved.

They didn't off Bronze Tiger it was Hellhound a D-list villain

Well, i finally saw the film and i have to say, I have mixed feelings about it

Pros in its favor:

1. The very notion of a "Bat Family". It gave the group something of black ops team feel to them, at least to me

2. Having Damien be back for good, apparently. To be honest, I actually kind of liked this character and wanted him to stay

3. The fight scenes were pretty darn good

Cons against it:

1. Talia's role in the film; I know it served as a part of the drama in Batman's life and the general plot, but, it just felt too depressing for my tastes

2. Nightwing's apparent remaining Tension with Batman; same reason as the first con

3. Batman's attitude after he is rescued and Nightwing and Batwoman's acceptance of the fact that he told Talia what she needed to know. I felt kind of bad that they made Damien in the wrong when he was actually defending his father in an argument

4. Certain aspects of this film made me think a bit too much, and for me, that's a really bad thing. Maybe it's because i'm an adult who's still trying to find something to enjoy about 2-D animated films, maybe it's because I'm trying to cling to things i liked about the DC heroes i used to enjoy watching on TV in my youth, but, I really hate it when animated shows/movies make me think too much, it's very unsettling.

Bottom line: the movie had its ups and downs and, for the most part, i liked it. But the downs do sort of come off as distracting from the ups.

When a show has the word "Blood" in the title, I usually think vampires.

I am disappointed that there is not a vampire Batman, not even a vampire Joker in this movie.

It unfortunately made me think of the Taylor Swift song...

edited 31st Jan '16 2:32:06 PM by Cross