USA 2019 87m Directed by: Jake Castorena. Starring: Troy Baker, Eric Bauza, Darren Criss, Kyle Mooney, Baron Vaughn, Carlos Alazraqui, Cas Anvar, Rachel Bloom, John DiMaggio, Keith Ferguson, Brian George, Ben Giroux, Tom Kenny. Music by: Kevin Riepl.
Batman, Batgirl and Robin forge an alliance with The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to fight against the Turtles' sworn enemy, The Shredder, who has teamed up with Ra's Al Ghul and The League Of Assassins.
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"Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Man, even just saying that feels weird, but, yeah, this is a thing. This animated flick is an adaptation of a six-part comic series made back in 2015. Given that I'm a fan of both, I had to check this out.
Plot: There is trouble brewing in Gotham City. The Shredder, leader of the Foot Clan, allies with Ra's al Ghul, head of the League of Assassins, to bring a new form of terror to the streets. The Heroes in a Half-Shell follow their ninja nemesis to uncover this nefarious plan only to find themselves butting heads with the Dark Knight and his sidekicks Batgirl and Robin (Damian Wayne). Can these two heroic forces combined give their enemies a much needed shell shock?
This is definitely one of the most fun entries of both franchises I've seen in a while and a lot of that fun comes from the characters acknowledging just how wacky their respective worlds and inhabitants are. The way the Bat Family and the Turtles bounce off each other led to lots of great moments both funny and epic (Mickey annoying Alfred, Donnie's and Batgirl's intellectual fortes, etc.), helped by excellent voice acting. Basic character arcs and dynamics are executed with grace and the comedy got me laughing throughout. Balancing this is how the film gives time to let things be serious for both drama and high stakes with the heroes struggling to overcome their flaws and differences, plus Shredder and Ra's al Ghul making a lethal pair despite their own opposing traits. In fact, things can get dark at times with fight scenes that can get unexpectedly violent (nasty blows and the occasional gruesome death).
Speaking of which, the fantastic battles offer plenty in players, gadgets, and environments. There's a great mix of martial arts with classic elements akin to Batman and TMNT and different sweet matchups (Batman vs Shredder, Turtles vs Arkham inmates and so on). Fans will also recognize the abundant nods to previous media from both franchises. Props to the art style and animation, giving characters distinct designs, fluid movements (with only a few lapses), and striking colors and shadows that manage to make it appear that these heroes inhabit the same world despite being owned by different companies. While the film is an hour and a half, a lot happens, but thankfully it is well-paced and gives major elements their due.
All in all, this film is a mutated thrill ride you do not want to pass up. The filmmakers took an out-there concept and somehow made it work. At the moment, I can't think of anything major to criticize about this film, so I'd say check it out.
Review by kevinxirau from the Internet Movie Database.