Welcome back to another entry in the DC Animated Movies review series. This entry will look at the five films released by DC in 2016. Storylines were continued while classics were revisited. A legendary comic book story is finally brought to the silver screen with the only the best to voice to iconic roles. Check out my review below.

Batman: Bad Blood (2016)****

Starring: Jason O’Mara, Yvonne Strahovski, Sean Maher

I liked the way they introduced Batwoman and Batwing in this movie. Batwoman might have garnered more focus and better story development but the small bit that was present about Luke Fox and how he became Batwing worked. I would like to have seen a scene or two of Dick Grayson, Kate Kane and Luke Fox all younger or just how they all met. It is mentioned that Dick and Kate met at a gala but it would have been fun to see a younger version of them all. This isn’t the reason that I gave this film four stars. So throughout the movie, Bruce Wayne is exposed as Batman as he is getting his mind controlled by The Mad Hatter at the command of Talia Al Ghul. It is obvious that the Mad Hatter now knows who Batman is. Even though at the end of the movie all of Talia’s  associates die, I can’t help but feel that now more people know Batman’s identity. Even if it isn’t implied that the associates told other people or their henchmen, I just find it hard to believe that they kept that all under wraps. They also teased Batgirl into this universe and she isn’t a part of any of the movies attached to this continuity until Apokolips War (2020).

Justice League vs Teen Titans (2016)****

Starring: Christopher Gorham, Sean Maher, Jon Bernthal

This felt more like a prequel to Justice League: Dark (2017) than a movie living up to the title of Justice League vs Teen Titans. The actual battle between the two groups lasted only a few scenes so the title doesn’t feel accurate which is why I gave it four stars. The story revolves more around Raven and her backstory and how it ties into the villain Trigon. The introduction of the Teen Titans fits into the storyline as Damien Wayne has figured out how to be a solo hero but struggles to be a part of a team. There are some corny scenes with subpar music but it was to build chemistry with the team so it wasn’t too distracting. 

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) *****

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong 

When I first saw this film, I was riding the training that previous animated movies’ established as action filled with explosions and fighting. During my second viewing where I stripped away those built standards and just focused on the storyline, narrative and character arch, this movie blew me away. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil return to voice the Batman and Joker 11 years after the Batman Animated Series ended. The dialog that each character had in this movie is 100% different than what I’ve seen before and that is what made it special. Mark Hamil had monologues that gave the Joker so much more depth into his psyche and belief that it gave a new dimension to the character. Kevin Conroy’s script gives Batman a new direction and explores an overlooked trait that in the end, adds another layer to the mythology of Batman. 

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)*****

Starring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Thomas Lennon

This was a movie for fans of the 1960’s live action Batman series starring Adam West. It was the right amount of goofy and cheesy lines that keep the spirit of that show alive. I knew of the show and have seen clips so I had an idea of how the show was. This movie felt like at least a couple episodes thrown together to get an hour or so long movie put together. They take a dig at the Christopher Nolan Batman anthology which was a fun tough but overall this was fun and didn’t take itself too seriously. 

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016) ****

Starring: Roger Craig Smith, John DiMaggio, Oded Fehr

Oded Fehr’s Mr. Freeze was the best character in the movie. Mr. Freeze can arguably be the most compelling villain for Batman because of his conscience and motives so bringing in a high caliber actor in Fehr is a good move. This movie is more connected to Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015) than the previous entry in this universe – granted it was Halloween themed. The Penguin makes his return to Gotham after we see him stranded in the arctic at the end of Animal Instincts. Damien is taking up the mantle of Robin and what I notice is that they did not acknowledge that Damien is Bruce’s son. Not sure if that decision was made because they were trying to keep it PG and focused on the action but it felt it was missing the non superhero human connection element.