Merry Little Batman

FILM: 7/10.

Embarking on a watch of the 2023 film Merry Little Batman, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this rescued gem. Initially teetering on the brink of becoming another Warner Bros tax write-off, Amazon stepped in to salvage this animated adventure from cinematic obscurity.

Designed with a bullseye on the 30 to 40-something parents who cut their Bat-teeth on Batman: The Animated Series, Merry Little Batman delivers a Bat-themed holiday treat perfect for family viewing.

The animation style, a departure from my usual preferences, echoes the director Mike Roth's earlier work on SpongeBob SquarePants and The Regular Show. While not my cup of tea, it adds a quirky charm that younger audiences might appreciate.

What truly sets Merry Little Batman aglow is its relentless shower of references to Batman lore from comics, films, and TV shows. It's a joy for fans, creating a playful tapestry woven with nods to the Caped Crusader's expansive pop culture footprint.

At its core, the film cleverly repackages the Home Alone formula. However, instead of a regular family, we have Batman's son, Damian, defending Wayne Manor and Gotham against the formidable rogues' gallery. The familiar premise injects a fresh dose of fun into the holiday-themed narrative.

While the animation style might not align with my tastes, Merry Little Batman manages to carve out its own Bat-niche. It's a festive flick that successfully bridges the generational gap, offering a holiday escapade that's both nostalgic for Bat-fans and a new, animated delight for the younger audience. With a playful spirit and nods to Batman's rich legacy, it's a merry Bat-venture worth unwrapping.

FORMAT: Streaming

VIDEO: 9/10.

1080p streaming presentation, Detail level: Good, Colour reproduction: Excellent, Level accuracy: Excellent, Encode: Excellent, Master condition: Excellent

AUDIO: 9/10.

Dolby Digital 5.1 streaming audio, Dialogue reproduction: Excellent, Soundtrack & effects clarity: Excellent, Dynamics: Excellent, Surround sound presentation: Good, LFE content: Good

MOOFIEMETER: 7/10.

I was not sure if this movie was going to come out or not, but without knowing, it randomly comes out on the Amazon Prime streaming service; all I knew was that the movie was a mix of Batman from the DC universe and the movie Home Alone (1990). The movie Merry Little Batman (2023) has an interesting but nice-looking animation style, some funny moments, and a premise that felt stretched out; it follows the Home Alone (1990) premise in the first half of the movie, but then keeps going, and does something else that I was not expecting with a different premise that could have worked as the full movie and not just second to last half of the movie.

Luke Wilson as Bruce Wayne/Batman was not a choice I would have made to voice this character, but he still does a good enough job with him getting at least most of what is good about Batman, while also being funny occasionally. Bruce Wayne/Batman's son Damian Wayne voiced by Yonas Kibreab, who also gives a good enough performance, is trying to be like his father and be the next Batman, even though Bruce Wayne/Batman keeps saying he is not ready; Damian will stop Wayne Manor from being broken into, but for the whole movie he is going around Gotham City taking down well known villains and trying to get back his utility belt that his father got him.

The movie has well known villains such as The Joker, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Bane who all have weird looking designs and weird sounding voices; The Joker is just trying to destroy Christmas and Damian along with Batman will stop him, there is not much to say other than that. The animation gave the characters weird designs, but also the backgrounds and look of everything had nice colors; also, the look of this made it look like a movie that would play on Cartoon Network. The movie does feel a bit stretched out, but I was entertained enough while watching it with its funny moments and references, along with its fun action.

Merry Little Batman (2023) is an entertaining, funny, enjoyable enough of a DC universe Christmas movie, it does also seem a bit too child friendly at times, so this movie will entertain little kids; if you are a DC fan you will either like it for it being an entertaining animated Batman movie, or you will not like it because of it being too child friendly. This movie is not something to rush onto Amazon Prime and watch; this is just a Batman Christmas movie made by DC, that should be enough to make this an enjoyable and entertaining time.

Watch it for Batman & Luke Wilson with some great actors from other well known shows and movies. If you are a Batman fan like myself you will love this quirky yet enjoyable and never before presentation of The Dark Knight.

Mike Roth's Merry Little Batman is a great cartoon for families. The art style is funny and reminds us of cartoons from Cartoon Network in the 2010s, like Regular Show. Damian Wayne, Batman's son, is usually shown in one way, but this movie changes that. It's really funny, and the voices, especially Luke Wilson as Batman, are excellent. It's a perfect cartoon for the holidays, with a good mix of heart and humor thanks to the writers Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci from Teen Titans Go!.

It's actually good. I mean way better then I thought it was going to be If you're expecting the typical bat story you'll be disappointed It's not Adam West zap pow It's not Tim Burton, Frank Miller, or something a true fan would pick up off the rack on Monday It is the Kodachrome day dream you had after reading the latest issue when you were 8... with the Vandal and Kinks soundtrack you discovered later in life Worth a watch for life long fans.and those that like comics because no matter how old you are you're still a kid that believes that when you grow up you could be the greatest superhero.

Ever wondered what Batman might look like with therapy, reduced crime fighting and no longer desires to turn every single little boy under 12 into a crime fighting machine? Well, it's Luke Wilson in a beard.

This is a great holiday flick for comic geeks and their kids. It is Batman meets Home alone meets the Grinch who stole Christmas. There are so many nods to old school Batman while simultaneously mocking it. What Would Batman's chest look like without bat armor and bandages? And, yes, Dead parent jokes are definitely on the menu.

This script was written by clear long time fans of the Bat who perfectly captured Damien's try hard personality and so many winks to Gotham culture. There is one brilliant part where the flick flips to gothic black and white and then back again.

While this is definitely for kids, it is clearly written with their parental geeks in mind. Basically, it's a smart Christmas script with a nice life lesson with homages to other holiday flicks thrown in.

Also, the soundtrack slaps and pulls from multiple genres including Punk in the opening.