Plot Summary
Gotham City is crime-free at the beginning of this new animated adventure as Batman has thwarted the various supervillains to ensure a safer future for his son.
Damian isn’t as happy as the citizens of Gotham about the lack of villainy, however, as he is desperate to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become another crime-fighting superhero.
Unfortunately for Batman, and luckily for Damian, it turns out that Gotham isn’t free of crime after all.
When Batman is called away on urgent business by the Justice League, Damian is left alone in the house. Not long after, two crooks arrive in pursuit of whatever they can lay their hands on in Wayne Manor. It later turns out they aren’t the only bad guys in town.
Does the re-emergence of villainy spell the end for Batman and his son? Let’s take a closer look at this enjoyable movie.
Why is Damian home alone?
After giving Damian his Christmas gift early – a Bat-utility belt – Bruce receives a phone call from the Justice League. At least that’s what he thinks. He’s actually lured away by Mr Freeze who has plans to turn him into “ice cream” (not literally).
Damian loves his belt because he thinks he has finally been allowed to be a superhero. However, he is disappointed when he finds out it’s not as exciting as the one worn by his dad due to it containing such safety items as an emergency whistle, a packet of plasters and a foam Batarang that can’t fly back to hit him in the eye.
When Batman is called away, Damian hides in one of his bags because he wants to join his father on an adventure. Batman finds him before he leaves, however, and then takes the belt off his son when it causes the excitable youngster to crash into Alfred and hurt the old man.
After Batman leaves, Damian wants to get the belt back, which has now been put away by Alfred, as per Batman’s instructions.
When Alfred is preparing him a mug of hot cocoa, Damian secretly eats all of the marshmallows as a means of forcing Alfred out of the house to go and buy some more. He is then free to grab his belt but he doesn’t keep hold of it for long as two burglars – Terry and Francine – arrive on the scene to steal it away from him.
Does Damian thwart the burglars?
Damian makes light work of the burglars and stops them from stealing the manor’s valuables. However, they get away with his utility belt, which is the catalyst for Damian giving chase.
Before he pursues them, Damian sneaks into the Bat cave and discovers a suit that his father has prepared for him. After donning the suit, he realizes it comes equipped with Bat Dad, an AI version of Bruce that offers him guidance during his late-night adventure
Who are the burglars working for?
It turns out the burglars are working for the Joker.
The Clown Prince of Crime sent Terry and Francine, and assorted other crooks, to steal from local homes as a means of ruining Christmas for everybody.
When Joker learns of little Damian, a new plan forms in his mind. He sets a trap at the local mall with the aid of Poison Ivy and Bane who dress up as an elf and Santa respectively. Damian turns up at the mall in search of his belt and after seeing through the disguises of the two supervillains, proceeds to put up a fight.
During the battle, Damian ends up on the streets of Gotham again, where the belt is once again taken from him by a mysterious perpetrator. He follows the mystery man to Gotham Zoo and then ends up in the sewers, where he discovers the identity of the person who has taken the belt – the Penguin – who is also in cahoots with the Joker.
Does Damian get his belt back?
Damian chases the Penguin through Gotham but in the process causes mass destruction at the Christmas Parade and causes the floats to catch on fire.
The citizens of Gotham treat Damian like a villain because his antics have “ruined Christmas.” The poor kid is forced to run for cover but just when he thinks he’s all alone in the world, Alfred turns up to take him home.
But Damian doesn’t make it home. As he walks with Alfred, he is distracted by a balloon sent by the Joker. After falling for this trap, he ends up in the Joker’s lair where the Clown Prince tells Damian he wanted to ruin Christmas with a crime spree as a means of getting more attention.
Joker and the other villains tempt Damian into becoming a bad guy after reminding him that he has inadvertently helped the Joker with his evil plans. By becoming a focal point for the citizens of Gotham, Damian had allowed the villains to continue their crime spree unnoticed.
The bad guys present Damian with his utility belt which is now filled with explosives. This is his reward for partaking in the Joker’s crime but Damian turns down their offer of supervillainy and destroys the belt.
Does Batman return?
Mr Freeze had been hired to keep Batman busy but the Dark Knight easily thwarted him. He turns up at the Joker’s lair in time to help his son and the two of them take care of the various villains. In fact, it’s Damian who does most of the work as Batman is put out of action after being hit over the head with Joker’s giant hammer.
Is there a happy ending for the Bat family?
After disposing of the villains, Batman and Damian return home. On the way home, Damian tells his dad that the Joker committed his crimes because he didn’t want to be alone.
At the end of the movie, the Joker isn’t alone. We see him with Damian, Batman and Alfred, who have invited the Clown Prince for Christmas dinner. Batman didn’t want to have him at their dinner table but it’s clear that Damian persuaded him otherwise.
As such, it’s a happy ending for Bruce and Damian, who are reunited as father and son, and it’s a happy ending for the Joker too. As Damian also proved his worth in battle, his ending is particularly happy as his father now knows he is capable of being a superhero.
Read More: Merry Little Batman review
Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!