Not even the Joker can stop this movie from being a potential Christmas classic
It’s no longer a dark night in Gotham City. And there is no Dark Knight either!
At the start of this enjoyable animated movie, the city is free of villainy because Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, is now in retirement after cleaning up Gotham to make the streets safer for his young son Damian.
The citizens of Gotham are overjoyed to know that the Riddler, Scarecrow et al have been disposed of but Damian is less than happy as he wants to be a crime-fighting superhero like his father. He practices his superheroics at home while chasing down Selina, the family cat, who DC fans will recognize as a reference to Catwoman. But that’s it as far as villainy goes – not that the cat can really be classed as a villain (although mice might disagree) – because the city is no longer the danger ground it used to be.
Of course, as Batman fans will already know, the Caped Crusader’s foes don’t stay dormant for long. Just when Bruce and his son are preparing to enjoy Christmas together, the Justice League calls and spirits Batman away on another adventure.
Damian, who has been gifted a rather underwhelming utility belt by his father – it contains foam Batarangs that won’t fly back and hit him in the eye – also has a night of adventure in store for him. Not long after his father has left on the Bat Plane, two burglars arrive at Wayne Manor to steal whatever they can get their grubby hands on. What follows is a madcap scene in which Damian, pretending to be Batman, easily thwarts them. But when they manage to get away with his prized utility belt, he gives chase and discovers Gotham City isn’t as free of crime as his father thought it was.
Several iconic DC villains make an appearance during Damian’s journey around town, including Poison Ivy (dressed as an elf), Bane (dressed as Santa Claus), the Penguin, and the Clown Prince of Crime himself, the Joker. It turns out they’re all working together, for reasons we won’t go into here, and are behind the phone call that lured Batman away from Gotham. Can Damian save the city from their dastardly schemes? You’ll need to tune into this enjoyable animated movie to find out.
Merry Little Batman is the brightest, most light-hearted Bat movie since 1997’s Batman and Robin, but that isn’t to say it compares to that neon-coloured disaster. While it does contain that movie’s villain, Mr Freeze, complete with the same appalling puns, it’s a far better movie due to a humourous script that will appeal to both kids and adults, and a central story that, while a little bonkers, has a surprising emotional subtext about parenting at its core.
Central to the movie’s success is the traditional animation which, in its wacky design style, has more in common with the art illustrations of Quentin Blake and the drawings of Ronald Searle than the 3D visuals that generally take precedence in animated movies today. As such, Merry Little Batman has a rather nostalgic feel which might take you back to the Saturday afternoon cartoons you watched as a kid.
For the most part, the movie offers a fun and wild adventure, but it’s not short of darkness. While it never gets as dark as the DC movies Zack Snyder directed, it does contain a nightmarish black-and-white sequence that is reflective of Damian’s stressed-out mental state during the mid-point of the story. It’s a stunningly put-together scene in a movie that is full of memorable moments that have been intelligently put together by its animators and art designers.
The film is full of Easter eggs and callbacks to past Batman films and shows that fans will appreciate, such as the repeated use of the theme tune from the 60s TV series, a cameo from Vicki Vale, and the nippled Bat-suit previously donned by George Clooney. There are also a lot of humorous lines that offer franchise callbacks, such as the moment when Batman tells himself during a particularly dark moment, “Remember what the therapist said about your brooding.”
In a year that has seen the release of several terrible Christmas movies, such as the laborious Dashing Through The Snow and the ironically titled Best. Christmas. Ever!, you can trust Batman to save you from a festive season full of such mediocrity.
Merry Little Batman, which is a precursor to Prime Video’s upcoming Bat-Family series, is a Christmas miracle: an animated movie that has much to offer both children and their parents alike. It’s laugh-out-loud funny at times, with an arresting visual style and an engaging story that provides the perfect holiday romp for those who want something that isn’t too sickly sweet over the festive season.
Read More: Merry Little Batman Ending Explained
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Verdict - 7.5/10
7.5/10