Have you ever considered Batman becoming a Daddy (a boy – Dad), and what would that look like? My answer is no, but I soon learned after watching the new animated film Merry Little Batman. You can also find out what that looks like as the film is now available on Prime Video. I admit at the very beginning, I did not think I was going to last watching the whole movie during its runtime. I should have known better, as I have a son and now a grandmother of two boys. Telling a child (or even adults) no to something does not mean they may not still try it. It must be our human nature, right?
Directed by Mike Roth (Regular Show) from an action/comedy script written by Morgan Evans (Teen Titans Go!) and Jase Ricci (Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham), (and Bob Kane), Batman (voiced by Luke Wilson) now has a son, Damian Wayne (expressed by Yonas Kibreab), who wants to be a superhero like his dad. Batman hasn’t been busy lately since things calmed down in Gotham City, but he suddenly has an emergency call on Christmas Eve, with no one else able to investigate or handle the issue. Alfred (voiced by James Cromwell) is still a caretaker of the manor and Damien. While Batman is off at work and Authur is busy on a “quick” errand, Damien finds himself alone. In those few minutes, the nightmare most people don’t want to think about happens.
Now, this may appear as a version of Home Alone when you think about it. The child wants to be a superhero, but when faced with potential harm to himself and Wayne Manor, he becomes resourceful. Practicing in his own space helps him transform into “Little Batman” as he discovers the crooks robbing Gotham City homes are also assisting supervillains in destroying the holidays for everyone. I loved the colorful animation of the supervillains, and I had great memories of the Saturday morning cartoons with cereal in hand alongside two little brothers.
If a film can transform an AARP-aged adult into a kid again, then that is one film that I would certainly share during family time.
Additional voice actors are David Hornsby (voice of the Joker), Brian George (voice of the Penguin), and Therese McLaughlin (voice of Poison Ivy), among others.
Roth also serves as executive producer alongside Sam Register (Looney Tunes cartoons), and the music is by composer Patrick Stump (the lead singer and guitarist of the band Fall Out Boy).
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and based on characters from DC, Merry Little Batman will stream globally on Prime Video beginning December 8.
Source: Amazon Prime