With countless other animated offerings on the Netflix Instant Queue, “The Batman vs Dracula†won’t be your first choice when looking for something to watch, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a semi-enjoyable tale. While “The Batman†series in general lacks the same punch as some of the other series based on the caped crusader, this tale is the best of a mediocre lot.
That doesn’t mean it’s all that special though.
After Dracula is resurrected in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego have their hands full, with not only the Dark Prince, but also the Penguin and the Joker. Feeling as if the original Bram Stoker tale has been reformatted, with Wayne playing the role of Jonathan Harker and Vikki Vale being the love interest, the story is relate-able to older viewers, while of course being cool enough for the youngsters.
With several twists and turns along the way, you might even be surprised at times as well. Nevertheless, it’s the kind of story that you will only want to watch if you’ve got nothing else better to view. Simply put, seeing a brown-haired Penguin, a Rastafarian Joker and a seemingly metrosexual Alfred Pennyworth make this passable for the hardcore comic book fan. Sure, the dialogue is witty at times and the animation is solid, it just strayed too far away from the source material to be as effective as it needs to be with its main fan base.
As a matter of fact, seeing Batman fighting toe to toe for several minutes with Dracula alone is enough to drive any loyal fan batsy.
However, for younger viewers, who could care less about the canon of the series, this film will keep their attention and make them hungry for more. All the essentials are there, as this version of the dark knight is witty, smart and full of surprises, he’s just a bit too strong for his own good.
More Chuck Norris than McGuyver this time around, it just feels like there isn’t nearly as much darkness to the character, as he seems to be more about kicking ass and taking names than brooding in his cave with his expensive toys.
That alone may make it a worthwhile watch for the kiddies, but unless you’ve got nothing else to watch, go look for something else.
I like this film because of twists and turns during the search of Dracula & Joker.