5
(undead vampires, light religious imagery)
6
(some mild superhero and vampire violence, drinking blood)
4
(might be worth seeing for some fans)
I really dislike this new style for Batman (called “The Batman”). The characters look childish to me. Seriously Batman looks like he's a teenager. Vicki, a professional reporter and romantic interest for Bruce looks like she should be in high school. Noses look like they were drawn by Picasso, proportions are off, and characters can do inhuman things even if it's not part of their power set. Even worse, Joker strikes me as a kind of hyena man who jumps around barefoot like some feral creature. If I had realized "The Batman Vs. Dracula" was going to be in that continuity I might not have gotten it, though I guess now I can at least say I’ve seen something from beginning to end done in that style and know without a doubt that I don’t care to see more.
The designs are not the only issues I have with this particular continuity (though they undoubtedly affect my opinion of everything else). Even though I have enjoyed some of the actors from this series in other things I've seen them in, I find that the acting overall is weak. Maybe it is the staccato feel of the dialogue; the flow is just terrible. Puns are numerous and bad (though the “unwet my pants” line from Penguin is pretty funny, in fact, he's the best source of humor in the movie).
Maybe I'm too hard on it. I didn't dislike the style or acting quite as much the second time around (though I still can't stand this design for Joker, not even a little). Whatever my complaints, though, it's a fun concept, pitting the Dark Knight against the legendary vampire.
Penguin, in search of a stash of cash hidden in a graveyard, unwittingly revives vampire king Dracula in Gotham and then becomes his Renfield. As Dracula feeds on the city he creates an army of vampire slaves. His powers of mind domination can affect even Batman. Will the dark knight be able to face such a creature? What's worse is that Vicki Vale makes it into Dracula's crosshairs as well hindering Bats in his battle against an already worthy adversary.
Given the way the story ultimately unfolds I think they missed out on a golden opportunity to vampirize some of Batman's super villains. We do get one, but it would be fun to see a Killer Croc-pire, a Harley-pire (though she may not exist in this continuity for all I know), and maybe even a Cat-pire.
I don't like the music nearly as much as Shirley Walker's work on previous Batman shows (though being a devoted Danny Elfman fan his influence on her style would make that no surprise). I do like the opening theme, though. It has a haunting, classical sound that fits with the mood of Dracula. The rest of the soundtrack is just unremarkable.
Morality
There’s little that's questionable in this unless you count blood sucking and beating up vampires. Drac loves his blood. But even though he attacks people and turns them into monsters there is little of anything lethal. There is some blood drinking but it typically comes from bags, there is little blood shown coming from people.
The thing to watch out for is some of the scary monster scenes. It’s likely going to be too much for little kids which is interesting because the visual style and level of humor seems to be geared towards younger audiences.
The DVD extras have a little bit of mild strong language.
Spirituality
"The Batman vs. Dracula" avoids anything heavily spiritual except for what goes along inherently with dealing with an undead vampire such as the aversion to crosses. I guess the overall impression of this will depend on how you take stories about vampires. If you want to see Dracula as a representation of Satan you can view this as a reminder that we wrestle not against flesh and blood or you can view it as seeking man's power rather than God's to defeat the Devil. As with all classic vampire tales, though, the light is more powerful than the dark.
In any event, the heroic but technically still human Batman has to face off against a creature with supernatural powers and find a way to defeat its dominating and infectious evil. It's an interesting and challenging conflict with a monster from classic literature.
Final Thoughts
I might have enjoyed this movie a lot more if it had been done in the Bruce Timm style of the 90’s or that of the "Arkham Asylum" game. I thought some of the scarier moments were alright, but they don’t work so well with the more childish aspects of “The Batman” style. The look and sound of it isn’t the style and quality I would have hoped for. Still, the idea of pitting Bats against the ultimate vampire is a fun concept and perhaps worth checking out if you don't have to put much effort into getting your hands on it.
Buying Guide
"The Batman vs. Dracula" is available on DVD with a couple of different options.
Basically you can get the movie on DVD by itself or as a part of a couple of double-features. "World's Finest" and "Return of the Joker" are both offered alongside this one. I have not seen a Blu version available. I have seen a listing for a version that comes with Batman and Dracula figurines. It's more expensive than the other buying options but still not all that much if you're a dedicated fan.
As far as I can tell the version of the movie that came with my double-feature is exactly the same as the stand-alone release. The only difference is that there's another movie on the reverse side of my disc.
The "Return of the Joker" 2 pack lists all the extras from both releases.
The figurines release is also the same just with the extra items to go along with it.
Final Recommendation:
If you're a fan of the style of “The Batman” you will probably enjoy what you get here. It's not a bad set of offerings for this kind of DVD and is pretty cheap. The double-feature release gives you the most bang for your buck if you're interested in an an older Batman toon unless you prefer having the figurines that are available.
The double-feature with the "Batman Superman Movie" is a single double-sided DVD with 1 movie per side. Both movies have a compliment of extras and appear the same versions you would get if you bought each one individually.
Video
1.33:
This is the TV standard ratio. It's clean and looks good. In fact, I'm having a hard time thinking of anything to criticize.
Audio
5.1 Dolby:
It is surprisingly strong. I didn't expect surround sound with this. It's clean with decent surround sound immersion. It could use a little more bass rumble but is not totally deficient.
Packaging
This version comes in a standard plastic case (the original packaging looks like the cardboard variety in the pictures).
The interface features some animation and music.
Extras
-Science vs. Superstition (4:25) This is a kind of educational video. Batman brings up several superstitions commonly associated with vampires, including Bram Stoker's tale and then counters them with facts. It's actually pretty interesting even though it's aimed at younger viewers and may not have much new info for those with a little more education under their belts. I enjoy educational extras on my DVD's.
-City of Knight: This is an interactive map with a video introduction. It's not a very detailed or interesting map, but when you select a location you get access to a different screen (such as a view of the Batcave or a graveyard) with several different things that can be highlighted. Selecting the item treats you to a behind the scenes clip (in most cases). This is also a sort of game. You're looking for the secret serum which requires clicking on some less obvious things on the screen. Selecting the wrong thing reveals a vampire and returns you to the main map. You really don't get much for winning, just a congratulations and a quick video clip.
GAME SPOILER!!!!! (highlight to read)
To win go to Arkham, select the guy behind Penguin, push left a few times followed by down a few times followed by left again until you highlight the food on the table.
END SPOILER
Most of the clips you find are short (anywhere from a little over 30 seconds to roughly a minute and a half). They include using Joker in the story, coming up with the solar device, designing gadgets, Bruce's knowledge, the approach to the Batman character, creating the style, using the death of the Waynes in the story, the idea of Dracula creating vampire minions, the look of Dracula's tomb, designing the graveyard look, using Vicki in the story, defining this version of Dracula, drawing on the Dracula legends, the look of Arkham, using Penguin's umbrellas, the backstory of Penguin's family, the amusing aspects of the Bingo game, Joker's weapons, the approach to Arkham, and the residents of Arkham. It would be nice to have the accessible from a menu for those that don't want to play the image hunt game every time.
-Voices in Close-Up (5:49) This is a separate, larger behind the scenes clip shows the voice actors at work. Content warning: it has some minor strong language. It's fun watching the cast at work doing different voices and hearing their thoughts. The DVD sleeve mentions pop up trivia to go along with this, but I saw no such option available.
-Previews: There are a number of preview trailers for all kinds of different shows with a few DC trailers sprinkled in.