The only reason this movie has 4 stars is because I enjoyed this movie a lot, mostly because I was making fun of it and laughing at every overused cliche they could fit in this movie, which is already impressive enough. But aside from all the jokes, this was a bad movie. The animation was neat and clever at times but overall was a disaster, the plot was confusing and all over the place, the action held up well at some points but I count take it seriously most of the time, the voice acting for the Japanese version was good especially the voice actor for the joker, which I'd say is the highlight of this movie, but the English version was ok. Overall I'd say this is a great movie to watch with a bunch of friends o make fun about, but besides that it's terrible.

If you love anime and you love batman, this is a love letter to both by writers who seriously follow the current comic book and seriously love Japanese science fiction. The characterization of both the Joker and Batman are very close to the current DC version with a distinctly anime twist. This move is simply incredible. And it just keeps upping the ante until this unbelievably over the top climax. I haven't felt this excited about Batman in a long time. People who don't follow the comics will not recognize most of these characters, and probably think it's "ridiculous" or "not serious." If you go in wanting the usual boring re-telling of the Batman story; or don't like classic Japanese science fiction & anime; then you might not like it. If you can hang up your fanboy hat for an hour and just enjoy it for what it is, you will be treated to one of the most imaginative, fun, beautifully animated Batman stories of all time. If there is an extended version, I am totally buying it.

I say this as a lifelong Batman fan, since I saw Batman (1989) as a kid, Batman Ninja is one of the best things Batman-related ever made. This is a film that's remarkably superb in every way, from beginning to end, extraordinary in all its qualities, visually gorgeous and massively entertaining. This is not only one of the best things from DC Animation ever, but one of the best animated movies, period, I've ever seen.This is a story oozing with love and respect for Batman's mythos and characters. This movie coming from a foreign source, Japan, does not diminish that at all. The Joker/Batman relationship is especially well executed here, two characters eternally at odds with each other, who couldn't be more different, but completely understand each other. It's a story that manages to surprise us regarding what direction it's headed in; it's not as simple as it may seem at first. It's not all over-the-top ridiculousness either, this movie surprisingly manages to feature perhaps some of the most truly emotionally powerful scenes in anything Batman related ever, in particular one sequence involving the Joker, which I won't spoil for you, but you'll know it when you see the art style abruptly changes to a hand-drawn water-color looking style. Do not trust the negative reviews and low ratings. I'd like to say the unfortunate prevalence of low scores and angry ranting reviews are baffling, but I think I've got those haters figured out. I've scrolled through the low ratings and, on top of the obnoxious Internet-spawned trend of mocking everything DC-related, started by movie critics in recent years, most of the negativity towards this movie seems to be essentially just scoffing at the basic concept of even putting Batman in Japan at all, or simply at the thought of letting Japanese people make it - a Batman anime? How dare they?!... Yes, it's a ridiculous concept, but if you have the willingness to move past your own mental hurdles, rooted in misguided purist restrictions on what Batman should be and learn to enjoy this movie for what it is, you will marvel at the extraordinary quality of this movie.And the beautiful musical score by Yugo Kanno deserves special mention and praise. This is what beautiful music sounds like.

Not a fan of The Joker's english voice. The sub version is probably better.