Note, I did not read comics, so I will be judging this movie solely on its own merits, even though Grant Morrison is easily the best comic writer currently working in the industry.Anyway, the movie. I really liked it. The title can be a tad misleading, as Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne) only come to blows once during the film. Really, the conflict between the two is a psychological one. Damian is a young, jumped-up kid with a major thirst for justice and not a little blood, which puts him at odds with Batman. Batman, meanwhile, is the stern, unyielding figure that he almost always is, never letting Damian out of his sight and keeping him close, more than a little paranoid about Damian's upbringing within the League of Shadows.Their conflict is brought to a boiling point when a Talon from The Court of Owls approaches Damian about joining, encouraging his latent bloodlust and pushing him ever further past Batman's point of no return. Things only get worse when the Court tries to recruit Bruce Wayne into their ranks, unaware of his dual-life. Will Damian remain true to his father's hardline sense of ethics, or with this hardline stance only serve to push him away and into the talons of the Court?I'll go ahead and say that out of all the things the movie does right, the main reason I love it so much is because it gives both of its main characters story arcs. Both Batman and Damian come out of this movie noticeably changed but also in a way that's not shoved in your face like it was with Nolan's Dark Knight movies. Most other Batman media, be it Batman Returns, the Schumacher movies, the Justice League TV show and films, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold either reaffirm Batman's character or just cut out a story arc all together. This is one of those rare exceptions that actually develops Batman beyond the persona of the brooding jerk that he's acquired in recent years.Damian, too, gets a story arc, but not one that's as subtle. It's pretty easy to see how he develops as a character; after all, the entire conflict of the film hinges on his anxieties about his identity and his parents, a struggle that all young kids go through in their lives.I only have two complaints about this movie. The first is that the Court of Owls' true motivation for recruiting Damian is rather anticlimactic, and it brings the tug-of-war going on between them and Batman for Damian's trust to an abrupt and disappointing end. The second reason is that early on, Batman thinks Damian killed someone, even though any fool would be able to look the situation over and easily be able to tell that Damian was guiltless. It feels really contrived and really forced. Then again, that could just be Batman seeking to reaffirm his own paranoid suspicions about Damian's nature. Either way, I didn't like it.Aside from those complaints, I'd call this a solid film, definitely better than the last two Batman titles that DC Animated released. It's dark, it's suspenseful, and it shows a side of Batman that many people have forgotten about.

Batman VS Robin suffers from one of the most severe cases of the Law of Diminishing Ninjas I've seen since the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series finale. The film also (unsurprisingly) contains very little Batman versing Robin, and Batman also describes the odour of a ripoff Scarecrow gas that is then later said to be "odourless". But it's better than all but one of the past couple of entries into the DC Animated Film franchise, and has a wickedly creepy opening sequence. It's just a shame they couldn't keep it together for this whole Court of Owls re-imagining.41%-Gimly

'Batman vs. Robin' is certainly a step--if not a leap--forward from the rather pedestrian 'Son of Batman', but unfortunately the scant 80 minute runtime isn't enough to take full advantage of its intriguing story.Like the story, the animation is also much improved here, coming closer to the very high standard set by DC animated films like 'The Dark Knight Returns' and 'Assault on Arkham'. Unfortunately the voice acting remains the biggest weakness. Jason O'Mara is pretty lousy as Batman, and none of the rest of the voice cast acquit themselves much better.If they had give this story the space it needed, 'Batman vs. Robin' could've been an excellent film instead of just a pretty good one.

DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation bring fans of the Dark Knight his latest adventure "Batman vs. Robin." Writer J. M. DeMatteis does an incredible job blending together Grant Morrison's "Batman & Robin: Batman vs. Robin" and Scott Snyder's "Batman: The Court of Owls" graphic novels into one action-packed thrill ride through the darkness of Gotham City. It doesn't hurt that the ever angry and charismatic Damien Wayne and his strained relationship with his father Bruce are parts of the main focus of the story.In "Batman vs. Robin," Damian Wayne has a hard time accepting his father's no-killing rule. He soon starts to believe his destiny lies within a secret society. The Son of Batman finds himself the target of a vigilante calling himself Talon. The mysterious man wants Damian to take his place as the lead assassin of the enigmatic Court of Owls.I loved the way filmmakers incorporated parts of "Damien: Son of Batman" into "Batman vs. Robin." There's a small "dream" (or "nightmare?") sequence where Batman finds himself face to face with a grown-up Damien who dresses in a new version of the cape and cowl. A touching showdown between the two ensues which addresses the Dark Knight's insecurities about the way he's raising his offspring."Batman vs. Robin" is rated PG-13 for intense action and violence, suggestive images and thematic elements. There are some instances where dark silhouettes cover up nude bodies in the context of insinuated adult situations. For all intents and purposes, think of "Batman vs. Robin" as having the same content as "The Dark Knight Rises," but as a cartoon. "Batman vs. Robin" is a worthy follow-up to "Son of Batman." I love the character of Damian Wayne and feel there's a lot more they could do with the character in further animated features. Might I suggest an animated adaptation of the "Damien: Son of Batman" graphic novel? The explosive relationship between Bruce and Damien is something that will not only find teens being able to associate with it, but fathers who struggle with their rebellious and independent-minded sons as well.