Batman: Bad Blood Movie Review: Keeping It in the Family

Batman: Bad Blood is the third film in a story arc that began in Son of Batman and continued in Batman vs. Robin, but it is more of a direct sequel to the former film. It’s an entertaining superhero story that sees the Bat-family expand while Batman himself takes on a lesser role in the plot.

Set six months after Batman vs. Robin, someone has organized a group of tech-based criminals, which is causing a turf war with the Gotham mob. Also new on the scene is Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski), a crime fighter obviously inspired by Batman. Bruce (Jason O’Mara) doesn’t like her involvement nor that she uses a gun. She tangles with the villains at a facility as they try to obtain info from a mob accountant. Batman arrives on scene and helps her. They discover Heretic (Travis Willingham), whose costume also bares a Batman resemblance. When asked by Batman if he knows Heretic, the villain says, “Intimately…and not at all.” Their fight concludes with a massive explosion that throws Batwoman clear.

After two weeks of Batman/Bruce Wayne missing, Alfred (James Garrett) reaches out to Nightwing (Sean Maher), who pauses his own vigilante activities and dons Batman’s uniform. Bruce’s pre-teen son Damian (Stuart Allan) returns to Gotham from his monastic studies in the Himalayas. They form an uneasy alliance with Batwoman as they all want to find Batman

Heretic leads an assault on Wayne Enterprises to steal technology from their vault. Lucius Fox (Ernie Hudson) tries to stop them but concedes when his adult son Luke’s (Gaius Charles) life is threatened. After Heretic hospitalizes Lucius, Roy takes on the armored Bat-suit his father was working and calls himself “Batwing,” which is a Bat version of the friendly competition’s Iron Man.

It is revealed to the audience that Heretic had learned about the tech in the Wayne vault because Bruce is alive. Under the grip of the League of Shadows, the Mad Hatter sifts through Bruce’s mind for his secrets. The Batgang eventually break him free, and those left alive in the League escape. But the heroes soon discover, kidnapping Bruce wasn’t the League’s only plan. They intend to brainwash the world leaders who are coming to Gotham for a tech summit Bruce is hosting. But what happens when they learn Bruce is still under the League’s brainwashing?

Screenwriter J.M. DeMatteis does a great job with the script as the story is filled with numerous twists the viewer won’t see coming, and the interdynamics between the characters is well crafted and engaging. Director Jay Oliva and his animation team frame the movie, specifically the action, in a way that keeps the viewer’s attention. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy O’Mara as Bruce/Batman. His voice was too passive, lacking in authority.