Too Predictable
Batman vs. Dracula sounds like it should be the movie of the century. Like King Kong vs. Godzilla, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and what not. They got the Dark Knight—a normal guy who dresses like a bat up against the actual living (or unliving) bloodsucking legend who actually is a bat. However this movie is far from the epic battle that I went in expecting to see.
The animation was based on the recent “The Batman” series and is top notch with its heavily anime-based influence. The voice actors were great and there are moments of witty humor here and there. However, it’s the storyline where this movie completely falls apart.
It’s not only very predictable—it’s basically the same plot from Bram Stoker’s version; even to how Dracula uses a thrall slave in the Penguin àla Renfield and Dracula kidnapping Batman’s girlfriend. And while Batman is just too physically outmatched against Dracula, I found that his whole techno-gadgetry was a bit much in being to out-tech Dracula to victory. It just felt a little disappointing that Bats had to resort to such measures to defeat old Vlad. I wasn’t expecting Batman to be able to win against Dracula physically, but I wasn’t expecting him to thrash Bats around like he was an amateur and give a much better accounting of himself.
If the producers wanted to have been a lot bolder, they could have actually had Bats being forced to turn himself into a vampire like in the Elseworlds Batman: Red Rain to fight Dracula on an even field. Maybe even have the ending where Bats is considering staying a vampire permanently due to the strength and power he would possess and being able to protect and defend Gotham forever with a vampire’s immortality before finally deciding to have his vampirism cured. But they chickened out and went for the almost standard Dracula story with a bit of Batman stuck in the role of Johnathan Harker and Vicki Vale standing in for Mina Harker.
No, this movie isn’t the epic spectacle that I was expecting and you shouldn’t either.
RATING: 1 STAR.
