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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Gotham City continues to be in good hands in Prime Video’s newest animated family action comedy, Merry Little Batman, from Warner Bros. Animation. The film enlists new voices behind a roster of familiar DC Comics characters known all too well and beloved by many. It also recruits a handful of the brightest creative talents in the art realm to truly bring this all together!
Merry Little Batman is written by Morgan Evans and co-producer Jase Ricci, with a story by Evans and Mike Roth (Rugrats Go Wild, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Camp Lazlo!, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Regular Show). The film is directed by Roth, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Sam Register.
In this review, I will discuss Prime Video’s Merry Little Batman. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers present here. References to past Batman-related films may be referenced!
Prime Video’s Merry Little Batman Synopsis
According to Prime Video Press, here is the synopsis for Merry Little Batman.
This Christmas, Damian Wayne wants to be a Super Hero like his dad—the one and only Batman. When Damian is left home alone while Batman takes on Gotham’s worst Super-Villains on Christmas Eve, he stumbles upon a villainous plot to steal Christmas and leaps at the chance to save the day.
Amazon Studios Press
Discussion
What commences as a cute homage to Home Alone in its first half-hour becomes an homage to its sequel, subtitled Lost in New York, blended with just about everything DC fans enjoy about Gotham City. Merry Little Batman appears to take a page from contemporary comic book animated movies—namely Sony Pictures’ Spider-Verse films—and delivers some of the best work from the eyes of a growing child. The newest entry in the catalog of Batman-related media is a celebration of many things Batman. This includes the mid-to-late-1960s Batman television program, Batman: Year One, Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman & Robin, The Dark Knight, 2016’s Suicide Squad, the character’s co-creators, and more. Evans and Ricci’s screenplay does wonders, from the narrative beats to the emotional beats, and to all the action sequences in between.
Their grounded approach with Roth as the director is a neat way to go, as the story tackles basic points while still tapping into some of the intricacies of Batman’s lore. Seriously, there is something meticulous about the attention to the narrative minutiae, such as the inside jokes/ running gags that involve donuts and tied shoelaces, as well as references to Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, Batnipples, Bruce Wayne’s (voiced by Luke Wilson) physical injuries and psychological trauma, Batman’s endless array of tools and vehicles, and even his supporting characters and antagonists. The story also acknowledges the tendency to add the “Bat-” prefix to random objects as if actual weapons and accessories.
Better Watch Out… (For These Details)
Fall Out Boy musician Patrick Stump scores the magnificent soundtrack to the film. He helps put a spin on the classic ’60s Batman theme and the iconic ’90s theme, with Christmas music to amp up the festive mood. Out of all the songs here, there is a needle drop during the middle act. It is one of the most unexpected yet interesting tracks to feature in a family film, and I love it so much!
The artwork might leave the fanbase divided. Although, this could not fare well if they did not supplement the overarching plot. Merry Little Batman‘s specific MacGuffin is a nice yet goofy plot device—similar to Spider-Man and their Spidey costumes—, serving as a trial that posits its young protagonist inside of a box. Prop designer Thaddeus Couldror creates intriguing items, from the making of hot cocoa that requires an apothecary of marshmallows, to Damian Wayne’s (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) peculiar concoction of a “post-workout carbo load”—which looks worse than any jolly good vat of acid at Ace Chemicals—, to his certain interaction with a water gun.
The Grand Scale of Animation Styles
Merry Little Batman‘s storyboard artistry knows how to tug at the highs and the lows of the narrative. Damian’s traversal down to the Bat Cave pokes fun at Bruce Wayne’s various entrances to the secret headquarters in a manner that feels as if the hidden location is a vast realm to be completely explored. His action sequences with the different antagonists are a representation of the comical childish direction that the writers and animators aim for, notably since he is a character akin to Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister. The minute-long classy “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” sequence is special on its own, indicative of a childhood in danger.
The character designs are a unique touch to things. Alfred Pennyworth (voiced by James Cromwell) has a more wrinkly English appearance than others, whereas Batman rogue villain Bane (voiced by Chris Sullivan) puts on a veiny look about him while displaying a proper impression that combines both Robert Swenson’s and Tom Hardy’s versions of the character. The rest of the rogues’ gallery possess different builds to mirror their past live-action counterparts—the Joker’s (voiced by David Hornsby) creepy figure with a hunched look and Poison Ivy’s (Therese McLaughlin) aged Green Goblin-esque elf-like image to semble Uma Thurman. Victor Fries/ Mr. Freeze (voiced by Dolph Adomian)—who is a caricature of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version—and Oswald Cobblepot (voiced by Brian George) have appearances that leave much more to be desired.
Introducing Bruce Wayne in the film to have a sort of lumberjack look is a choice, for sure. Yet, I do appreciate the storytellers’ decision to run with it. The mixed media with a certain part of his body also makes for a lovely jump-scare to the narrative. Nonetheless, the animation behind the Batman costumes honestly proves successful.
Gotham’s Gothic-like Atmosphere
In terms of the background work and architecture, there seems to be a tad tone down from the Gothic aesthetic, most especially the Wayne Manor and Gotham City’s buildings. Still, the landscapes that they exhibit are everything. The Manor’s splendid interior—the tidinesses of an indoor pool, a two-story library, the organized dining hall—and exterior—the arrangement of roads, snowed-on trees, and the tennis court—enhance character movement throughout the opening act. Conversely, the aspect of the Manor in shambles and on fire adds a layer of fun-filled anxiety that viewers can expect from a Home Alone-inspired film.
The character, the background, and the coloring artists have their attempt at contrasting Little Batman’s silhouette with the big bright white moon of Gotham. This is a viewpoint that should not go unnoticed, but there is also a bird’s-eye vantage point from the sky that is admirable. The DeLorean-esque vibe to the Bat-Jet and the Batmobile demonstrates the power that the Wayne family holds, capable of accomplishing just about anything.
The Crew Behind Merry Little Batman
The Batman character is created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Bane character is created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench (Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, Moon Knight), and Graham Nolan.
Darrick Bachman, John Infantino, Jennifer McCartney, supervising producer Andres Salaff (Regular Show, Uncle Grandpa, Close Enough), Sam Spina, and Eddie Trigueros provide additional written materials.
Kristi Reed (Doraemon, Clarence, We Bare Bears, Infinity Train, Adventure Time: Distant Lands, Summer Camp Island, Pantheon, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai) serves as the voice director for the film.
Sarah Noonan (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Mighty B!, The Legend of Korra, Young Justice, Velma, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake), Morgan Rudner, Agnes Kim (Jellystone, Young Justice, Harley Quinn), and Maria Millage are the voice casting directors for Warner Bros. Animation.
Andy Young serves as the editor for the film. Ginger Brown, Cris Mertens, Paul Neal, Harrison T. Barth, Michele Beeson, and Gabriel Gianola are the assistant editors.
Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy, FXX’s Cake, Black Friday) scores the musical composition for the film. Kate Diaz and Ian Honeyman provide additional music to the soundtrack. Jesse Arruda serves as the sound designer.
Aesthetics
Mac Whiting is the supervising animation director.
Benton Connor, Guy Barely, Tom DeRosier, Madeleine Flores (The Boys Presents: Diabolical), Hilary Florido, Ben Fosselman, Joey Karwal, Luther McLaurin, Nora Meek (Disenchantment, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Close Enough), Cole Sanchez, Sam Spina, Sean Szeles (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Regular Show, Close Enough), and Sarah Visel are the storyboard artists for the film.
Rayfield Angrum and Stevan Wahl serve as storyboard revisionists.
Guillaume Fesquet, Napoleon Berk Senturk, and Alessio Giurintano serve as the art directors. Daby Zainab Faidhi is the assistant art director.
Nikolas Ilic, Julien Le Rolland, and Benjamin Tong are the character designers.
Serapio Calm, Dan Haskett, Brad Lewis, Ryan Matias, Erin McDermott, Javier Molina, David Perez, John Pomeroy, Janet Rodriguez, Amanda Turnage, Martin Wittig, and Soyeon Yoo are additional character designers.
Thaddeus Couldror is the prop designer. Lynn Kegel, Jacques “Jackie” Lee, Janie Lee, Sun Jae Lee, Carissa Nakata, Derek Ortega, Philip Vose (Rick and Morty), Jon Vermilyea, Leo Weiss, and Sheryl Yap are the background designers.
The Voice Cast Behind Merry Little Batman
Yonas Kibreab (Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, Pixar’s Elio) voices Damian Thomas Wayne/ Little Batman, the 8-year-old (and 4-days) titular protagonist, Bruce’s biological son.
Luke Wilson voices Bruce Wayne/ Batman, the adult protagonist of Merry Little Batman. James Cromwell (Spider-Man 3, Big Hero 6, Succession) voices Alfred Pennyworth.
David Hornsby voices The Joker. Brian George voices the Penguin, while Therese McLaughlin voices Poison Ivy.
Chris Sullivan voices Bane. Dolph Adomian voices Victor Fries/ Mr. Freeze.
Michael Fielding and Natalie Palamides voice Terry and Francine, the Joker’s thugs, respectively.
Cynthia McWilliams voices Vicki Vale. Reid Scott (Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, My Adventures with Superman) voices Commissioner Gordon.
Additional Voices
Adomian also voices an annoyed man. Hornsby also voices a fireman. Keith Ferguson voices the scratch voice match for Luke Wilson. Carmen Infantino voices himself.
McLaughlin also voices a hostage woman and a concerned citizen. McWilliams also voices a police dispatch, an angry shopper, and a band leader. Palamides also voices a shopper mom.
Bumper Robinson voices a food court dad and a worried man. Isaac Robinson Smith voices a hostage man, a Dankworth’s store information department clerk, and a police officer.
Roger Craig Smith (Regular Show, Ben 10, Superman: Red Son, Young Justice, Close Enough) voices a flashback cop.
Fred Tatasciore (Robot Chicken, Young Justice, Ben 10, Death Stranding, The Last of Us: Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Hit-Monkey, Invincible) voices Santa Claus, Scarecrow, and a “crazy man”.
Courtenay Taylor (Death Stranding, The Last of Us: Part II, Close Enough, Mortal Kombat 1) voices a kid shopper and a worried woman.
Voice Performances and Character Developments
Kibreab has the sweetest voice as the eponymous character, Damian Wayne. One can tell that the family theme plays a huge role in the story, specifically when it comes to the protagonist’s dynamics with his father, Bruce, and with their butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Damian’s relationship with Bruce is one that prepares for the worst through the best means possible. Given Bruce’s past of loss and loneliness, Little Batman needing parental guidance corroborates the Kevin McCallister inspiration within him. There is levity present through Bruce as a father that is also held with Pennyworth’s warmth and wisdom. Because much is told through Damian’s perspective, naivety also comes in handy.
Wilson’s Bruce Wayne showcases everything fans already know about the famed character. This is why the screenwriters put in the effort to have developed him even further to a point by the time he makes his introduction. Parts of the character serve as a foil to Damian, citing the first-hand experience he has had to deal with as a hero. What makes Wilson’s version of him different from the rest is the emotional and mental stability displayed throughout his scenes.
Final Thoughts on Prime Video’s Merry Little Batman
Considering the film seemingly serves as a backdoor pilot for a spin-off television series, Bat-Family, Merry Little Batman is a good starting point that establishes a new yet familiar Gotham, one that has already gone through some world-building. The film brings about more laughs than scoffs when it comes to the punchlines. Although, they are definitely earned from start to finish. As a Christmas film, it is one for the books alongside Batman Returns and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. As a Batman film, it cherishes the ethos and the pathos attributed to the comic book character and his environment. More so, as a whole, the film is near-pristine in the story it delivers. It is all thanks to the screenwriting, the direction, the musical scoring, the storyboarding, and the animation!
4.5/5
Merry Little Batman streams via Prime Video starting later tonight, December 8th!
What are your thoughts on another Batman-centric animated film? Let us know! For more animation, comedy, and superhero-related news and reviews, do not forget to follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
