I am a fan of both Batman and DC Animation. I find myself picking up whatever new animation gets released by DC, even knowing it will soon be released for free in a few month on HBO Max, especially if it involves Batman.
The last time I saw Batman in the Animated Universe it was a little dark (no pun intended), as we saw Batman in Justice League Dark Apokolips War. Of course I am ignoring Death in the Family, as that was a waste (except for Blu-ray). I really enjoyed Apokolips War as it literally was like the Endgame of the current run of the DC Animated Universe. But man can I just say Batman: Soul of the Dragon was the movie that is a good follow up and mood changer to Apokolips War.
First, when you see this move do not picture it as part of a universe. It is clearly a stand alone movie. And that is a good thing. This movie is fun and captures both the seriousness of Batman with some lightheartedness. But manages to keep from getting into that goofy and campiness on the 70s Batman (though I’ll admit at times it toes the line).
This Batman movie take place in the 70s where you get your fair share of “Jive turkeys”, bell bottom pants, and the groovy 70s hairstyle. It follows the early years of Bruce Wayne as he train with a martial arts teacher who has trained some of your best fighters in the DC universe. The former students come together to figure out what happened to their former teacher while reliving the past of the training that brought them together.
Overall I truly enjoyed this movie, more than I expected. After seeing the last stand alone Batman movies I did not know what to expect. And though the ending got really goofy for me, it didn’t take away from the movie as a whole. Is this a must buy….eh, maybe slow down there, but definitely worth checking out when it is released to HBO Max (likely) in a few months.
