Merry Little Batman is the latest film from Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios. Originally slated for release on the now-renamed HBO Max, the movie will land on Prime Video tomorrow, December 8th. The main character of this holiday adventure is Damian Wayne, who comic readers will know is the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. Unfortunately, Little Batman does little to help this creepy Christmas caper.
The story of Merry Little Batman
[Editor’s note: There are mild spoilers ahead for Merry Little Batman.]
The story focuses mainly on Damian Wayne (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who longs to become a superhero like his father. However, as he has gotten older, Bruce Wayne (voiced by Luke Wilson) has become an overprotective parent. He raises Damian with the help of Alfred Pennyworth (voiced by James Cromwell), his faithful butler still serving after all these years. When Bruce is lured away from Gotham for a mission, it’s up to Damian as he becomes Little Batman, to stop The Joker’s evil plan.
The Pros and Cons
As a lover and supporter of animation, Merry Little Batman did not work for me on many levels. While I appreciate them trying a different style of animation, the one they chose makes certain characters not only creepy but disgusting to look at as well. Warner Bros. Animation has released some incredible animated films over the years, but this isn’t one of them.
On a more positive note, I did appreciate that they aged the characters up more to show that time has passed while Damian has grown up. Bruce has a full beard now, Poison Ivy has grey hair, and even Bane wears glasses now. This, unfortunately, led to some of the characters looking awful, Alfred in particular. I don’t know who thought giving him that long nose was a good idea, but it was NOT a good design choice.
Yonas Kibreab stands out as the voice of Damian Wayne
Yonas Kibreab did a good job voicing Damian Wayne. This is one of the first portrayals of Damian where I felt that he was a little kid; others have typically portrayed him as a pre-teen/teenager. By also making him so small, it added more to the name Little Batman, as well as having some contrast between him and Bruce size-wise.
I can understand them wanting to try something different with Bruce Wayne, but I couldn’t take him seriously being voiced by Luke Wilson. Whether or not he’s a protective father, Bruce Wayne has to have a dark, brooding voice on some level. Luke Wilson is neither dark nor brooding, which makes his Bruce Wayne come off as a joke on the character. Even Lego Batman has a dark, brooding voice (and is honestly one of the best portrayals of Batman as a character).
The Alfred and Damian relationship + the villains
While Alfred’s character is not pleasant to look at, James Cromwell is pleasant to listen to voicing him. He’s certainly one of the most nurturing portrayals of the character we’ve seen, and Cromwell captured that quite well. The development of a relationship between Alfred and Damian, mirroring the one Alfred has long shared with Bruce, is another nice thing to see in the film.
This brings us to the film’s villains, led by David Hornsby as The Joker. He’s no Mark Hamill, but Hornsby does a decent job with his take on that iconic character and voice. The Joker is naturally the mastermind behind the chaos brought to Gotham, leading The Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Bane to wreak havoc and ruin Christmas. While the voice acting for the character is fine, The Penguin is truly disgusting to look at. Poison Ivy and Bane are better, but it’s hard to take Bane seriously as a villain with those glasses. We also get an appearance by one more villain, but I’ll leave that as a surprise.
Final Thoughts on Merry Little Batman
Overall, Merry Little Batman is not something I’d recommend for the whole family; I can’t imagine young children won’t find the animation unsettling in some way, especially with the villains. If you are a big DC fan, you’ll find some enjoyment with puns and references to previous Batman films. Merry Little Batman arrives on Prime Video tomorrow, but I think one time watching it is more than enough for me.
How to watch Merry Little Batman
Merry Little Batman will be available to stream on Prime Video on Friday, December 8. Watch it however you enjoy streaming your movies.
Are you excited about the movie bringing a little jingle to DC? What do you think about Merry Little Batman? Leave a comment below with your thoughts or message us on X @MoviesWeTexted to join the conversation.
If you are looking for something to watch with the whole family, check out all of our kids and family movie reviews. And if you’re interested in animated works, check out all of our animated reviews, including why we think MAX’s latest title Scavengers Reign proves we’re in a new golden age of animation.