It’s that time of year again where Christmas-movie releases fly off the conveyor belt at record speed. Next up on the docket is DC’s Merry Little Batman, an energetic, holiday-centric take on a familiar tale. Taking inspiration from classics including Home Alone and The Grinch, Mike Roth’s film gives younger audiences plenty to love. Adults may be more mixed, though the charming nature of the narrative and adorably annoying eight-year-old Damian Wayne (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) help to fill the breezy runtime with plenty of holiday cheer.
Crime in Gotham has been defeated for good—actually, Gotham officially received the prestigious honor of the moniker “safest place on earth.” For a spot that was once teeming with supervillains, this may be a hard pill to swallow. But single father Batman (Luke Wilson) is busy raising a little one after all, with only his snooty butler Alfred (James Cromwell) to help. Young Damian becomes obsessed with the Gotham of the past, playing make believe as “little Batman” even though it appears all the villains have officially retired.
For the first time since Damian was born, the bat phone rings. Bruce gets called away on Justice League business, leaving Damian behind with Alfred to tend to the manor. Before he leaves, Bruce gifts Damian with his very own yellow utility belt. Damian has a long way to go to becoming a superhero, and this could be the first step on his journey. With Christmas only two days away, Damian continues playing make believe. Eventually, his hijinks cause an electrical failure in the front gate system at Wayne Manor. Two thugs working for The Joker (David Hornsby) seize the opportunity to invade Bruce Wayne’s home to steal Christmas, a tactic that did not work for the Grinch and probably also won’t work for The Joker.
The animation style of Merry Little Batman recalls a fascinating mixture of 90s Batman: The Animated Series blended with Nickelodeon favorite The Ren & Stimpy Show. As “little Batman” leaps into action to retrieve his stolen utility belt, we follow his accidental path of carnage across Gotham. The Joker uses Damian against his will to “destroy” Christmas rather than “steal” Christmas. Batman being tied up elsewhere means little Batman must embrace his birthright and fill his suit much earlier than anticipated. This allows the film to soar by bringing in villains Poison Ivy (Therese McLaughlin), The Penguin (Brian George), Bane (Chris Sullivan), and Mr. Freeze (Dolph Adomian) to torment Damian. Vocal work from all parties excels, with The Joker feeling like a Powerpuff Girls villain.
Merry Little Batman may not be the best animated Batman film (sorry, but that honor will always belong to 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm) nor the best Batman Christmas movie (Tim Burton’s Batman Returns), but as an animated offering from a streaming service, I was shocked with how good it was. The stakes are a little low by virtue of the focus on Damian, yet that is far from being a dealbreaker. Falling snow looks practically 3D and gorgeously realized in the animation style, and a nightmarish black-and-white sequence is one of the year’s most stunning. Eagle-eyed fans will delight in series Easter eggs. I was particularly thrilled at the amount of callbacks to campy Batman & Robin throughout. Merry Little Batman should satiate hardcore DC fanatics. Those with younger kids especially may find the film an easy repeat watch around the holiday season for years to come.
Ring in the Christmas season in style with Merry Little Batman, debuting exclusively to Prime Video on Friday, December 8th.
