Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014 Video) User Reviews (103)

"Seriously? Ice Puns?"

[T_Beer · 8/10 · 12 January 2015]

Batman is a real badass, the Joker is a total wacko, Harley Quinn is hot. What else do you need? No but seriously, Aussault on Arkham did many things right, the characters are fun (especially Boomerang who is the major comic relief in this movie, the Joker and of course Quinn), the action is pretty awesome and there were some very fine One-Liners also.

What I liked the most was the very mature style of the movie, there is blood spilled, heads are blown of and teeth get punched in but nothing is never totally over the top (as many already said it's very surprising Assault on Arkham was rated PG-13 and not R).

Altogether I liked:

-gritty style

-mature humor

-well animated action/fight scenes

-actuall plot surprises

-real fight consequences (villains DIE, and don't flee with a black eye)

-GREAT voice acting

Now for the things I did not like:

-not enough Joker (yes his role was pretty major but it was not quite enough screen time for my taste)

-overall to short (71 mins? really?)

Suicide Worth Committing

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 14 December 2015]

Assault on Arkham can stand alone as a title without the Batman branding getting in before the colon. Bats is hardly in this movie, reduced to a bit-part player in a grander scheme which doesn't really need to involve him. The Suicide Squad never really interested me and I will probably pass on the forthcoming movie (purely because charisma-vacuum Jai Courtney is in it) but damn to they make for a great team here. I almost wished Batman was stay out of it and let their plans unfold as intended.

Shady US Govt. lady Waller (CCH Pounder) recruits Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, Black Spider, King Shark, and Killer Frost to break into Arkham Asylum undetected and steal something belonging to the Riddler before finding and defusing a dirty bomb hidden by the Joker. I'm sure Batman (here, properly voiced by Kevin Conroy once more) would have done a much more efficient job without the high body count, but then we wouldn't have a movie. He and Waller don't see eye-to-eye anyways. It's fun watching them execute their plan and infiltrate the deep recesses of the island. It could have been more atmospheric though. A lot of the backgrounds look to clean and polished. It lacks the Gothic pathos of Arkham City games that inspired it. Batman soon shows up anyways and spoils everything, but does it smartly.

Assault on Arkham is a major step away (and in the right direction) from the family orientated animated Batman series and movies from the 90s. With sex, nudity, and graphic death on show for our enjoyment it's not exactly something you can distract your 7-year-old (if you're really prudish, that is). But I believe Batman should be geared more towards adults anyway.

Joker is voiced by Troy Baker but he does a great job of emulating Mark Hamill's style, and the higher rating allows him to be more violent and evil. The writing could be tighter and it could have had more of an atmosphere, but this one still comes highly recommended, even if Batman's presence sort of spoilt it a bit.

Go... villains?!

[r_massey · 7/10 · 3 December 2014]

It's weird that you'll ever find yourself rooting for the bad guys to win and "Assault on Arkham" makes you do this exactly.

The film introduces you to an ensemble of villains, given an objective that depends on their lives. You find yourself quite absorbed in the plot and the characters as they interact with each other (not always harmoniously), almost wanting to see them succeed when going to the lengths that they do.

If you're turning this film on expecting it to be a "Batman" film then you may be disappointed to know that he only appears for a few minutes at a time and that the central focus actually lies on the Suicide Squad, but, knowing this in advance allows you to enjoy and appreciate the film a lot more. Thankfully, I was informed of this beforehand and equally loved seeing either Batman or his adversaries on-screen, therefore making it all the more exciting to see them all appear at once at the same time.

The animation and art style is great and superb voice acting by Kevin Conroy (Batman), Troy Baker (The Joker), Neal McDonough (Deadshot) and pretty much everyone else; they really bring the characters to life, especially Conroy who has been voicing the caped crusader for decades and practically knows the character inside out.

My only issue with "Batman: Assault on Arkham" is that it is too short, especially when the film gets going in the final act and has a lot to potentially offer but doesn't really have the time or room to explore. This is a good animated film and definitely worth the watch if you're a Batman fan, especially if you're familiar with the "Batman: Arkham" video game series.

Awesome!!

[crimson_knight_7 · 10/10 · 2 August 2014]

DC animated movies almost never fail to please me and Batman: Assault on Arkham, directed by Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding, portrays criminals with a vicious and sexy attitude.

With almost all the same voice actors from the Batman Arkham series including Kevin Conroy, Oliva and Spaulding take the Batman animated movies into Arkham Asylum just as portrayed in the Arkham video games series. In my opinion, it's about time Warner Brothers created a Batman animated movie based on the atmosphere of the Arkham games as it is so popular with the fans.

Interestingly enough, this movie focuses more on a criminal special task force created by Amanda Waller, who also created the Suicide Squad, rather than Batman; however, there was still enough of Batman to satisfy our Dark Knight needs especially when the voice is Kevin Conroy. What surprised me the most was Troy Baker as the voice of the Joker. Though he has been the voice of Joker before, I almost thought it was Mark Hamill until I looked up the cast. With that in mind, Baker's acting inspires me with high hopes for the Jokers future.

Overall, this Batman animated movie had a sexy, trilling, attitude which was packed full of lethal action that would please any Batman fan. A perfect 10!

This is how Suicide Squad should have been

[thegoatandhammer · 10/10 · 5 March 2018]

This is damn near perfect in every way, all the things that WB got wrong with Suicide Squad (and they have got everything wrong), DC animations got just right. The villains! Oh my God! The villains! The Joker! All hail the voice acting of Troy Baker as the Joker, rivaling only the performance of Mark Hamill in other DC animations. If you are a DC fan, you have to watch this movie, it's everything you wanted Suicide Squad to be, but came out of the theater saying "WTF was that?", this is everything that's right about the concept of Suicide Squad, and nothing of the cringe worthy stuff that we've gotten in the theatrical live action release. This movie is dark, gritty, bloody and mature, a true animated masterpiece!

The Dirty Half-Dozen

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 26 September 2014]

Based on the so-called "Suicide Squad", 'Batman: Assault on Arkham' plays like a 'Dirty Dozen' comprised of mostly B-list Batman villains. Batman himself is really a side player here, and quite honestly by the time he becomes involved in the story, his presence is unwelcome. By that point we're fully invested in the Suicide Squad and Bats feels like a bucket of cold water.

I've seen a handful of these direct-to-DVD animated 'Batman' movies and I continue to be amazed by how far they push the violence envelope. I'd dare say this is more brutal than even 'The Dark Knight', with exploding heads, lots of human collateral damage and blood aplenty. There are even a couple of cases of near nudity (and I mean *near*) and implied sex. Definitely not for kids.

Good animation, solid voice acting and a refreshingly different story make this one a worthwhile watch.

As if i wasn't already excited enough for Suicide Squad!

[kieranbattams · 9/10 · 12 July 2015]

I saw the SDCC exclusive trailer for Suicide Squad very recently and it got me so hyped up to see what the DC cinematic universe had in store for us. At first the DCU looked like it was trying to be what Marvel had set up but looking at the two latest trailers it looks like they really do have some spectacular surprises in store! Anyway, after seeing the trailer i wanted to see a lot more of the Suicide Squad in action. I was lucky enough to find Batman Assault on Arkham and well.. as if i wasn't already excited enough for Suicide Squad!

First things first, this film may have the Batman name in the title, but this really isn't a Batman he is merely a co-star. This film very much belongs to the squad themselves. Amanda Waller needs to get a thumb drive from the Riddler's cane so in order to do so she recruits the baddest criminals she can find from the very walls of Arkham Asylum to get it out. Meanwhile Batman is attempting to find a dirty bomb left behind by the Joker who is still trapped in his own cell, which he of course links to Harley Quinn. We get to see characters we will soon be introduced to in the film including Harley, Captain Boomerang and Deadshot who serves as the protagonist. Among these 'big names' we also encounter lesser-known villains like King Shark and Killer Frost who form an unexpected bond and Black Spider (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad). All ending with a climatic battle between Task force X, the Joker and Batman himself.

The film claims to be based off of the Batman Arkham series of games. The voice of Batman is as always played to perfection by veteran Batman actor Kevin Conroy. Every time Conroy lends his voice to the character, even only for a small role like this film, you really feel like you are listening to the only actor fit for voicing him. Troy Baker mirrors Mark Hamill like he did in Arkham Origins and steals the show. He may not be as threatening and villainous as Hamill is but he comes a close second. I also loved Hynden Walch as Harley Quinn and I will go as far as to say that Harley was my favourite character in this film. She takes on the role and manages to be both ditzy and villainous, which is all a fan really wants from such an iconic character. Each member of Task Force X gets their own chance to shine in a different way and i was on board with each character so well that I was rooting for them more than i was for Batman by the end of it.

DC can be hit and miss with their animated features, and this is in the ranks as being one of the best they have developed so far. I hope that the adaption of 'The Killing Joke' that is in the works can be as great as this one manages to be. It is also the right element of dark. The violence was not watered down for this one and we get our fair share of head explosions. I am hoping the movie is not watered down and manages an 'R' rating because it has the potential to be something very special. This film raises the hype metre even higher and i am hoping for something great that could even trump The Dark Knight in terms of darkness and pure character development. The DC Universe will be kicked off with a 'BANG!' (Pun intended) and i hope more animated DC adaptions take a leaf out of its book.

or 'Escape from Arkham' if you want to get at what its referencing (sort of)

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 5 March 2016]

You remember Escape from NY (or its descendant/sequel Escape from LA)? In that you had Snake Plissken given the task of going into the deadly terrain new New York City in the year 1997 (yeah it was back in the day), but before Plissken, an arch criminal and once decorated war hero, could go into the City he was given a certain drug/device which would kill him if he didn't complete his task. Of course the stakes got raised in the film, but it wouldn't have worked if it had been some other character who was less of a bad-ass, or one who you didn't believe when they turn to the guy sending him on the message and say "When I come back, I'm going to kill you." Assault on Arkham is basically that story with about 7 or 8 more criminals (I forget how many, the list is quite long), and they all make up what's dubbed the "Suicide Squad", which has been a thing in the comics for a while and will be a feature film in summer 2016.

This may actually work as a strong primer for that film, and I have to wonder if the story will be able to trump this if only on the basis of the directness of the mission: Amanda Waller puts this group together (it's uncertain if they've worked together before but my guess is an emphatic no) and they are fit with explosive devices in their neck. They will activate if they - including people like Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang (that's his name, no, really), King Shark, Black Spider and Killer Frost (maybe that's it, I might be forgetting someone) - don't retrieve a device that Edward Nygma has in his cane that could be a thing that has that MacGuffin ring to it. In other words, get the object in Arkham 'undercover' and get out. Of course the twist is that this group can't really do it that way, since they are rough bastards and killers and mercenaries and psychos (the funniest of the lot being Harley Quinn, or just the most unpredictable by way of being Joker's former fling, which comes into play in this story).

I haven't mentioned Batman yet because he is actually a supporting character here - why he is on the DVD box-art is, I assume, because people like King Shark and Killer Frost are basically total unknowns (there's even a threat/taunt from one character to another as a "C-Lister"), and most people wouldn't purchase it unless the main attraction got featured. But Batman does play a role that serves as... well, someone has to stop the madness that Arkham will release, right? The fun and entertainment of the story comes from this group, and the twists and turns that the story invariably takes; what is Nygma *really* up to; does the Joker really have a dirty bomb; can electro-shock treatment really undo the buzzers that will kill the Squad; how many ice puns can be thrown about (actually, it's just one, but the reaction of one character to the pun is about perfect as possible).

There's some wonderful action and intense fights, a relatively new (very good) replacement for Mark Hammil as the voice of the Joker, and maybe just a little too much in the way of being so edgy to get a PG-13 (the language is somewhat expected, not so much the sex, but hey whatever, kids gotta learn sometime). The only downside is that the story, despite having these fun stakes and it being a Dirty Dozen plot, doesn't make as much of a lasting impression as other stories with villains (Under the Red Hood and the Return of the Joker come to mind). Assault on Arkham thankfully doesn't resemble a video game as far as animation - that is left to the consoles - but when one steps back it kind of doesn't seem as sharp as it might have been, despite (or because of) the twists and turns, which seem a little obvious in retrospect. And unless you're Harley Quinn or Deadshot, most of the characters are forgettable, and clearly a character like Killer Frost or King Shark seem like obvious nods(maybe so obvious as to border on satire?) to Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc.

All the same, it gives you some entertainment for 75 minutes and it has meaty, badass dialog in spurts. If you're a hardcore fan of Suicide Squad stories perhaps it'll be the bees knees. For the casual comics fan it's a brisk, bloody primer - and I do mean bloody (they push that PG-13 for all its worth, and I imagine after Deadpool this will be R-rated stuff some day, but I digress).

Better than the Live-Action Suicide Squad Movie!

[xgray-03873 · 10/10 · 28 January 2017]

It's really not that big of a surprise to find out that "Batman: Assault on Arkham" is a much better Suicide Squad movie than the one with Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Jerod Leto ("The Joker), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) and Will Smith. I mean, duh?! We should've seen this coming, but I guess not.

But yeah, everything that was literally wrong with the live-action "Suicide Squad" movie, this movie actually made up for as DC and Warner Bros.' way of saying, "We're sorry" to the fans.

Bottom-line, if you want to see a really good Suicide Squad movie, don't watch the live-action version. Go watch this movie instead. It deserves a lot more attention.

10 out of 10 stars.

Not brilliant, but feels good

[siderite · 7/10 · 13 September 2014]

Slowly, but surely, the scripts for movies are moving more and more towards game stories. Watching this film felt like I was going through a game console campaign in some DC game. This has both good and bad consequences. The good ones are that all the characters get a bit of the story and the action, instead of the classic Hollywood script which are centered only on the two protagonists. The bad ones are that... well... it feels like a game. There is no real attention to detail or to continuity. Things happen because you need to get to the last level - with the minimum of effort, obviously.

The end result was positive to me, though. The movie is filled with bloody scenes, with Harely Quinn and Joker insanity and with real violence, as well as having a real story, as weird as it becomes being a DC universe thing. It feels funny to me that if they would have made this into a live action film, they would have had to rate it R. In my mind this can only be good: instead of paying a zillion dollars to certain actors just because their faces are well known, pay the animators to create anything their artistic minds can come out with.

Bottom line: I am half considering downloading all these direct to video animation movies. They certainly feel more entertaining than most blockbusters in theaters.

Best Attempt at Capturing the Suicide Squad on Screen

[NDbportmanfan · 8/10 · 12 August 2016]

Assault on Arkham is meant as a prequel to the events that occurred during the Arkham video game trilogy. Waller has collected some villains to help her take back top secret information from the Riddler. The Squad most infiltrate Arkham Asylum, find the Riddler and get the device before reveals the secrets to even worse villains.

This film really does a good job at capturing how expendable each character is to the mission. At any moment someone could die and the team just has to move to the next objective. This is even tougher because the writers of the movie actually created relationships between characters so the loss hits them and the audience more. Even with all the serious moments there is also funny dialogue exchanged, mainly from Captain Boomerang and King Shark.

There are no characters that are left in the background either. Mostly everyone gets a fair amount of screen time in order to fully bring their personality to the audience. I thought this would be heavy movie on Deadshot and Harley, but that was not the case. The biggest enjoyment I got was Harley as that was probably my favorite depiction of her that I have seen. She had the right amount of sweet with a side of insane.

Action scenes were fun for the most part, as there was a scene or two where they maybe went a little to over the top even for an animation movie.

This was a fun watch and if you are a fan of the Suicide Squad, you most definitely have to see this.

Best Batman movie with nearly no Batman since 'The Dark Knight Rises.'

[mockfilmreviews · 7/10 · 24 January 2016]

This week I have decided to go a bit off script on my review. Pulling from a genre that many non- comic book readers oft dare not tread. Sure, comic book movies have seen a clear boost in mainstream audience attendance with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy (with which I have a love/hate relationship. Another day my friends) and the brilliant way Marvel has chosen to unfurl their gang of interconnecting hero stories as an ever expanding universe. Today, however, I've decided to give credit where credit is due and give DC their day in the sun.

For all their shortcomings DC properties have had in terms of their live-action films, as successful as they are, where they truly shine is with their straight to DVD animated features. While, not all of the titles that have been produced over the years have been top notch, to count them out as kids stuff is simply unfair. Starting years ago with Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), DC has put out some well written and superbly produced stories that could give their live-action brethren a run for their money. With that, I give you Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014).

Not for the youngsters, this is a gritty flick with some intense violence and language. So be warned.

The story is simple enough. The Riddler is at it again and this time as stolen sensitive intel from a secret government organization run by Amanda Waller (a role reprised by the wonderful CCH Pounder), a woman obsessed with keeping America safe without the help of super heroes. Now locked away in Arkham Asylum with the rest of Batman's rouges gallery, Riddler has a flash drive with the information stashed in his cane, which is locked up tight in Arkham's storage lockup. Employing a group called The Suicide Squad to break in and get back the data, Waller teams up a group of super villains equipped with explosives in their necks as incentive to get the job done. Now, some of these criminals are not the A-Listers one might expect from a Batman movie, but not to worry, familiar faces abound throughout.

Batman: Assault on Arkham (Review)

[cri_stina · 5/10 · 5 August 2014]

I'm a big fan of all the Batman universe since 1992: The Animated Series was my first approach to the Dark Knight and since then I got obsessed, trying to read/watch/play everything that I could reach.

This premise is just to say that I really would have liked that this movie was something slightly acceptable but actually, from my point of view, it's just wrong… from that sort of sitcom opening title introducing the characters to that horrid, inappropriate soundtrack.

It's not difficult to understand from the beginning, by the explicit contents, that this movie is clearly for a more adult audience but, in the end, it results more childish and ridiculous than any other Batman cartoon movie till now.

The plot (Amanda Waller recruits the Suicide Squad to break into Arkham and collect information from the Riddler) becomes more and more inconsistent as time goes by, to the point that the movie seems to be based more on the characters' lame jokes (some of those are really really bad) than the actual development of the story that often flows without any kind of logic up to the last part with the liberation of the Arkham inmates that it's a clear reference of the Arkham games… but if, in the games, the takeover of the prison by his residents takes more dilated times, the really short times (it takes like two seconds for Bane or Scarecrow to get their equipment) in this movie just don't make any sense and don't make justice to the games at all.

The characters are poorly written and too much stereotyped and their behaviours are often idiotic and, again, illogical (just one example: King Shark has fear of heights just in that particular moment? really?!? after jumping on a plane? really?!?)

By the way this movie has some, few, positive aspects: the initial idea of the Suicide Squad in charge and Batman as secondary character (even if his name is in the title (oh, well)); the clash between the Joker and Lawton, actually it was the best part of the movie; the references to other movies and games and, of course, the man himself, Batman.

In the end, I was expecting something more similar to the Arkham games (it would be nice even some little reminders of the original plot), not just some backgrounds and the design of few characters (by the way, Harley Quinn is much better in the games).

Incredible DC animated movie

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 7 April 2020]

Even though it feels more like a Suicide Squad film than a Batman movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham is an incredible DC animated movie that fits nicely into the Arkham video game timeline. Kevin Conroy is reliably perfect as Batman, Matthew Gray Gubler is excellent as The Riddler and Troy Baker is an amazing Joker. Neal McDonough and Hynden Walch are both great. It's extremely well paced. The animation and the direction by Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding are also great. It's effectively unpredictable and funny. The music by Robert J. Kral is really good.

Wow! The DC animated Universe is getting hardcore!

[subxerogravity · 8/10 · 7 April 2015]

I just finishing watching Son of Batman, and I was thinking to myself, this movie is pretty edgy and leans more toward adults than I would ever expected. Than I saw Assault on Arkham, and can see were the DCAU is going. This is far more Edgy.

The movie takes elements from the recent run of Suicide Squad of the new 52s revamp at DC comics and mixes it with elements of the Batman Akrham game series. Batman wears the costume from the game, but has the voice of the greatest man ever to play (voice) Batman, Kevin Conroy.

Batman takes a slight step back in this movie as Amanda Waller assembles the suicide Squad to get a thumb drive the Riddler has on all the members of the Suicide Squad before he makes it public. They have to infiltrate Arkham in order to do it.

The animated film is Dark, it reminds me of the late 80's early 90's anime like Gogolo 13 and fist of the North Star that got me into anime in the first place. I'm happy to see Warner Bros. animation go in this direction.

Two thumbs up!

Only if Suicide Squad was like this

[WeAreLive · 6/10 · 7 October 2017]

I saw this film when I came home on a Friday night after school and this movie cheered me up in a way because I didn't really have a great day at school.

The jokes were clever there were more mature scenes like when Harley Quinn and Deadshot had sex in an apartment and when Harley had her top down. Just as a note don't show this to children it is too mature for them.

But if you love the Batman Arkham games you might like this movie.

Will thrill Batman and Suicide Squad fans

[ersinkdotcom · 8/10 · 12 September 2014]

The world of the "Batman: Arkham" video game is brought to vivid animated life with DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's "Batman: Assault on Arkham." The Dark Knight takes a backseat to the bad guys in what is the comic book equivalent of a heist or search and rescue flick much like "Red," "Ocean's 11," "Escape from New York," and others. The movie takes place after the events in "Batman: Arkham Origins." It's an exciting and humorous romp that will thrill fans of the game franchise and "mature" enthusiasts of super heroes.

Amanda Waller puts together a team of super villains to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and complete an unfinished job. She wants the Riddler assassinated for secret knowledge he possesses. Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, KGBeast, and King Shark are all forced to comply to her wishes thanks to an explosive planted in their necks which Waller can detonate if they won't fulfill her demands.

One thing DC animated movie buffs will be happy about is the return of Kevin Conroy in the role of Batman. The rest of the voice cast is fine, but they're overshadowed every time the Dark Knight appears on screen. Troy Baker does his best Mark Hamill impersonation as the Joker. I really thought it was Hamill until the credits rolled at the end.

A word of caution to parents out there with children who love super heroes. "Batman: Assault on Arkham" isn't kid-friendly in any form or fashion. It's rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content, and language. We're not talking your typical comic book violence, either. Several heads are blown off for example. Harley Quinn shows quite a bit of skin and there's a scene of Deadshot and her tumbling around in bed together. The language is on par with what you would get in any action movie released today starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Neeson, or Sylvester Stallone. However, the "F" word is never dropped.

"Batman: Assault on Arkham" will thrill fans of the video game franchise it's based on. People unfamiliar with the "Arkham Asylum," "Arkham City," and "Arkham Origins" universe need not worry. I don't play the games and had no problem jumping right in.

Holy Gratuitous Nudity, Batman!

[ultimatenexus · 7/10 · 11 August 2014]

This is a pretty good movie.

It's got Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, KGBeast, and King Shark press-ganged into forming the Suicide Squad to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and get out with Riddler's secrets that may ruin Amanda Waller if they're posted on the internet. On top of that, Batman is out looking for a dirty bomb that the Joker has stashed somewhere in the city, which, if it went off, could blow up half or more of the population.

The art style is great and it goes well with the animation. The action sequences are well done and thrilling to watch. Character designs are appealing to look at, and strangely enough, it seemed like Harley and Killer Frost couldn't keep their freaking shirts on for more than five minutes at a time within the first half hour of the movie. Not that that's something to complain much about, but it was a little bit distracting in terms of "Was that REALLY necessary?"

Batman sits in the back seat of his own movie for once, which is actually a good thing because the film wasn't meant to be entirely focused on him, but more on the Suicide Squad. More focus on him would've detracted from the main story.

So far I've said nothing wrong, so I'll get to the flaws: use of CGI (though minor) can still be pretty noticeable but it doesn't take much away from the actual enjoyment of the movie. Sometimes with the main characters bickering all the time it makes you wonder how the hell they got themselves into Arkham in the first place. It got kind of tedious after a while but everyone improved in the second half of the film as things started to fly.

Really, it's a Batman movie with good characters, a plot that was clearly thought out, and plenty of violence and *ahem* titillation to go around. It's also one of the better DC Animated movies to hit Direct- to-DVD. I'd check it out at least once.

Villains United.

[xamtaro · 9/10 · 17 August 2014]

Villains get the spotlight in BATMAN: ASSAULT ON ARKHAM, a loose prequel set before the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. A black ops mission to assassinate the Riddler is foiled by Batman, prompting CIA operative Amanda Waller to assemble "Task Force X", aka The Suicide Squad. Morally ambiguous Vigilante Black Spider, seductive ice queen Killer Frost, savage brute King Shark, Australian scoundrel Captain Boomerang, crazy Harley Quinn and the cynical assassin Deadshot. These sociopathic misfits have to put aside their differences to work together, lest they "lose their heads".

Playing out like a good ol fashioned heist film in the vein of THE Italian JOB or OCEAN'S ELEVEN, we see six villains assembled by Amanda Waller and sent on a mission impossible deep into the heart of the dreaded Arkham Asylum to retrieve a thumb drive containing sensitive information, that was in the Riddler's possession. From the electronic heavy rock soundtrack to the Taratino-esque roll call opening credits sequence, you know you are in for a completely different animated movie. The fun begins when we get to see how well these bad guys play off one another in a script that is chock full of dark humour and depth.

Although each villain does not get much development, we do get a "keynotes" look into their personalities, their motivations and their minds as the brisk pace of the movie sprints from action scene to action scene. Their roles in the team are familiar archetypes for classic villain teams: the alpha male leader (Deadshot), the butt monkey backstabber (Captain Boomerang), the dumb muscle (King Shark), the seductress (Killer Frost), the mysterious odd one out (Black Spider), and the psycho (Harley Quinn). Yet in this familiarity comes the opportunity for the characters to truly shine thanks to some magnificent chemistry and voice acting.

Alas, for a title named "Batman: Assault on Arkham" the titular Batman plays a supporting, almost cameo, role. But when he does appear, he exhibits a powerful on screen presence. Those barely visible eyes staring intensely from within the cowl, the new look of the costume which blends the dark blue streamlined design of Justice League Unlimited with the armoured detailing of New 52, not to mention the return of the classic Batman voice Kevin Conroy. But I digress. Batman is not the focus here, the Suicide Squad is. And they get one hell of a 75 minute showcase. Throughout the movie, you get a sense that some of the team members have their own agenda and secrets. What looks like a crazy outburst turns out to be a well calculated distraction for example. This movie keeps you guessing and keeps the tension up from start to finish.

Like previous DC Animated movies, ASSAULT ON ARKHAM does not shy away from bloody violence or semi-sexual depictions. The near nudity, the blood letting, it is insane, threading close to an "R" rating. Action is smooth, fluid, with a very high budget quality which combines detailed artwork with dynamic animation. Visually, Moi Animation studios have outdone themselves once again delivering top notch animation that surpasses many of their Japanese anime counterparts. For quick comparison, take a look at the animation on SON OF BATMAN done by Japanese anime studio "TheAnswerStudio" and then compare it to the visuals in BATMAN ASSAULT ON ARKHAM. No contest.

BATMAN ASSAULT ON ARKHAM was a risky experiment, but an experiment that pays off. Edgy but fun, dark but not brooding, intense but not shallow. There seem to be things you can do on screen and a dark sense of fun you get with villains instead of heroes. Here I am hoping that DC would consider releasing a villain centric animated movie for every two hero centric movies per year. The DC rogues gallery needs to be tapped and tapped well. This is a good star

Great Flick... Almost

[ikrani · 6/10 · 17 September 2014]

This film could've been great all the way through. The cast was great, I liked all the characters, and the Suicide Squad seemed to have its team dynamic down pretty well. But there are way too many forced moments for me to put this up there with Under the Red Hood and Tim Burton's masterpiece as one of the truly great Batman films.

The story is... Decent. The Riddler's going to blow the whistle on the government using supervillains to get their dirty work done. So the government, played by Amanda Waller, assembles a team of supervillains to retrieve the data before it goes live. And here we run into our first problem. How is the Riddler going to transmit anything from a FLASH DRIVE HIDDEN IN HIS CANE if his cane is locked up in Arkham far away from any USB ports? Does that not bug ANYONE in this movie? The rest of the story was pretty solid sans the climax, so why did the writers have to make the entire cast kind of brainless?

Well, plot holes can be forgiven if the characters are good enough. And they are. Deadshot plays the anti-hero leader of the Squad with Harley Quinn as his potential love-interest. Yeah, they went there. They put Harley Quinn with someone other than the Joker. Some guy I've never heard of called Shark is the living tank with Killer Frost as his crush (or at least that's the vibe I got from them). We have Male-African-American-Totally-Not-Black-Widow Black Spider on hand to be expendable, because Heaven forbid they kill off someone popular, and Captain Boomerang to be the jerk who always butts heads with the leader.

Unfortunately, this film is plagued by too many forced moments to completely forgive. This badass Russian guy called KGBeast is introduced to us only to be immediately axed off in order to prove that, "Anyone can die! Nobody's safe from our blood-hungry writing!" Shark dies just so anyone who happened to ship him and Killer Frost could feel gipped, as if DC hasn't had weirder pairings, like pairing a Red/Blue Lantern with a computer.

Then after it all goes to Hell the team turn on each other out of nowhere instead of working together to all make it out. You may think, "Oh, they're just in it for themselves and just want to make it out," but then Captain Boomerang and Deadshot BOTH make it to a helicopter and take off, to which Captain Boomerang says, "Only one of us is making it out of here!" and ends up not escaping at all. Uh, dude? There's enough room in the chopper for both of you. Hell, there was enough room for them AND Killer Frost, who dies when Bane, recently broken-out, picks up the police cruiser she's in, AFTER she disposed of the driver, and randomly throws it against a wall.

I am firmly against killing off characters. It angers people who liked them, it stops further stories from unfolding, and it prevents any further entertainment to be had from their interactions off one another. But no, apparently gunfights, attempted mass murder, implied sex and exploding heads didn't make Assault on Arkham "adult" enough. Screw that, I just want a good story, and this movie came SO CLOSE to being perfect. But, alas, DC adaptations aren't allowed to be fun anymore.

Mature and Amazing

[aka-valkra · 10/10 · 8 August 2014]

Love this movie. Watch this if you are a fan of Batman and his villains. Even if you don't play the Arkham games (why wouldn't you?) and just like the shows and comics, this is still a must watch. This film took a more mature route which I absolutely love. There's cursing, innocent people die, main characters die, tasteful sex scene, etc. Batman is a secondary focus in this movie after the suicide squad, which worried me at first but then I loved it. At some points, you even start rooting for some of the bad guys. Showed an interesting perspective from the villains side, always worried about Batman popping up and ruining everything. The animation was fantastic, the character designs were awesome, the dialogue was great. Would recommend to anyone who's a Batman fan.

A Good Spin-off for The Rocksteady Arkham Universe

[sohansurag · 7/10 · 15 September 2014]

Marvel may have lined up their live action movies till 2019 and DC is still far far behind. Justice League is still a vague idea for them, of course Zack Snyder is helming Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice and the Trinity has been revealed but would it end in a JLA Movie? I have my fingers crossed. Although there is one thing that DC aces every time, the DC Universe Animated movies. Marvel's animated movies have lacked that essential oomph factor that DC nails in almost every animated movie. Yes of course most of DC's animated movies are based on DC Comics' original material, and some did have a few pitfalls here and there but you have to admit many of DC Animated movies are a sheer pleasure to watch, be it Superman Doomsday, Flashpoint Paradox or the recent The Dark Knight Returns adaptation…its all top notch adding to DCs wonderful soirée.

We did get a glimpse of things to come in Arkham Origins. What was thought to be a Suicide Squad game/DLC culminated in being a DC Animated movie, Batman Assault On Arkham is the latest offering from DCU Animated and for once DC has focused on the antagonists of Gotham instead of the Dark Knight himself. Assault on Arkham is based on Rocksteady's Arkham game franchise and its a pleasure to see the Suicide Squad organized by none other than Amanda Waller and going up against Batman for a secret mission deep inside Arkham. To make things smooth, the movie introduces the Suicide Squad members in slick intros and onto the thick of the plot. You are introduced to Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Frost, Captain Boomerang, King Shark and Black Spider and it works well, initially, as a heist movie and from there on things go downhill of course. Where's the fun without some bloodshed and fireworks ain't it? Its fun to see these Gotham baddies dishing it against each other. While its not huge there's plenty of plot twists to keep you glued to your seats till end.

One thing I love about DC animated is that they never shy away from things. This is indeed a cartoon but its never intended for kids. Its embellished with with gut loads of violence, sex (no nudity) and adult humor, once again its not over-the-top but still makes it appealing for teens as well as adults. It does get pretty whacky towards the end and it also inclines on being a little predictable but hey this ain't competing for the Academy Awards, this ain't even trying to be a cult classic, its just good fun and the definiteness might as well be intentional.

Kevin Conroy once again steps in as Batman. Other voice overs by Neal McDonough as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, C.C.H. Pounder as Amanda Waller, Greg Ellis as Captain Boomerang, Giancarlo Esposito as Black Spider, John DiMaggio as King Shark, Jennifer Hale as Killer Frost were all fairly done well. Call me crazy. but cant help fall in love with Harley voiced by Hynden Walch. The icing on the cake is definitely Troy Baker as The Joker. We did get a sample of his flawless portrayal as The Joker in Arkham Origins replacing Mark Hamill and he does an awe-inspiring job here as well. This guy is gonna make it big and I wouldn't be surprised if he lands up with a live action role soon. That familiar voice of Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin is also done by another veteran video game/DC voice over artist, Nolan North.

Assault on Arkham features locales which will be instantly familiar to those of you who's played the Arkham games. There are also tons of souvenirs/Easter Eggs from the movies as well as the games. Seeing one of the Joker masks from The Dark Knight did bring a smile to my face.

While its not as brilliant as The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Assault on Arkham is well written albeit with a few clichés here and there and IMHO its OK! Fluid animation compliments the great visuals and story and makes for another gem in the DC Universe Animated crown.

"Denzel?!? What have they done to you?"

[utgard14 · 4/10 · 5 October 2014]

Based on a video game I haven't played, this animated movie is about the Suicide Squad, not Batman. Despite the title, Bats is a supporting character here. Still, it's nice to have Kevin Conroy back as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker. Hamill gets the only good lines in this thing. The animation is unimpressive and flat. The characters' costume designs are uncreative and drab. More of the great New 52 supposed realism, I guess. Bats has pupils on his mask. It's distracting and stupid. Penguin has turned into Bob Hoskins for some reason. Most of the characters dress in the bland style of the times: casual meets military meets emo. It's very colorless and uninteresting.

In keeping with the direction the DCAU has been headed recently, the content here is "adult." Harley Quinn and Killer Frost wear next-to-nothing throughout the film and even wear NOTHING in some scenes. Harley bites off a woman's ear and we see the bloody ear in her mouth. We also get exploding heads and more gunfights than a Schwarzenegger movie. New 52, y'all! This is not for kids, in case you're one of those unsuspecting parents out there who still thinks cartoons with comic book characters are for all ages. Here's my beef with this stuff: I'm fine with creating these things for an adult audience. But these stories aren't written for adults; they're dumb, predictable, and full of clichés (playing security footage on a loop, infiltrating the group by pretending to be the only one of them wearing a mask, etc.). There's cursing, partial nudity, blood, and violence galore but the script is tired. The characters posture and spout tough guy lines constantly. The only thing "adult" about it is the crass sex and violence thrown in for titillation. This is pretty much just for masturbatory thirteen year-old boys or those who think like them. Hardcore fanboys will likely enjoy it. Judging by the current IMDb score, they do. But this is just one more example that DC Comics, in animation or print, doesn't care about appealing to anyone but the lowest common denominator.

Holy character development, Batman

[a_sad_cow · 10/10 · 30 October 2014]

Quite possibly the best DC film to date.

Top notch character development, particularly for underused characters.

Top notch writing, something sorely lacking in Hollywood in general.

Top notch animation with so many brilliant subtleties.

Top notch directing...no wasted scenes.

Before watching this, if you are a true fan, seriously go through every episode of Justice League Unlimited, Batman Beyond, and Young Justice. The characters are so rich and vivid given that context. If this is your first DC film, well, I hope you appreciate how truly brilliant these characters have been cast in this particular film.

Suicide Squad

[TC-Batsy · 10/10 · 10 July 2019]

I saw Suicide Squad a long time ago and I really liked this animated movie about a band of anti-heroes carrying out secret and deadly missions. It's a dark and adult-oriented movie with a twist as Batman and some of his of adversaries are in a race against time to prevent a disaster from taking place in Gotham.