Just as Batman always arrives on time, the fun-filled action adventure Merry Little Batman, comes out at the right time, just before Christmas. The kid-friendly family movie not only gives you a chance to spend the holiday season with your favourite superhero, but also adds a nostalgic touch to the DC animated universe.

Featuring an all-star cast and a different animation style, it’s a story of a boy and a father, rather than that of Batman and Robin. It begins with Gotham City being voted as the safest place on Earth. Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, has been out of action for over ten years and is an over-protective father to Damian Wayne. Bruce wants to provide his son with something he never had — a childhood. Batman has grown old and even has a beard, but his son adores him.

Damian Wayne, portrayed as an innocent, yet overzealous child, is unlike the usual angry version portrayed over the years. Son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, he wants to practice whatever skills he has learned from his assassin mother. With ‘crime’ planning a return to Gotham and Christmas being threatened, Damian takes it up on himself and wants to emulate his superhero dad by fighting Gotham’s worst superheroes on Christmas Eve.

Like all kids, Damian wants to become an adult as soon as possible and prove his worth to his father. Some scenes would feel like Home Alone (1990) as Damian protects his home, while Alfred and Dad are away, while some have the effect of The LEGO Batman Movie (2017). Actor Luke Wilson voices for Bruce Wayne/Batman, James Cromwell is the family butler Alfred, while Yonas Kibreab voices for Damian Wayne, doing full justice to the kid who is eager to take on the mantle of the Bat himself.

Like Nickelodeon cartoons from the ’90s, Merry Little Batman carries an unconventional look, yet has a fresh feel. Director Mike Roth was part of Cartoon Network’s series Regular Show, where he served as a writer and creative director. Released on Prime Video, the 92-minute animated film not only acts as a bond between a father and a son, but also represents those kids who have belief in their abilities, yet are looking for chances. A perfect holiday movie for the fans of The Dark Knight, it has a message in the end, which would brighten the holidays.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 23rd, 2023