The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)

Sadly Over-hyped

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Maybe I am being harsh here? I know I gave it a 1, but it is not so terrible in every way that it is deserving of a 1. The voice acting for instance is great. The animation is pretty good too, though it's not my style at all (not even close). No no, it is the story and the dialogue that is just so atrocious, so blasphemous, and a total bastardization of Batman in every way that even the lowest rating on here of a 1 is not low enough to truly rank this where it should be. Then again, maybe I'm just too much of a fan of Batman comics? Bruce/Batman has a few key things that sets him apart aside from the fact he has no actual super powers - indomitable will and super genius. Another feature of Batman is that like him, the villains have no super powers either. Only a handful ever have, and then they were enhancements via chemicals or technology/DNA splicing (Bane and his Venom or Clayface's shape-shifting).As you can see, there is a pattern to it all. This film just takes that pattern and throws it out the window. *spoilers* Look at the escape in the beginning. Joker's is nothing special, but notice Penguin in his escape, displays great physical abilities for his size and shape that have never been seen, jumping as high as the guard's head and kick him with enough force to send him two or three meters away. Penguin does have martial arts training, in Judo, which is like wrestling, not Krav Maga. Bruce has decided to go on a date with that reporter, which is way out of his staple (Bruce is extremely solitary - in the comic's 70+ year span, he's only ever been in 2 or 3 relationships). Dracula himself, or Alucard as he introduces himself to Bruce. Dracula is truly supernatural and born with innate abilities, very out of the Batman staple. Bruce is quite easily mentally/psychically manipulated by Dracula at his party, which defeats one of the main aspects of who Batman is. It also takes him half the film to find out that Dracula spelled backwards is Alucard. I mean really, who today doesn't know that?I could keep going but, really, you get the point by now I think.

While not at the level of its predecessors, this is a worthwhile film that reminds viewers what they enjoy about Batman. This incarnation of Bruce Wayne shows him in his earliest years as the Dark Knight. Something particularly laudable about the film is how it accurately portrays Bruce's expected difficulty in defeating Dracula given his lack of experience. Fans of the comics may recognize the concept from the early 1990's story where Batman becomes a vampire. While not a representation of the comic (nor is it intended to be), the film still gives fans a depiction of a dream fans have had given the dark nature of both characters. Who hasn't sometime pondered what it would be like for Batman to fight vampires? The animation is cell-shaded which gives it a much clearer look. The darker areas appear darker than they usually would. This is one way that The Batman vs. Dracula is better than its famous precursor Return of the Joker. The animation is more fluid. As well as appearing darker, the storyline is much darker than "The Batman" cartoon show is. I haven't seen all of the series (only a few episodes from seasons one and two) but I found the series to be very childish and repetitive. It lacked a darkness that would entice an older audience. That's why this film really surprised me. It has blood (although it isn't red), and Batman actually has difficulty defeating Dracula. Batman must work like a detective to defeat Dracula and has to capture a vampired Joker to use for this purpose. As for vampire lore, the film is a bit lacking. It depicts Dracula as married to Carmilla from the La Fanu story. It also violates vampire lore in stipulating that a vampire can be resurrected after it is killed via exposure to sunlight. However, it does follow the plot of several vampire movies. Dracula visits Bruce Wayne's manor for a party and gives him his name backwards, as Dracula does to other protagonists in several film adaptations. Also Dracula's fixation with Vicki Vale is similar to Stoker's Dracula's fixation with Mina Harker. I was very surprised and pleased with this homage to previous work. However, the film does make a few inconsistencies, but they're ultimately inconsequential. The only gripe I have is the screen play. There are several immature lines and situations, from the joker belching after drinking blood from the blood bank to Vicki Vale stating that she likes her meat cooked. The intensity of each situation with such dialog is ruined, but the corny speech is designed to appeal to the child audience. I found this film to be caught between its goal of entertaining children and its desire to appeal to an adult audience. The scene in the blood bank is very frightening, too much so for children. however, the Joker's belch when drinking blood is perfect for children's humour. So, while the film isn't great, it's far better than you would expect, and it's worth a viewing.

SO I had never watched "The Batman" TV series before I watched this movie so I had no clue what it was like. So I started watching this movie and it was pretty basic batman stuff, kicking but and mystery stuff. Then the story started to unravel and it just kept on getting better after that.Now my biggest hype was the portrayal of the Joker. I had never seen a joker like this before, he is truly insane in this one and it actually makes you get down to the core essence of what has become the Joker, and in turn there might be a few moments when you'll feel sorry for him.Dracula was amazing he was at the core of evil and you really just wanted to jump in and kill him yourself cause he'll just terrify you till your pants get moist(that means peeing your pants) and I'm not just talking about young kids even some early teens may feel the same fear. In any turn this Dracula is awesome almost too awesome.It isn't a simple animated batman movie it's darker and even scary. If you watch this as a kid younger than 13yrs. let me tell you you'll have nightmares for months. Overall this is an incredible movie one of the best I have ever seen in animation...actually it's the one of the best I've seen ever.

I got this expecting a usual icon vs. icon movie like Alien vs. Predator, good in theory, but really only good for a few laughs over how goofy it is. Unexpectedly, I received a very good movie. Dracula was very well done as an aristocratic noble/bloodsucking Nosferatu. Batman has his typical gadgets and intelligence, also using his ability to view every angle to not completely ignore the obvious like most vampire movie heroes. Having an enemy that was truly more powerful than Batman was a welcome reprieve after a seventeen years of watching the invincible superman on my television. I suggest getting this movie as soon as possible.