Batman vs. Dracula

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The Dark Knight faces off against the Dark Prince when Dracula arrives in Gotham with a nefarious plan to enslave the entire city -- including Batman, The Joker, and Penguin -- in this animated, feature-length adventure. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Color
• Features:
  • "Science vs. Superstition": Data files from Batman's computer probe the Dracula Legend
  • "City of Knight": Interactive Gotham city map that reveals cool making-of segments
  • "Voices in Closeup": Pop-up trivia and interviews reveal the voices behind Batman vs. Dracula

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Michael Goguen

• Producer:

  Jeff Matsuda, Linda M. Steiner

• Screenwriter:

  Duane Capizzi

• Composer (Music Score):

  Thomas Chase Jones

• Art Director:

  Jeff Matsuda

• Supervising Producer:

  Duane Capizzi, Michael Goguen

• Associate Producer:

  Kimberly A. Smith

• Executive Producer:

  Michael E. Uslan, Benjamin Melniker, Sander Schwartz, Alan Brunett

• Casting:

  Ginny McSwain

• Voice Director:

  Ginny McSwain

• Sequence Director:

  Brandon Vietti, Eun Kim Seung, Sam Liu

REVIEW:

• Despite its seemingly cheesy premise, Batman vs. Dracula continues the Dark Knight's fine legacy in animated films, this time based on the hyper-stylized 2004 series The Batman. The mythology surrounding the meeting of these two characters goes back decades in the comics, so the idea of the costumed hero going head-to-head with the King of Vampires isn't as out there as it might sound. What is surprising is the dark nature of the film, which might end up scaring the little youngsters, but should play to adolescents and the character's older fan base brilliantly. Realized with the same graphic line drawing look that made the series stand out, Batman vs. Dracula is a bright, pop-art lover's dream soaked in the same kind of deep shadows that populate much of artist Mike Mignola's work. Plot-wise, it's a grab bag of mixed ideas, but the action is grandiose, as is the atmosphere created in such fantastic scenes as the one in the blood bank. So, while it may seem to be a stretch for good old Drac to end up buried underneath Gotham's graveyard, the premise makes for a rip-roaring tale of horrific proportions that doesn't often get to be told in the confines of kiddie-friendly entertainment. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi