"Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Animated Release Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Universes collide as Batman meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their first animated crossover movie!

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Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon
Release Date: May 14, 2019 - Digital; June 4, 2019 - Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD/DVD

Synopsis: Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finds Gotham City reaching new levels of danger when Shredder joins forces with Ra’s al Ghul to enact a nefarious plan – leading to the team-up of the Dark Knight and the Turtles to combat the combined might of the Foot Clan and League of Assassins!

The Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all-star cast is led by Troy Baker as the voice of both Batman and the Joker – making Baker the first actor to ever play both roles in the same film. Opposite Baker are the Ninja Turtles themselves – Emmy Award/Golden Globe Award/SAG Award winner Darren Criss as Raphael, Kyle Mooney as Michelangelo, Baron Vaughn as Donatello, and Eric Bauza as Leonardo. Other key members of the voice cast include Rachel Bloom as Batgirl, John DiMaggio as Mr. Freeze, Tara Strong as Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Tom Kenny as Penguin, Carlos Alazraqui as Bane, Cas Anva as Ra’s al Ghul, Keith Ferguson as Baxter Stockman & Two-Face, Brian George as Alfred, Ben Giroux as Robin, Andrew Kishino as Shredder, and Jim Meskimen as Commissioner Gordon & Scarecrow.

Jake Castorena directs Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a script by Marly Halpern-Graser. The film is inspired by the comic book series “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II (published by DC Comics and IDW Publishing) and is based on characters from DC and Nickelodeon. Ben Jones is producer. Executive producers are Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan. Sam Register and Chris Viscardi are executive producers.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bonus Content:
-Cowabunga, Batman! When Comic Worlds Collide (Featurette)– Super hero crossovers have inspired some of the most unique comics of all time. Explore the concept of the crossover, and see the creativity that ensues when the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet.
-Fight Night in Gotham (Featurette) – DC animated movies have continued to push the realism of hand-to-hand combat on-screen. Take an exciting look at both Batman’s and the Ninja Turtles’ fighting styles, and how the creators make it feel like you’re in the fight!
-A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.
Note: Bonus content may vary between Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD editions.

Discuss the Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated release here!

Please note this talkback is for both the Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated feature and all aspects of the assorted home media releases. Discussion for both are now housed in one single talkback discussion thread. Spoilers are also allowed, so those who have yet to see the movie may want to avoid this thread until they have.

Note: Remember, we appreciate and encourage discussion, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Please do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC!

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[SweetShop209]

This movie is awesome. Cowabunga!

 

[James Harvey]

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is loads of fun from start to finish. Stellar action beats, legit laughs, an amusingly goofy story and beautiful animation, it nails it all. It's not perfect, though. The pacing occasionally slows things down and the amount of violence seems to clash with the movie's tone from time to time. That said, it's well worth checking out, and be sure to stick around for the brilliant end credits artwork! And yes, there is an after-credit scene.

The full review will be posted soon on The World's Finest.

 

[Freddy]

This movie is very entertaining. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but isn't lazy either. I actually think that it's a major improvement over the comic it's based on. It streamlined the plot and toned down the "Bat-God" aspect, making the crossover more balanced.

 

[Spider-Man]

I guess everyone is waiting for the Bluray release to watch this. I got the digital copy and finally got to watch it over the weekend. I really enjoyed it and I thought the animation was really great (who animated it?) and the story was a good version of the original comic. My only problem is really some of the fights go on a bit too long and the violence seems higher than it should be for the kid-friendly tone the movie sort of goes for. Its still really awesome and I'm glad they made it. Hope they do a sequel!

 

[James Harvey]

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is now available on physical media, including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD! Who's picking up this awesome animated flick today? What are your thoughts on it?

Also be sure to check out The World's Finest review of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

 

[Corwin Haught]

(who animated it?)

It was DR Movie.

 

[Yojimbo]

I liked that it was clearly a love letter to the histories of Batman and Ninja Turtles across the various storytelling mediums and it doesn't take itself too seriously, and gave us an easy to understand lesson about the importance of family.

The movie in an effort to be more streamlined like the fact that Batman and the Ninja Turtles reside in the same universe, whereas in the comic, the element of traveling between dimensions was utilized. If that takes some air out of the magic of this crossover or not, it's moot. I'm glad they didn't bog the story down into origin stories about any of the characters. Instead, what you need to know is peppered throughout dialogue or visuals.

I thought one of the strong points of the movie with the inter-personal dynamics like Batman and Leonardo both being so strict and regimented, Batman and Michelangelo being total opposites, Alfred and Michelangelo, Robin and Raphael both being loners and brawlers annoyed by any and everything, Donatello and Batgirl both loving science, and Shredder and Ra's Al Ghul both used to being #1 but having to work together on equal footing. You've got Leonardo analyzing how Batman analyzed their fighting style, Donatello loving the Batmobile and Batcomputer, Raphael... being Raphael, and Michelangelo acting like a kid in the candy store. A smart move to prevent the crossover from being one-sided is giving Batman the mini-arc of learning that a family is more important that having a team (and he should loosen up a little).

The big Act 2 at Arkham Asylum. The fights with the Batman's mutated rogues gallery in an almost video game -- Game of Death style sequence. I did love the unexpected hilarity like Michelangelo tripping on the stairs, Poison Ivy's immobility, Bane hurting his knee, and Batgirl talking a quick selfie with Joker. Although, on the other hand, one could argue that this act goes on a bit too long and steamrolls the pacing of the main story but the mutated characters are clearly ultimate fan-service. So it's kinda to each their own.

I loved how Jake Castorena and co also made a couple nods to martial arts cinema like the classic Shaw Brothers or even more recent fares like both Raid movies. Robin's multi-punch on Harley even felt a bit like Donnie Yen's Ip Man. And not just one but two Batman vs. Shredder fights. Yes, please and thank you. And the first one just ignites my childhood of seeing the 1990 TMNT movie in theaters. That visual of Shredder landing inside Wayne Enterprises is straight out of the roof top battle!

I dug how you see just about any decade of either franchise in the movie. There's the blue and gray 80's Batman but if you look at his costume case in the Batcave, there's suits from the Adam West '66 TV series, the original Bob Kane concept, and the original look in his first comic book appearance. Contrast that to the Damian Wayne Robin suit of the 2000s and the present day "Burnside" Batgirl suit. Even with the Turtles, they've definitely got some of the traits of the IDW series thanks to Andy Kuhn's contribution to their designs, the Foot look more like their robotic counterparts from the 80s animated series, and Shredder is a mix of eras even bearing the Foot logo from the Goldfine's 4Kids 2000s animated series.

I honestly wasn't too sure about the casting of the 3 out of the 4 Turtles but glad to be proven wrong.

A second and third viewing is probably a good idea just so you can look for all the references and easter eggs. The re-playability of the movie is that you'll see or hear something new every time. They're as subtle as Ra's alluding to the late Jason Todd, Shredder's Sato Oshi move being named after the Foot Clan's two founders, or the Turtles' calendar in Shellraiser being set to April or as in your face as Batman drinking from a Superman mug, the man hole cover shooting up into the sky like in the cartoons, Penguin's henchman looking like Kraang's exosuit, or Raphael's motorcycle based on Metalhead. The chuckle/groan goes to Michelangelo's "not aliens" quip, a nod to y'know, that movie from Michael Bay. The movie's end credits present one more wealth of easter eggs. A moving gallery of famous Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book covers reworked to include elements of the other character. My personal favorite had to be the TMNT #2 Mouser cover. If there's any definitive proof this crew loves their source material, it's these covers.

What I didn't like As mentioned before, Act 2 had a moot pacing issue in that it pumped the brakes on the main story. After awhile, you do tend to forget what the villains want again. Like what did Ra's want? Then by the end, you're reminded, 'Oh, yeah, he wants to purify Gotham and take over.' The elements of the crossover are also debatable. Instead of living in two different dimensions, they live in the same one. And both being on the east coast, they really never heard of each other or their adversaries seems to push the lines of believability. Some of the violence and blood can be sudden and off putting like the throwing stars to the head, Raphael demolishing the goon's face with this knee, or the decapitation. And two cringe worthy moments were Batman acts a bit misogynistic towards Batgirl in the 24 minute mark before the Turtles find the Batcave and even Joker calling Harley a nurse at first than acknowledge her doctorate.

The two major featurettes were pretty good, insightful commentary on the making the movie. Rest were just trailers/sneak peeks. "Batman: Hush", "Detective Pikachu," "Shazam!," "Reign of the Supermen" and "Justice League vs. The Fatal Five."

EDIT: Here's a great listing of some of the movie's easter eggs from TMNT.com.

But I think my favorite of them is the nod to the 1990 movie. When Shredder lands inside Wayne Enterprises to fight Batman, that was a total hat tip to the final battle in the 1990 movie on the roof.

 

[SweetShop209]

He totally deserves this. The music is so epic.

 

[DarkAngel]

Nice post! I loved the movie too.

...and Shredder and Ra's Al Ghul both used to being #1 but having to work together on equal footing.

One of my criticisms is Shredder being treated like goon by Ra's for much of the movie without much of an opportunity for some comeuppance from Shredder. I know they had to do the rematch with Batman, but I'd have loved to have seen Saki beat up Ra's a bit.

You've got Leonardo analyzing how Batman analyzed their fighting style...

For a moment, I was worried when Bats kicked the Turtles shells to start with, but then Leo was holding his own in the Batcave. So I loved that Bats referenced that and Leo being more focused in the cave.

Michelangelo acting like a kid in the candy store...

There were so many Mikey moments to appreciate, but my favorite might have been his "Awww..." when he saw Robin the first time, knowing what was coming given Damian's temperament.

Batman the mini-arc of learning that a family is more important that having a team (and he should loosen up a little).

A consistent theme. The Arkham game team could have taken a cue from this, actually allowing their Batman/Wayne to loosen up and not treat his allies like crap.

The big Act 2 at Arkham Asylum. The fights with the Batman's mutated rogues gallery in an almost video game -- Game of Death style sequence. I did love the unexpected hilarity like Michelangelo tripping on the stairs, Poison Ivy's immobility, Bane hurting his knee, and Batgirl talking a quick selfie with Joker. Although, on the other hand, one could argue that this act goes on a bit too long and steamrolls the pacing of the main story but the mutated characters are clearly ultimate fan-service. So it's kinda to each their own.

I think you're right on the short-comings. I liked it, but preferred the first half of that section more than the payoff. Not sure we really needed to see Batman as Man-bat. Though if that was an intentional Big Bang Theory nod in there with what you'd call Batman in Man-bat form, I'm a bit happier with it.

That visual of Shredder landing inside Wayne Enterprises is straight out of the roof top battle!

Yes! Loved that moment, too. And, seeing his face under the mask with Splinter's scratch scars just like the movie. At the end, his hand plunging out like Super Shredder's from II was cool, also.

Contrast that to the Damian Wayne Robin suit of the 2000s and the present day "Burnside" Batgirl suit.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there wasn't a single reference (at least overtly) to Robin being Ra's grandson, right? That disappointed me. Or did I miss it?

They're as subtle as Ra's alluding to the late Jason Todd, Shredder's Sato Oshi move being named after the Foot Clan's two founders, or the Turtles' calendar in Shellraiser being set to April or as in your face as Batman drinking from a Superman mug, the man hole cover shooting up into the sky like in the cartoons, Penguin's henchman looking like Kraang's exosuit, or Raphael's motorcycle based on Metalhead.

That device the baddie's were working on also looked like the Technodrome, with the eye/globe thing on top.

And two cringe worthy moments were Batman acts a bit misogynistic towards Batgirl in the 24 minute mark before the Turtles find the Batcave...

Remind me what he said/did.

...and even Joker calling Harley a nurse at first than acknowledge her doctorate.

This, possibly, might have been an intentional jab given how often this happens in real life. I, honestly, would have preferred Joker accidently calling her a psychologist and her correcting that its psychiatrist, as that's the Harley mistake that always annoys me.

The two major featurettes were pretty good, insightful commentary on the making the movie.

Was there a commentary track? Cool. I rented dvd from red box and didn't recall seeing one.

As to disappointments, apart from what you mentioned, I'd add the lack of Nightwing. I imagine we'll see him, Splinter, Casey, and April in a sequel set on the Turtles turf.

 

[Yojimbo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there wasn't a single reference (at least overtly) to Robin being Ra's grandson, right? That disappointed me. Or did I miss it?

Come to think of it, I don't think there was a single reference to that relation.

Remind me what he said/did.

Something like she was annoyed he took the lead on the case and he replied 'I took over because it's too dangerous for you.'

Was there a commentary track? Cool. I rented dvd from red box and didn't recall seeing one.

No, I meant the two special features were a nice surrogate commentary track this time around. I would have preferred a commentary track but I'm a broken record about that, lol.

As to disappointments, apart from what you mentioned, I'd add the lack of Nightwing. I imagine we'll see him, Splinter, Casey, and April in a sequel set on the Turtles turf.

True. I think it would have been amusing to see a rivalry between Ubu and Tatsu if the latter had appeared.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Not sure we really needed to see Batman as Man-bat. Though if that was an intentional Big Bang Theory nod in there with what you'd call Batman in Man-bat form, I'm a bit happier with it.

So, did Batman become Bat-Man-Bat or Man-Bat-Man? I vote for the former.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there wasn't a single reference (at least overtly) to Robin being Ra's grandson, right? That disappointed me. Or did I miss it?

I would have to watch the movie again to be sure, but I think there was some subtle reference(s) to Damian's background. However, I don't think the connection was overtly spelled out.

 

[ABrown]

I picked up the Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack (I love those, you're basically getting three versions of the movie for just over the price of one) of this movie. I really enjoyed it. While the 2007 CGI TMNT movie is still my favorite animated TMNT movie ever created, and I do want to give this movie another watch, I really enjoyed what I saw from this movie. It had a few little things that I can nitpick about later. But overall, I thought this was a pretty good movie.

 

[DarkAngel]

Something like she was annoyed he took the lead on the case and he replied 'I took over because it's too dangerous for you.'

I did not take it that way. I had in mind, again, past versions, such as the Arkham Batman who pretty much had that attitude toward every sidekick/ally throughout the series, including repeatedly with Robin and Nightwing in "Arkham Knight," who are both men.

No, I meant the two special features were a nice surrogate commentary track this time around. I would have preferred a commentary track but I'm a broken record about that, lol.

Ah, whoops, I misunderstood. Sounds like we're in agreement on really wanting commentary tracks on releases.

True. I think it would have been amusing to see a rivalry between Ubu and Tatsu if the latter had appeared.

Hadn't thought of those characters. Yeah, that would have been great.

While the 2007 CGI TMNT movie is still my favorite animated TMNT movie ever created, and I do want to give this movie another watch, I really enjoyed what I saw from this movie. It had a few little things that I can nitpick about later. But overall, I thought this was a pretty good movie.

I thought the 2007 movie looked great and absolutely nailed the characterizations of the Turtles. Especially loved the Leo/Raph conflict, with the high point of the movie for me being their fight and the immediate aftermath. On the other hands, I just wasn't nearly as invested in the overall story and wish we could have gotten something Foot Clan related. I get their reasoning and know the Clan's featured a lot. But, a monster plot wasn't what I was wanting.

 

[Yojimbo]

Exclusive figure 2 packs are being released at Gamestop later this year. Each pack is $49.99 or you can preorder all of them for $249.99.
-Batman and Leonardo: September 2019
-Robin and Raphael: September 2019
-Batgirl and Donatello: October 2019
-Alfred and Michelangelo: November 2019
-Ra’s Al Ghul and Shredder: December 2019

 

[SweetShop209]

Nicktoons Network will show Batman Vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles next Wednesday at 8pm. Some comments mention that back when the network used to air the Dragonball Z movies, which are also PG-13, almost nothing was cut from them. I assume this will be the case here.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Given the prime time air-time, I can't think of much off the top of my head that would need to be cut. There shouldn't need to be any cuts made for time.

 

[CyberCubed]

Given the prime time air-time, I can't think of much off the top of my head that would need to be cut. There shouldn't need to be any cuts made for time.

There's literally scenes in the movie where bad guys have their heads decapitated. I forget who, but either Shredder or Ra's Al Ghul chop off someones head.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

There's literally scenes in the movie where bad guys have their heads decapitated. I forget who, but either Shredder or Ra's Al Ghul chop off someones head.

Okay, such scenes as those might be re-edited for broadcast.

 

[SweetShop209]

The movie is rated PG-LV on tv instead of PG-13 (or more appropriately, TV-14) , and they edited the scene of Shredder and Ra's Al Ghul murdering the Arkham security guards. Most notably, the first guard that gets murdered by Ra's Al Ghul still has his head intact, while the blood has been digitally removed. Stuff like the swearing and less intense fights are kept intact.

They also kept the scene of Leo's Scarecrow induced nightmare, where he imagines his brothers as rotting corpses.

They didn't show the post credits scene.