‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Prime Video Series Review - Has Its Moments But Ultimately Looks Disposable

Almost everybody is conversant with Batman's origin story. We know how his parents were robbed and murdered at night in an alley. There comes a moment in Batman: Caped Crusader where we think we will be shown this incident again for the millionth time. This animated series, however, displays the event through the lens of a therapy session. While sitting inside a doctor's office, Bruce Wayne (voiced by Hamish Linklater) remembers how the tragedy affected him psychologically. What this tells you about Batman: Caped Crusader is that it tries its best to deviate from the path we are already familiar with. While it doesn't fully break out of the narrative choices that come packaged with episodic storytelling, it still offers a few delights that help you binge-watch this series without feeling grumpy. It's also worth noting that each episode runs for about 24–25 minutes, so everything wraps up pretty quickly. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because the swift momentum never lets the conventional beats seem tiring. And bad because these short episodes, with stories that end in almost a blink of an eye, give the show a disposable quality. Most of the scenes disappear from your mind as soon as they disappear from the screen. What remains in your head are a couple of choices presenting some characters in a way you might not have seen before in shows or movies. Or maybe you must have seen them like this (my familiarity with Marvel/DC is mainly limited to live-action shows and films).

For instance, I liked that the Penguin here is a woman (Minnie Driver provides her voice). I also enjoyed watching Harley Quinn as a therapist. But the biggest pleasure and surprise for me came during Episode 6. It's about a "ghost rider" robbing innocent citizens of Gotham City. Batman doesn't believe in supernatural entities, and I have never seen spirits from a different realm in a Batman show/game/movie. Is there actually a ghost riding his horse on the streets of Gotham City, or will this mystery be solved through a Scooby Doo-type reveal? I was only further surprised by the episode's commitment to follow the thread to its ritualistic ending. Other villains like Natalia (Mckenna Grace) and Clayface (Dan Donohue) infuse this world with fresh air - it's nice to look at these varieties of enemies of Batman. Natalia and Clayface are given solid emotional sentiments, but because of the short runtime, these characters are not developed and are simply used as generic trouble-causing devices. Clayface's dark story is undermined by comic touches, and Natalia's love for her brother is used merely as a weakness to suppress her. Only Selina Kyle (Christina Ricci) perfectly fits into this world and its light, mischievous atmosphere. She is in debt, thanks to her father. Hence, she starts stealing jewelry to improve her financial condition (a woman's gotta eat and pay bills). Selina becomes Catwoman and learns a few tricks from Batman. Even as a cartoon character, Ricci manages to radiate sexual energy through her flirty conversations. She is the highlight of Batman: Caped Crusader.

The villains, even with their unimaginative motivations, fare better than all the good guys here. Batman, Commissioner Gordon (Eric Morgan Stuart), Barbara (Krystal Joy Brown), and Detective Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla) are utterly bland. Gordon and Barbara, at one point, talk about the gray areas when it comes to dealing with criminals, but other than that, these protectors of Gotham are merely occupied with sabotaging the plans of the villains and have nothing interesting to say about the relationships they are in or the city they live in. Montoya and Harley's romance leads to nothing but heartbreak, but that wrench never comes to the surface. Instead, we are assured that someone will return in the future - perhaps a second season. The heroes in Batman: Caped Crusader are exceptionally dull. When only they are on the screen, you feel like pressing the fast-forward button.

Animation can be a very creative genre - it can be used to create wildly imaginative images. Good filmmakers recognize its power and liberate their visuals from the shackles of traditional rules and limitations. No such pleasures can be found in Batman: Caped Crusader. Its style is rigid. All we get is just some flashes of "cool" as well as disturbing moments. The series is easy to watch - you can call it "harmless entertainment." Still, in the end, you feel as if you have spent your time on something truly insignificant. The alternate title of this show could be "Batman: Piffling Production."

Final Score- [5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All 10 episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: Aug 01, 2024, on Prime Video