Real Talk By: KJ

Set in the Batman Arkham Game universe, does this flick match the same quality of the Rocksteady developed outings? Since this Universe is separate from other Batman worlds, expect to see different variations of characters and themes. Should be no surprise to fans of the Arkham series. The movie takes place right after Origins. This version of the Suicide Squad features a modified cast. Still led by Amanda Waller, this team is forcefully tasked a tough mission. They must knock-off The Riddler, by breaking into the famous prison. He apparently holds important files on his person.

The Squad Members are: Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, KGBeast, and King Shark. Spider is a man on the mission. A quiet but efficient killer. Captain Boomerang is a wise cracking dude with great throwing accuracy. Deadshot is the most direct sharp-shooter in the group, and the squad leader. King Shark is one source of comedic relief. Plain and simple, he’s a dope. Relying solely on brawn, Shark is without a doubt the Suicide Squad’s main muscle. Harley Quinn is no stranger to animated batman productions. She’s trying to stay on course with the mission, but can’t seem to escape the hold joker has on her. This makes some fun scenes for the viewing audience to enjoy. Killer Frost (no surprise) can freeze her enemies, while KG Beast should really learn to follow the rules. All-in-all a cool arrangement of villains, but we came here to see someone else.

Thankfully Kevin Conroy returns as Batman. His delivery is always awesome, the viewer will enjoy his performance a lot. Troy baker handles voice work for the joker. He filled-in for Mark Hamill in the Arkham origins game. Two stable characters, when on-screen take care of business.

Sadly, Batman isn’t in AOA much as you would expect. Despite the title of the movie, this is a Suicide Squad film. The real lead is Deadshot voiced by Neal “M.Bison” McDonaugh. Batman is on the outside looking in. He’s kept in the dark about the SS Mission. Of course, nothing stays hidden from the world’s greatest detective. Assault isn’t completely damaged with the lack of Bat, but the title needed tweaking. It’s like shopping for an early Jackie Chan movie. He’s boldly plastered on the front of said DVD, His name is the only Billing on the box. You get hyped, then realize he’s pretty much an extra. Just keep it real Hollywood.

The thing this movie handles really well, is the action sequences. Everybody gets a chance to shine. The animators did a great job. Fans will notice that some of the take-down maneuvers Batman pulls off, mirror the video game’s. This could be the most violent DC outing to date. To be honest the movie is rated PG-13, but it really comes close to an R. So, if you’re here to buy this new Batman movie for a child, you may want to hold back. This doesn’t hurt the score, just an observation.

The plan to get to Nigma, wasn’t as complex as it could have been. The proper build-up, didn’t match The basic execution. For a movie that does many things in prime fashion, this aspect could have been more fleshed out.

Assault on Arkham, should maybe be re-billed with Deadshot in the title. All the characters in the movie rule, but it never fully feels like a Batman flick. When he’s on-screen, it most certainly delivers. Great action, top notch-voice acting too. But, this may be the biggest award earned in this review. We finally have another movie based on a video game series that doesn’t suck. Yeah I know i’m kind of reaching since this is truly a 75-year-old Comic Book franchise. But hey, in a world where abysmal video game movies run rampant, i’ll take what i can get. The Disk features a lot of nice bonus featuring random episodes from past Bat shows. You’ll get a close look at the Justice League movie that is focused around Aquaman. This is a good alternative Batman film. See it as that. This was most likely the intent after-all.

Batman: Assault on Arkham Gets

4 Out of Five

 

What’s Legit

+Next Level Action

+Voice Acting

+Great Animation

What’s Perpetrating?

-Not Enough Batman

-Generic Prison Break-in

 #Batman @PlayLegit