Bruce Wayne Becomes A Goofy Bat-Dad In Merry Little Batman
"Merry Little Batman" is the latest Warner Bros. Animation movie, part of the wave of DC animated titles that Warner Bros. Discovery stupidly gave away under David Zaslav's regime.
The film follows Damian Wayne as he is forced to defend his home, and eventually all of Gotham, from supervillains while Batman is away one Christmas Eve. It is part Batman movie, part "Home Alone," part "The Grinch", and full Caped Crusader bliss. "Merry Little Batman" features a distinct and unique visual style that is reminiscent of Tim Burton's animated productions, with director Mike Roth ("Regular Show") giving the film an illustrative look inspired by Ronald Searle.
Arguably, the standout element is, well, Batman. Though the focus is definitely on Damian's story, this is a Batman unlike any we've seen in TV or film. This is a Batman without the growl. Instead, this Batman is a goof.
Granted, we've seen funny Batmans before. Even outside of Adam West, Batman tends to be a big jokester in animation, from "The Animated Series" to "Young Justice." Those portrayals are mostly sarcastic, however. Even "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," and "LEGO Batman," without a doubt the funniest Batman has been since West, retain the dark and brooding personality even though they allow Bruce Wayne to make jokes. He is light in tone and capable of having a sense of humor, but he is still deadly serious as Batman.
What "Merry Little Batman" does differently, then, is to simply allow Bruce Wayne to move past Batman. This is a version of Bruce Wayne who is free of brooding, who has achieved peace and even found happiness. He is a Bat-Dad.
Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na Bat-Dad
When we first see the Caped Crusader in "Merry Little Batman," he is more Hal Wilkerson than Bruce Wayne, a man in a flannel shirt who freaks out at the mere thought that his son might get hurt by playing with the cat. Granted, this Batman is still as pragmatic and overly prepared as fans know him, but this time he doesn't show tough love. Instead, he adores his kid and shows it every second they're on screen. What's more, he's shown to be so happy to be a dad, so giddy to first meet his son that he immediately goes on a crime-fighting bender that literally ends all crime in Gotham in the span of a single montage.
That's the key to this portrayal of Batman — that he genuinely loves being a dad to the point that he stopped being Batman (for a few years anyway). In the comics and in other portrayals of Batman and Damian, he is reluctant to be a father, and he doesn't treat Damian that much differently than any of his other sidekicks. Not here. He becomes a goofy, awkward dad, constantly worried about his kid.
The upcoming DC Universe is set to introduce Damian to live-action, as DC doubles down on the character. This is one of the best things for the franchise to do. Not only does Damian make for an interesting character on his own, but he radically changes the dynamic of the Caped Crusader and the rest of the Bat-Family. As the actual son of Bruce Wayne, and as the youngest kid in Wayne Manor, he radically changes everyone around him. If nothing else, seeing a live-action Bruce Wayne that is intimidating as Batman, but also a goofy, lovable dad makes for a hilarious and fitting portrayal.