Batman Ninja: A Review

I have been a fan of Batman in film and television for a very long time. I watched reruns of the campy 1960s live-action Burt Ward and Adam West show. I saw Batman: The Animated Series, albeit intermittently. I didn't see them in theater at the time, but the aesthetics of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and Batman Returns definitely turned up in my toy collection. I finally even got around to watching The Batman (2022) while recovering from my ankle injury. However, the other movie I watched, 2018's animated Batman Ninja might be the strangest of them all.

This film was produced originally in Japanese, so the anime influence and English dub not matching the animation contribute to making it feel more foreign than Batman normally does. And I don't want to spoil too much of the plot, but this includes ninjas, feudal Japan, a big chunk of the Batman character roster, and giant robots that assemble into an even bigger giant robot.

Is it coherent? Not really. I give the plot 2 out of 5 batarangs. 🦇🦇⚪⚪⚪

Is it entertaining? $&@# yeah! 5 out of 5. 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

The story seems to just happen more than it follows logically from one scene to the next. It's a wild ride of insanity and plot conveniences, over-the-top fight scenes, and just a dash of fanservice from Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. If any of that piques your interest, give it a shot. Just don't get too excited about the mention of fanservice. It's pretty tame. Sorry to disappoint those of you who want that most.

If you are willing to suspend disbelief and embrace the chaos, this is a fun movie. Just don't worry about little questions which might pop into your mind regarding physics, technology, or logistics. This is more like Power Rangers in a black cowl and clown makeup. Strap in and enjoy the ride.