The DCU’s next Batman film may be a few years away, but that doesn’t mean the Caped Crusader can rest because a new film starring the Dark Knight has just been released, and even better, you can watch it right now if you’re Prime Video subscriber.
It’s called Merry Little Batman and is part of the DC animated universe (or somewhere in that messy multiverse of DC movies and TV shows, at least). The film sees Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) assume the mantle of everyone’s favorite superhero when a cavalcade of Batman villains try to steal Christmas from the good folks of Gotham while Bruce (Luke Wilson) is off doing billionaire vigilante things.
A quirky and cute spin on the ordinarily grim and gritty Dark Knight, Merry Little Batman has been receiving rave reviews from critics (boasting an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and is a nice reminder that not all Batman movies have to be dark to be good.
It’s a problem that’s dogged the character since the late ’80s when Tim Burton decided to ditch the campy and cartoonish spirit of the character in an effort to distinguish his take on Batman from the popular Adam West incarnation.
While it worked for Keaton’s Batman and later Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, I’d argue it damaged Ben Affleck’s version of Bruce, who was effectively playing the Batman from The Dark Knight Returns — a comic book by Frank Miller that I’ve always found a little too cynical.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say it damaged Zack Snyder’s entire DCEU, which failed to capture the optimistic spirit of the world in the pages of DC Comics. Anyway, if you want to watch Merry Little Batman and aren’t a Prime Video subscriber, you can sign up here.
If you want to know more about the wonderful world of DC cartoons, we’ve got an article list of the best DC animated movies, or if you prefer the live-action world, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about all James Gunn’s upcoming DC movies like Superman Legacy.