Movie Review Monday

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season 1, disc 2

My mother-in-law bought this DVD for my 3 year old. He's totally into Batman right now. She actually bought it so she had something for him to watch at her house, but he had to watch it immediately, so we brought one disc home. According to the back, this is a series on the Cartoon Network. I really like it. It takes the comic book hero and mixes him with the campy, funny Batman. The cartoons have their dark side, but they also have a lot of humor in them. I really like how Batman has internal monologue, so we know what he's thinking. He's pretty cynical and sarcastic. The other characters are great, too. Aquaman and the Green Lantern are there, along with a bunch of heroes I've never heard of such as Cyclone, Plastic Man, Atom, Blue Beetle, and others. Each one brings their own humor and lessons to the episode, and the way Batman interacts with each one is great.

I also really like the series because there is a lot of magical realism to it. Batman isn't just in Gotham fighting The Joker and The Penguin, he actually travels to other planets and different dimensions. Batman has to rely on his technology and brute strength to save him. He overcomes all odds with a little brains and brawn.

The 3 year old loves it because it's all Batman. There is no Bruce Wayne story to complicate matters. There are hints at his background, but they are pretty ancillary. Each episode has lessons that need to be learned, such as believing in yourself, the underdog gets his day, getting help from friends, etc., so it's not all action and beating up bad guys. Although, that is the majority of it!

The only issue I have with the series is the animation. I HATE dark black outlines on the characters. I'm sure there is a reason they drew them like that, but it bothers me. In the scheme of things, it's a pretty minor problem. The animation is top notch otherwise. I mean, it's not as bad as trying to watch an old Scooby Doo or the original Super Friends. *shudder* I need to get disc 1 from the mother-in-law, though. I've watched this disc about as many times as I can stomach...
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