Son of Batman

{{short description|2014 animated feature film directed by Ethan Spaulding}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Son of Batman

| image = Son of Batman cover.jpg

| caption = Home video release cover art

| director = Ethan Spaulding

| producer = James Tucker

| screenplay = Joe R. Lansdale

| story = James Robinson

| based_on = {{Based on|Batman and Son|Grant Morrison
Andy Kubert}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Frederik Wiedmann

| editing = Christopher D. Lozinski

| production_companies = {{Plainlist|

Warner Bros. Animation
DC Entertainment
The Answer Studio {{small|(animation services)}}

}}

| distributor = Warner Home Video

| released = {{Film date|2014|04|22}}

| runtime = 74 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Son of Batman is a 2014 American animated superhero film which is the 20th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the third film in the DC Animated Movie Universe.{{cite web | last=Bricken | first=Rob | title=Damian lives in DC's next direct-to-DVD movie, Son of Batman | date=21 January 2014 | url=http://io9.com/damian-lives-in-dcs-next-direct-to-dvd-movie-son-of-b-1505711607 | publisher=io9 | access-date=20 March 2014 | archive-date=20 March 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320083804/http://io9.com/damian-lives-in-dcs-next-direct-to-dvd-movie-son-of-b-1505711607 | url-status=live}} It is an adaptation of Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's 2006 "Batman and Son" storyline.{{cite web | url = http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/01/watch-first-trailer-for-dc-animated.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140120223613/http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/01/watch-first-trailer-for-dc-animated.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 20, 2014 | title = Watch the first trailer for DC animated movie Son of Batman - Flickering Myth | access-date = 2014-01-20}}{{cite web | last=Serafino | first=Jason | title=First "Son Of Batman" Trailer Debuts Online | url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/01/first-son-of-batman-trailer | publisher=Complex | access-date=20 March 2014 | archive-date=12 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612164625/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/01/first-son-of-batman-trailer | url-status=live}} The film was released as a digital download on April 22, 2014,{{cite web | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/22/son-of-batman-review | title = Son of Batman Review - IGN | date = 22 April 2014 | access-date = 23 April 2014 | archive-date = 20 October 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201020064843/https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/22/son-of-batman-review | url-status = live}} and was released on physical media on May 6.{{cite web | url = http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/2014/01/son-of-batman-animated-feature-hits-home-video-may-6th-2014-first-look-at-cover-art/ | title = "Son Of Batman" Animated Feature Hits Home Video May 6th, 2014, First Look At Cover Art | date = 22 January 2014 | access-date = 2014-01-22 | archive-date = 2018-06-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141951/http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/2014/01/son-of-batman-animated-feature-hits-home-video-may-6th-2014-first-look-at-cover-art/ | url-status = live}}{{cite web | url = http://www.tvguide.com/News/Son-of-Batman-First-Look-1076369.aspx | title = First Look: It's Father's Day for the Dark Knight in Son of Batman - Today's News: Our Take - TVGuide.com | access-date = 2014-01-20 | archive-date = 2014-10-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141007084132/http://www.tvguide.com/news/son-of-batman-first-look-1076369.aspx | url-status = live}}

Plot

At the headquarters of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul grooms Damian Wayne, the young son of his daughter Talia and Batman, to succeed him. The League is ambushed by a group of assassins led by Slade Wilson, Ra's al Ghul's initial choice for successor before Damian's birth. Ra's is fatally injured by Slade, dying before he can heal his injuries with the Lazarus Pit. After the incident, Talia takes Damian to Gotham City to meet his father and remain in his care while she and the League deal with Slade. The aggressive, highly independent Damian frequently disobeys his father's orders in an attempt to avenge Ra's himself. After Nightwing accosts him for brutally attacking an associate of Slade, Batman berates Damian for his recklessness and willingness to kill. Batman then has Damian don the mantle of Robin to teach him discipline.

Slade, now calling himself Deathstroke, captures Talia as well as Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a scientist previously working with Ra's. Commissioner Gordon warns Batman about an abandoned stadium believed to house Deathstroke's men; after infiltrating the stadium, Batman and Damian attempt to question Langstrom, who initially refuses to leave as Deathstroke is holding his family hostage. When Damian becomes violently impatient and inadvertently alerts the enemy to their arrival, the group is confronted by a swarm of Man-Bats, which Langstrom explains is part of Deathstroke's plan to create superhuman flying assassins. While Nightwing works with Langstrom on an antidote for the Man-Bats, Batman and Damian set off to rescue Langstrom's family. Batman deduces that Talia has been abducted and Damian is relayed her location via a ransom video given to Langstrom's daughter.

Nightwing learns that Deathstroke is operating in an oil rig off the Scottish coast, and Damian goes to the rig alone to rescue his mother. He finds her in an underwater base with a swarm of Man-Bats and another Lazarus Pit, which Deathstroke intends to sell for profit. Deathstroke attempts to kill Damian, mortally wounding Talia as she shields her son from a gunshot. Batman arrives to assist and heals Talia in the Lazarus Pit, while Nightwing and Langstrom cure the Man-Bats.

After a brutal fight, Damian manages to defeat Deathstroke, but refuses to kill him because it is not what his father would do. The underwater base is destroyed when the disoriented Man-Bats break the glass elevator shaft. Batman, Talia and Damian escape to safety, but the unconscious Deathstroke is left behind.{{refn|group=N|The character returns in the 2017 film Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.}} Discussing what to do with Damian now that Deathstroke has been neutralized, Batman believes that Damian should remain with him as Robin while Talia wishes to recreate the League with both of them at her side. Talia allows Damian to stay in Gotham with his father, but states her intention to return for him someday.

During the credits, the fight between Damian and Nightwing is shown.

Voice cast

class="wikitable sortable"

style="background:rgb(255,85,0);"

!Voice actor

!Character

Stuart Allan

| Damian Wayne / Robin

Jason O'Mara

| Bruce Wayne / Batman

Thomas Gibson

| Slade Wilson / Deathstroke

Morena Baccarin

| Talia al Ghul

Sean Maher

| Dick Grayson / Nightwing

| The Joker (cameo), Man-Bat commandos

Xander Berkeley

| Dr. Kirk Langstrom

Diane Michelle

| Francine Langstrom, Call Girl #1

Andrea Romano

| Suit #2

Fred Tatasciore

| Waylon Jones / Killer Croc, Dusan al Ghul

Bruce Thomas

| James Gordon, Ubu

Kari Wahlgren

| Rebecca Langstrom, Call Girl #2

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Son of Batman (Music from the DC Universe Movie)

| type = Film score

| artist = Frederik Wiedmann

| cover =

| alt =

| released = May 20, 2014

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 65:52

| label = La-La Land Records

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

The soundtrack to Son of Batman was released on May 20, 2014, with music composed by Frederik Wiedmann.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/2014/05/cover-artwork-track-listing-for-son-of-batman-soundtrack-details-released/|title=Cover Artwork, Track Listing For "Son Of Batman" Soundtrack Released|date=7 May 2014|publisher=Worldsfinestonline.com|access-date=2014-05-07|archive-date=2017-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211104906/http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/2014/05/cover-artwork-track-listing-for-son-of-batman-soundtrack-details-released/|url-status=live}}

;Tracklist

{{Track listing

| headline = Son of Batman (Music from the DC Universe Movie)

| extra_column =

| total_length = 65:52

| all_writing =

| all_lyrics =

| all_music =

| writing_credits =

| lyrics_credits =

| music_credits =

| title1 = Son of Batman

| note1 =

| writer1 =

| lyrics1 =

| music1 =

| extra1 =

| length1 = 0:56

| title2 = Peace and War

| note2 =

| writer2 =

| lyrics2 =

| music2 =

| extra2 =

| length2 = 2:13

| title3 = Deathstroke's Army

| note3 =

| writer3 =

| lyrics3 =

| music3 =

| extra3 =

| length3 = 3:41

| title4 = Ashes to Ashes

| note4 =

| writer4 =

| lyrics4 =

| music4 =

| extra4 =

| length4 = 4:59

| title5 = Gotham Crimes

| note5 =

| writer5 =

| lyrics5 =

| music5 =

| extra5 =

| length5 = 2:21

| title6 = Souvenirs d'une Liaison

| note6 =

| writer6 =

| lyrics6 =

| music6 =

| extra6 =

| length6 = 1:34

| title7 = Damian

| note7 =

| writer7 =

| lyrics7 =

| music7 =

| extra7 =

| length7 = 1:03

| title8 = Gotham City

| note8 =

| writer8 =

| lyrics8 =

| music8 =

| extra8 =

| length8 = 1:13

| title9 = Call Me Deathstroke

| note9 =

| writer9 =

| lyrics9 =

| music9 =

| extra9 =

| length9 = 2:40

| title10 = Ninjas

| note10 =

| writer10 =

| lyrics10 =

| music10 =

| extra10 =

| length10 = 1:57

| title11 = Asylum Interrogations

| note11 =

| writer11 =

| lyrics11 =

| music11 =

| extra11 =

| length11 = 1:50

| title12 = Ambushed

| note12 = Limited edition's exclusive track

| writer12 =

| lyrics12 =

| music12 =

| extra12 =

| length12 = 1:54

| title13 = Rogue

| note13 =

| writer13 =

| lyrics13 =

| music13 =

| extra13 =

| length13 = 3:45

| title14 = Great Shoes to Fill

| note14 =

| writer14 =

| lyrics14 =

| music14 =

| extra14 =

| length14 = 2:51

| title15 = Man-Bats

| note15 =

| writer15 =

| lyrics15 =

| music15 =

| extra15 =

| length15 = 1:42

| title16 = The Spoiled Son

| note16 = Limited edition's exclusive track

| writer16 =

| lyrics16 =

| music16 =

| extra16 =

| length16 = 2:05

| title17 = Father and Son

| note17 =

| writer17 =

| lyrics17 =

| music17 =

| extra17 =

| length17 = 1:52

| title18 = Damian's Mission

| note18 =

| writer18 =

| lyrics18 =

| music18 =

| extra18 =

| length18 = 2:41

| title19 = Off to Scotland

| note19 =

| writer19 =

| lyrics19 =

| music19 =

| extra19 =

| length19 = 2:52

| title20 = Stand-Off

| note20 =

| writer20 =

| lyrics20 =

| music20 =

| extra20 =

| length20 = 2:19

| title21 = Dr. Langstrom's Rescue

| note21 =

| writer21 =

| lyrics21 =

| music21 =

| extra21 =

| length21 = 2:36

| title22 = Father Saves Son

| note22 =

| writer22 =

| lyrics22 =

| music22 =

| extra22 =

| length22 = 2:12

| title23 = The Duel

| note23 =

| writer23 =

| lyrics23 =

| music23 =

| extra23 =

| length23 = 2:25

| title24 = The Fall of the Empire

| note24 =

| writer24 =

| lyrics24 =

| music24 =

| extra24 =

| length24 = 1:51

| title25 = Damian's Blade

| note25 =

| writer25 =

| lyrics25 =

| music25 =

| extra25 =

| length25 = 2:52

| title26 = Farewell

| note26 =

| writer26 =

| lyrics26 =

| music26 =

| extra26 =

| length26 = 2:12

| title27 = End Credits

| note27 =

| writer27 =

| lyrics27 =

| music27 =

| extra27 =

| length27 = 4:23

}}

Reception

=Critical reception=

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of {{RT data|score}}, with an average score of {{RT data|average}}, based on {{RT data|count}} reviews.{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id={{RT data|rtid|noprefix=y}} |type=m |title=Son of Batman |access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{cbignore}}

IGN gave the film a rating of 7.5 out of 10, saying that "Son of Batman finds the humor amidst the more adult-oriented action elements in this latest DC animated adventure".{{cite web | url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/22/son-of-batman-review | title=The Dad Knight | publisher=IGN | work=ign.com | date=22 April 2014 | access-date=January 29, 2015 | archive-date=20 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020064843/https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/22/son-of-batman-review | url-status=live}} Common Sense Media gave the film a 4 star rating out of 5, saying that "violent and noirish Batman is engaging but cynical".{{cite web | url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/dcu-son-of-batman | title=Son of Batman review | work=commonsensemedia.org | access-date=January 29, 2015 | archive-date=June 27, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627163956/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/dcu-son-of-batman | url-status=live}}

Conversely, Brian Lowry of Variety stated that "at times this feels like a sitcom premise — a chop-socky "Full House", or maybe, "Full Cave".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/blu-ray-review-son-of-batman-1201165991/|title=Blu-Ray Review: 'Son of Batman'|website=Variety.com|date=2 May 2014|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-date=20 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520225957/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/blu-ray-review-son-of-batman-1201165991/|url-status=live}} Tommy Cook for Collider.com also gave the film a negative review: "Striving for the dark edge of what I guess people expect from a Batman movie while still maintaining that Saturday morning toon sheen, the film feels mass produced to appeal to all (give the adults – gore; the kids – a spunky child sidekick); however in the effort to appease everyone, SoB in fact caters to none".{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/son-of-batman-review/|title=WonderCon: DC Animation's Son of Batman Review|website=Collider|date=22 April 2014|access-date=July 6, 2014|archive-date=1 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701094037/http://collider.com/son-of-batman-review|url-status=live}}

=Sales=

The film earned $7,035,623 from domestic home video sales.[http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Son-of-Batman#tab=summary "Son of Batman The Numbers Listing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826142320/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Son-of-Batman#tab=summary |date=2016-08-26}}. The Numbers. Accessed October 4, 2019.