Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, 2022
Directed by Matthew Peters
Starring the voice talents of Jack Dylan Grazer, Jack Griffo, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Darin De Paul, Nolan North, Tom Kenny, Zeno Robinson and Myrna Velasco.
SYNOPSIS
On his birthday, Jonathan Kent learns his dad is Superman and that he has latent superpowers of his own! He also meets the legendary Dark Knight and current Boy Wonder, Damian. But when the two boys are forced to team up to protect their loved ones from a hostile alien force, will they become the Super Sons they’re destined to be?
Batman and Superman are two of the oldest superheroes in the comic book medium, but for characters who have both existed for over 80 years now two of the most significant developments to have happened to them have largely been in the last decade-plus as Batman and Superman have become fathers to young boys. Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons brings Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne together for the first time on film in a fun, exciting and visually gorgeous film led by a great cast.
Directed by Matthew Peters from a script by Justice Society: World War II writer Jeremy Adams, Battle of the Super Sons follows Jon as he discovers, on his birthday no less, that not only is his father Superman but he has inherited many of Superman’s Kryptonian powers. After meeting Batman and his strong-willed and abrasive son Damian, the two become the world’s only hope after a hostile alien force takes control of most of Earth, forcing the pair to reluctantly work together.
The highlight of Battle of the Super Sons is Jon and Damian’s combative relationship and chemistry thanks to how they were written and the performances from Jack Dylan Grazer and Jack Griffo. Grazer and Griffo play off each other incredibly well and capture both characters personalities, from Jon’s eager enthusiasm to Damian’s arrogant attitude. There’s a ton of fun to be had in their banter and reluctant partnership. Grazer completely sells the idea of a young kid believing his parents are just boring journalists one day to the excitement at discovering his dad is Superman and mom is more kick-ass than an award-winning journalist the next. Grazer makes Jon incredibly enthusiastic and energetic with the performance propped up the the equally incredible animation, and and still conveys the fun even as Jon learns the seriousness of the situation.
Griffo, meanwhile, makes Damian completely full of himself due to his strict training by Batman’s nemesis Ra’s al Ghul, yet he also displays Damian as a lonely figure out of place with other young heroes like the Teen Titans and has trouble connecting with his father (due in no small part to Batman’s own lack of connecting in a normal way). It is a very nuanced performance that shows there’s more to Damian than his arrogant and deadly nature and as he slowly opens himself up more, Griffo just gets better and better. The film’s leading pair share great chemistry and rightly steal every scene they’re in.
Rounding out the cast is Travis Willingham as Superman and Laura Bailey as Lois Lane and Troy Baker as Batman. This marks a funny turn for Willingham and Bailey who are not only co-stars on Critical Role and The Legend of Vox Machina, but are actually married in real-life playing one of pop culture’s most famous married couples. Willingham and Bailey’s chemistry as Superman and Lois is spot on (as it should be given they’re real marriage!) as the pair navigate being parents, reporters and a superhero. They each give Superman and Lois real worry over Jon’s well-being even before his powers are discovered.
Bailey conveys Lois’ fiery spirit as a hard-hitting reporter and occasional superheroine, unafraid to put herself in the line of fire especially when Jon’s safety is concerned while Willingham gives one of the best Superman performances put to screen. His Superman is confident, compassionate, regretful as he has to sacrifice time with Jon for his superhero duties and commands that wonderous attention Superman should receive. He balances Superman’s seriousness with his light-hearted nature, humourously noting Batman is going “easy” on some thugs.
This is not the first time Troy Baker has voiced Batman, but his performance is given a new edge as Batman is trying to raise Damian as best he knows how and get rid of everything Damian learnt from Ra’s and Talia al Ghul. Baker delivers a subtlety to how Batman speaks to Damian, trying to be both father and teacher. It hit especially hard towards the end when Jon and Damian’s arcs come full circle as a team and young kids trying to live up to their fathers’ names. Battle of the Super Sons really showcases a great cast the production team assembled.
The film boasts some gorgeous animation as the first fully CG animated film Warner Bros. Animation has put out in their DC Originals line. The colours are vibrant throughout the film, especially during some of the Batcave scenes where Superman, Jon and even Batman and Robin pop against the blackness of the cave. There is some hand-drawn animation for the backgrounds that blends very well with the CG, enough so that it’s almost unrecognizable until you watch the disc’s special feature.
The character faces are very expressive, matching the emotional performances and their body movements are incredibly smooth. This is especially true for the action scenes as they showcase a great amount of detail in the choreography and the unique styles Damian, Jon, Batman and Superman have. The animation is really great and while the story may contain elements we’ve seen from other DC films before, the examination of Superman and Batman’s families, the growing friendship between Jon and Damian and their buddy cop adventure make it very entertaining and heartfelt that earns nice payoffs by the time the credits roll.
The only special feature included is the 15-minute documentary Rival Sons: Jonathan and Damian. Producer Jim Krieg, director Matthew Peters and writer Jeremy Adams discuss the history of Damian and Jon in the comics and why these two have become so popular as well as what draws them together. Batman and Superman being parents is also discussed at length in how that changes them, particularly in Batman’s case as he doesn’t have much to compare parenting with yet is likely the best person to raise Damian. They share a lot of enthusiasm for the characters and mention how this was a dream project for several years before they got the greenlight to produce. It’s clear this project was a love letter to the Kent and Wayne families as well as the wider DC Universe. Also included are two bonus episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the two-parter ‘The Demon’s Quest’ which introduced Ra’s al Ghul to the series.
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons is very fun and exciting, blending character development, action and a story full of heart all into one. It really feels more like a family adventure than a typical superhero film with how well the focus on Jon and Damian’s arcs are thanks in no small part to Grazer and Griffo’s performances. The writing is smart, the visuals are beautiful and the action is very well made from start to finish. Not only will Batman and Superman fans enjoy this, but so will any member of the mainstream audience as Super Sons is accessible and relatable to anyone who remembers growing up and trying to live up to their parents’ hopes.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
