Batman: Death in the Family (2020 Video) User Reviews

Very Underwhelming Attempt--try harder, DC!

[wildhunt1-585-849528 · 5/10 · 14 October 2020]

I bought this movie the instant it was available, and after the first ten minutes I knew I wasted my money. This movie was so disappointing in that it was nothing but a recap of "Under the Red Hood" and very little else. If you're going to make a Death in the Family movie, make the movie and not some half-assed attempt at it. I really wish I could get my money back. I only gave it five stars because the animation was good and I like the voice actors. Storywise, this was a complete and utter failure.

I want my money back, DC! You tricked me!

not impressed, feel cheated

[iamjamalwhite · 6/10 · 16 October 2020]

This is a series of 30 min cartoons, felt like you were watching Sat morning TV. We get the redundant RED MASK story, a Hawkman story, a weird artist cartoon, a Sgt Fury story ... it is like DC had a few cartoons laying around and thought they'd tos them on a disc for a cash grab. Disappointing.

Wasted potential, but not all bad

[jmunter-11815 · 6/10 · 12 May 2021]

I love interactive stories and I love Batman movies. Coincidentally, I was able to get the best of both worlds when this was announced. Especially considering Under the Red Hood is one of my favorite Batman movies. Sadly though, this was clearly a rushed idea that could've been amazing but ended up just being alright

As the marketing suggests, there's 3 paths the story can go. Robin dies, Robin cheats death, and Batman saves Robin. All 3 options had the foundations for incredible stories, and some even stuck the landing. The ideas worked well and I could see any of them happening in an actual Batman story. It's also pretty entertaining sometimes! It's super interesting to see Batman under the red hood with different outcomes and R rated violence. It's also REALLY cool to see just how dark Jason's life could've been, be it for the better or the worse

That being said, let's talk about its weaknesses. For starters, only one of the options has further choices to make, and the other two are mostly straightforward stories, which isn't really what was promised. One of them was what I watched when I rented on itunes, and was basically just a condensed version of UTRH. Also, a lot of the stories end up lacking in some of the writing or line delivery. It's kinda awkward at times, especially for the intended tone

A big red flag was obviously the absence of Jensen Ackles, but I found Vincent Martella's performance surprisingly strong at times. He did a really good job carrying the story, even if he couldn't do it flawlessly all the time. Which I attribute more to the writing and directing, considering he's proven time and again he's a competent voice actor, especially in Phineas and Ferb

A big problem I also noticed is one I have with Telltale Games, with a lot of the decisions ending up in relatively the same place, just with slightly different details. A lot of the endings are very different to be totally fair, but not devoid of what I'm calling the telltale effect. It would've been much cooler to see something along the lines of Detroit where decisions always have consequences, for better or worse

Overall I'd say it wasn't as good as some of DC's finest work in the animation department, with not a whole lot of rewatchability. However, I definitely thought it was worth checking out and would consider it worth loaning to my friends so they can experience it for themselves

Sadly, with it sitting next to Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and not far away from The Dark Knight on my blu ray collection, it won't be my first choice anytime soon.

Disappointing, to say the least.

[abboccanfuso · 6/10 · 1 February 2021]

Batman: Under the Red Hood, one of DC's most successful animated films, finally got something added to that continuity of animation. The trailers were really good, and showcased the variety of stories in this movie very well. The big issue is that the marketing didn't show as much that renting the film means not getting the interactive version. You can find all scenarios if you buy the film digitally, but you need a Blu-Ray for the full experience. Since this is more a collection of shorts, I will review each one separately. (I have done reviews on Adam Strange and Death on those pages, but I'll shorten it here.)

Batman: Death in the Family scenarios

Red Hood Reloaded: This scenario is essentially Under the Red Hood but shortened and narrated. Although it brings some interesting perspective, it can't replace the original. 4/10

Jason Todd's Rebellion: This one is the shortest, and it has some very interesting ideas presented. It's unfortunately too short and abrupt to say it was even complete. It at least doesn't drag like Red Hood Reloaded. 5/10

Red Robin's Revenge: This short was entertaining. It had some solid action scenes, the voice acting was fine, but the ending was a little convenient. 7/10

Red Hood's Reckoning: This short was well-written, intense, and satisfying. It is a little more violent to push that R rating, but it was good. 7/10

DC Showcase shorts:

DC Showcase is an area of DC that makes shorts of obscure characters likely not to get a feature film, to introduce to audiences these new characters.

Sgt. Rock: An entertaining War short with supernatural-horror elements and good action. 7/10

Adam Strange: Overly violent, dull short with unlikeable characters and it doesn't give audiences a good idea of who Adam Strange is. 3/10

The Phantom Stranger: Scooby-Doo meets the occult, tone-wise. There is even a VW Mystery Machine car. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't interesting. 5/10

Death: Adapted from Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Death is a beautiful, bittersweet end to this mediocre animated film. 9/10

Batman Death in the family

[marmar-69780 · 7/10 · 14 October 2020]

Batman Death in the family was a very short film if you could even call this thing a film,and because of that i wasnt able to fully comprehand our characters in a better way and i found it to be rather to fast,how staff was happening on screen and it felt rushed since a very beginning till a very end.Story was solid and entereteining in a sort of way,animation was also cool and voice acting impressive .But like i said short runtime and rushed moments were little to much to me and some scenes were even hard to see how fast they were changing between from scene to scene,in end this was unfortunetly animated short film but it had solid staff in it

Mostly Recycled Footage, Little Interaction

[jeremycrimsonfox · 3/10 · 14 October 2020]

Batman is one of those comic characters who is not afraid to delve into darker, more mature storylines. A Death In The Family is one of them, and it is infamous because readers actually got to decide the ending, which involved whether or not Jason Todd, who was the holder of the Robin mantle at the time, lived or died. and has gotten its fair share of attention and backlash for the final result. This movie is an adaptation of the story as well as a follow up to 2010's Batman: Under The Red Hood (as the cast from that film reprise their roles in this one).

Keeping with the interactive aspect of the comic, the movie is done to the point where it allows you to make choices that change the story. Before the film starts, the movie gives instructions on how to make choices (but thankfully, it can be skipped for those who watch it again or don't want instructions). The movie for the most part, has new footage mixed in with what looks like scenes taken from Under The Red Hood. Immediatly, this can be seen as bad, as the UTRH scenes are sadly just copy-and-pasted into the film, without any additions to take advantage of the R rating this film got. Basically, when you get to the point where you choose Robin's fate, you get three choices (that is, if you're watching the Blu-Ray. The digital copy does not have the interactive part). If you choose the Robin Dies route, all you get is a repeat of that film (only with Bruce Wayne/Batman narrating). Also, there is not much interactivity in this movie. Two of the paths do not allow you to choose to change the story, while one has most of the interactivity, which sadly hinders this more.

Because of these problems, the movie is too short (the longest being a half-hour), making this an underwhelming film. The only good thing about this is John DiMaggio does a good job voicing The Joker, but this interactive film is a lackluster and a waste of $18 I bought it for at Wal-Mart. Avoid this and look for something better, like Batman: Under The Red Hood (which is way better in its original form).

Intersting Nolvelty

[Honesticedragon69 · 7/10 · 6 February 2021]

Spoiler Alert ;Death In The Family : Interesting Novelty Mainly because of Not only the Runtime or the lack there of. would Have Preferred a full Length Animated Film. But also because Literally Two of the Choices Really Lack Any other Additional Choices. Third Choice. And Another Positive well give it is that the Beginning does feel like some kind of an Extension of Batman Under The Redhood to which this is supposed to be a deferent take on it. And Warning I'm about to Repeat some Reviewers, that's only because feel have the same Opinions. know have already Mentioned this before wished it was Feature Length even if they have to Scarface all of the other Shorts and their Audio Commentary on the Physical Version, to make Room for more Choices at least. And speaking of with the Digital Version Lacking the Options that the Physical Version Does it just feels Nor Only Like a Blatant Cash Grab but also it also feels like some kind of well what else have already mentioned it Twice.....a Novelty because can't really Imagine myself Pulling out this Physical Disc and putting it in the Player very often. If at all again any time in the Foreseeable Future. And Despite all that have Said Truly Feel like this is a Very Good Start if it was going to be a Future Thing just Hope that they Fix It the Next Time that the Decide Try This Again. If They Decide to Try This Again.

Sgt. Rock: Love the War sitting, but Hate the Supernatural Element of it. just wished they gave a little more attention to the Story of this Short. Because Literally Didn't Care about this Short at all aside from the War Sitting. Easily One of if Not the Weakest Short on this Disc.

Adam Strange: Quit Simply this Short Really is Heavily by the Alien Franchise at least to me. And with that said feel that the Climax was Over The Top, and sadly there's Nothing Else can say about this.

The Phantom Stanger: This Short Was Interesting for some reason felt like was watching some kind of Saturday Morning Cartoon. Aside from that don't know.

Death: Easily one of my Favorites Shorts Not only on this Disc But of All Time It Not Only Feels like An Anime but also it's So Sad.

Recap of the Red Hood animated movie

[muel-13206 · 2/10 · 16 October 2020]

Don't waste your time and money on this. The Death in the Family portion is a 30 minute recap of Under The Red Hood. The other short films aren't worth it. Just save your money and either rent or buy Under The Red Hood. Really disappointed I bought this before even looking into it. Usually DC is on point with their animated movies. This is not one of them.

Decent for what it is

[www1125 · 7/10 · 13 March 2023]

Folks are a little too harsh here. It's definitely not a movie experience in the slightest, nor did I go in expecting it to be. It's just a collection of possible scenarios that could have come from the scenario that started Under the Red Hood. Did any of you really expect anything different? Some bits are of course better than others, some are downright creepy, some are lame. In the end, it's just a fun little game you're playing, and I had fun with it. Sure, it lacks the depth and epic tone of the movie it spawns from, but it's not supposed to have those. I can't five it a full 10 star rating, simply because it isn't a legitimate movie experience, and lacks the substance to earn that rating. But as a fun little time killer, I was satisfied.

-- Wes Wall.

LAZY and Insulting to DC Fans. DO NOT BUY OR RENT.

[joshualfuller · 1/10 · 18 October 2020]

This is a new low for DC. I never thought they would have treated their loyal fans with such disrespect. Batman: Death in the Family is a shameless and LAZY repackaging of clips from Batman: Under the Red Hood, this time narrated by Bruce Wayne. It's unbelievable. I'm glad I only rented it - but still upset that I wasted five dollars on this shameless cash grab by DC. SHAME ON THEM.

Pretty cool expansion

[Milk_Tray_Guy · 9/10 · 19 September 2021]

Warner's first interactive movie* is a retelling of the 2010 movie Batman: Under the Red Hood - but with the viewer making choices at key points, and deciding how the story plays out. For example, where Jason Todd dies in the explosion in the original, the viewer here gets three options; 'Robin cheats death', 'Batman saves Robin', and 'Robin dies'. If you choose 'Robin dies' you get an abbreviated version of the Under the Red Hood movie. If you choose 'Robin cheats death', he survives the explosion, and if you choose 'Batman saves Robin' Batman gets him out of the warehouse before the explosion. Those last two each lead to a completely new series of events, with the 'Batman saves Robin' option having the longest, most interesting story, with more 'branch points' as it develops (some going where you'd never expect, with real surprise twists and turns).

Bruce Greenwood and John DiMaggio return as Batman and Joker, and are fantastic (DiMaggio absolutely nails Joker here). Jensen Ackles doesn't voice Jason Todd this time (perhaps because he was lined up as the new DC Universe movies Batman), but Vincent Martella, (who played younger Jason in Under the Red Hood) does return and voices Jason/Red Hood throughout. We also get prominent appearances by Talia al Ghul, Two-Face, and Jim Gordon, plus many cameos. Animation is good to very good (the material reproduced from Under the Red Hood looking the best). I've played all seven (apparently) scenarios through at least twice and can still see myself coming back to it.

This also includes four Showcase shorts; Death, The Phantom Stranger, Sgt. Rock, and Adam Strange. I found Adam Strange the weakest, whilst Sgt. Rock and The Phantom Stranger are enjoyable horror yarns. But Death is hands down the greatest animation, from any company, I have ever seen. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, it's worth the cost of the Blu-ray on its own. See it if you can.

Overall, Batman: Death in the Family gets 9/10

*Interactive version is Blu-ray only.

Total rip off

[danny3750 · 1/10 · 17 October 2020]

Bought the digital release on iTunes... kept watching & waiting for the movie to start. Just a recap on past DC animated Batman movies.. with barely a minute or so of new footage. Yeah you get a few additional extra short movies BUT no full movie here to see. I would certainly AVOID THIS. Utter utter Con job.

This was very misleading...cheap trick to sell movie

[geosmdavic · 2/10 · 13 October 2020]

Ok I am a HUGE DC fan and I was so excited about this movie coming out...first off when it started I thought wow this is gonna tell the whole story about what happened in death in the family cause it started out as a flash back to under the red hood animated movie... I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen I haven't seen in under the red hood but that's all it is...it is nothing but a rehash of under the red hood.. they used all animation from that movie and Bruce just narrated it... it was cut down to nothing.. I kept thinking cause of how much time was left it was gonna move on to something more.. nope at the end of it it's Bruce talking to Clark in a Diner .. that's it... then it went to another DC short I didn't care about... then another and another and another... it was just a collection of shorts.. but in order for DC to sell these shorts they put death in the family on the title . DC that was really a low and dirty trick... would I have bought these shorts without a rehash of under the red hood... probably not... can I get the 15 bucks I spent on this crap back from VUDU... definitely not...will I watch this again?..positively not.. don't waste your money on this... if you wanna watch death in the family, watch under the red hood... at least you will get a full length movie and not a cheap watered down version of it... oh the other shorts were Sargent Rock.. it was ok.. wish there was more of it.... Adam Strange not as good but if there was more it could have been good ....The Phantom Stranger ... didn't care for it at all..... and Death didn't even watch it... lost interest after Phantom Stranger....To wrap this up IT SUCKED If you haven't bought under the red hood yet spend the money on that not this... it's crap... the only reason I gave it the stars I did was cause of Sargent Rock.. it was pretty good just not long enough ...

A major disappointment

[Rectangular_businessman · 3/10 · 18 November 2021]

I already knew that only the Blu-ray version was interactive. However, the non-interactive version is not even a decent standalone film, being nothing more than a recap of "Batman: Under the Red Hood".

What a rip off!

Waste of Time and Money

[jbfulton03 · 1/10 · 16 October 2020]

Digital version doesn't have interactive features. I want my fifteen bucks back.

Buy The DVD For More Than Recap

[bdsh · 8/10 · 13 January 2021]

Really fun/entertaining interactive feature. You must buy the dvd to enjoy the interactive version. The digital buys/rents do not give you the experience sadly.

Bad!!!

[jasriv · 2/10 · 16 October 2020]

I'm annoyed at myself for buying this movie. First, the digital version doesn't allow for making interactive choices as was advertised in all of the previews. Only the physical copy of the movie allows for interactive choices. Second, this movie starts with Batman retelling the story of the movie "Under the Red Hood" for a half hour. Batman just narrates throughout most of a half hour short story. Boring!!! Then credits roll and another short story begins. I'm not sure why they decided to make a movie retelling the story of a previous movie, but it's a dumb move on DC's part, and worse, it's misleading to the consumer who thinks this movie is a coherent original story. I should have read the reviews before I purchased it. Waste of money, in my opinion. I would say this movie isn't even worth renting. Just go ahead and buy "Under the Redhood" instead. With DC movies, sadly, ALWAYS read the reviews first!

Absolutely Horrible

[catdaddyd · 1/10 · 15 October 2020]

Basically a 20 minute or so clip show. There was some other video story starting up after but I just turned it off. Waste!!!

All right guys, let's blow this thing and go home!

[ivo_shandor · 1/10 · 17 October 2020]

Batman: Death in the Family is the latest ripoff con job from Warner Brothers Animation. They were thinking to themselves, well our movies aren't doing so well, so let's just retcon an entire movie that we think still has some gas, how about Under the Red Hood? It's a recognizable title, a title we're still coasting off the fumes and good name of, and people still like it; let's slap together a 30 minute short with the cheapest animation possible through an overseas company with inferior quality, cobble that 30 minutes into another title and market it as an "interactive" movie. Let's stretch this thing out and pad the hell out of it by slapping it into another story in the most awkward way we can. We'll patch any of the holes with ADR dialogue and still images, and maybe it'll work. This movie is the equivalent of fixing a dirty carpet hack job. All right guys, get the hot glue, a bunch of duct tape, gum, plaster, anything that'll work, oh but we're still gonna charge you for it. Can you even call it animation when nothing moves on screen? Warner Brothers can't look me in the eye and say that with a straight face. Animation implies that something is moving on the screen. Instead of actually animating it, cause that's too much work, let's just make things stand very still then dump a whole bunch of exposition and narration, cause we aren't able to tell a story visually anymore. This is the worst tricking the audience gimmick since Cloverfield Paradox. We haven't even gotten to the story yet, which is another carpet crammed into a dumpster, then set on fire. Jason Todd is one of the worst character that DC created, and no one cares about him or his story. People realize they killed him off back in the day for a reason, right? I guess we don't learn from our mistakes, something that Warner Animation can't figure out. All this movie proved to me is that no matter what universe Jason Todd is in, he's still a dick and a murdering psychopath. Basically, he was screwed up from the start, and screwed no matter what. We can't do anything new with him, I guess. I'd be embarrassed to call myself a writer if I wasn't able to do something clever with a character. People are still drinking the cool aid thinking Warner Animation still makes quality films, which they haven't done in at least 10 years. It's funny to see them so desperate though, to the point of turning into a sleazy fix-it-up plumbing company that still charges you when they exploded your entire bathroom.

Not really Batman at all

[a_sad_cow · 1/10 · 25 November 2020]

We start with a bit of Batman, and then wind up with shorts that have nothing to do with Batman. I thought these shorts would culminate in the final element, giving reason to all this backstory, but it's just left dangling. Five cliffhangers, no complete story.

Why is it called Batman again?

Don't get me wrong, there's some good plot elements, animation and voice-acting, but this either needs to be relabeled or otherwise expanded into full length films.

And why did the Batman part basically rehash but shorten the entire Red Hood film? That film was much better than the exaggerated rehash we got here. Did the audience not get it the first time?

BECOME THE STORY

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 9/10 · 21 December 2020]

While the Marvel Universe has taken over the feature film world with their numerous hits the same can't be said for those movies based on DC characters. I've always felt in part that was due to the fact the folks at Warner Brothers have shied away from the source material as if to say comic books are unworthy of their efforts. Marvel instead embraces those roots. Fortunately those in charge of Warner's animated division they don't follow that path.

The animated DC Universe is alive and well with movies flowing along at a fast pace and more often than not sticking to that great source material their chosen stories are derived from. Just released is one story that they've taken an extra step with. BATMAN: DEATH IN THE FAMILY is that release and the new addition they've added is making it an interactive story. You the viewer get to decide how the story plays out.

The set up first. For those who've not kept up on the comics DEATH IN THE FAMILY was a huge storyline in the Batman comics. Dick Grayson aka Robin had grown up and moved on becoming Nightwing. A chance encounter led Batman to pick up a new replacement for Robin in Jason Todd, a young orphan Batman rescued and took on much like he had Grayson. While the setup was the same the two young men were different in their approach. In 1988 writer Dennis O'Neill suggested they allow readers to determine the fate of Todd and thus the story DEATH IN THE FAMILY came about. Readers were allowed to vote and determine if Todd lived or died.

The interactive movie takes on that same approach. Batman finds himself in Bosnia tracking down arch-enemy Ras al-Ghul who is set to purchase uranium to create dirty bombs. He finds the disillusioned Jason Todd there tracking down the Joker who it turns out is the seller of that uranium. As Batman follows al-Ghul's men and the uranium, Todd enters a warehouse to confront the Joker. But the Joker is prepared and captures Todd. In one of the most brutal moments in both comic book and animated history Todd/Robin is beaten with a crowbar and left to die. As he attempts to escape he see a bomb counting down the seconds, death imminent.

Here is where the first path must be chosen by the viewer. Three options are presented. 1, have Batman rescue Todd. 2, have Batman fail and Todd die. And 3, have Todd save himself. Each choice leads the path down to various other choices, some lengthier than others. Each choice has consequences. I won't reveal those outcomes but it's safe to say they are not always the ones you would expect.

But it doesn't end there. SPOILER ALERT FOR NON-COMIC FANS. Those who have kept up with the comics know that Jason Todd did die in that vote back in 1988 but was resurrected and later became the Red Hood. Most of the stories that progress from this point use that character. But each choice leads to more choices and more stories. Does Todd kill the Joker or let him live? Does Todd become a force for good or for evil? Does Batman survive or die? Does Ras al-Ghul step in to save either of these characters?

The potential of storylines is so large that the odds of covering them all in one sitting aren't likely. I know after 90 minutes I had to stop to view the other items included here as to write this review. I will be returning to explore them all though. It's an ingenious gimmick that works well. Combined with the fact that the production values on the DC animated side of things are always top notch and you have a real treat to enjoy here.

If that wasn't enough they are also including 4 shorts from the DC Showcase as well. Showcase was the DC comic that featured a rotating series of guests' stars in the lead story and the same holds true here. One involved the WWII hero Sgt. Rock, another the sci-fi adventures of Adam Strange, a third the mysterious Phantom Stranger and the fourth from the world of the Sandman an episode involving Death. All are done with the same quality found in the main item here.

The use of the various storylines, some using the same footage with different outcomes and endings, is fascinating to watch as they unspool. Just know this is not your old style comic book animated feature. The movie comes with an R rating due to the violence depicted. This is more along the lines of something for fans in the adult category. Consider me one and I heartily recommend this as something worth watching and enjoying more than once.

A wasted opportunity. Disappointing.

[stefanfrederic · 2/10 · 21 November 2020]

Wow. DC/Warner animation really missed the mark with this. As a huge fan of all the DC Batman animation films, I can honestly say this was nothing but a cash grab. Incredibly disappointing. Out of the many different and exciting comic stories to tell... from the long Halloween to Endgame or even something daring like Batman Damned... this one was approved but the studio...

If you were a hopeful fan looking to get a great movie, do stay away from this wasted opportunity. :(

WHAT THE.

[jadondude · 1/10 · 19 May 2022]

So I thought that I wouldn't listen to reviews and just watch the movie. Oh gosh is this movie terrible. You came here to watch death in the family right. NO. The only death in the family is a 20 minute recap of under the red hood with ONLY recycled footage. The rest of the movie is terrible random boring short story's. Don't wast your time. Just watch (or rewatch) under the red hood.

30 mins of batman recap + 90 mins of random animated BS

[zechmanforever-298-152959 · 1/10 · 26 April 2021]

I am not sure the world has ever seen a more misleading movie title, cover and trailer!

I know 2021 Movie standards are low, but seriously WFT!? Who approved this!? What kind of world do we live where this passes any kind of standard!?

Imagine if you purchased Passion of the Christ, the first 30 mins was all God, Jesus, Roman's, bla bla, bla as expected, than suddenly credits roll! And the next 2 hours were random Ozzie Osborne music videos.

First 30 mins Is literally recycled footage from the Under the Red Hood Batman movie, than credits and that's where the Batman EPISODE ends! Than it is literally four 20 minute episodes of totally random animated series.

WARMING - only 30 min--not a movie, just a summary of the story...

[dshell102 · 1/10 · 1 November 2020]

This is a review of what happened, not the actual movie. It's told, not shown. It would be like showing clips of Justice League with a voice over saying "and then they defeated the bad guys". Yeah, it's that bad.

And if you've seen Under the Red Hood you've seen half the show it's reviewing already.

I was so disappointed in DC destroying a great story like this.