I should have posted all this on Tuesday, Aug. 12, but better late than never!
GET READY TO ROOT FOR THE BAD GUYS IN BATMAN: ASSAULT ON ARKHAM AVAILABLE FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT ON AUGUST 12, 2014!
Stellar Voice Cast Includes Kevin Conroy, Troy Baker,
Matthew Gray Gubler, CCH Pounder, Greg Ellis and Giancarlo Esposito
Batman, one of the world’s most valiant super heroes, faces a villainous squad of criminals in an epic battle of good vs. evil in the DC Universe Original Movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham. Set in the world of the best-selling Batman: Arkham video game series, this action-packed film takes place between the Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum video games. Available on August 12, 2014 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, on Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD, this hit is one DC Comics fans won’t want to miss.
Gotham is in great danger when the government assembles a group of villains -- code named the Suicide Squad — and forces them to break into Arkham Asylum to retrieve top secret information stolen by the Riddler. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Squad members (Harley Quinn) frees the Joker, who is intent on blowing up Arkham Asylum and Gotham City. Batman must use his super hero wits and strength to thwart the wicked plans of the Joker and the Suicide Squad.
“Batman: Assault on Arkham is a thrill-ride with everything a fan would want -- a courageous super hero, depraved villains, and suspenseful plot twists,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Featuring voice talent from some of today’s hottest television actors, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is proud to release this as the next DC Universe Original Movie.”
“Working on a new Batman story is always exciting,” said Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series. “As a fan of the Arkham video games, I know this movie is going to entertain all Batman groups, from comic book and super hero fans to the most dedicated gamer.”
Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) voices Batman, and joins forces with several Hollywood greats to bring the legendary characters to life. Adding to the celebrity-laden cast is Neal McDonough (Justified, Desperate Housewives) as Deadshot, Troy Baker (The Last of Us) as Joker, Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds) as Riddler, CCH Pounder (The Shield, Warehouse 13) as Amanda Waller, Greg Ellis (24) as Captain Boomerang, and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution) as Black Spider.
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, Batman: Assault on Arkham is directed by Jay Oliva (Man of Steel, Justice League: War) and Ethan Spaulding (Son of Batman) from a script written by Heath Corson (Justice League: War). Sam Register (Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!), Benjamin Melniker (The Dark Knight Rises) and Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight Rises) serve as executive producers. James Tucker (Son of Batman) is Supervising Producer.
Batman: Assault on Arkham has tons of exciting enhanced content. The Blu-ray Combo Pack will include:
• Arkham Analyzed: The Secrets Behind the Asylum – This is the documentary that traces the strange, demonic history of the location where horror is mixed with the extremities of the criminally insane. A place where Batman must keep his watchful gaze, to insure that what goes in does not come out .... ever.
• The Joker's Queen: Harley Quinn - If The Joker were to have a girlfriend, what would she be like? This featurette covers the story of the deviancy and often provocative side to The Joker’s greatest ally, Harley Quinn.
• An advance look into the next DC animated feature film with the creators and cast.
• Four episodes from the DC Comics Vault.
Batman: Assault on Arkham has tons of exciting enhanced content including:
* An advance look into the next DC animated feature film with the creators and cast.
* The Joker's Queen: Harley Quinn -- If The Joker were to have a girlfriend, what would she be like? This featurette covers the story of the deviancy, and often provocative side to The Joker’s greatest ally, Harley Quinn.
* An advance look into the next DC animated feature film with the creators and cast.
* Two episodes from the DC Comics Vault.
BASICS
Street Date: August 12, 2014
Order Due Date: July 8, 2014
Languages: English
Audio: Dolby Surround Stereo
Color / Closed Captioned
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Batman Assault on Arkham MFV
Price: DVD $19.98 SRP / Blu-ray™ $24.98 SRP
Replies
This looks popcorn worthy, I might not wait for the discount rack as I usually do.
You might want to wait Mark.
I saw it tonight. It was...well, it was.
First of all, this is not a kids movie. There are expletives, gruesome deaths, adult themes, etc.
There are attempts at humor, but most fall flat. Amanda Waller is an out and out villain here, whether under the auspices of the US government or no. There are a handful of nice moments like the relationship between King Shark and Killer Frost, but they're few and far between. Hynden Walch does do a nice job as Harley, but even then it's just not enough.
Being animated, I'm sure the stores will rack it with all the other DC/Marvel animated DVDs, like they do The Dark Night Returns parts 1 and 2.
Sounds very Nu52...
Are all these animated movies set in the same univeres?
Randy Jackson said:
This one was seemingly set in the Nu52 universe. Perhaps that's why I didn't like it.
One more thing: this is really more of a Suicide Squad movie that Batman cameos in than a Batman movie. The focus is on Task Force X and Amanda Waller mostly. In fact, there's pretty much an assumption that the viewer will already be familiar with Batman and his supporting cast.
I always expect Waller to be a villain, but things as they are I'll probably wait for the discount rack. Past few nights I've been enjoying Justice League anyway.
Prior to Nu52, Waller was a fairly nuanced character. She did difficult things and made difficult choices, but there wasn't the sense of cruelty or the desire to abuse power to further her own ends that there is now. She actually had concern for the lives of some of her operatives, albeit she was also willing to send them to their deaths if need be.
The character in this movie is a bit of a monster. In fact, one wonders who would have been the main villain if destroying Gotham were useful to her.
One of the things about the New 52 that bugs me is exactly as you describe, Randy. They changed Waller from an interesting antagonist to a villain, which sucked all the juice out of the character. They also changed her physically from an overweight woman to a supermodel. Why? We don't have enough pneumatic chippies in comics?
They took a unique character and made her boring. Someone should be shot!