As 2019 comes to a close I always like to reflect on my favorite physical releases of year. Consumers seem to be moving more and more to streaming services with the launch this holiday season of Disney Plus being the latest. However, 2019 was also a banner year for physical media as well. Several companies really stepped up their game with incredible packaging, extras and in some cases sparkling new transfers of classic films. I will always make the case of physically owning a copy of a movie because it is permanently in your collection, it won’t be dropped or eventually removed from your shelf.
Being that it is 2019, I decided to list my favorite 19 releases of the year. So sit back relax and let’s watch some movies!
Number 16: Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Jumping out of the extremely fun 2016 six-issue miniseries, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a fun and exciting entry into DC’s animated films starring the Dark Knight.
The Foot Clan have appeared in Gotham City and Batgirl observes four mysterious being, which she believes are metahumans. Batgirl informs Batman and they set out to Powers Industrial. While there Batman meets The Shredder. Batman and Batgirl soon meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well.
After a brief misunderstanding, Batman and the Turtles soon realize that they have the same enemy and they team up to take down The Shredder and Foot Clan.
Batman vs. TMNT is a lot of fun. I am a fan of most of the Batman animated films as they do a really great job adapting popular comic stories and giving them their own platform to shine. The action in this film is top notch as each fight is choreographed well. Batman’s fight with The Shredder is an early highlight as too is the confrontation between the Ninja Turtles and Batman.
The story is fun as it plays on Batman’s trust issues and he needs The Bat-Family’s help to understand why it is sometimes necessary to trust people you do not know.
The video for Batman vs. TMNT is solid. The colors of each individual Turtle pops against the dark, inky black shadows of Gotham City. The DC Animated films tend to lean a little into simplistic design but that helps make each scene pop and lends itself well in the animation of the characters. There are a few jagged edges here and there but they are really few and far in-between.
On the audio side, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles delivers quite a punch. All dialogue is crystal clear and each punch lands with a crunch. The soundtrack is a lot of fun too. The synths add a lot to the film giving it a cool 80’s vibe.
Batman vs. TMNT offers up two pretty good behind the scenes look at the film and about a ten minute preview of Batman; Hush. First up is Cowabunga Batman!, which gives an overview of both Batman and TMNT with interviews with the people who brought the film to life. Fight Night in Gotham is a behind the scenes look at the fights and storyboards that brought them to life. Both featurettes are a fun look into the making of the film.
Batman vs. TMNT is a great addition to the DC Animated Universe. It’s fun, exciting and it brings in a lot of characters without ever bogging down pace. I highly recommend this Blu-Ray to any fan of Batman and the Ninja Turtles.
Film: A-
Video: B+
Audio: A-
Extras: B+
Overall: A-