It started with a deal amongst gangsters, only to end with a bizarre travel through time, across centuries and the ocean. If only I’d prepared a few blog posts in advance I wouldn’t have missed so many weeks while this was happening. 

I didn’t initially expect much from a DC animated feature simply named Batman Ninja. The lack of any originality in the name made me come to the conclusion that the movie itself would be the same. Given that this was an original story, unlike the majority of DC animated films taken straight from the comic pages, what new, original tale could be written so brilliantly that no time was spent on a decent title?

Sadly, the writers spent even less time on the story than the title. In Batman Ninja, Gorilla Grodd creates a time machine that transports himself and the villains he is working with at the time of starting the machine, as well the whole Bat family who are investigating, to feudal Japan. Waking up in the center of town, Batman finds that his family has been back in time for months, planning attacks against Lord Joker and Harley Quinn, who have been in the business of trade deals to divert the timeline. Meanwhile, it seems there has been a local legend about a man dressed like a bat appearing in town, for which a band of ninjas has been handling the recent attacks in the city.

While the varying artwork of the film is beautiful, the story does very little to give reason for animation. For what reason would Grodd create a miniature Tardis? While a time machine makes sense for typical time travel capers, transporting everybody in the building across the ocean and back in time is incomprehensible. At the same time, how do seven different villains’ plans all work perfectly for feudal Japan and all help to create an alternate timeline?

For an original story, the plot could have been improved prior to animation, but for 85 minutes, the animation makes it worth watching. If you are seeking a story as perfect as any Batman or Detective comics book however, I suggest seeking out the Justice League Dark movie instead.