RECENT WATCHES: Batman Vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)

Because of the insular quality of the comics industry, it’s a lot easier for various properties to get together and make oddball crossovers happen. This is, after all, the medium that brought us “Alien vs. Predator,” “Ape Nation,” and “Archie Meets the Punisher.” In recent years, IDW Publishing has created a number of truly unexpected crossovers. The company has allowed “Star Trek” to meet “Doctor Who;” “Ghostbusters” to meet “Transformers,” the Rocketeer to meet the Spirit, and G.I. Joe to meet Cthulhu. One of the company's crossovers was “Batman Meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” This mini-series was so successful, IDW and DC has published several follow-ups. That popularity prompted WB Animation – who have been putting out direct-to-video animated films based on the DC superheros for years – and Nickelodeon to get together and turn “Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” into a feature film. What a time to be alive.

Loosely adapted from the first mini-series, an alliance between the Shredder's Foot Clan and Ra's al Ghul's League of Shadows brings the Ninja Turtles to Gotham City. Batman initially blames the Turtles for these crimes, leading to their inevitable confrontation, before they work out their differences and team-up to fight the baddies together.  In actuality, the story is just an excuse to match-up various complimenting elements from both franchises. So the Party Van and the Batmobile race together. Donnie nerds out over the Bat-Computer. Batman's rogue gallery is transformed via mutagen, leading to such sights as Polar Bear Mr. Freeze or Plant Monster Poison Ivy. Those are just some choice examples, the filmmakers' nerdy glee showing in each mash-up.

Aside from both being a source of nostalgia for nineties kids, what do Batman and the Ninja Turtles have in common? Well, there's a shared affinity for martial arts and stealth attacks. The wide differences between the two cast provides much of the fun factor to “Batman Vs. Ninja Turtles.” Bruce immediately sees something of a kindred spirit in the serious, studious Leonardo... But the young, inexperienced turtle has fears, which the Scarecrow's fear gas utilize. Similarly, Raphael and Damian Wayne bond over their mutual status as gruff outsiders. Donnie and Batgirl end up doing machines and science together, a fun set-up. The goofiest of these interactions is Michaelango's pizza obsession and skateboard habit inconveniencing Alfred. The film cannot resist the fun factor in getting Batman involved with this either, having him eventually consume Italian cheese/sauce bread and shout surfer slang.

There is a downside to the film though. A big problem with WB's series of DC animated features is that they all look very similar. I've seen a bunch of them and they all tend to blend together in my brain, on account of having an identical style. Since the Turtles naturally look a little more exaggerated than the Batman crew, that requires slightly cartoonier character designs. Otherwise, it's the same bland approach we're used to. “Batman vs. Ninja Turtles” even features some lousy CGI, when weightless looking cargo crates are tossed into the air. This line of animated films also sometimes double-down on edgy violence, in an attempt to prove how PG-13 they are. Despite obviously appealing to a younger audience, “Batman Vs. Ninja Turtles” does this too. Did we really need to see Ra's al Ghul cut heads off or the Shredder shove his claws through some random guy's chest?

Ultimately though, films like this are for the fans. Since “Batman” and “TMNT” both have long histories, there's lots of in-jokes that are sprinkled throughout. Fittingly, since it aired around the same time as the original "Turtles" cartoon, the film has several shout-outs to “Batman: The Animated Series.” Like those awesome crime blimps. While no one from either original series is in this movie, the voice cast is full of soundalikes. A campy fight scene with the Penguin recalls the Adam West “Batman” series. “TMNT” lore dominates the shout-outs. Shredder's entrance recalls his slow-mo descend in the first live action movie. Baxter Stockman appears as a delightfully grotesque fly humanoid. Theme songs and catchphrases are reprised. For fans of both   series, it's fun to catch this stuff.

Like so much comic book-adapted media, this ends on a blatant sequel hook. While the four-color crossover prompted three sequels, it's hard to say if the various corporate agreements that allowed this film to happen will last through to a continuation. But I would watch it, if it got made. “Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is ultimately a trifle, a light-weight and fluffy snack that doesn't even approach the more meaningful layers of either franchise. The animation if forgettable and the story is nonsense. Yet seeing your childhood toy box play sessions realized in animation does provide a thrill or two. [7/10]