Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4K Review

The following 4K was provided to me by Warner Brothers for review.  Thoughts and opinions are my own.
 
It’s no secret how much I love the DC Animated films. Those are the cream of the crop as far as superhero stories go.  If they could translate that formula to live action they would be unstoppable. There newest offering brings an exciting mix of humor, and violence.  Inspired by the series of comic book mini-series Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the latest masterpiece to come out of the DC Animated Universe.  Now before I get into the plot I want to stress a few things.  Although the Turtles are a Nickelodeon brand this is still a PG-13 film.  Yes, the turtles still love there pizza, Michelangelo still cracks all kinds of great jokes, and yes they are still very fun loving, but Batman is kept very true to character. The film is very dark in spots.  There is blood, there is murder. No bad language I will point that out, but the violence and action sequences are much more DC style than the Nickelodeon style that you are used to seeing the turtles in. Don’t get me wrong it’s a fun cartoon, one of the best I’ve seen to be honest but it is PG-13 so parents with really young kids may want to take a peek at it first and use their discretion.  With that said lets get to the plot of the film.
 
The story begins with Batman investigating a series of industrial robberies.  When Barbara (Batgirl) is taking a tour of a Powers plant a group of Foot Soldiers attack in an attempt to steal a power generator that’s on display.  There are fought off by the Ninja Turtles.  Barbara informs Batman about the robbery and he figures out Wayne Enterprises will be the next target. Sure enough the Penguin and his gang are there but they are taken out by the Ninja Turtles.  However The foot clan are already inside but they are stopped by Batman who manages to fight them off before being beaten by The Shredder.  As the Turtles are leaving the spot the Batmobile but after a brief fight they are defeated by Batman.  Both Batman and the Turtles realize after the fight that both party were holding back. 
 
Donatello figures out the location of the Batcave after studying up online about Batman and the Turtles head there where they encounter Robin, Batgirl, and finally Batman.  The Turtles explain they are in Gotham trying to stop the shredder from stealing multiple power sources.  Robin reveals that he spotted Ra’s al Ghul and the league of assassins with Shredder and The Foot.  The Shredder is helping Ras steal these components and providing him mutagen.  Ra’s plans to combine the mutagen with venom that the Joker has.  He is going to use all the equipment that Shredder has been stealing to build a machine to launch the chemical into the sky causing a rain that will turn all of Gotham’s citizens to mutated monsters.  In return the Shredder will get the knowledge of the Lazarus Pit.  As a for the Joker, for his part he will get a vile of mutagen which he uses to turn himself, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and Two-Face in to animal mutations of themselves.  Batman must team up with the Turtles to stop all of them from  Destroying Gotham.
 
Amazing, top to bottom amazing, that’s the best way to describe this film.  The way it perfectly combines the dark gritty tones of Batman with the pizza eating silliness of the Turtles is so well done. You will go from watching Mikey smash into Alfred with his skateboard in a rush to get pizza to a scene of Ra’s and Shredder decapitating a guard at Arkham then using the hand they cut off of him to free the Joker. Batman having a knock down drag out bloody fight with Shredder while the turtles battle the Penguin gang all while Mikey says how much he loves the Umbrella gun of the Penguin, while wondering aloud why Gotham has so many blimps flying around.  Its such an amazing mixture word do not do it justice.  And in case your worried, no Batman never gets silly, he is portrayed spot on as he is in all of the animated films from DC.
 
The 4K transfer is stunning.  It’s a darker cartoon as it takes place in Gotham, so its not as bright as you are accustomed to seeing the Turtles in but it looks amazing.  The dark colors really make the smallest things pop out.  The colored masks of the Turtles, much like the cowl of Batman are bright and vibrant.  As the battles wear on you really see every little smudge, or rip in the costumes. The Shredder and Joker both really look bright in the transfer as well. The audio is outstanding you can hear every single movement in the fight scenes. From the weapons flying to the fist flying it sounds great.  Its also got an amazing assortment of special features.
 

• Cowabunga, Batman! When Comic Worlds Collide (Featurette): Superhero crossovers have inspired some of the most unique comics of all time. Explore the concept of the crossover, and see the creativity that ensues when the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet.
• Fight Night in Gotham (Featurette): DC animated movies have continued to push the realism of hand-to-hand combat on-screen. Take an exciting look at both Batman’s and the Ninja Turtles’ fighting styles, and how the creators make it feel like you’re in the fight!
• A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush: An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection

This really is one of the most exciting and fun animated films I have ever seen.  Fans of both Batman and the Turtles will absolutely love this one.  Amazing action, humor, and a very good plot make this another fantastic animated film from the DC Universe.  Everyone should pick this one up.  I can’t recommend it enough.  My only regret is that it was not longer.

Overall 4out of 5 Stars