Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)

[Silver Nemesis]

[The Laughing Fish]

I saw this awhile ago.

The plot is about Amanda Waller recruiting a team of convicts, including Harley Quinn and Deadshot, to get the Riddler after a mission to go after him was undermined by Batman. The convicts - dubbed the Suicide Squad - are forced against their will to take part in the undercover mission due to having explosives implanted in their heads. They go to Arkham Asylum where the Riddler is kept in custody, but complications occur when Harley encounters the Joker long after the two broke up. It's not a "I miss you" kind of plotline; Harley resents Joker and he taunts her for laughs. There is this goofy scene where Harley shoots a bullet in Joker's holding cell and the bullet ricochets everywhere.

It's definitely set in the Arkham game universe as all the familiar characters are modeled after their video game counterparts. Except for Harley Quinn - she wears her black and red jester mask at times. I should mention that this movie is more of a Suicide Squad story rather than a Batman story. Deadshot plays the de facto leader of the group; Bats himself is more of a supporting character and isn't on screen that much. It's closer to an R-rating because of the violence and rather strong sexual references - Deadshot makes out with Harley Quinn in a hotel room at one stage. Nothing too graphic, but you can see them about to get it on. 

The voice acting is competent, Troy Baker's return to mimic Mark Hamill is just as good as it was in Arkham Origins. But at times it does feel like Kevin Conroy is phoning it in. I'm surprised that the voice actress who plays Harley Quinn isn't the same one from Arkham City and Origins - I thought they were identical

There is a Batman Returns homage during the film. Victor Zsasz makes a cameo appearance by taking someone hostage at knife point, and Batman takes him down with his grapple gun.

All in all, it's like the recent animated movies to come out, entertaining as a one time watch but there's no need for me to go back and watch it again any time soon. Nowadays, it does feel like they try a bit too hard to make things edgy for the sake of it.