Batman: Knightfall—Part 1, on BluRay

Batman is a superhero, but he is not superpowered. The titular fan-favorite 1993-1994 multi-title, multi-issue story arc fully embraced that premise. Considered the Bat-equivalent of the “Death of Superman,” the Knighfall continuity previously spawned adult and YA novelizations. Now Warner Animation has launched a three-film adaptation, the first of which, Jeff Wamester’s awkwardly titled Batman: Knightfall—Part 1: Knightfall releases tomorrow on BluRay.

Over the course of the next two punishing days, Batman meets Bane for the first time. If you know your Batman lore, you know that will be very bad news for Batman. However, he must first fight his way through a rogue’s gallery of Batman villains. Ominously, the worst of Gotham’s worst escaped Arkham Asylum thanks to a freak explosion.

Of course, it was actually by design. Bane orchestrated the mass escape to wear down Batman. Thanks to his prison upbringing, Banee has an extremely Darwinist perspective on life, so Batman’s do-gooding violates the savage behemoth’s ideology. Unfortunately, he launched his evil scheme at the perfect time. Still grieving the death of Jason Todd, a.k.a. Robin #2, Batman over-protects Tim Drake (Robin #3), to the point of pushing him away.

The Batcave also has a houseguest, who has his own issues to work through. John-Paul Valley is trying to regain his memory and his sanity, after a Templar-like cult transformed him into the super-berzeker vigilante Azrael.

Even if they are not familiar with the comic series, most viewers probably would not expect much closure for the first part of a promised trilogy. However, Knightfall ends with a particularly shocking cliffhanger. Casual fans might prefer to binge the completed trilogy, but regular Batman readers will want to see how Wamester and screenwriter Jeremy Adams tackle this explosive narrative. They should consider the R-rating a good sign.

Without question, this is the most violent animated DC movie. It is unusually dark, but action-packed. Thanks to Bane’s Arkham distraction, it also features at last half a dozen fan favorite super-villains. Frankly, Knightfall might be too intense for fans who prefer Lego Batman and the Adam Westverse. Nevertheless, there is a strong psychological aspect to the drama, so it isn’t merely a barrage of explosions.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass

Tom and Jerry were meant to hit each other over their heads with frying pans. They aren’t superheroes, even though they often display super healing powers. Yet, somehow, they agree to work together to defeat a demonic entity and restore the celestial balance. That is a lot for two rivals who can barely stop fighting each other, but their latest adventure was intended to appeal to the Chinese market. The enduringly popular cat and mouse just happen to find the powerful artifact sought by Chinese demigods in Zhang Gang’s Chinese co-production Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, which finally opens today in theaters, one year after its Chinese release.

Jerry is excited to visit a new exhibit of Chinese art, but Tom, the museum guard, is determined to enforce its no-vermin policy. In the resulting scuffle, they unknowingly activate the Astral Compass, which whisks them away to Golden City, the fantastical, pseudo-Ming Era mortal settlement under the protection of the Phoenix Master.

The fallen god was once a resident of Heaven. However, when he lost the Astral Compass, Phoenix and his squawking sidekick, Lil’ Feeney were banished to the human realm. They were given 300 years to find the Compass and attain enlightenment or their banishment becomes permanent. Their time is almost up when Tom and Jerry burst through the clouds, with the Compass clutched in Tom’s hot little paw.

Through various ploys, Phoenix and Feeney try to trick Tom into relinquishing the Compass. Feeling abused and neglected, Jerry throws in with Mega Rat, a steampunk-ish demon, who holds a grudge against Phoenix.

Forbidden Compass probably sounds like Tom and Jerry were just randomly plopped into a Chinese fantasy like Monkey King or Ne Zha, because that is exactly what they did. It is an odd marriage that lacks any sense of cohesion. The slapstick action is rather tame by the Hanna Barbera duo’s standard, while the original Chinese characters are a dull, selfish, and annoying lot.

The Last Blossom, from GKIDS

Minoru Akutsu's only company for the final days of his life will be a balsam flower. At least it can talk, thanks to the film’s magical realism. However, it constantly berates the convict for wasting decades of his life. However, it is possible Akutsu did not waste the last 37 years. Maybe he sacrificed them instead. Viewers cannot fully judge Akutsu’s life decisions until the final piece falls into place in Baku Kinoshita’s The Last Blossom, which screens tomorrow and Monday, from GKIDS.

For years, Akutsu was a lower mid-level Yakuza enforcer. Whatever his crimes were, they didn’t bother him too much, because they allowed him to provide for his somewhat younger lover, Nana Nagata and her little boy Kensuke (from a previous relationship). In fact, Akutsu cares for them deeply, but he has trouble expressing it—or even admitting it to himself.

The balsam flower that mysteriously arrives in Akutsu’s cell claims to have seen it all for himself. According to the blossom, he was cut from the balsam that grew wild in Akutsu’s yard all those years ago, so he has access to original plant’s memories of what transpired. In fact, he can revisit them on demand, almost like a time-traveler. Consequently, the balsam forces Akutsu to confront the scheme that landed him in prison and jeopardized his adopted family.

Still, Akutsu was no dummy, as the audience sees from his proficiency in the go-like game Reversi. Indeed, that strategy game and Akutsu’s compulsive interest in mapping his neighborhood are important clues to understanding the Yakuza.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, on Paramount+

Magic and martial arts based on the elements are a big thing in anime. They feature prominently in Naruto, Black Clover, and Demon Hunter: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Yet, more than those series, elemental powers truly define the Last Airbender franchise, right down to its title. Technically, the Airbender series and its Legend of Korra follow-up are not technically anime, but they definitely try to pass. In its world, the Air Nomads, or Airbenders had a special role above and beyond the benders of other elements, but only one survived: Avatar Aang. The titular Air Nomad still blames himself for his fellow Airbenders’ demise, so the possibility of unexpectedly finding more inspires him to take great risks in Lauren Montgomery’s Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, “co-directed” by Steve Ahn and William Mata, which premieres today on Paramount+ (after opening yesterday in New York theaters).

When Aang learned of his destiny to become the Avatar, his panic led to misadventure, resulting in a century of suspended animation. Nevertheless, when he came to, he forged key alliances with Katara the Waterbender, Toph Beifong the Earthbender, and Fire Lord Zuko, the Firebender King of his Fire Nation. Together, they defeated the extremists of each elemental nation and forged a peace that should be sustainable. Presto, you’re caught up—a process screenwriters Tim Hendrick and Christopher Yost handle quite economically.

Of course, it isn’t that simple. A group of power-hungry class-warriors known as “The Denied” steal one of Aang’s relics, hoping it will lead them to a powerful weapon. Whatever it was, it was created by Sonam, an Avatar so mysterious, she was erased from history, with almost no traces of her left in the apostolic chain of Avatar memory. However, Aang discovers just enough to find and revive Tagah, her ancient Airbending ally, who explains the pressing dangers of the Macguffin, especially in the hands of the Denied.

Montgomery has helmed several entertaining DC Animated films, such as Green Lantern: First Flight, so Avatar Aang’s high level of craftsmanship is not surprising. Again, it easily stands alone for newcomers, but rewards longtime fans with a storyline that clearly holds long-term significance for the characters. It is obviously inspired by anime, but the animation is as good or better than that of many of the aforementioned Naruto and Demon Hunter theatrical features. The fantastical landscapes are often quite beautiful, while the characters are suitably expressive. Plus, the six-legged flying air bison are appealingly cute (and never cloying).

Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog

Why did the Chickenhare cross the road? He was searching for adventure. However, his long-lost sister has ulterior motives. She doesn’t merely want to cross a road, or a jungle. She hopes to alter time. That usually produces ironically terrible results and will likely be the case again in Benjamin Mousquet’s Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog, based on Chris Grine’s juvenile graphic novels, which opens Friday in the UK.

Chickenhare looks like a rabbit, but his ears have feathers that he can use to fly, if he has a sufficient running (or falling) start. Having been adopted by King Peter, Chickenhare successfully sought glory as the realm’s leading Indiana Jones-like adventurer. Of course, he has help from Abe, the turtle, and Meg, a skunk. Meg trained extensively in the martial arts, but her most potent weapon, is her you know, skunk essence.

Chickenhare’s prologue adventure produces a clue for the film’s real quest: the Backward-Facing Groundhog, who can change one thing in the past, after seeing his shadow during an arcane ritual. King Peter wants Chickenhare to recover the Groundhog, so his power can never be abused. However, Gina, one of the royal archivists, leads Chickenhare astray, after revealing herself as his secret sister. Her hidden ears leave little room for doubt. Unbeknownst to Chickenhare, Gina and her father, King Barthemelow hope to use the Groundhog to reverse a curse they believe afflicted their people hundreds of years ago.

Secret of the Groundhog is a sequel to Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, which currently streams on Netflix, so there might be greater recognition for the Belgian-multi-national co-production than the general world of film criticism realizes. Regardless, the new film is a pleasantly upbeat riff on Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. The animation is professional but unremarkable. Nevertheless, some of the imagery is surprisingly cool.

Minions & Monsters: The New “Despicable Me” Prequel

The novels of Henry James are renowned for their psychological complexity. In contrast, there is absolutely nothing about the Minions Henry and James that could be described as psychologically complex. That is why they are going to beat Supergirl like a drum at the box-office. There will be no serious messages or identity politics, because why would they start now? This is why the Minions are a trusted billion-dollar franchise. The Minions again return to their pre-Gru era in an affectionate tribute to golden age Hollywood, Pierre Coffin’s Illumination-produced Minions & Monsters, co-directed by Patrick Delage, which opens tomorrow anyplace that has a commercial movie screen.

James’ tribe of Minions always had trouble finding an evil overlord to serve. Every time they found someone promising, their reign of terror accidentally ended prematurely. It was often James’s fault. He takes a lot of flak each time. Nevertheless, Henry, the cool rebel Minion, digs James’s stories and encourages his artistic inclinations.

Fittingly, with a shortage of megalomaniacs to serve, the Minions end up in Hollywood, after interrupting a location shoot. Quickly, they become huge stars, since they are like the Keystone Cops on steroids and amphetamines. James is no longer the black sheep either. In fact, he harbors ambitions to direct, like Max, the European filmmaker who helms the Minions’ movies. Unfortunately, their careers stall with the launch of talking pictures, very much like Singing in the Rain, one of thousands of classic films directly referenced by Coffin and co-screenwriter Brian Lynch. The Minions’ verbal gibberish just won’t work for Frank and Elwood Bright, the studio bosses.

Still, you can’t keep a plucky Minion like James down. In fact, Max is so impressed by James’s kaiju movie script, he gives the creative Minion his first movie camera. As fate would have it, James’s other close Minion friend Ed still has their late evil wizard master’s spellbook, so they use it to summon real monsters for their film. Initially, they free Goomi, a pint-sized Lovecraftian creature, from the book’s nether-prison. He might not look imposing, but he is a crafty, deceitful little demonic menace, who soon tricks the Minions into raising two potentially apocalyptic monsters.

The Most Precious of Cargoes, on DVD

Just as the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is based on a historical tragedy, Jean-Claude Grumberg’s novella fable is clearly inspired by very real and very tragic events. He would know. Grumberg’s father was murdered in Auschwitz. Despite the Jew-hatred they always accepted, a reluctant wood-cutter and his wife protect a tiny would-be victim in Michel Hazanavicius’s animated feature, The Most Precious of Cargoes, which releases today on DVD.

Wood-cutters pop up regularly in fairy tales, but it will take a while for the taciturn, barrel-chested man to display the stout-heartedness they are often associated with. He and his aging wife never had children of their own, which he eventually accepted. However, when she saves an infant dropped from a transport bound to Auschwitz (never truly named, but clearly identifiable from its grimly distinctive entrance), she literally interprets it as the answer to her prayers.

Initially, the Wood-cutter adamantly opposes keeping the child, regurgitating the classic antisemitic tropes that Jews are warmongers and monsters, who killed Christ. In fact, “the Heartless” is the ironic shorthand his fellow wood-cutters use to demonize Jews. Yet, the little girl melts the gruff man’s heart just when she will most need his protection.

As narrator Jean-Louis Trintignant clearly states (in his final screen credit), this will not be a fairy tale—but it clearly employs many of the traditional elements of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Indeed, the Wood-cutter’s forest holds distinctly gothic overtones. However, when the action shifts to the concentration camp, the film takes on an expressionistic style worthy of Edvard Munch. By largely avoiding literal representations, it becomes one of the more powerful cinematic depictions of the Holocaust.

Jinsei: Animated J-Pop, Cults, and the End of the World

He is the new Man with No Name, but he is a Japanese pop idol instead of gunslinger—at least he was. He has various nicknames at various stages of his life, but his genuine identity is fluid and perhaps unknowable. Yet, violence regularly intrudes into his increasingly surreal world in animator-screenwriter-director Ryuya Jinsei, which opens Friday in theaters.

Hold on, because the opening scenes explaining “Se-chan’s” tragic early life flash by at nearly the speed of subliminal images. His stepfather Hiroshi tries his best, but life is hard and his stepson’s temperament is awfully dark—for good reason.

Not surprisingly, school isn’t much fun for the boy mockingly nicknamed “The Grim Reaper,” but much to his surprise, the handsome blond transfer student Kin befriends him. Through Kin, Se-Chan develops such proficiency in Idol-style dancing, they are both recruited by the shadowy idol mogul Shiratori for his next boy band. However, just when they are poised to break out, Se-Chan commits a shocking act of violence that temporarily derails his career (and life).

After that, things get weird for Se-Chan, or whoever. He transforms into a lowlife bar host, a nearly feral derelict, a holy fool guru, a New Age movie star, and perhaps even the next stage of post-human evolution.

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe

The Earth can’t seem to catch a break. The Earth Federation defeated the authoritarian-inclined Principality of Zeon in the Gundam franchise’s Universal Century continuity, but then the victorious Federation became increasingly corrupt and oppressive. Hathaway Noa emerged as an important leader of the MAFTY rebellion. He hopes to launch a major attack on the Federation, but the greatest variable complicating his plan happens to be a self-described “courtesan.” She might also be a spy, but it is unclear which side she favors in Shuko Murase’s anime feature Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, which opens tomorrow in theaters.

In the new GQuuuuuux alternate storyline, Zeon won the war, but Nymph Circe returns fans to the more familiar timeline. The Hathaway narrative branch takes place many years after the mothership anime series, but Noa represents an important apostolic link, because he is the son of Amuro Ray’s commanding officer, Bright Noa. With that in mind, you should be able to follow the broad strokes of the new Hathaway feature, but many of the particulars will be baffling.

Regardless, the junior Noa is almost entirely focused on the rebellion. Only Gigi Andalusia has the power to distract him. Inconveniently, her sugar daddy-patron happens to be Col. Kenneth Sleg, the chief of Federation counter-insurgency. It is his job to catch Noa.

So far, Andalusia has mostly aided Sleg. Convinced that her “spider-sense” provided lifesaving forewarning, many of Sleg’s men consider her a good luck charm. Yet, restless Andalusia appears preoccupied with Noa. Regardless, before they can reunite, Noa must survive some spectacular mecha battles.

Indeed, Nymph Circe arguably boasts some of the most striking visuals of all the recent Gundam features. The combination aerial and naval battles really are something. For the teenaged boy market, the film also delivers considerably more “fan service” than its recent predecessors, through its strategically framed shots of Andalusia and Julia Suga, Noa’s torch-carrying Gundam mechanic, who usually works in a pair of overalls and not much else.

Again, this is some of the slickest Gundam animation yet. However, Yasuyuki Muto’s screenplay, based on franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s original novel, makes no concessions to newcomers. Even viewers casually familiar with the original series and several subsequent features will have some trouble finding their sea legs.

Furthermore, critics who rightly called out the appalling lack of military discipline in Star Trek: Starflight Academy should also be put off by Brinks Wedge, the captain of a MAFTY recon ship, who regularly takes the con shirtless. Frankly, both he and Trek’s Nahla Ake are appallingly unprofessional and uncommanding.

Big Apple 26: Treasure of the Lost Reel

It is hard to tell whether Boffo is a mouse or a cat, but that probably reflects the fact he was inspired by Mickey and Felix, in equal measure. However, in the world of this film, he was directly “inspired by,” or ripped off from Biffo, the creation of a pioneering black animator. However, his heir probably can’t prove it without the long-lost short Heck (short for Hector) Burrows tacks down. Keeping it will be even trickier, because the company Boffo built, which bears absolutely no resemblance to Disney, will do anything to make it disappear in Nate Neal’s Treasure of the Lost Reel, premiering tonight at the 2026 Big Apple Film Festival.

Pinnacle so litigiously protects its Boffo trademark, it recently sued a daycare center over an unauthorized screening (fortunately, Disney would never do anything like that, right?). It also has gun-wielding enforcers like Mr. Fix-It on the payroll. He makes the company’s embarrassing past disappear. In two months, early Boffo cartoons will enter the public domain. That is not good for Pinnacle, but the last surviving Biffo print could undermine their fundamental trademark of Biffo.

Burrows’s ex, now a late-night TCM-esque host, hopes to find the Biffo print, to parlay it into a Pinnacle+ streaming show. Of course, she didn’t reveal her true ambitions to Bellamy Barker, the rightful Biffo heir, but Burrows immediately suspects something of the kind. As a result, it will be a mad scramble to find the lost reel and it will be even trickier holding onto it.

The vintage-style animation created by Neal and Erim “Xolo” Cetinel perfectly fuses early Disney with classic Fleischer. Biffo and Boffo look era-appropriate and they both have the appropriate pinched, high-pitched voices. The antique Boffo merch also represents a triumph of great art direction on a budget. Furthermore, filming on old school 16mm stock nicely reinforces Neal’s nostalgic aesthetic.

Time Hoppers: The Silk Road

In 1312, Mansa Musa elevated Timbuktu to lofty heights of culture and scholarship. In 2012, Islamist jihadists occupied Timbuktu, destroying all the culture and scholarship they saw. Wisely, these time-traveling children journey back to the 1312 Malian capital. Frankly, they didn’t truly choose for themselves. They were chasing a bad guy who had stolen one of their time-traveling disks in Flordeliza Dayrit’s animated Time Hoppers: The Silk Road, which releases today on VOD.

Layla’s father Habib rather rashly and naively invented time-travel. Consequently, they must sneak out of Seattle, secretly relocating to Vancouver, to keep the technology out of the hands of the sinister Zoola corporation. Habib hopes to refine his work with the help of his sister, Hafsa, the dean of Layla’s new high-tech prep school. Instead, they expend most of their efforts tracking Layla, her cousin Aysha, and her new friends Khalid and Abdullah through time.

Basically, it is all Abdullah’s fault, and not just because he is the fat, goofy one. He accidentally activated a time travel disk, so his three friends grabbed their own, to bring him back. Unfortunately, he dropped his disk while Fasid, the bad guy who greatly resembled Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin, was chasing them. Now, they are chasing him.

Billed as the first Muslim-American-produced animated feature (which had nationwide Fathom screenings), Time Hoppers celebrates the great scientists and scholars of the ancient Islamic world. Yet, sadly many of the time hops take on tragic irony in light of more recent tragedies in cities like Timbuktu, Aleppo, and Baghdad. Sadly, the Time Hoppers must go all the way back to 950 AD to find an edifying moment in Syrian history.

Nevertheless, there are some worthy history lessons, courtesy of Dayrit and co-screenwriter Sakina Fakhri. Plus, Dads will also appreciate some of the Ramadan jokes, like “why don’t you want to race a Muslim during Ramadan? Because they fast.” That’s a direct quote. However, it will be tame for many preteens and 3D computer animation will underwhelm connoisseurs of the art-form.

The characters are also familiar stock figures, starting with Layla, the sensitive girl still grieving her late mother. Ayla is the bratty tomboy, while Khalid is the boy genius who explains the significance of the scholars they meet on each hop, but he sometimes isn’t very practical. Of course, you can tell Abdullah is comic relief just from looking at him.

Sylvain Chomet’s A Magnificent Life

It isn’t easy being a national treasure, especially if you’re France’s national treasure. For Marcel Pagnol, that meant being in the public eye during the National Socialist occupation and the post-War malaise. However, his working-class Marseilles roots largely kept him grounded. Reluctantly, Pagnol takes stock of his life and career, with the help of some ghosts from his past (including the spirit of his younger self) in director-screenwriter Sylvain Chomet’s animated film A Magnificent Life, which opens tomorrow in New York.

Thanks to Matthew Gravelle’s rich, Richard Burton-esque Welsh voice in the English dubbing, American viewers cannot appreciate Pagnol’s Marseilles accent. Evidently, the Southern dialect could be rather baffling for 1920s Parisians. That is why his early plays written in dialect were such a risk. Yet, they were surprise hits, establishing the fame of Pagnol and his featured actor, Raimu (who developed a persona as sort of a Marseilles Archie Bunker). Years later, Daniel Auteuil remade three of Pagnol’s Marseilles plays, The Well-Digger’s Daughter, Maurius, and Fanny, which all had American distribution.

Contracted to write a serialized memoir, the blocked Pagnol claims to remember little of his life, particularly his early years. However, the manifestation of childhood-self starts to pull the memories out of him. His eventual literary success represents the fulfillment of promises made to himself and his beloved mother, who tragically died during his childhood. She too often looks down on Pagnol, like a guardian angel.

The ghosts of Pagnols-past will have much to watch over. As a playwright, he enjoys great successes, as well as a few bombs. However, he shows the vision most of his theatrical colleagues lack, by embracing cinema just as sound and other technological advances were allowing a more robust dramatic experience. Rather slyly, Chomet frequently incorporates archival film clips within his animation (yet, these too, alas, were also dubbed for the theatrical release).

Chomet does not quite convey the magnitude of Pagnol’s status as an early movie mogul—one who vertically controlled the cinema process from studio to theater, even including the labs that developed the film stock. However, he partially explains how Pagnol sandbagged his own business during the occupation era, which allowed him to sell out to Gaumont rather than surrendering his company to the Vichy authorities. Yet, he still faced collaborationist charges, which were ultimately dropped. Chomet addresses these controversies, but in a rather rushed manner that clearly glosses over considerable drama and angst.

NYICFF ’26: My Life in Versailles

Violette is a thoroughly modern orphan. Her parents were murdered in a terrorist attack. The film never mentions who the perpetrators were. Maybe it was radical Unitarians. Regardless, Violette is now a ward of the state, but she will live with her Uncle Regis, as per her mother’s wish. He resides in one France’s stateliest homes: Versailles. Technically, he lives in cabin on the grounds, but she will largely have the run of the palace. She warms to it. She might just warm to him too in Clemence Madeleine-Perdrillat & Nathaniel H’limi’s animated feature, My Life in Versailles, the audience spotlight selection of the 2026 New York International Film Festival.

Violette’s parents were not on good terms with Regis, so she is definitely surprised to find herself entrusted to his care. He also smells like cleanser. Regis works as a custodian and maintenance man at Versailles, which his family looks down on. He knows nothing about parenting, but Violette would be tricky for anyone to handle, given her understandable baggage. Not so shockingly, she frequently runs away from home, back to her old flat in Paris. Yet, she eventually finds herself trying to convince the busybody social worker to allow her to stay.

Regis’s co-worker Olga also looks out for Violette. Even the ghost of Louis X1V isn’t so bad once she gets to know him. However, she still has a lot of grieving and healing to do. She also starts to understand Regis has a lot to work through, as well. In fact, she eventually understands him better than her parents or grandparents ever did.

Madeleine-Perdrillat’s screenplay is episodic but gently endearing. It also fully capitalizes on the romantic Versailles setting, exploring the palace’s secret passages and underground tunnels. The animation deliberately evokes the style of children’s book illustrations, but many of the richly detailed Versailles interiors are truly eye-popping.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, on Cartoon Network

Batman has many nicknames: the Caped Crusader, Dark Knight, and World’s Greatest Detective. Mystery Incorporated also has a few: the Scooby Gang and those “meddling kids.” Frankly, Batman kind of likes the last one. They get along fairly well—maybe because this isn’t their first meeting. The characters had crossover team-ups in “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and “The Caped Crusader Caper,” two installments of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, which was really just another Scooby TV series, even though it pretended its episodes were movies. Their most recent on-screen collaboration really is a movie—that even had a theatrical premiere before releasing direct-to-DVD. Having laid the groundwork for the Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries comic book that launched in 2021 (and still regularly revives with special issues), Jake Castorna’s Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold airs this coming Saturday on the Cartoon Network.

Mystery Incorporated’s unmasking successes finally convinced Batman to recruit them for the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City. They simply had to pass a test he arranged with the help of Martian Manhunter and Detective Chimp. Honestly, the real mystery is why Warner Animation hasn’t used Detective Chimp more often. (His guest appearance in Wonder Woman #16 was a delight.) Then, they gang also must sleuth their way to the meeting, where they also meet the Question, Plastic Man, and Black Canary. As it happens, Fred Jones is totally gob smacked by her, which should put to rest a lot of rumors. For the record, the ascot does not help his cause.

Naturally, they want to help solve Batman’s only unsolved case, which coincidentally might be related to Gotham’s latest break-in. It seems the spectral Crimson Cloak’s theft of radioactive isotopes might be related to the unstable teleportation device from Batman’s notoriously open case. It turns out he saved the wrong lab assistant. The innocent one remains missing in the ether, but the other has been remanded to Arkham Asylum, under the name The Riddler. So off to Arkham they go, even though bad things always happen there.

Obviously, there are a lot of jokes in Scooby: The Brave and the Bold. It is a Scooby-Doo movie. However, it features the voices of Diedrich Bader and horror legend Jeffrey Combs as Batman and the Question, neither of whom get the credit they deserve for their DC animated work. Indeed, Bader’s Batman hits the right sardonic notes, indicating he is in on the jokes, at least to the extent he is constitutionally capable of acknowledging humor.

Arguably, the one character who suffers from Paul Giacoppo’s screenplay treatment is Aquaman, who comes off looking and sounding like a clumsy, obtuse meathead. Plastic Man is the same Plastic Man from the 1979 Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show. On the other hand, Black Canary and the Question should have seen their fandom stock rise from their appearances in this film.

NYICFF ’26: The Scarecrows’ Wedding (short)

Who needs a brain, if you’ve already found the one? Harry O’Hay and Betty O’Barley are perfect for each other, but he could lose her, because he is a little slow—in more ways than one. Hopefully the titular ceremony still happens in Samantha Cutler & Jeroen Jaspaert’s animated short, The Scarecrows’ Wedding, the latest BBC & Magic Light Pictures adaptation of a Julia Donaldson children’s book, which screens as part of the Shorts for Tots block at the 2026 New York International Children’s Film Festival.

It used to just be O’Barley in the field, but it attracted more crows than she could shoo, so the farmer added O’Hay. They immediately make a good team. Soon, they also discovered they make a good couple. Despite his shyness, O’Hay proposes and she accepts. Of course, even in a field, a wedding requires a lot of preparation, but unfortunately, O’Hay mistakenly accepts help from some of the lowest animals in the local ecosystem.

His long absence starts to alarm O’Barley, especially when the farmer replaces him with Reginald Rake, a smarmy ladies’ man scarecrow. O’Barley can tell he is bad news, but he keeps hitting on her, in less and less charming ways.

Rob Brydon has been a mainstay of the Magic Light Pictures Donaldson adaptations. In this case, he sounds hilariously sleazy as Rake. He gives this short film the infusion of personality its lead voices, the blandly vanilla Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleason can’t supply.

Animation First ’26: The Songbirds’ Secret

Lucie Feart’s mother Caro is an archaeologist, but she is no Indiana Jones. Lucie is definitely the adventurous one. It is a close call, but Lucie is probably also the more responsible one. Obviously, that is not exactly ideal, but it makes it easy for viewers to identify with her when Antoine Lanciaux’s The Songbirds’ Secret screens at the 2026 Animation First festival.

During WWII, the National Socialists murdered Bectoile’s local lord and his family, because of his resistance sympathies. They burned the chateau to the ground, but there was never a clear body count. In the present day, Lucie must spend the summer in Bectoile while Caro and her colleague excavate the chateau, hoping to find the secret crypt (and the treasure legend says lies within).

Although she misses her father (with whom Caro appears to be ambiguously separated), Lucie is relatively okay with the arrangement. It helps having her loyal dog Madrin. She also befriends Yann, the grandson of their farmer-landlords. He clearly has a bit of thing for her, so he agrees to help when she starts investigating the town’s mysteries. Sadly, Bectoile had its share of tragedies. Notably, the local mill also burned down several decades after the chateau was razed. Frankly, it affected her family far more than Lucie initially understood.

Songbirds’ Secret is a gentle but lively film, but the title is a bit misleading. A pair of songbirds periodically point Lucie towards the truth, but big, shaggy Madrin and an injured baby badger play much larger roles—with good reason. Lovable Madrin and the badger cub are way cuter than a pair of Eurasian Blue somethings (can you really use their full species names in a family film? Apparently, you can in France).

Animation First ’26: Sisowath Quay (short)

Feeling tired? Notice strange marks on your neck? Young Nakry is experiencing such symptoms. If you’re wondering why, you haven’t seen many horror movies. In this case, French filmmakers Stephanie Lansaque & Francois Leroy take inspiration from Cambodian folk horror legends in the animated short film, Sisowath Quay, which screens Wednesday as part of the Dark After Dark shorts block at L’Alliance New York’s 2026 Animation First festival.

Like many young women, Nakry plans to meet her lover, Sothear, at th popular rendezvous spot, Sisowath Quay. However, the fortune-teller known as “the Witch” can tell something is wrong, because she really does have the shine. She tries to help Sothear, but he is too skeptical and Nakry is too far gone.

Lansaque and Leroy make a familiar horror encounter look fresh, by translating it into a Cambodian context. In fact, they give undead monsters a distinctive new spin by associating the undead Ahp with the pollution infecting the stagnant Quay waters. Consequently, there is a heightened sense of tragedy, because the horror that unfolds was largely a product of the city’s corruption and indifference.

Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo!, on Cartoon Network

The nice thing about media mergers is that it makes it so much easier to produce franchise crossovers. For instance, a major DC super-villain appears in this Warner-produced Scooby-Doo movie—and it isn’t even a major call-out on the key art. If Paramount bought Warners, they could team-up Nickelodeon characters with DC and Hanna-Barbera favorites. Regardless, Mystery Incorporated manages to trap Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow, but that is only the start of their troubles in Maxwell Atoms’ Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo!, which airs tomorrow on the Cartoon Network.

The Scarecrow escaped from Arkham again, which is generally very bad news. However, once trapped, he insists he had nothing to do with the drone attack, even though they were armed with his fear toxin. Something about the way Crane protests his innocence unsettles Velma, but she takes the bows in front of the media anyway. Scooby and Shaggy go off trick-or-treating to celebrate, but nobody initially believes them when they return to warn Crystal Cove the combination of Crane’s serum and leaked toxic waste has created an army of mutant pumpkins.

The gang must admit they were wrong to doubt when the pumpkins attack the Halloween revelers on Main Street. Soon, Mystery Incorporated and the Halloween parade grand marshal, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, flee the mutant pumpkins in extended chase scene that nearly constitutes one third of the film.

The Scarecrow (voiced by Dwight Shultz) and Elvira (naturally portrayed by her real-life alter-ego, Cassandra Peterson) are welcome guest stars and co-conspirators in this Scooby misadventure. However, the gags involving Bill Nye the Bachelor of Science Guy fall pretty flat. Since the Mystery Machine suffers damage from the first act drone, Nye supplies a high-tech replacement that comes with his own annoying hologram.

Chill Out, Scooby-Doo, on Cartoon Network

You might think Casey Kasem was from Shangra-La, considering the voice-over artist dubbed that “meddling kid,” Shaggy Rogers well into his eighties. Unfortunately, time catches up to even the eternally youthful. Although Kasem once again performed as Shaggy in this feature, it was animation legend Josph Barbera’s final Scooby project. It was also dedicated to the memory of late Disney and Hanna-Barbera animator Iwao Takamoto, a longtime contributor to the Scooby franchise. Scooby and Shaggy have outlived them all, presumably thanks to diet and exercise (all that running from monsters). They get another workout (this time at high altitude) in Joe Sichta’s Chill Out, Scooby Doo, which airs on the Cartoon Network.

Fred, Daphne, and Velma thought they were meeting Scooby and Shaggy in Paris for a well-earned vacation. Instead, Rogers and our favorite Great Dane are lured to the Himalayas by cryptid-hunter Alphonse LeFleur, by the promise of an all-you-can-eat flight. He intends to use the duo as bait for the Yeti.

Fortunately, Scooby and Shaggy quickly ditch LaFleur, reconnecting with an old friend, cryptozoologist Del Chillman, who now happens to be the local DJ, even though he only has one regular listener, Minga, the sister of Pemba the sherpa. Unfortunately, Pemba’s latest client is clearly up to no good. Professor Jeffries hopes to plunder the crystals of Shangra-La, right under the nose of the High Lama. There is also the Yeti, who clearly enjoys chasing Scooby and Shaggy. In fact, he pursues them right into Shangra-La.

As straight-to-DVD features go, Chill Out really plays like an extended episode of the various Mystery Incorporated series. Even by the franchise standards, the humor is shamelessly goofy and logic immediately goes out the window. For instance, the rest of the meddling kids manage to drive their van from Paris to Himalayas, within the first act.

David, from Angel Studios

His heroism and humanity inspired diverse artists and creators, including Michelangelo, Donatello, Caravaggio, Madeleine L’Engle, Joseph Heller, Darius Mihaud, and Lionel Hampton. He was also Jewish. In fact, he was King of Israel long before the notion of Palestine existed. Some consider him a national origin myth, like King Arthur, but the idea of King David dated back to Biblical times. Yet, according to history/legend, King David wasn’t just common-born. The young shepherd has become the ultimate symbol for all ultra-longshot underdog victories. Of course, it required faith, as is fittingly emphasized in Phil Cunningham & Brent Dawes’ animated feature David, released by Angel Studios, which opens Friday in theaters.

As the young shepherd protects his flock from a lion, David’s story almost ends before it begins. Yet, his faith preserves him. That is quite “providential,” because when David returns home, he finds the Prophet Samuel waiting to anoint him the successor to King Saul. Rather ominously, Saul is not inclined to willingly relinquish power—quite the contrary. Consequently, David’s parents fear the worst when Saul’s soldiers escort David to the palace.

However, David’s presence was “requested” to sing and play lyre as one of the terrified musicians summoned to calm the King’s tempestuous spirit. Once again, the underdog prevails, endearing himself somewhat to the King and forming a close bond with the presumed royal heir, Jonathan. Young David’s resulting proximity to power allows him to volunteer to face the giant Goliath. While others fear the colossal Philistine, David has faith that the Almighty will protect his chosen people (and if not, death will probably be preferable to life as slaves to the imperialistic Philistines).

Hopefully, even Ivy League heathens know how that battle ended. However, there is still the awkward business of Samuel’s prophecy. The Philistines won’t give up their dreams of conquest either. Plus, the Amalekites always lurk in the shadows.

This is a banner year for Biblical animation, because the previously released The King of Kings (also from Angel Studios) and Book of Joshua: The Walls of Jericho were both quite good. The 3D-CGI character design for David sometimes looks a little clunky but the backgrounds and architectural renderings often capture an appropriate sense of grandeur. This will very much resemble the Holy Land of many viewers’ imaginations.

Cunningham and Dawes nicely express young David’s youthful exuberance without overwhelming the film with silly slapstick. They also maintain a brisk pace covering the David’s childhood up through the encounter at Ein Gedi quite thoroughly, but use considerable license to abbreviate subsequent events. Still, this animated David is much more theologically sound than the ill-fated Richard Gere movie.