Bat-Fam, on Prime Video

Most DC fans think of the “Bat Family” as Batman, the other Bat heroes, like Batgirl, and the current and former Robins, including Nightwing and the Red Hood. However, this Bat-Fam consists of more literal family ties that make for a much stranger family unit. Even the ghost of super-villain Ra’s Al Ghul now inhabits stately Wayne Manor, watching over his bratty grandson, Damian Wayne, a.k.a. “Little Batman.” Set in the world of Merry Little Batman, this Batman makes the Westverse look like Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The Dark Knight isn’t so dark anymore, but parenthood often makes him much more stressed out in showrunner Mike Roth’s ten-episode animated series Bat-Fam, which premieres today on Prime Video.

In many of the comic storylines, Damian is indeed the son of Bruce Wayne and reformed super-villainess Talia al-Ghul. In Bat-Fam, Batman gave the ghost of his old nemesis Ra’s permission to haunt Wayne Manor, for reasons that now escape him. Perhaps even more bizarre to longtime comic readers, former super-villain turned anti-hero Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a. Man-Bat, also crashes with the Waynes, basically living the life of Reilly. As the series opens, yet another “family-member” is about to move in.

Alicia Pennyworth, Alfred’s niece and Wayne’s childhood friend, has returned to Gotham. The Waynes are delighted to have her company, but they are leery of her new gig as the chief social worker for E*vil, a halfway house for reformed supervillains. Indeed, Little Batman’s skepticism will get him into some big trouble.

To make matters even more complicated, Wayne is still struggling with his foster-father arrangement with Claire Seiton. She was once the super-villainess Volcana, but when her associates betrayed her, Batman could only save her by immersing her in the Lazarus Pits. Awkwardly, she came out rejuvenated as a moody goth 12-year-old, with only fragmentary memories of her life of crime. Instead of dropping her off at Gotham Academy like Olive Silverstock in the comics named for her elite boarding school, Bruce Wayne takes Seiton in as his newest ward. He likes having his wards, doesn’t he?

Regardless, Bat-Fam is goofy even by the standards of the 1966 TV series. Obviously, there is precedent for this approach, but Bat-Fam often feels more like an animated sitcom than a proper DC series. Arguably, it is a little too chaotic and too prone to kvetching. Yet, some of the better episodes focus on the relationship between Damian and Claire, who really come to think of themselves as siblings. On the other hand, Alicia Pennyworth’s woke restorative justice lectures quickly grow nauseating.

In contrast, Langstrom/Man-Bat is often rather amusing as the source of random out-of-left-field humor. However, this incarnation of Ra’s al-Ghul looks and sounds more like a Bela Lugosi-inspired vampire than the mystically-empowered near-immortal super-villain of the comics and films.

Merry Little Batman, on Prime

Cops work on Christmas and so does the MTA, so superheroes should too. However, Batman doesn’t think he has to anymore, because he supposedly eradicated all crime from Gotham. It was all for the sake of his young son Damian, whom Bruce Wayne hopes will eventually succeed him as Batman. In the meantime, he is an over-protective parent, but somehow, he is still tricked into leaving Damian “home alone” in Mike Roth’s animated feature, Merry Little Batman, which premieres tomorrow on Prime Video.

Admittedly, Damian’s parentage and origins are a little complicated. Wayne is his father and super-villainess Talia al-Ghul is his mother, but screenwriters Morgan Evans, Etan Cohen, and Jase Ricci do not dwell on his demonic backstory. Instead, he is a bratty kid with superhero dreams. He cannot wait to start fighting crime alongside his father, especially when he receives his first utility belt as a Christmas present.

Unfortunately, Damian will be spending Christmas Eve alone when Dr. Freeze fakes a distress call from the Justice League luring Batman to the Arctic. For a while, Damian (a.k.a. “Little Batman”) gets to act like Macaulay Culkin, giving a pair of burglars holy heck. Nevertheless, they manage to get away with one treasured item, Damian’s new utility belt, so the young wannabe superhero tracks them back to their hideout. Initially, their boss, the Joker, is rather disappointed in his thieves’ performance, but when he realizes who Damian really is, he improvises a fiendish scheme to exploit the lad’s naïve enthusiasm. Just like the Grinch, the Joker is going to steal Christmas.

The truth is the best recent superhero movies have been produced by DC Animated, because they have not been afraid to venture outside the recognized “canon.” The alternate history Superman: Red Son, the Lovecraftian Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham, and the Chanbara-inspired Batman Ninja were way more interesting and quite a bit more fun than any of the recent live-action movies from either Marvel or DC. Seeing familiar characters in radically different contexts really keeps the superhero genre fresh.

Merry Little Batman somewhat follows in this tradition, but it was clearly conceived for an even younger audience. Most adults will consider Damian the Hellion his name might suggest. Nevertheless, when he finally faces the consequences of his actions, it is pretty dramatic. This is also a more comedic Batman, voiced by Luke Wilson, than many fans are used to. Yet, the father-son dynamic is endearing.

Wilson’s Batman might be contentious within the DC fanbase, but they all should dig how gleefully evil David Hornsby (of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) sounds as the Joker. He definitely enjoys his super-villainy, so viewers will too. James Cromwell also brings a lot of warmth and dignity as Alfred Pennyworth.

Fingernails, on Apple TV+

If you broke up with someone because “science” told you to, you’d deserve to be unhappy—and people would. In fact, that happens all the time in this near-near-future world. Supposedly, science can conclusively determine whether you and your mate are truly in love. You just need to give up a good part of a fingernail for the testing process. The nails will grow back, but the broken hearts are another story. Anna and Ryan are two of the lucky ones. At least they were until she starts working with Amir at a love institute that coaches couples to strengthen their “love bond.” The film stacks the deck in favor of Amir and against Ryan, but apparently it won’t matter if the latter still has science on his side in Christos Nikou’s Fingernails, which premieres today on Apple TV+.

There only three possible tests results: 0%, 100%, and the dreaded 50%, meaning one and one is not. As a new hire, Anna will shadow Amir as he guides couples through love-building exercises before they take the test. Honestly, just being willing to do their silly activities ought to be sufficient proof of love, but then they wouldn’t have these ridiculous jobs. As it happens, Anna has not yet leveled with Ryan about her new job. Instead, she lied, claiming she landed another gig teaching rug rats. Obviously, we can tell she feels insecure about the strength of their relationship, despite the test result they have vouching for it.

Fingernails is a bit like Jac Schaeffer’s TiMER, which allows annoying Millennials to blame science for their own inability to develop personal relationships. Maybe they should stop protesting on behalf of terrorists and go out on a few dates instead. Just an idea. Regardless, it seems ludicrous that everyone would put so much stock in this fingernail test, when it so obviously breaks up perfectly happy couples. That includes Duncan, the clinic director, nicely played with quiet sadness by Luke Wilson.

Miranda’s Victim: The Crime Behind the Landmark Ruling

There is a reason you have not seen dozens of earnest documentaries and melodramatic TV movies about the case that gave rise to the Miranda Warning. The real-life events did not fit the preferred media “narrative.” The titular Ernesto Miranda was not found innocent of kidnapping and raping the woman referred to as “Trish Weir” in this film. The Supreme Court only annulled his trial, allowing Arizona to re-try him without the excluded confession. Of course, reliving the trial experience was a painful ordeal for his victim. Director Michelle Danner finally presents the Miranda case from her perspective in Michelle Danner’s Miranda’s Victim, which releases today in theaters and on-demand.

As viewers will see only too clearly, in 1963, the horror of a rape continued for victims when they tried reporting it to a doctor and the police. That is why Weir’s mother Zeola keeps telling her to forget it and move on with her life. Although never explicitly established, it is implied Mother Zeola endured something similar earlier in life, but her maternal instincts are still clearly flawed. Regardless, Weir gets crucial support from her sister and brother.

The latter even gets a partial plate number for a car matching Weir’s description, returning to the scene of the crime. With that, Det. Carroll Cooley tracked down Miranda. For the era, Cooley was reasonably respectful of Weir. He was also relatively restrained in his interrogation of Miranda, but he obviously did not Mirandize him.

Unfortunately, Miranda was the perfect test case for the ACLU and hotshot attorney John J. Flynn. In a scene guaranteed to cause consternation, Maricopa County prosecutor Lawrence Turoff reaches out to Flynn, hoping he will reconsider the Miranda case, asking “What about Miranda’s victim.” In the film, Flynn replies: “Lawrence, I really don’t care.”

Of course, Weir will have to endure another grilling from Flynn when Turoff re-tries Miranda. Danner and screenwriters George Kolber, Richard Lasser, and J. Craig Stiles are more interested in giving a voice to sexual assault victims than re-litigating the Miranda Warning ruling. Yet, it is hard to think of a sexual assault victim more silenced and marginalized than her, considering the ruling that bears her assailant’s name is regularly celebrated as a progressive victory.

This story will be new to a lot of viewers, but despite some unnecessary flashbacks, Kolber and company do a nice job explaining the circumstances of the investigation and subsequent court cases. Throughout it all, they squarely focus on Weir and the ways she was repeatedly victimized by this case. Danner’s approach as a filmmaker is always sensitive and respectful, but also conventional and decidedly not flashy, which was probably for the best.

Abigail Breslin is incredible as Weir. It is an emotionally devastating performance that is never cliched. She ought to have a place in the awards chatter, but she won’t. Mireille Enos ultimately makes her mother a very sad figure. Luke Wilson and Enrique Murciano are solid as Weir’s allies, Turoff and Cooley, but they are nowhere near Breslin’s level.

The Best Man, Starring Dolph Lundgren

What the Stanley Hotel is to horror, the Inn of the Mountain Gods now is to VOD action movies. The resort has spectacular views, an indoor pool, and a casino (since it is on Apache-governed land). It would be a great place for Brook and Cal’s wedding, if it were not for the armed, hostage-taking party-crashers in Shane Dax Taylor’s The Best Man, which releases this Friday on demand and in theaters.

Cal and Brook did not exactly meet-cute. He was part of the team of special operators hired to rescue her from terrorist kidnappers. They got her safely back home, but at the cost of several comrades. Cal had not seen Bradley or Anders since the team broke up, but they both come to show their support during the wedding. Bradley even agrees to be the best man. As a result, he finds himself paired up with Brook’s somewhat forward sister and maid-of-honor, Hailey, which he does not mind at all. That gives Bradley an extra added motivation to fight Axel’s gang of mercenaries, when they start rounding up the bride’s family.

So, yes, this is basically Die Hard in a resort, during a wedding, but why shouldn’t it be? Especially since Dolph Lundgren plays Anders. It is a good setting, with at least a handful of interesting characters. Weirdly, that does not include any of the villains, who are all quite cardboard and forgettable.

However, Lundgren does a nice job as Anders, projecting a heaviness reflective of his character’s grizzled maturity and checkered history. Likewise, as Hailey, Scout Taylor-Compton injects more energy and attitude than viewers usually find in formulaic Die Hard rip-offs. Luke Wilson largely squanders his “action debut” as Cal, which is a shame, since it is impossible to resist comparing The Best Man to his brother Owen’s comedy hit, Wedding Crashers. However, Chris Mullinax makes quite a memorably drunken mess as Chuck, the father of the bride.

Egoyan’s Guest of Honour

Jim loved international cuisine, but he was not very Bourdain-like in his adventurousness. In fact, he closed many restaurants as a picky food inspector. His daughter Veronica thought it was an odd choice for a second career, but she did not understand her father, the former restauranteur very well—and vice versa. However, she will start to learn the truth as she prepares for his funeral in Atom Egoyan’s Guest of Honour (note the Canadian “u” in “honour”), which opens virtually today for the New York market.

Initially, neither Father Greg or Veronica understand why Jim requested a memorial service in his church, but he is more than willing to oblige. He asks Veronica to tell him something about her father and hence the film unfolds in flashbacks. It seems she always blamed him for committing an unforgivable sin during her youth, but the circumstances might be more complex than she realized. Tragically, her anger led to her own moral infractions. However, she would be punished for a crime she did not commit: alleged sexual improprieties with members of the high school concert band she formerly led.

Slowly, Egoyan and Father Greg will unravel the truth. The latter is a small but pivotal role, played with unexpected sensitivity by Luke Wilson. In fact, Father Greg is one of the most humanistic and redemptive priests portrayed in English language cinema since who knows what? Of course, titular guest is the center of attention and David Thewlis does some of his best work since the once under-appreciated The Lady (responses to which will now be complicated by subsequent developments in Burma). He is a conflicted and contradictory figure, but Thewlis fully conveys his pathos. Likewise, Laysla De Olivera is equally confounding as Veronica, eliciting sympathy and frustration in equal measure.

Outlaws and Angels: Putting the “Sad” in Saddles

If you are wearing chaps and spurs, you’re probably prepared for a tale of how the West was completely inappropriate. Leering George Tildon regularly enjoys pervy rub-downs from his fifteen-year-old daughter Florence, because that is the “frontier way.” Of course, he is also a preacher. Why pass up the opportunity for a cheap shot like that? Rather understandably, the Lolita-esque Florence’s loyalties will be divided when a gang of sweaty bank-robbers invade their home in JT Mollner’s Outlaws and Angels (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Henry the ringleader is one cool customer, but the gang’s latest bank job does not exactly go down with tick-tock precision. They make away with the cash, but they leave behind two dead gang-member on the trail. Having killed a lawman and a “popular” woman around town, they are guaranteed to have the posse out for their scalps, but nobody will be more dogged than bounty hunter Josiah. He travels so light, he doesn’t even carry a surname. Josiah is even hardnosed enough to follow them into a punishingly arid stretch of land only the antisocial Tildons would be masochistic enough to live on.

Poor Flo is creeped out by her father, relentlessly bullied by her grown sister Charlotte, and generally put-off by her mother’s hypocritical uber-piety. When Henry, the dumb one, and the psycho-sadistic one take her family hostage, it represents a significant improvement in her life, even though things immediately get rapey. O and A probably spends more time threatening sexual assault than any other film you will see this year. Fortunately, there is an immediate mutual attraction shared by Florence and Henry, whose word supersedes the rest of the gang.

Gosh, this is an unpleasant film. Frankly, it is hard to imagine what Mollner envisioned to be the fun parts. That is a shame, because the film wastes a sinisterly charismatic against-type performance from Chad Michael Murray as Henry. He is one bad cat, but the rest of the gang are paint-by-numbers stock characters. Owen Wilson also stretches his range a bit as the ethically elastic Josiah, with generally positive results. If Ben Browder is deliberately going with cringes as old man Tildon than he succeeds swimmingly. However, Francesca Eastwood (yes, those Eastwoods) always looks like she is trying to double Amanda Seyfried. Even though Mollner unsubtly stacks the deck against the Tildons, she never convincingly sells Florence’s betrayals.

Why on earth did Mollner make a western when he clearly hates the genre and everything it represents? Revisionist westerns are one thing, but O and A is absolutely self-loathing. By the way, if there is a connection to the Willie Nelson album of the same title, you apparently need to be a fan to catch it. Wildly problematic, Outlaws and Angels is not recommended when it opens this Friday (7/15) in New York, at the Cinema Village.