An entertaining Elseworld's tale.
Summary
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires has some truly hateful villains but it takes too long for Batman to show up in costume. It earns its R-rating though with some bloody fight scenes and the use of Danny Elfman’s classic theme is a welcome addition.
Plot: A young Aztec boy experiences tragedy when his father is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger.
Review: I’m not usually a big animated movie or comic book guy, but I’ve enjoyed some of DC’s animated fare, and I thought Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires looked interesting.
The Elseworld’s stories can be hit or miss but I like seeing different interpretations of classic DC characters.
I blind bought the Blu-ray of this in Walmart the other day as I loved the idea of an R-rated Batman tale set during the Aztec era. It incorporates some aspects of real history while also keeping things fantastical with several imaginative ideas, although some work better than others.
Aztec Batman tells the story of a young Aztec boy called Yohualli who escapes to Tenochtitlán after his father is murdered by Spanish conquistadors. There, he trains in the temple of the bat god Tzinacan, and develops weaponry to avenge his father’s death. Along the way, he encounters familiar figures like Jaguar Woman and the conquistador Hernán Cortés.
The idea of Cortés (Álvaro Morte) essentially becoming Two-Face was awesome and Yoka as The Joker sort of worked. I did think he transformed into the Clown Prince a little too quickly and was ultimately underused. Watching the movie in Spanish is the way to do it mostly because everything just sounds better in Spanish.
I don’t love the animation style, but it did the job. The highlight for me was the music which had some awesome tribal drums while also incorporating hints of Danny Elfman’s iconic Batman theme.
Like Batman Ninja this takes place in another era and could really just be any vigilante rising up against oppressors. It does take a little too long for us to see Batman in full costume and the fact the Cortés storyline doesn’t get wrapped up is frustrating as we know they are laying the groundwork for a sequel. I miss the days when a movie would just have a beginning, middle and end without having to prepare for more later.
On the action front this earns its R-rating with plenty of blood and fight scenes; there isn’t anything too graphic, so if I had kids, I’d probably let them watch it while they drink their daily shot of whiskey.
Overall, Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires has some cool ideas and an awesome music score; I like it having an R-rating with some bloody action scenes, but the main story doesn’t get proper closure leaving things open for the inevitable sequel. This is still an entertaining watch even if it’s just a once off.