Even though The Batman was the first ever Batman cartoon to introduce me the Batman and some of the DC universes as I have stated in my review for The Batman. I actually had no idea there was an animated movie of the series as well. I saw this movie in 2015 over my summer holidays and I have to say it was a really awesome movie and it was noticeably darker than the actual show itself.I even have to say Peter Stormare and Tara Stong never voiced on the actual show did well with their characters and they would have been good additions to the show and we could have seen more of Bruce's relationship with Vicki Vale.

And this is not anything to do with not liking Batman. I happen to love Batman, right from the 60s series(camp but compulsively colourful fun) to the animated DC movies with Batman:The Animated Series being the real jewel in the crown. This said, I happen to not be a fan of the The Batman show. It is not a terrible show, it has its good moments, but I do prefer more darkness and Gothic pathos when it comes to Batman and there are elements that take some getting used to. I happen to think The Batman vs. Dracula is much better. It is not perfect, Joker's character design like the show does take a lot of getting used to, in all honesty I never really warmed to it, and Peter Stormare while voicing Dracula with just the right smooth menace has an accent that is very inconsistent. However, the animation is really great, much smoother than the show's and has much more atmosphere. There is also a haunting music score, smart intelligent writing that has a much mature tone than the show and some exciting action sequences, though there perhaps could have been more. The story is very dark and compelling, with some both intense and moving moments and perfectly paced. I would have liked to have seen the Vampyric lore element further explored but that wasn't enough to harm the story. The characters are great, Batman is much darker and more brooding, Penguin as always is great fun, he was a bright spot of the show always, and Joker is more menacing and twisted than ever before. Dracula in design may be more Ras Al'Ghul than Dracula, but is still a more than worthy adversary to Batman. The voice acting is very good too, Rino Romano sounds more comfortable and brooding, Tara Strong is a likable Vicki Vale. Tom Kenny voices Penguin with great enthusiasm without ever overdoing it while Kevin Michael Richardson's voice for Joker is in keeping with the character's more twisted personality here, it didn't work in the show for me because that psyche wasn't really explored. All in all, a very good movie and much better than The Batman show. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Although it is rather serious in tone and deals with vampires and the undead, The Batman vs Dracula just seems to childish and too cartoony to be really effective. The color pallet is suitably drab and washed out and it does have a decent amount of atmosphere but I can't help but think that it could have been better if it just didn't seem toned down.I prefer the 90s series of Batman, which had an overwhelming amount of darkness and Gothic pathos. This new THE Batman series appears to be reconfigured to appeal to kids who weren't even born in that decade. I know it's a cliché to moan that animated shows were always better when my age-group were kids, but it's so true.The Penguin and The Joker (now looking like a cross between Krusty the Clown and The Predator) escape from Arkham (there's something new) and make their way to a hidden treasure trove in the cemetery. But the bird stumbles upon Dracula's tomb (why he is in Gotham is not explained) and resurrects him by accident.But The Batman doesn't approve of a Vampireman stalking his streets and a drawn-out conflict with a predictable and hokey ending fills up the rest of the movie. It's fun, it's entertaining, but it's just not the Batman I'm used to.

Overall a really good flick. much better than dini's later efforts for Batman direct to video movies. First of all, Vicki Vale IS a redhead contrary to what the other user posted, she was turned blonde by Hollywood, but DC comics the original character was a redhead. Secondly Batman did use his head, he knows his strengths and he knows ho to goad his enemies into doing what he wants them too, Bruce put his body on the line to get Dracula into the position he needed him in, He had to go hand to hand again, to save Vicki and the citizens, also he had the sense to give Alfred his position so that he could ready that sun machine - it was strategy, just like chess sometimes you have to sacrifice valuable pieces for the ultimate victory. One thing i really liked is we finally (in this incarnation of batman) got to see the scientist behind the bat. I love the animation in this as well, the fight scenes are choreographed and animated superbly, it's still not as complex as Batman TAS overall - but if they keep doing DTV movies with more mature themes I think they will easily have some classics on their hands, this movie was fun a little corny, but all super-heroics are, but overall very fun to watch.