Review of Batman Soul of the Dragon
midlandsmovies • February 26, 2021
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021) Dir. Sam Liu
Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment present Batman: Soul of the Dragon, the latest stand-alone release from the DC animated universe.
Set during the 1970's, this unique take on Batman's origins see him as part of an ensemble of heroes who try to stop a power hungry millionaire from realising his dream to become a vessel for an other wordly demon named
Naga.
The tone is set pretty early on, as you can imagine with the time period and the title of the film, it boasts a not so subtle 70's funk/kung fu feel alongside elements of blaxploitation.
Soul of the Dragon starts with Richard Dragon (voiced by Mark Dacascos) as he infiltrates millionaire cult leader Jeffrey Burr's lair, looking for evidence pertaining to “The Gate”.
What follows is a bone crunching exercise in martial arts as he escapes, this opening is very reminiscent of the Roger Moore era of 70's Bond films as it is a pre-titles sequence and very light hearted in approach.
Richard then travels to Gotham to consult with Bruce Wayne, we discover that they are old friends and both are former students of O-Sensei (voice by James Hong) who trained them in the martial arts in his monastery high in the Himalayan mountains years before.
Sam Liu, the director employs a non-linear way of storytelling as the film switches from Bruce's arrival at O-Sensei's monastery to the present day where himself and the team are trying to thwart villain Burr's plans.
The plot takes a back seat here, instead the focus is on the urgent, action set pieces and the reformation of the students that had studied in the mountains alongside Bruce and Richard. After their training had ended it, the team had drifted and followed their own path, in Bruce's case he has become Batman, a symbol to help fight crime in Gotham.
We meet Shiva (voiced by Kelly Hu) and Ben Turner (voiced by Michael Jai White), who are arguably the most interesting characters of the film.
Shiva had the most potential, and is portrayed via flashback as a level headed, kind woman. It's a surprise to see she has turned into Gotham Chinatown's intimidating crime lord. Whilst Ben Turner has the opposite experience, he is introduced initially as a tough thug who uses his strength to domineer others, when he rejoins his friends we see he has mellowed and spent the last few years tracking Kobra on his own.
The audience are teased for most of the film over what exactly “The Gate” is and why this terrorist organisation Kobra want it. I can gladly say the pay off is fulfilling and whilst the ending is left ambiguously open, it is satisfactory.
Written by Jeremy Adams, Soul of the Dragon suffers from a clear lack of well, Batman. Even out of costume Bruce Wayne is reduced to being an observer to the proceedings, with Richard Dragon being the focus here. Whilst some may be disappointed in the absence of Batman, it does give great characters like Shiva and Ben Turner a chance to shine.
Before watching this, my only experience with animated Batman films was 1993's Mask of the Phantasm, however Soul of the Dragon is not in the same category. Rated with a 15 certification, this is a mature outing for Batman and his fellow heroes, in the first act alone a sex worker is killed in a sinister, merciless way and the bloody bodies of fighters are strewn across the screen.
Overall, whilst this is a “Batman” film, it is a team effort. The voice acting is fantastic, the animation is nostalgic and pure, and the action is captured and paced well. Although this latest offering from the DC animated universe is my first, it will most definitely not be the last.
Guy Russell
Twitter @BudGuyer
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