The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) – Review

In the crowded world of Batman adaptations, The Batman vs. Dracula stakes (pun intended) its claim as one of the more bizarre, yet surprisingly effective, entries. Released in 2005 and spun off from The Batman animated series, this direct-to-video movie takes the Dark Knight into full-on horror territory — and it works way better than you might expect.

The premise is gloriously pulpy: The Joker (Kevin Michael Richardson) and the Penguin (Tom Kenny) break out of Arkham – the place does seem to have an open-door policy – with the intent of finding money presumably hidden in a crypt at Gotham Cemetery, but instead of riches, the Penguin accidentally awakens Count Dracula himself (Peter Stormare), buried beneath Gotham Cemetery. Naturally, Dracula sees Gotham as a fresh new buffet of souls.

This is why I avoid cemeteries as a general rule.

Once revived, Dracula seeks to reclaim his dominion by turning Gotham into his new kingdom of the undead. He hypnotizes Penguin, making him his bumbling human servant, while setting his sights on building a vampire army. Dracula begins feeding on Gotham’s citizens, turning them into his vampiric thralls. As citizens start vanishing (or worse, becoming vampires), it’s up to Batman (Rino Romano) to solve the mystery and stop the ancient evil — all while juggling his daytime identity as Bruce Wayne and maintaining his already shaky relationship with the public, made even more difficult as some witnesses are blaming Batman due to Dracula also wearing a cape. 

As if the GCPD needed any more reasons to hunt Batman.

To make matters worse, Dracula has set his eyes on Vicky Vale (Tara Strong), seeing her as an ideal subject to revive his vampire bride, Carmilla Karnstein. Needless to say, this heightens Batman’s personal stakes in the matter, and he is forced to confront the reality that Dracula is no ordinary villain and it’s up to our Dark Knight to ride to the rescue with not only some nice garlic bombs but some extra pieces of super science to hopefully vanquish this ancient evil. But can even Batman’s scientific mind, brilliant detective skills, and supreme fighting ability stand against such a powerful supernatural foe?

“I’ll use your cape as a dinner napkin.”

Stray Observations:

• The opening credits state that Batman was created by Bob Kane, which not only left out writer Bill Finger as co-creator of Batman but also Bram Stoker as the author of Dracula.
• The elaborate “prison crypt” that held Dracula bears some resemblance to what Tom Cruise found in the 2017 version of The Mummy.
• Upon learning of The Batman, a man dressed as a bat, Dracula is impressed by what his legacy has produced. Lucky for Batman, Dracula didn’t seek out a bloodsucking lawyer to sue the caped crusader for likeness rights.
• Dracula, introducing himself as “Alucard” (“Dracula” spelled backwards), was also used by Lon Chaney, Jr. in the title role in Son of Dracula.
• Dracula’s bride, Carmilla Karnstein, has had several nice film adaptations, such as The Vampire Lovers and Twins of Evil.
• Dracula’s Castle, as seen in the Transylvanian flashback, bears an uncanny resemblance to the castle Dracula calls home throughout the Castlevania television and video game series.

If only the Arkham Asylum video games featured Dracula.

This animated outing is stylish without being too grim, keeping the art deco-meets-anime vibe for which The Batman TV show was known. The action scenes are fluid and creative, especially when Batman has to fend off entire hordes of the undead with a combination of gadgets and sheer grit. The movie also includes several elements from Elseworlds tale Batman & Dracula: Red Rain – an obvious inspiration for this movie – and visually, the film leans into that gothic imagery, with lots of shadowy alleyways, crumbling graveyards, and mist-shrouded streets. We also get a nice nightmare sequence that lets the filmmakers revel in the horror.

This is about as freaky as you can get.

Tonally, the movie finds a sweet spot between superhero action and classic horror. It’s darker than the average animated Batman fare, but still accessible enough for teens, and it actually manages to be unsettling at times, with Dracula depicted as a legitimate threat, not to mention the reanimated undead looking quite creepy. The film also plays well with Batman’s strict no-kill rule — something that becomes quite a dilemma when facing an undead monster. It’s a nice tension point. Of course, not everything works. While Joker gets some fun moments, his inclusion feels more like a studio note to keep familiar villains in play rather than a natural fit for the story.

Did we really need a vampire Joker?

In conclusion, The Batman vs. Dracula is better than it has any right to be. It’s a fun, moody horror-Batman hybrid that delivers thrills, chills, and a solid story in a tight 83 minutes. While it might not hit the emotional highs of Mask of the Phantasm, it’s still a worthy entry in Batman’s animated library, especially if you like your Dark Knight facing down literal monsters.