AllMovie

Despite its seemingly cheesy premise, Batman vs. Dracula continues the Dark Knight's fine legacy in animated films, this time based on the hyper-stylized 2004 series The Batman. The mythology surrounding the meeting of these two characters goes back decades in the comics, so the idea of the costumed hero going head-to-head with the King of Vampires isn't as out there as it might sound. What is surprising is the dark nature of the film, which might end up scaring the little youngsters, but should play to adolescents and the character's older fan base brilliantly. Realized with the same graphic line drawing look that made the series stand out, Batman vs. Dracula is a bright, pop-art lover's dream soaked in the same kind of deep shadows that populate much of artist Mike Mignola's work. Plot-wise, it's a grab bag of mixed ideas, but the action is grandiose, as is the atmosphere created in such fantastic scenes as the one in the blood bank. So, while it may seem to be a stretch for good old Drac to end up buried underneath Gotham's graveyard, the premise makes for a rip-roaring tale of horrific proportions that doesn't often get to be told in the confines of kiddie-friendly entertainment.