Last year could almost be considered the year of Superman. With a strong showing in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and two standalone films, Superman: Man of Tomorrow and the Elseworlds tale Superman: Red Son, fans of The Man of Steel had a lot to devour. While we appreciate the love being spread around – honestly, we could use greater diversity in which DC characters get their own films – Batman fans do not like to go too long without a new story from The Dark Knight. Sure, Batman: Death in the Family was a really inventive experience for fans, but it was a bit too brief to fully satiate them. Thankfully it is only January and Batman fans already have something to cheer about with a new Elseworlds tale of their own. Batman: Soul of the Dragon takes us to the narratively fertile time period of the 1970s under the direction of Sam Liu based on an original story from Jeremy Adams. Since the film is not beholden to any previous source material, Soul of the Dragon gets to be as fun and inventive as it wants as it pays homage to the films of the great Bruce Lee. I love a good interconnected universe as much as the next person, but I will never pass up a standalone feature that goes full throttle.
One of the most exciting aspects of Soul of the Dragon is its non-linear approach to storytelling. In the “present day” of the 1970s, we have nightclub owner Bruce Wayne (David Giuntoli, Grimm) who faces the classic struggle of juggling his identity of Bruce Wayne with his hidden Batman persona. This is complicated even further when his old friend Richard Dragon (Mark Dacascos) shows up with trouble not far behind him due to his notoriety for being a nuisance to some very powerful figures. These two go back years to their time training at a secret monastery in Nanda Parbat under the guidance of O-Sensei (James Hong). The time spent in the past is completely necessary to make you care about the events of the future. This is where we meet fellow students such as Lady Shiva (Kelly Hu), Jade (Jamie Chung) and Ben Turner (Michael Jai White), who are treated like the three-dimensional character that they deserve to be. Not only do we see these students struggle with leaving their past behind and learning the right lessons, but we learn of the origins of a serpent god who is not to be taken lightly.
While the 70s setting could have been inserted haphazardly with little regard to what that means for the narrative, the movie actually gives due consideration to how the story and the setting blends. Soul of the Dragon takes its cues from the martial arts and spy movies of the decade. Many of the big-bads were over-the-top or a bit campy, in a good way, and the forces of evil descending upon our heroes fit that bill. The way in which the story uses the events of the past to crash into the future is executed well. The passion that the creatives have for this period of time are readily apparent from the detailed production design to the cleverly crafted costumes. Even the funky music giving life to the film is an essential component to evoking this feeling. There is no hint of irony for the source inspiration; this is a love-letter, not a send-up. Much of the appeal of watching Enter the Dragon and its ilk was seeing our hero unleash the full might of their martial arts knowledge on unsuspecting lackeys. This new movie does not let you down in that respect, as it showcases violence in such a coolly confident way that you cannot help but cheer at the brutality.
If there are any complaints that will be lodged by Batman fans, it will be the fact that Bruce takes a backseat to pretty much all other major characters. He never disappears from the action completely, it is just a credit to how well the other characters make an impression. This makes sense due to the countless adaptations we have witnessed of this iconic character, but a little more motivation or characterization to make him slightly less extraneous could have helped the film sing even more. This is an ensemble piece through and through, and those open to exploring new characters will have a better experience in the end. If you do have issues with the balance of screen time, this is something that can be addressed in a follow-up, and this film ends in a way that screams for such an occurrence to happen. This particular outing is such a fun ride thanks to care put in by the creative team, the gorgeous animation and the excellent voice performances from all involved. The creative swings being taken in these Elseworlds tales is something I am happy to endorse anytime. Batman: Soul of the Dragon brings an energy to the Batman lore I did not know I was missing.
Video Quality
Batman: Soul of the Dragon comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p transfer that is incredibly bold with an amazing amount of depth. This disc provides some noticeable improvements over the Blu-Ray in certain areas including more vivid, natural colors and the elimination of any digital artifacting. While this does have splashes of color when appropriate, this is a Batman film which does lend itself to a darker, shadowy color palette. This universe is less vibrant than films from other DCAU characters, but way more so than the typical Batman film. This presentation handles the subtle gradients of the artwork in a way that is just excellent. This disc provides excellent line detail and more distinct shading, which gives the characters greater definition. The use of HDR yields some very pleasing enhancements to the dynamic colors on display such as in the costumes or explosions, and the disc provides much deeper black levels for a cleaner viewing experience free of black crush. The Blu-Ray disc looks great, but those with a proper display will likely find the 4K UHD Blu-Ray a more enjoyable experience.
Audio Quality
This release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that really digs deep and impresses during this action-heavy film. There is an immense amount of activity in the low-end which will cause your subwoofer to get a thorough workout throughout this presentation. Dialogue is often accompanied by a dynamite score from Joachim Horsley or all manner of sound effects, but all of the information comes through clearly without getting muddied. The track engages all of the channels with panning effects and sounds of hand-to-hand combat and a few supernatural flourishes that really transports you to the middle of the action. There are no obvious sync issues or other anomalies present. Warner Bros. has delivered an incredibly strong track that showcases the impressive sound design of their DCAU films.
Special Features
- Batman – Raw Groove: A nearly 31-minute featurette that really delves into the political and social unrest of the sixties and how the attitudes of the day influenced the entertainment of the time. The way in which this ties into the style of Batman: Soul of the Dragon is discussed by participants such as Cal Lutheran history professor Dr. Michaela Crawford Reaves, executive producer Bruce Timm, Martial Arts History Museum president Michael Matsuda, filmmaker/author John Kreng, Filmsite senior historian Timothy Dirks, and many more. The references and clips to other popular and less well-known properties makes this one a lot of fun. This is an incredible supplement to the film that stands on its own as a piece of entertainment.
- Producer Jim Krieg’s Far Out Highlights: An eighteen-minute featurette in which Bruce Timm, producer Jim Krieg, director Sam Liu and more take a closer look at the story. This features some rough animation and offers a closer look at the 70s-inspired aesthetic. This also features some interviews with the cast including David Giuntoli, Michael Jai White and Kelly Hu. The behind-the-scenes footage is a welcome sight for fans.
- Sneak Peek – Justice Society: World War II: A really fun eight-minute piece in which producer Jim Krieg and various members of the cast and crew detail the next entry into the DCAU. In this tale, we will head back in time with The Flash to join the original Justice Society of America as they fight against the forces of evil. Voice cast includes Stana Katic as Wonder Woman, Matt Bomer as The Flash and many more great talents.
- Superman: Red Son Preview: An eleven-minute featurette which takes you inside the previously-released Superman: Red Son.
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Preview: A nearly nine-minute featurette which takes you inside the previously-released Batman: Gotham by Gaslight.
- From The DC Vault: Two classic episodes from Batman: The Animated Series are provided here in HD: “Day of the Samurai” (episode #55) and “Night of the Ninja” (#28). The thematic links are appreciated, and they are also just fun episodes.
- Trailers: This disc includes trailers for Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, and Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge. All of these titles are so much fun and come highly recommended.
Final Thoughts
Batman: Soul of the Dragon is simply a really fun movie that places our beloved Caped Crusader in a setting ripe for exploration. While this may not be Batman’s film in the end, the ensemble really impresses and the action is delightfully brutal. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a dazzling A/V presentation and some really cool special features. If you are a fan of DC animation, you are going to have a blast with this one. Highly Recommended
Batman: Soul of the Dragon will be available to purchase on January 26, 2021 on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray. The film is currently available to own on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.