The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)

October 18, 2005 (DVD)October 22, 2005 (TV)

October 18, 2005 (DVD)
October 22, 2005 (TV)

The Batman vs. Dracula is a 2005 American direct-to-video animated superhero-horror film based on The Batman television series. The film is a crossover inspired by the 1897 horror novel Dracula and loosely based on the Elseworlds story Batman & Dracula: Red Rain by DC comics. The film was released to DVD on October 18, 2005, and made its television debut on Cartoon Network's Toonami block on October 22. In the film, the Batman struggles to save Gotham City from his most challenging foe yet: the legendary vampire lord Count Dracula, who hatches a plot with his two new henchmen, Penguin and Joker, to enslave the city and create an army of vampires. It was released on DVD as a companion to the live action Batman Begins.

Storyline

The Joker and the Penguin break out of Arkham, racing to find money in a crypt at Gotham Cemetery. Joker is quickly intercepted by The Batman and is electrocuted by his super-charged joy buzzers and falls into a river, seemingly killing him. Penguin enters the cemetery and injures his hand, which drips blood onto a corpse, inadvertently bringing it to life; it is none other than the vampire king himself, Count Dracula, his body having been moved to Gotham City after his "death" in Transylvania. Penguin is spared from being bitten thanks to a watchman, whom Dracula bites instead; once the watchman revives as a vampire, Dracula hypnotizes Penguin into serving him as his daytime sentinel.

One night, Batman witnesses a vampire attack but decides to put the incident at the back of his mind and, as Bruce Wayne, proceeds to host a corporate party at his manor. Dracula arrives, disguised as cultural anthropologist Dr. Alucard claiming to be visiting to study Batman, and takes an interest in Vicki Vale, a reporter who is interviewing and dating Bruce. After failing to bite Bruce to quench his thirst, Dracula bites a waiter instead; the new vampire scares Bruce's butler Alfred. Bruce immediately deduces "Alucard" is Dracula, and the disappearances of Gotham citizens, who have been dubbed "Lost Ones" by the media, are because they are being turned into vampires and spreading like a plague. The Batman determined to battle Dracula without harming the Lost Ones, wanting to find ways cure them. Due to eyewitnesses claiming to see a bat-like figure during the attacks, it is mistakenly reported Batman is the culprit. When Batman goes to Gotham Cemetery to look for Dracula's nest, he is chased down by a SWAT unit, all of whose members are taken by Dracula as they chase him back into the city. During a fight with Batman, Dracula offers to let him join his conquest of Gotham; Batman refuses. Just as Dracula has Batman at his mercy, the sun rises, and Dracula is forced to retreat, vowing to kill Batman for rejecting his offer.

At the cemetery, Joker reappears, still alive, and confronts Penguin, thinking he has found the treasure, chasing him into Dracula's tomb. Despite Penguin's warning not to open Dracula's coffin, Joker ends up as another one of Dracula's slaves, much to Penguin's horror. Joker attacks a blood bank for sustenance, leading to his capture by Batman. While Batman attempts to concoct an antidote from the Joker's infected cellular structure, Alfred discovers that Dracula once had a vampire bride, Carmilla Karnstein, who was killed by sunlight. During his research, Bruce stands up Vicki, who Dracula soon kidnaps. Finally, Batman cures the Joker of his vampirism and ascertains the location of Dracula's lair in Gotham Cemetery before returning him to Arkham. He then proceeds to mass-produce the vaccine.

Dracula attempts to sacrifice Vicki's soul to reanimate Carmilla. Upon learning Vicki has been kidnapped, Batman rushes to Dracula's lair with his anti-vampirism vaccine and arsenal of weapons, defeating and curing all the "Lost Ones" that attack him in the catacombs beneath Gotham Cemetery. Batman then frees Vicki, disrupting the reanimation ritual. Dracula sends the Penguin to recapture Vicki while he fights Batman, who lures Dracula into the Batcave, where Batman would have the advantage over the vampire. In an attempt to aid his master, Alfred injects Dracula with the vaccine, but it cannot cure a natural vampire. When Dracula resumes his pursuit, Batman incinerates him with his prototype solar energy-storing machine, killing and reducing Dracula to a pile of ashes and bones with his remains secured by Alfred. While chasing Vicki, Penguin is freed from Dracula's control and finally finds the hidden treasure that caused all the trouble in the first place; he is immediately arrested and blamed for Dracula's kidnappings, causing the media to think he was forcing people to find the treasure. Batman is cleared of all charges and resumes protecting Gotham.

Also See

Movie Trailer

  • The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) (Trailers)

Sound Effects Used

Image Gallery

Audio Samples

External Links