Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons: The Movie premiered on 4 August 2020 and came out on Blu-ray on August 18. The direct-to-video animated superhero film is based on the CW Seed series Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Deathstroke – The Mercenary and The Businessman
In Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons: The Movie, viewers are presented with a decent backstory for Deathstroke within the span of 1h 27m.
Deathstroke is one of those heroes who is a victim of a failed army experiment which makes his wounds heal easily. He is a secret government super-assassin who travels the world on dangerous missions and kills within a blink of an eye – his speed is uncanny.
When his young son suffers at the hands of one of his enemies, his already fractured marriage to Adeline comes crashing down and he is forced to distance himself from his family for 10 long years. Until, one fine day, when he comes to know that his son’s life is in danger.
While the story might still be acceptable, the film falls flat due to its basic and old-school animation. The action sequences are basic when compared to other animated action hero films, where visuals play the game of blood and victory and come out strong.
My other issue was the predictability of the storyline. You just know what’s going to happen next if you have watched even a few superhero films. We all knew Deathstroke won’t die from the very beginning. While the voice-over cast does a commendable job, the predictable roles and dialogues fail the whole effort.
The twists are very basic as well – an illegitimate daughter seeking revenge from a father who abandoned her long back because, well, he didn’t know she existed in the first place. The film depicts the mercenary as a hero in distress, with whom life was unfair.
Stream It or Skip It
SKIP IT! While the film is a decent try at giving the viewers a backstory for Deathstroke, his fatherly instincts do weigh heavily on him. He is a mercenary with a conscience and that makes him a great hero. However, at the same time, it fails him in certain areas. Because whenever a hero is driven by emotions, he is bound to collapse at the hands of his foe.
Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons: The Movie is available on Video On Demand.
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