Film

Batman: Assault on Arkham

Name: Batman: Assault on Arkham
Genre: Thriller, Animation, Action, Crime
Released: 2014
Cast: Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonough, Hynden Walch, Matthew Gray Gubler, Troy Baker

A sleek animated heist wrapped inside a Batman thriller. Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad infiltrates Arkham Asylum while Batman hunts a Joker bomb. It's tightly paced, gorgeously drawn, and trades brooding solemnity for kinetic fun. For anyone who loves DC's animated universe but wants something lighter than the usual Batman angst.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love tight, pulpy caper plots with a hard-boiled edge, and a Batman who spends more time improvising around a squad of criminals than brooding over them.

Skip it if you want Batman's lonely melancholy at the centre, since this one plays more like a team mission with mouthy villains and a restless, ticking clock.

What it asks of you: Barely over an hour and a quarter, it sprints from set piece to set piece, so you must keep pace with shifting alliances rather than settle into quiet scenes.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Batman: Under the Red Hood2010

A smaller, character-driven Batman story with real emotional weight. Jason Todd's resurrection and revenge arc is gripping, the animation is excellent, and it proves DC animated films don't need spectacle to hit hard.

But Slower and more introspective than Assault on Arkham. If you want non-stop action and quips, this meditative approach might feel ponderous.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow2020

The same animation studio's style, the same energy, a complete story in 75 minutes. Lex Luthor and Lobo steal scenes. It's got humour, heart, and doesn't waste a second.

But If you have no fondness for Superman, nothing here will convert you. It's a Superman film doing Superman things.

Justice League Dark2017

Another tight DC animated thriller with a great ensemble cast and real stakes. Constantine, Zatanna, and a genuinely creepy villain. The pacing matches Assault on Arkham beat for beat.

But The magic premise alienates some DC fans. If you prefer grounded crime stories to supernatural ones, the genre shift might not land.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Batman: Assault on Arkham

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Clerks II2006

Both films believe their ensemble's chaos and banter matter more than a traditional narrative. Character reveals happen through riffing, not exposition.

Not a superhero film at all, but Kevin Smith's signature move: criminals and misfits riffing endlessly, character arcs buried under joke layers, genuine emotion arriving as a surprise. The Suicide Squad's DNA is here—misbehaving people you grow fond of despite themselves.

But Crude dialogue, minimal plot, 90 minutes of people mostly standing around talking. If you need forward momentum, this will feel like watching paint dry.

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One2021

A two-part murder mystery with the Suicide Squad's energy applied to a noir tone. Gorgeous animation, excellent voice work, and it captures the fun of a Batman detective story without losing tension.

But At two hours total, it's a much bigger commitment than Assault on Arkham. Some find the pacing languid compared to tighter animated films.

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One poster

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)2020

Live-action, but it captures exactly what makes Harley fun in Assault on Arkham—chaos, irreverence, a woman stealing every scene. Fast, funny, beautifully shot, and utterly unashamed of its cartoonish energy.

But Live-action superhero films are not for everyone. The tonal whiplash between comedy and violence unsettles some viewers.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) poster

Deadpool2016

Same anarchic energy as Deadshot and Harley in Arkham. Irreverent, crude, genuinely funny, with action that doesn't apologize for being entertaining. If you liked the squad's banter, you'll get this.

But Heavily R-rated. The relentless quipping exhausts some people. And it's more interested in comedy than plot.

The Suicide Squad2021

James Gunn takes the premise seriously and ridiculous in equal measure. Brilliant casting, shocking deaths, genuine pathos mixed with absurdist humour. The opening sequence alone justifies the runtime.

But Extremely violent and dark. The tonal shifts between comedy and brutal tragedy disorient some viewers. And it's 2+ hours.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders2016

The 1960s Batman TV series brought back as an animated film. Pure camp, genuine affection for the source material, and surprisingly clever. If you like Arkham's lighter touch, this swings even further into fun.

But Campy to the point of exhaustion if you don't have patience for that era's humour. Some see it as a novelty rather than a real film.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders poster

Person of Interest2011

Both explore how to structure a story around operatives receiving target packages and infiltrating secured spaces. Arkham's single heist is Person of Interest's weekly engine.

A machine sends a team of morally compromised operatives on surveillance-based heist missions, week after week. The squad dynamic—Deadshot's professionalism, Harley's unpredictability, the mission briefing structure—finds its perfect expression here across 103 episodes.

But A five-season TV commitment. The mythology bloats in seasons 4 and 5. Early episodes feel procedural and repetitive before the serialization kicks in.