Rating: ***
Review Date: 10/26/19
Cast: Troy Baker, Nolan North, Tara Strong
"He wanted the job done right, so he sent a woman!"
Bruce Wayne (Troy Baker) grows weary of his corporate duties and responsibilities, so he decides to sell Wayne Tech in order to devote more time to crime fighting. That's when the mysterious Red Hood shows up and challenges Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Batwoman to save Gotham City from five deadly devices that he's planted around town. This turns out to be a bizarre ruse, but at the same time, a powerful A.I. called Brother Eye decides that the best way to clean up Gotham is to destroy it. It takes the combined strength of Red Hood and the entire Bat Family to subdue the mechanical threat and bring relative peace back to Gotham.
"Family Matters" is a fun and fast-paced adventure that does a good job of utilizing Batman's extended family. The animation is excellent and the action scenes are superb. The voice acting is very good for the most part, and Tara Strong's Batwoman is a shocking departure from the parts she usually plays. She adds a fierce huskiness to her voice that's reminiscent of a young Adrienne Barbeau, and her intense and no-nonsense performance nearly steals the show. The writing is clever and even throws in some nods to Adam West, but the story is a bit weak and incoherent. Red Hood's motivations are never clear, and he switches allegiance without explanation. Two-Face is especially annoying and juvenile in this entry, and his involvement doesn't make much sense. There are numerous other nuisances and plot holes, but overall it's a fun and entertaining ride that's worth seeking out if you're a fan of the Lego series.