Batman Unlimited: Mechs Vs. Mutants is the third Batman Unlimited Direct-to-DVD movie series. Batman, Nightwing, Robin, the Flash, and Green Arrow forced to deal with giant monsters rampaging through Gotham as Mr. Freeze and the Penguin turn Bane, Clayface, Killer Croc, and Chemo into monsters and the heroes are forced to use giant robots against them.
This work provides examples of:
- Adaptational Nice Guy: While he still has a chip on his shoulder, the Damian of this movie is nicer and not the sociopathic arrogant brat from the comics and DC Animated Movie Universe.
- Age Lift: The Robin seen is Damian Wayne, but this version seems to be a teenager, not a ten year old kid as in his initial appearances.
- All Your Powers Combined: Mr. Freeze's formula combines the powers of Chemo, Clayface, and Bane.
- Arm Cannon:
- Kaiju Chemo has a freeze blaster attached to his arm. It ends up being broken during the fight with Green Arrow's mech.
- Green Arrow's mecha has basically a bow version of Gypsy Danger's blaster.
- The Atoner: Upon realizing he was played by the Penguin, Mr. Freeze decides to try to help the heroes stop the monsters.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: The Penguin and Freeze until Freeze is no longer of any use to the Penguin.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Mr. Freeze supersizes a bug to attack the oil rig. The device he used to do it ends up getting broken and reversing the process, so Penguin convinces him to set his sights higher.
- Breath Weapon:
- Kaiju Killer Croc can shoot a freezing beam from his mouth.
- Chemo can spit acid.
- Brick Joke: Green Arrow mentions that Batman once when to an amusement park planet and described it as "Enjoyable." When Robin asks about it, he repeats that description.
- Chekhov's Gun: Early on, Green Arrow is confident he can solve the villain problem with exploding arrows. Turns out he really can, by firing them into the crack in Chemo's suit.
- Didn't Think This Through: So how exactly did Penguin plan to control four kaiju-sized villains? Bane outright mentions planning to betray him.
- Elemental Baggage: Subverted. Both Chemo and Killer Croc need a steady supply of water to use their ice powers, though Croc manages to get a few shots off absent any water source.
- Foreshadowing: One clue that Mr. Freeze would eventually turn to the side of the heroes is that he wore a robotic cryo-suit over his normal armor that caused him to stand tall alongside the likes of Bane and Croc...a Mini-Mecha, if you will.
- Giant Mecha: The response to Bane, Killer Croc, Clayface, and Chemo becoming kaiju is for Batman and Green Arrow to use giant mecha against the villains.
- Heel–Face Turn: Mr. Freeze wants to make amends after realizing that Penguin manipulated him into attacking Gotham when all he wanted was solitude.
- The Hermit: Freeze has given up on humanity before the film, with his only company being Cobblepot and a penguin that Oswald named Buzz.
- Hero Insurance: Literally. Green Arrow decides to throw Chemo into some buildings, so he picks the ones he owns and notes that he has good insurance.
- An Ice Person: One of the villains is Mr. Freeze, so naturally, he uses his trademark freeze gun. Additionally, his experiments give Killer Croc freeze breath and Chemo has a freeze cannon attached to his arm.
- Instant Humiliation: Just Add YouTube!: Damian is embarrassed by a poor showing against the Joker which some intrepid citizen happened to film and upload to the Internet.
- Kaiju: Thanks to a formula made by Mr. Freeze, Bane, Clayface, Killer Croc, and Chemo become this. Croc himself is pretty much Godzilla with freeze breath instead of atomic rays.
- Magic Pants: Averted with Killer Croc, who as a kaiju is strutting around naked despite wearing pants at normal size. Played straight with Bane, whose pants and technology enlarge and shrink with him.
- Magma Man: Clayface's body becomes magma thanks to an unexpected interaction with the formula.
- Manipulative Bastard: The events of the movie happen because the Penguin talked Freeze into heading back to Gotham, whereas Freeze was originally perfectly content to remain in the Arctic. Penguin then uses Freeze and turn the villains into monsters as help take over Gotham and tricks Freeze out of his armor to take him out.
- Men of Sherwood: The oil drillers in the second scene seem like the kinds of generic monster attack victims who always get killed (or beaten up and chased away in PG films like this one) without too much trouble. Then they get out a laser drill and easily defeat Mr. Freeze’s monster.
- Not Zilla: Due to Freezes formula, Killer Croc becomes one of those, complete with a Breath Weapon.
- Shout-Out:
- To Pacific Rim, ranging from visuals like the shot of Killer Croc attacking the fishing boat on Gotham Harbour right down to the score making direct references to the Pacific Rim soundtrack.
- Killer Croc's mutated form evokes Godzilla, including sporting a blue mouth beam (though in this case, it's freeze breath).
- The Starscream: Penguin plans to double-cross Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze actually sees this coming, but he's a bit too late to stop it. Bane also planned to betray Penguin, but that never got past the planning stages.
- The Stinger: Clayface is shown to not have been captured and escapes into a sewer.
- Super Serum: Mr. Freeze turns Chemo and Killer Croc into giant monsters through a serum he made. The same serum is used to make Bane and Clayface into monsters, too.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Mr. Freeze plans to do this to Penguin, reasoning that Penguin will betray him to take over Gotham, so keeping him around isn't worth the risk. He's right, but Penguin betrays Freeze in turn by using his formula to empower Bane and Clayface, though Freeze survives and later helps the heroes.
