"Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League," "Death of a Unicorn," and "Novocaine": Brief and Not-So-Brief Opinions: Part 13

Novocaine, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, and Death of a Unicorn.

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The 'brief and not-so-brief opinions' articles are my outlet to rant about or appreciate movies, shows and their elements. I will express my thoughts while watching and after or only after watching, it depends. I will not be rating. These are not spoiler-free for the most part, and no research will be made for or about them (unless it's out of curiosity or accidental, which would be mentioned). They are in no particular order of recent watching as well. However, the opinions are based on the order in which the movie or series is viewed (for the most part). This wouldn't be as structured or detailed, and there would be no set number of picks per article. It would be just as things go. It is intended to be casual. So think…conversations about movie plots, characters, topics, or something like that.

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Death of a Unicorn (2025)

A24 is known for its unusual, thought-provoking, remarkable work, and this is no different. The Death of a Unicorn, or rather, the murder of a Unicorn, highlights health solutions and illustrates the folktale of humanity's greed as people take turns killing, dissecting, and learning about the unicorn. Elliot Kintner and his daughter, Ridley, visit the Leopold family in hopes that Elliot will secure the position of Proxy for the family. His focus on financial stability often blinds him to rationality due to his promise to his late wife to take care of them. I enjoyed this movie and felt the unicorns were justified in their behaviour as the extraordinary properties of the magical creature were usurped by the Leopolds, who consumed the young unicorn in various ways and planned how to present it for public consumption with Elliot. 

I liked Ridley's relationship with the unicorns and thought it was kind of poetic how they found peace with her. I loved that Elliot finally listened to Ridley and mended his relationship with her, even though the timing was overdue. I was pleased that the Griff character escaped, but I was surprised by the police officer's appearance. The focus is on family relationships, evident between the unicorns, the Leopolds, and the Kintners, within the themes of greed and hope. In a fitting resolution and a bid to rescue the Kintners, the film ends with the unicorns pushing Elliot and Ridley off the road, mirroring the startling beginning that led to the Death of a Unicorn.

Novocaine (2025)

The Novocaine moniker holds true for Nathan Caine as his genetic disability, which prevents him from feeling pain, amplifies his search for his coworker and person of interest, Sherry. An inspiring tale of a couple motivates Nathan to pursue his affection for her after being captivated by her for some time. Her understanding of his disorder inspires her to support him and encourage him to try new experiences, such as eating solid food. Having lived cautiously and been blessed to exceed his life expectancy, this new light and his desire to formalize their relationship prompt him to make the impulsive decision to confront the robbers who took her, unaware that it was a planned attack by a team including Sherry's foster brother, Simon. 

Nathan strives hard but remains unfeeling. It's quite astounding that he survived until the film's conclusion, having gone through so much and enduring a coma without the ability to feel. I liked the support from his online-to-offline friend Roscoe and admired Simon's intensity. Ray Nicholson delivers a fantastic performance as a villain, portraying a menacing and resilient character who could have become even more dangerous if given the chance. He serves as a strong adversary for Nathan, truly exemplifying the final boss role and challenging Nathan's physical limits. I found it intriguing that, despite being a gamer, Nathan was skillfully taking down people as someone who had never been killed before, and he did so in the most brutal ways. Ultimately, Sherry and Nathan's relationship was formed, and his inability to feel pain continued to validate his Novocaine nickname.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)

Bruce Wayne faces a new battle in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, following the events of the 2018 prequel, Batman Ninja. With the Justice League's disappearance, Gotham is left in the hands of the Bat Family to save everyone after a Yakuza hurricane. With Yakuzageddon in Japan and Japan floating above Gotham City, the 4-dimensional Origami system to merge or create alternate realities was developed by Ra's al Ghul, Damien's grandfather and the leader of the biggest syndicate in Hinomoto, the Hogane family. He uses his underlings and Japanese versions of the Justice League, including "Bari, the Fleet of Foot," "Zeshika the Emerald Ray," "Ahsa, the Aqua Dragon," and "Kuraku, The Man of Steel," to his benefit to diversify his power into Gotham.

As the only member of the Justice League unaffiliated with them, "Daiana Amazone, the Eagle Goddess" of the Amazone family, is sought after to join the Hagane family but declines, remaining an ally to Bruce Wayne and Harley Quinn, who rediscovers herself as "Harin, the Wild Jester" upon arriving in Japan. Daiana is powerful and caring, especially in contrast to the conceited nature of Bari and Kuraku, with Kuraku believing that doing good means being the greater evil to eradicate the evil in mankind. He is insufferable and embodies an evil variant of Superman well before the heroes gain memories and assistance from other versions of themselves, which changes their costumes and opinions. I liked that Joker was included in this to save Batman, even though it was only for a brief moment. I enjoyed the music video featuring Daiana singing, especially since she included Harley, but her shock at Bruce returning to help her was touching as she is the person who always assists as the head of her syndicate. I felt a bit bad for Bari's identity crisis when he realized he might not be as fast as he needed to be before it ended. The rising dragon technique that harmonized the powers of the Hagane family members was breathtaking.

Red Robin, Red Hood, Nightwing, and Batman use science and say "Science Ninja Technique" with each executed hit. The question of Batman's worth as a hero without powers arises, but instead, he strips Kuraku of his powers with a cage and backup of Kryptonite, then fights him. This was hilariously petty but also heartwarming as he praises the original Superman for his humility and heart compared to Kuraku. I enjoyed seeing their outfits and tributes to the original characters despite their unquestioned return at the end, in which Bruce responds lovingly to their call for a meeting. I wonder if there will be a sequel to this, but I truly enjoyed watching it. It was incredibly entertaining to see the ups and downs of Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League.

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