Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (DVD)
Directed by: Curt Geda
Written by: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami
Featuring The Voices Of: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Will Friedle, Dean Stockwell, Michael Rosenbaum, Melissa Joan Hart

Over the years, Batman has proven himself to be among an elite group of comic book characters who have managed to penetrate every aspect of our popular culture. He has existed for as long as most people can remember, and yet, every time a new comic book series or TV series is launched, people can’t get enough of him.

This is all quite amazing, when you consider some of the crap that has had the Batman name tacked on it over the last few years. As amusing as it was to see Arnold wearing blue face paint and repeating the catch phrase “Chill!” over and over, you have to admit, that last Batman movie just sucked.

But for every Joel Schumacher project that has tainted the Batman legacy, there is also another project somewhere else that has held true to Batman’s fundamentals. In fact, for the past 10 years or so, the animation department over at WB has been keeping busy, quietly creating compelling stories that are every bit worthy of the Dark Knight’s name. Batman: The Animated Series, and The Adventures of Batman & Robin have won numerous awards for their artistic merit, and have garnered critical acclaim among Batman’s most dedicated fans. Many would argue that their feature length animated films, “Mask of the Phantasm” and “Sub-Zero” are better than any of the Batman live-action movies were.

Yet, despite all of the praise that they have received for their animated Batman shows, when Warner Brothers announced that they were going forward with a futuristic Batman spin-off series, no doubt many fans were worried that the situation was taking a turn for the worst.

The idea behind the new series, called Batman Beyond, is that it is set approximately 50 years in the future. Bruce Wayne is now an old man, who has since retired from crime-fighting when he realized that he was no longer strong enough or quick enough to protect himself from super-villains. Through a sequence of events, he comes into contact with a teenager named Terry McGinnis, who eventually earns his respect and the right to wear the suit of Batman. Of course, 50 years from now, you wouldn’t expect Batman to still be using something as archaic as a “utility belt”, now would you? There is a new, futuristic Batman suit that allows Terry to do things that the original Batman could never dream of, such as fly with the help of rocket boots and retractable wings, eavesdrop using fingertip microphones, and analyze chemicals using hand sensors. Also, one of the cool things about the show is the fact that Bruce Wayne stays involved in Terry’s crimefighting exploits. Using a communications link that is built into the suit Bruce is able watch the action on a video screen in the Batcave, and talk to Terry as he goes about his business.

Thankfully, Batman Beyond is produced by the same team that worked on Batman: TAS, and this makes all the difference in the world. Batman Beyond features the same focus on character development and the same high quality animation that Batman: TAS had, and it really does manage to maintain the high standards that Warner Brothers have previously set for themselves. But while the Batman Beyond animated series is admittedly quite impressive, it has been proven that the feature length animated movies are where the producers really excel, as the cinematic format gives them the freedom to deliver a more involved story and to adopt a more serious tone.

This is why, when I heard that they were making a feature length Batman Beyond movie, I made a note to myself to check it out on the day that it finally hit theatres. Unfortunately, that day never came. The release of Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker was held up due to complaints from the Warner Bros. management about the content of the film. Apparently they perceived it to be a tad too violent for the kiddies, and, taking into account the political climate at the time, they decided it would be best if Bruce Timm and Paul Dini went back and re-edited some parts of the film. Needless to say, this caused quite an uproar among the fans.

Although Batman Beyond functions quite well in its own self-contained universe of characters and villains, there are still a few references to the past. One such reference point is the street gang called “The Jokerz”. However, for this movie, Dini and Timms decided that they would need a slightly more spectacular villain for Batman to go up against.

In the world of comic books, death is rarely a permanent situation, and, as the title implies, Return Of The Joker involves the supposed resurrection of Batman’s greatest foe, The Joker. However, the sudden return of the Clown Prince is seemingly unexplainable, as he would be over 80 years old by now, not to mention the fact that Bruce Wayne saw him die a long time ago. The plot of the movie is thrust forward as both Bruce and Terry search for an answer as to how this is possible. In Terry’s case, there is also a search going on for information relating to the Joker’s background, which Bruce refuses to tell him.

Despite that tired and overused “resurrection” plot, the film succeeds due to solid writing that focuses on the characters. I really like how they portrayed the Joker’s character here. Despite Terry’s initial indifference to the villain, he eventually comes to realize that he is a dangerous psychopath rather than just a corny prankster. The Joker has long been one of Batman’s most fun adversaries, because he walks the line between insanity and cunningness, and balances between playfulness and sheer cruelty.

The movie features awesome voice acting, including Mark Hamill, who has always seemed to me to do the Joker way better than ol’ Jack ever could. Kevin Conroy voices Bruce Wayne, and does an outstanding job, as he has always done in the past. I was quite surprised to see that Henry Rollins also does a voice for one of the bad guys.

The mystery surrounding the Joker’s return was great and it had me hooked all the way through. I just wish they could have come up with a slightly more realistic explanation for his return from the dead. I won’t give it away, but it felt like a bit of a cop out.

The final showdown was enjoyable, but in the end it does seem a little cheapened by the fact that it’s only the new Batman going up against the Joker. The highlight of the movie was easily the flashback sequence in the middle of the film that shows Bruce Wayne as Batman and Barbara Gordon as Batgirl facing off against The Joker in the abandoned Arkham Asylum. It reinforces the classic dark, vengeful Batman character, and shows one of the Joker’s most twisted, inhuman schemes of all time.

Visually the movie is very slick and stylish, and manages to keep the gothic elements of the shadowy Batman world while also putting a futuristic spin on them.The action scenes were highly energetic, and quite violent, despite all of the editing that was done. The drop D metal soundtrack suits the atmosphere well, even if it is sometimes a little over the top.

Although Return Of The Joker never made it to theatres, the DVD format gives the next best thing to a theatrical release. The video is crisp, clear and colourful, and the Dolby 5.1 sound shakes the room just like a Batman movie should. What I especially like about the DVD release is that they treat the film as a serious production, as opposed to a childish cartoon intended only for kids. For once, here is an animated DVD (aside from anime) that actually gives you features that you would get in a regular film, as opposed to stupid interactive kid’s games. Well, I shouldn’t say that… you still get a Batman Beyond trivia game, but you also get a full audio commentary with Dini and Timms, along with a 20 minute featurette/ behind the scenes documentary, and animatics and storyboards for a few deleted scenes.

Of course, it’s not perfect. It would have been cool to have the uncut version available, and maybe even in widescreen format. But overall, I can’t complain. I’m not going to whine about having some of the violence censored like all the other Batman fanboys out there. Sure, you can notice a few awkward looking cuts in the fight scenes, but the story is still intact, and when it comes down to it, that is what really matters.

Most people would say that Batman is a timeless character, with traits that appeal to audiences today just as much as they did audiences from 50 years ago. However, it is clear that he has also gone through many different changes and transformations over the years. I’d have to say that for the most part, this latest incarnation of Batman works, and works well.Return Of The Joker is the ultimate showcase for the Batman Beyond series. It compliments the TV series quite well, and yet it also functions effectively as a standalone movie. Most importantly, it maintains a sense of integrity by using characters and themes that are at the very core of the Batman story. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker is a must for any fans of Batman, or any fans of animation in general.– Sean