Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker

In 1992, spearheaded by artist Bruce Timm and writer Paul Dini, Batman returned to television screens in an all new animated series. The show proved to be not only extremely popular, but of exceptional quality, reaching heights that few animated children's programs ever have. Where most cartoons tend to dumb down their stories and material, Timm, Dini, and the rest of the creative team went in the complete opposite direction, creating an animated program that respected its young audience and never talked down to them, weaving interesting, well written stories for all ages. A dark mixture of Art Deco design and classic comic book sensibilities, the show spawned an entire universe of spinoffs spanning well over a decade. One of these spinoffs was 'Batman Beyond.' Set several decades after the original Batman series, 'Batman Beyond' followed an aging Bruce Wayne as he gave up the cape and cowl and took on a new teenage protégé to train as his replacement. The series ran for three years, producing fifty two episodes of neon lit futuristic adventures. During the show's run a direct to video movie was made that served to help bridge the gap between the two series and reintroduce Batman's most iconic villain, the Joker. 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' is a great example of Timm and Dini's unique take on the Batman mythos, and though not quite as successful as some of their other collaborations it does make for an entertaining watch.

The story follows Bruce Wayne and the new Batman, seventeen year old Terry McGinnis, as the two struggle to deal with the mysterious reappearance of the long thought dead, Joker. Written by Dini from a story by Dini, Timm, and Glen Murakami, the plot here is fun, entertaining, and at times surprisingly disturbing and insightful. Dini and Timm have proven time and time again in the past that they know these characters inside and out, and this intimate understanding of what makes them tick and work on screen is apparent throughout. The Batman and Joker relationship is one of the most interesting aspects of the comics, pitting law and order against anarchy and chaos. Here, the writers put their own spin on things furthering this twisted dichotomy and expanding upon it in fresh and occasionally unsettling ways. Likewise, there are some interesting insights into the psychology of Bruce Wayne and the ramifications of his repeated enlisting of young teenagers as crime fighting companions.

While the character development is well done, and the action is exciting, there are some problems with the story. Frequent shortcuts in the plotting take occasionally easy and convenient approaches. This is understandable given the intended younger audience, but sometimes developments feel a bit contrived, and several scenes drag with long exposition. Also, though the creators have done a great job of expanding upon the Batman mythology with an entirely new world of characters, Terry McGinnis and his companions never quite reach the same level of appeal and depth as the classic Batman staples. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that the most effective scene in the movie is a wonderfully staged and animated flashback sequence set during the original series' timeline. Still, the story as a whole is well done and the movie's dark revelations are intense and interesting.

Bringing the story to life is an exceptional collection of vocal talents. To most who grew up in the nineties, Kevin Conroy is the definitive Batman. His deep, commanding voice is perfectly fit for the aging Caped Crusader. Like Conroy, Mark Hamill's interpretation of the Joker has become iconic. His twisted mixture of wacky impishness, and terrifying psychosis effortlessly cuts to the root of the maniacal Clown Prince of Crime. His laugh will echo in your mind long after the credits have rolled. There is a reason these two actors have been repeatedly asked back to voice these characters time and time again in various cartoons and videogames. They simply get it. Will Friedle is also great as the new Batman, providing a nice mixture of youthful energy and playfulness that clash wonderfully with Conroy's intense and brooding version of the original Dark Knight. Bolstering the impressive vocal talents is a simple, but effective animation style. Bruce Timm's slightly retro character designs are as wonderful as ever, and though the animation never quite reaches the same quality or production value as some of the more recent DC animation projects, it's still fairly appealing and fits the tone of the movie well.

When first released in 2000, 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' was met with quite a bit of controversy. There was some objection to the film's sometimes unsettling content and violence. Two cuts of the movie were made, a more family friendly, sanitized version, and the original PG-13 cut. The version provided here is the PG-13 variation. While I can understand the concern, and there are indeed elements that do push the envelope with dark content in children's programming, the choices are never gratuitous and always serve the story in a tasteful manner. While definitely more intense than your average episode of the series, I'm not really sure the PG-13 rating is truly warranted.

In the end, 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' is an entertaining, action packed adventure that holds a bit more depth than your average animated movie of this type. Though it doesn't quite reach the same level of sophistication that some previous and subsequent material from Timm and Dini have, it still bears the quality mark of their trademark creativity.