SUMMARY
In
the distant future, a new Batman has appeared in Gotham City. Picking
up where the first Batman left off, Terry McGinnis's goal is to
protect the innocent and punish the guilty when the cops are powerless
to stop a new breed of master villains.
This new Batman has been very busy. A gang of Jokers have been robbing
equipment from high tech companies. With no apparentcause
for the thefts,
Terry spends his nights waiting for the next robbery. At the same time,
Bruce Wayne has returned to the position of CEO of Wayne/Powers, much to
the disappointment of the current CEO Mr. Pryce. Being both Batman and Bruce
Wayne's personal assistant, things starting to take a toll on Terry McGinnis
personal life.
Suddenly,
a villain from Bruce Wayne's past appears. It is the Joker, the crown
prince of crime. Not only has he not aged over the years, but he knows
all of Batman's secrets.
As the leader of the Jokers, he now
has his sights set on killing his old nemesis, Bruce Wayne, as well as
the new Batman. Due to the danger The Joker's return presents, Bruce makes
Terry give up the role of Batman.
Before Terry
can make a start on fixing his personal life, he is attacked by the Joker's
minions. Now with the Joker after his friends and family, Terry must once
again become Batman to stop "the return of the Joker"!
DVD
VISION TEST
VIDEO:
The DVD quality is pretty good, but there does seem to be a little more
edge enhancement than on the previous release. You really notice the enhancement
during scenes that have a lot of red. While it still better looking than
the video, the original DVD release looks better.
AUDIO: With English the only language track, it is pretty easy to critique.
Warner Bros. has given us a superb 5.1 audio track. During the high actions
scenes, the sound just blows you out the door. The sound stage is full
of subtle little things that hit you all around.
With
the audio commentary, the movie is in the back ground, but the three
different speakers come from different sides.
EDITS: Since this is the "uncut" version, a lot of the scenes
that had been removed are back. From what I understand, there are
a few that still didn't make it, but, I am unable to confirm if this
is true. However, according to Warner Bros. and the staff, this is
the original version.
EXTRAS:
Tons. There is a directors and writers commentary, music videos, deleted
scenes, animation test, and a "behind the scene" make up most of the extras.
WIDESCREEN
REVIEW
STORY:
Paul Dini, Glen Murakami and Bruce Timm,
all who have worked on Batman:
The Animated Series, know their characters and the Bat-universe very well.
The script is well written, with plenty of snappy dialogue that we have
come to expect from Batman Beyond. This is a more adult version of Beyond.
There are some down right creepy moments and a couple of scenes that will
keep you on the edge of your seats!
ACTING: The cast is the same as the TV Series, with Dean Stockwell and
Melissa Joan Hart joining in as new characters. All of them are experienced
voice actors, and each play their characters with the right mix of intensity
or playfulness. Keep and ear open for David Rollins's voice. This is one
of the best acted animated movies out there.
FAN SERVICE: None in the panties or shower scene category, but plenty
of references to past characters in Batman: TAS, as well as the surprise
return of a "dead" character, and I am not talking about the Joker.
CONCLUSION:
Acceding to popular demand, Warner Bros. has done something
rare and released a second version of "Batman Beyond: Return of the
Joker". I am sure the question on your mind is; "does restoring
the excised footage make for a better movie?"
You better believe
it.
Unfortunately,
if I tell you what scenes have been restored, it will spoil your enjoyment
of this more grown-up version. Not that the ending is different, but the
way some of the characters are dispatched would not sit well for the general
television audience. The fight sequences are longer, and more viscous.
The Joker is by far the worse he has ever been, making his turn in "Batman:
Mask of the Phantasm" seem tame.
Another thing
that is different is the use of words. As typical with broadcast animation
saying things like "kill", "bat-fart", and "Putz"
have to be changed to "ice", "old man" and "Yutz".
While these changes seem trivial, for the FCC, these are major swear words
for a "cartoon".
The story is an
upgrade from the TV series, with more action, more extreme danger, and
an answers to a nagging question.....what ever happened to The Joker.
This movie answers them, in a way I never expected. I was actually a little
surprised on who the Joker was. I give the writers and
director Curt Geda major credit for giving us a really
good, anime flavor, Batman movie.
The
only major problems with this version of "Return of the Joker",
is the audio commentary. Unlike the energetic and almost "boys
at the house" feel on the cut version, Curt Geda, Bruce Timm,
and the rest sound like they are bored and tired. According to them,
this audio commentary was done not too long after the completion
of this movie, which may account for their lack of energy. Unfortunately,
it sounds like they are jet-lagged and it's hard to listen to.
Batman
Beyond: Return of the Joker is the way American animation should
be. Good writing, great acting, and well
done animation. If you didn't get the edited version, save yourself a few bucks
and get this one.
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