Author's note, November 25,2003: This review refers to the edited version of the film; an excellent uncut version was more recently released on DVD. Three years later, this film holds up quite well - especially when compared to the more recent Mystery of the Batwoman.
The Return of the Joker was originally scheduled for release in October 2000, and then was pushed back to mid-December.At last the Curt Geda-directed film has been officially released, forever separating the truth from fanboy innuendo. Was the film worth the wait?
Longtime visitors to this webpage know that I don't care for Batman Beyond. The concept seems shaky at best, and the series never seems to be more than an unstable mix of early 1990s anime and the traditional Batman characters. Return of the Joker avoids most of these flaws by focusing on flashbacks to the core Bat Team of Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, and Timothy Drake. Although supposedly a Batman Beyond film, Return of the Joker is really about the older characters from the now defunct Batman:The Animated Series. So much so that Bruce Timm's dreadful lipless redesign of the Joker has been replaced with Timm's earlier, superior design.
Nostalgia this isn't. I refuse to spoil the storyline for anyone, but the flashback sequence is a classic example of what film critics love to call "deconstruction." All the key elements of the familiar old series are present, but something goes terribly, horribly wrong. For viewers unfamiliar with the current Batman comic books, the shock will likely be as strong as that experienced by readers some ten years ago when Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns forever smashed memories of the Adam West-style Batman. Without giving too much away, we learn that the Joker decides to emulate Batman by developing an underage protege.
The animation is certainly gripping, the techno music isn't as annoying as it could be, and the voice acting proves what a joy it is to listen to a cartoon when the producers don't hire college kids in Canada to do their dubbing for them. Kevin Conroy is always good as Bruce Wayne, and I found myself enjoying Will Friedle's voicework as Terry McGinnis far more than I usually do. Mark Hamill's voicework as the Joker is also a cut above his usual work, perhaps because the Joker is finally allowed to be as evil in animation as he is in the comics. (The comic-book Joker killed Robin II, crippled Batgirl, and assassinated Commissioner Gordon's second wife; the cartoon Joker engaged in silly pranks.) The direction is fast-paced, as you'd expect, with some incredible action sequences courtesy of the overseas animators. Bruce Timm's newer character designs aren't as angular or as oddball as his previous work on Batman Beyond,which is mainly a good thing.
Return of the Joker does have its flaws. The first are the usual lapses in logic that Paul Dini indulges in when writing an extended story. There's some rampant destruction in Gotham courtesy of a death ray, yet Terry McGinnis' Batman does little to minimize the danger to bystanders. There's no explanation for why it took so long for the Joker to resurface in Gotham City, and once the Joker's secret is revealed, the Hamlet-like delay is even more incomprehensible. And, coming from Dini, who attempted to create a nice little pseudo-continuity between Batman:The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, there is the truly puzzling relationship between Harley and the Joker. In the last season of Batman/Superman Adventures, Harley was spending more time with Poison Ivy rather than with the Clown Prince of Crime. In Return of the Joker, their relationship is as it was in the early days of Batman Animated. Given that Dini's logic faulters whenever he comes across a major plot hurdle, I am starting to wonder if his forthcoming live-action Batman Beyond will be much of an improvement over Joel Schumaker's schlock.
The more serious flaw is that, after a previous film and two seasons'worth of episodes, Terry McGinnis has yet to become his own man. The BatTorch hasn't been passed, and unless it does Batman Beyond has extremely limited story options.Then again, the future of the animated Batman Beyond series is questionable. Warner Brothers seems more interested in promoting Pokemon than further developing a homegrown series.
Nevertheless, judging the OAV on its own terms, this is a fine animated film. The violence prevents it from being a kiddie picture, and for many adults unfamiliar with anime, the movie will be a revelation in storytelling. I wish Warners had enough faith to release it in the theatres, and I doubt that many Batfans (even those who despise Batman Beyond) will come away from it feeling disappointed. I watched the film several times before reviewing it, and enjoyed it each time.
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Other NonAnime Reviews Prince of Egypt Review* Quest for Camelot Review Titan A.E. Review Jackie Chan Adventures Review Tex Avery Screwball Classics Review* |
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