Batman: La Mystérieuse Batwoman

Mystery of the Batwoman has made quite a bad reputation for itself since its release a decade ago. I'm not really sure why, or if it deserves the fanboy hate, but one thing is for sure - it killed the Bruce Timm/Alan Burnett Batman continuity that began with the TV series back in 1992. Kevin Conroy has returned as Batman in a few video games but there has been no proper Batman animated movie since this one (unless you count the Public Enemies, where he shares half of the screen time with Superman).

The Penguin is in the midst of setting up an arms deal with Carton Duquesne, Rupert Thorne, and Bane when the sudden appearance of a new crime-fighter in the shape of Batwoman causes them all sorts of grief. Not taking kindly to his image being tainted by an unaffiliated vigilante Batman sets out to discover who she really is.

It's a decent plot, but never feels moody or atmospheric. The Gothic pathos of the animated Batman entries that fans are familiar with is strangely absent/muted. However there are some good action scenes and a nice twist half-way through that might seem a little redundant on repeat viewings. The animosity it has gathered since 2003 is a little hard to justify, it's still better than Sub-Zero.

"Batman: The Mystery of the Batwoman" is about as entertaining as animated Batman movies get.

While still true to the feeling of the comic books, the animation is done with a lighter spirit than in the animated series. Bruce Wayne looks much like he has before, but now he appears somewhat less imposing. The Dick Grayson Robin has been replaced by the less edgy, more youthful Tim Drake Robin.

Kevin Conroy, as usual, invokes the voice of Batman better than most live action actors.

Kelly Ripa did a much more decent voice-acting job than I was expecting.

As in the live action Batman films, the movie lives or dies based on the quality of the villains. My all-time favorite, the Penguin, is here. His design is sleeker than it has appeared before, hearkening more to the Burgess Meredith portrayal of the '60's than the Danny DeVito portrayal of "Batman Returns." David Ogden Stiers is the perfect choice for the Penguin's voice. The Penguin is finally portrayed as a cunning sophisticate, just as he most commonly appears in the comics. Hector Elizondo's voice creates a Bane who's much more memorable than the forgettable version in "Batman & Robin." And finally, Batman has a descent mystery to solve, putting the "Detective" back in "Detective Comics" (that is what "DC" stands for, after all.) The revolution to the mystery is a delightfully sneaky twist.

The score adds to the mysterious ambiance of the movie. It sounds like a mix between the score from "Poirot" and the score from "Mission: Impossible." All in all, it's more entertaining than your average cartoon.

An enjoyable Batman animated film. Not on par with "Return of the Joker" or "Mask of the Phantasm", but solid nonetheless. I liked how the movie kept you guessing as to who Batwoman was. There was nice twist. Nice action sequences. I've always been of the opinion that the Batman cartoons are better then any of the pitiful Batman live action film sequels. The trend continues here.

7.5 out of 10

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman isn't bad. But it isn't good either. It feels like an episode that goes on for far too long, and while the mystery is pretty clever, there's something missing from it.

The biggest problem is the characterization of Batman. Far too much time is spent on Bruce Wayne, and even Batman has a habit of acting more like "Bruce" when he has the mask on. In the regular series, it's always pretty clear that the real mask is the Bruce Wayne persona. Robin is included in the movie, but stands around, makes a few snide comments, and fails to really further anything, making one wonder why he was included.

The movie is a little too light, and feels too much like filler. The verdict: It's a good rental, but not a keeper. This is one that just doesn't live up to its predecessors.

I just finished watching 'Batman: The Mystery Of The Batwoman' on Cartoon Network, and was very pleasantly surprised! The franchise hasn't strayed from the Original's concept of telling a story well while keeping the tension going. 'Mystery' is every bit as good as the first 'World's Finest', that featured Batman and Superman fighting the Joker and Lex Luthor!

The artwork, detail and sense of era (Love the 1940s Architecture and cars!) are splendid. The characters, solid. Especially Carlton and Katherine Duquenes. The plot, fairly straightforward. And the mystery and mystique of Batwoman is well kept.

There's just enough action. Right where it is supposed to be. Bane makes a surprising and admirable appearance. Though his voice really should be Ricardo Montalban's. The Penguin is just as slippery, sly, and cowardly as ever.

It's also nice to see Bruce Wayne having a little fun, without the Cape and Cowl.

Big explosions. Cool Mini-Jets. Huge cliffhanger ending.

What more could you want?