Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

I'm about 47 minutes into it, and all i can say is..wow. The voice acting is top notch, the animation well done, and the music and action well paced. It's also the darkest of the batman beyond episodes, given it's pg-13 (unedited version) rating. I bought this for $1 at the local library and it's a good bargain. Definitely not for kids but for cartoon fans of all ages.

In the year 2040, Terry McGinnis continues to fight crime of Neo Gotham under the mantle of Batman, however, after stopping the Jokerz gang from stealing high tech equipment, he gets suspicious of their actions. However, the Jokerz returned with the console's memory board and gave it to a man sitting on a throne, who reveals himself to be The Joker, who has come back from the dead (as an episode had his remains). After his return as CEO is crashed, Bruce relieves Terry of duty, not wanting him to face Joker due to how dangerous he is, but after the Jokerz attack Terry in a nightclub, and Bruce is hospitalized after an ambush by The Joker leaves him poisoned with the clown's signature toxin, Terry decides to don the Batsuit to find out how the clown prince of crime is back from the grave and what he is plotting for Neo-Gotham.

Yeah, this movie had an interesting development time. Having to be delayed and re-edited after the Columbine massacre started a new backlash against violence in films and video games (because it's easier to pass the buck to those two industries instead of going after the real cause), the film had some scenes changed to avoid mentioning death, change or remove lines of dialogue, and even shorten some fight scenes. However, fans hated the change, and in 2002, after countless petitions, the original, uncut version of the film was released with a PG-13 rating.

And I have to agree that the movie is best watched uncut. Being a film, it could do anything that KidsWB would never allow an episode of the cartoon it's based on to have, giving it the tone that the fans would expect from Batman. Also, the voice actors return to reprise their respective roles (even Mark Hamill comes back to voice Joker), and they do a fantastic job, and the story is awesome, with many twists, and even a flashback telling the tale of Joker's death (the cause being different depending on which version is being watched, edited or original uncut). This is a good film for any Batman fan, and one best watched uncut (unless you have kids, in that case, the edited version is also good).

I watched this not having seen a single episode of the show, and much to its credit, I had no trouble at all following the film. The plot is excellent, interesting, well-thought out, and develops rather nicely throughout, with a twist that will keep you guessing. This is well-paced, and there is an immense amount of the awesome, well-choreographed action. While quite intense and exciting, this doesn't overwhelm or overstimulate the viewer. The characters are well-written, credible and consistent. Every acting performance is great, with Hamill's take on the Joker taking the cake, as always, with the sheer maniacal quality to it, and his endless enthusiasm. The psychology is all accurate. This has well-done 2D animation and marvelous design. This builds the mood expertly, and the bleak atmosphere of Gotham is captured beautifully. The music is cool, and in general the audio is spot-on, with every effect sounding just right. There is a bit of violence in this, and I understand that it is stronger in the Director's Cut. I recommend this to any fan of Batman. 8/10

Before watching this, I was expecting a good movie, but it turned out to be a spectacular movie that I want to watch again and again! This film pays true homage to the Batman animated series and explains many questions of what happened to the supporting characters and sidekicks of the original Batman animated series. The animation style for the Joker is that of Batman: TAS volume 1-3 (i.e. Joker: good version). If you're hesitant to watch this movie, go for it. Watch, love, and enjoy. I recommend buying the DVD right away, because it also has some pretty cool bonus features like a making-of feature, and a music video. I highly recommend this movie for a fan of the show, or anyone else who even remotely likes Batman.

I've never really been that wild about this Terry kid, or this new costume. He seems to rely more on his Iron Man-like costume than his intellect and deductive skills, as the original Batman did. Having said that, my favourite part of Return of the Joker was when Barbara Gordon flashed back and remembered the last time Batman fought the Joker. That is an absolutely marvelous scene. You feel the concern and horror thunder through Batman as he's confronted with the atrocities Robin has endured, as well as his hatred and fury towards the Joker. The people in Warner Brothers animation have thankfully returned to drawing the Joker with the detail they had when Batman the Animated Series started. And as much as I don't really like him, Terry's climactic fight with the Joker is definitely worth checking out. As a previous comment said, it's a pleasant surprise.