Rating:  -
The movie was very good, but inside the case, the things that makes the dvd stay in place were broke upon delivery. To make the dvd stay in place, I had to take a piece of computer paper and hold it into fourths and stick it in with it.
Rating:  -
I own the entire series and all of the small or special films like this one. The concept is that the "old" Batman needs a younger backup and this new Batman is a teenager. He faces the same moral questions that the original Batman faced. The animation is ok compared to the computer animation that's out. But I just love this show. I enjoy the foes he faces and watch the videos often. If you're a Batman fan and you're not a stickler to comic book dictations, you'll LOVE Batman Beyond!
Rating: -
In the feature-length animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, it had been 40 years since the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, (voiced by the ever-phenominal Kevin Conroy) tangled with his archenemy, The Joker (reprised once again with cackling perfection by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill), though his legacy in the futuristic Blade Runner-esque Gotham City lives on in the street gang The Jokerz, who emulate the original Clown Prince of Crime through normally petty crime. But now The Jokerz have started stealing high-tech equipment, causing the newest Dark Knight, Terry McGinnis (voiced by Will Friedle) to intervene. As we discover, they're pilfering the equipment under the orders of The Joker himself, who has inexplicably returned, unaffected by the rigors of time and old age. The Joker has found a way to cheat death time and time again in the past, but how could he possibly be back now to terrorize the citizens of Gotham? The secret lies in that final encounter 40 years prior, a secret so disturbing and cruel that it emotionally scarred everyone who survived. Terry must uncover the truth in time to stop this new Joker from wiping Gotham City off the map.
All the voice actors bring their A game, with Conroy and Hamill being the highlights. They've lived in these roles for years and have been able to add little nuances to their performances. Conroy adds a raspy growl that even his younger portrayal of Batman lacks, and Hamill adds a restraint that is nearly serpeantine to this new iteration of The Joker. And it must be said that this has to be one of the darkest and most morbid offering to the Batman lexicon, and that is actually a very high complement, considering this is an animated film. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker takes some very brutal adult turns. Characters are tortured and killed. As one of the previous reviews states, parents should watch the movie first and see if their children can handle the disturbing subject matter. But take heart, this film more than makes up for its dark moments. Several characters must open old wounds and dig up painful memories. But in the end, they overcome their problems, and true healing can begin. As dark as the film gets, it never sacrifices the action and the drama, and it never loses its heart. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker ranks up there with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and the Christopher Nolan Batman films as the best cinematic interpretations of the Batman universe.
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In 1999, the creators of the landmark "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series" released a new animated series: "Batman Beyond". Set 50 years after BTAS, it focused on a futuristic, young Batman -- Terry McGinnis -- being directed by an elderly, but still fearsome Bruce Wayne. By removing key elements of the Batman mythology, it had the potential to flop, but instead proved to be a hit thanks to the skill of the creative team.
The creation of a teenage Batman wasn't the only risk the show took. Batman has long been defined not only by his courage, but by the iconic Rogues Gallery that has risen to oppose him. For the new show, the creators wisely chose to let Terry would earn his own Rogues Gallery and not inherit Bruce Wayne's foes. That is not to say that Terry didn't go toe-to-toe with a few old faces, faces that could logically remain a threat in the future, such as Mr. Freeze or Ra's al Ghul. The old Rogues were presumed to have succumbed to age and violence.
And yet, there was one villain whose fate remained the literal white elephant in the corner, who could not simply be ignored: the Joker. What happened to the Clown Prince of Crime? "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" sets out to answer that and other lingering questions that fans have had regarding the fate of the Clown and other key figures of the Batman mythology.
The film is set after Season 3 and in essence, serves as the show's grand finale. Terry has the Jokerz street gangs on the ruin and Bruce Wayne has regained control of Wayne Enterprise. But at the formal ceremony to hand over the reins, an unexpected face crashes the party: The Joker, young, sleek, and ready to unleash his brand of terror on future Gotham. However, Bruce insists it can't be the Joker as he died years ago. Now Terry must uncover the truth behind the Dark Knight's final encounter with the Clown and earn his right to wear the cowl by defeating the foe that beat his mentor.
This film is the pinnacle of the DC Animated Universe. Paul Dini's script is excellent, the story logical and engrossing. The voice acting maintains the high quality of previous DC Animated performances. Longtime veteran Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne is bitter, but resolute while Will Friedle's Terry McGinnis is sarcastic, but with a sense of maturity he lacked at the beginning of the series. But even with these performances and an excellent supporting cast, it is Mark Hamill who steals the show with his darkest and most terrifying take on the Clown Prince of Crime in nearly 20 years of playing the Joker. This was, prior to Heath Leder, the scariest portrayal of the Joker outside of the comics. The animation is an almost theatrical quality, sleek and excellent.
Just a note: The uncut version is not for children. Parents are warned.
Rating:  -
Well, considering that I had to send the item back. This wasn't a good purchase. The item was advertised as the uncut version of the movie and I was sent the cut version. This was taken care of satisfactorially which was good but the fact that it was misrepresented in the first place was bad. I did receive my money back and a small goodwill credit which did reimburse me for mailing the movie back. Still it was a hassle and I didn't get what I wanted.
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