Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

[Forsaken Lover]

So, on schedule, I finally saw this movie after it's been out for like 8 years.

All I have to say is...it's perfect. Best Batman movie ever. (animated or live-action).
It's clear goal was to show how Terry is his own Batman and it did that with flying colors.
Hammil remains also the best incarnation of The Joker in anything outside The Killing Joke.

A quick refresher, the amazing ending:
YouTube - Batman Beyond Return of the Joker [2000] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kafm3ELF0_s)

But enough of my fanboyish yapping. What did you all think?

[XxSephirothxX]

I think your assertion that this is the best Batman movie makes your sanity questionable.

[Karellen]

The flashback of Batman's final battle with the Joker is great. Everything else is kind of "eh". Then again, I never liked Batman Beyond.

[Forsaken Lover]

I think your assertion that this is the best Batman movie makes your sanity questionable.

And why is that?
What Batman movies are better in your opinion then? And why?

[Boney King]

I liked it, but it's not the best Batman movie. I haven't seen any of the other animated movies.

[Ryth]

I hate Batman Beyond. I don't like watching not-Batman do things in my Batman show. ):



When it comes to animated Batman movies, you'll never be able to beat Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

[Goldenboko]

My favorite animated Batman movie is actually Batman V. Dracula xD

[Roto13]

I think your assertion that this is the best Batman movie makes your sanity questionable.

Seriously.

[Balzac]

When it comes to animated Batman movies, you'll never be able to beat Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

This.

[Nice]

I even forgot about this movie. Hell I even forgot about Batman Beyond. I just saw Mask of the Phantasm the other day, and i was disappointed by the crappy love thing going on and how naive they made Bruce seem. I guess after reading Batman Year One, Mask seemed like a mockery.

As for Return of the Joker, it is not the best Batman movie ever made kiddo. The Dark Knight actually manages to do a lot of things right for Batman. Heath Ledger also did what Hammil can't for Joker, which is act it out, not to insult Hammil and what he's done mind you.

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

Dark Knight and Batman Begins are all that's good on live action. Mask of Phantasm and pre Batman Beyond films are the definition of a good batman animated film.

[Kossage]

Did you see the cut or the uncut version of the film? Joker's end in the flashback is different depending on the version (and I have to say that I prefer the uncut one because it fits the overall mood better).

I'm no big fan of Batman Beyond the series, but it was adequate at times. The film, however, gives us a lot of insight about different character motivations and their pasts, and I liked seeing Hamill being the Joker once more: he steals the show whenever the Joker is on screen. The music is for the most part only adequate, and only the extended flashback offered any kind of leitmotivic treatment of the character themes.

The animation looked decent, and the actors did a good job in their roles. The story was quite interesting, actually, although I was expecting a somewhat more fierce showdown between the Joker and Terry in the end (although the end was suitably ironic).

This film is not in the league of classics such as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (I'm tempted to oppose the comment about its love story and about Hamill's Joker, but that's something to be done in another thread xD), but it's a fine effort on its own and worth a look if you want to see the grand finale of the animated series' Joker and to see Bruce finally get rid of some of the guilt that had been plaguing him for quite some time. :)

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

Uncut version, dude. I always like mine adult themed and not covered by the shady corporation of idiocy.

[Peegee]

Oh geez, do I have to watch Phantasm again? I just watched this movie (it's on youtube -- check piecharthosen's playlists if you're lazy).

This movie is not bad, but could have been terrible if not for the character motivations. It's an interesting re-imagining of what could have eventually happened to Tim Drake (I'm not sure if this was ever touched upon in the Batman Beyond series as I don't watch it)

Either way, it's not awesome either, but then there have been re imagined batman story lines that were bad (Like Bane in Batman: TAS), so it could have been worse.