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Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (Uncut)
Warner Bros. // PG-13 // April 23, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Although I haven't seen a great deal of the efforts, the animated "Batman" series has occasionally provided some thrills during the shows that I've seen. The animation is excellent; the stories are well-written and the tone is darker than most animated offerings. For this feature-length offering, Bruce Wayne has now grown older, looking over the new Batman, his assistant Terry. Batman's arch enemy, The Joker, has returned and seems to be stronger than ever.
The majority of the film then follows the pair as they try to put a stop to the Joker once and for all. It's impressive that an animated movie like this one can provide more excitement than the feature films, but it succeeds in doing so. The animation is well done, the story is exciting and the the universe that the filmmakers have created is stylish and wonderfully dark.
The vocal work is also quite strong, with Mark Hamill, Melissa Joan Hart and others providing the voices for the characters. This film was originally released on DVD in an edited, 73-minute version. With the rise in adult comic fans, there was a strong debate about the fact that Warner Brothers edited footage out. After enough complaints to prove that the demand was certainly there, Warner has finally released an uncut, 77-minute, PG-13 version of this animated feature.
The DVD
VIDEO: For the original release, "Return of the Joker" was presented full-frame. This release is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, but unfortunately, has not been enhanced for 16x9 televsions. Aside from the dissapointment that the picture has now been letterboxed, but isn't anamorphic, the presentation looks excellent, with great sharpness and detail to the animation. There isn't any instances of pixelation or shimmer to be found, nor are there any print flaws that I saw, in the form of marks or scratches. Colors are especially vibrant and bold, looking beautiful throughout the movie. There's really not a great deal to mention with this presentation, which really looks excellent with no major (or really any minor, for that matter) complaints.
SOUND: Going into viewing "Return Of The Joker" I was pleasantly suprised to find that, when reading the back of the box, that the film was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. As the film is apparently a straight-to-video release, I wasn't expecting a great deal of effort put into the the film's sound.
Well, I'm pleased to say that I was wrong. "Return Of The Joker" provides a terrifically exciting Dolby Digital 5.1 audio experience that gives all speakers a suprisingly energetic workout. There is a great deal of effective and thrilling surround use during the more intense scenes, whether it be for the edgy, loud music score or for effects. The movie isn't consistent action, but during the more intense parts, the movie provides a very entertaining presentation. Even during the less "busy" moments, dialogue is clear and easily heard, and the track provides full, rich sound.
MENUS: Non-animated menus with audio behind them.
EXTRAS: Commentary: This is a commentary from producer/directors Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm, who provide a very interesting discussion of the production of this animated feature, giving the viewer plenty of details about the creation of the story and the animation. I found this track to provide a lot of details about the storyline of the series, which helped, since I wasn't that familiar with it, as well as details about the production of the animation. The participants are enthusiastic about sharing details about their experiences of working on the movie and the series, and between them there really aren't that many instances of silence/pauses. A good track well worth a listen. Strangely, in the special features section this feature is listed as "a word from the creators" rather than simply "commentary".
Animatics: About a minute or so worth of moving storyboards.
"Beyond Batman Beyond" Documentary: This is an 11 minute documentary that is certainly promotional in nature, as it offers more story details through interviews rather than actual production information.
Deleted Scene: A deleted scene shown in storyboard form that was taken out due to pacing reasons.
Video Character Bios: Short animated clips that reveal more information about the main characters of the movie. The feature runs for a little less than 5 minutes total.
Music Video: "Crash" by Mephisto Odyssey featuring Static X. (who?).
Also: DVD-ROM features including web-link; trailers including "Return Of The Joker", "Batman Beyond: Video Collection", "The Iron Giant", "My Dog Skip", "Pokemon The Movie: 2000" and "Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders"; bat trivia.
Final Thoughts: "Return of the Joker" is recommended for older children, as younger ones might get scared. It's an exciting animated feature, well-voiced and written, with solid animation. Those who skipped over the previous, edited version, can now get the uncut one; aside from the dissapointment about the presentation not being anamorphic, this is a very nice DVD.
Although I haven't seen a great deal of the efforts, the animated "Batman" series has occasionally provided some thrills during the shows that I've seen. The animation is excellent; the stories are well-written and the tone is darker than most animated offerings. For this feature-length offering, Bruce Wayne has now grown older, looking over the new Batman, his assistant Terry. Batman's arch enemy, The Joker, has returned and seems to be stronger than ever.
The majority of the film then follows the pair as they try to put a stop to the Joker once and for all. It's impressive that an animated movie like this one can provide more excitement than the feature films, but it succeeds in doing so. The animation is well done, the story is exciting and the the universe that the filmmakers have created is stylish and wonderfully dark.
The vocal work is also quite strong, with Mark Hamill, Melissa Joan Hart and others providing the voices for the characters. This film was originally released on DVD in an edited, 73-minute version. With the rise in adult comic fans, there was a strong debate about the fact that Warner Brothers edited footage out. After enough complaints to prove that the demand was certainly there, Warner has finally released an uncut, 77-minute, PG-13 version of this animated feature.
The DVD
VIDEO: For the original release, "Return of the Joker" was presented full-frame. This release is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, but unfortunately, has not been enhanced for 16x9 televsions. Aside from the dissapointment that the picture has now been letterboxed, but isn't anamorphic, the presentation looks excellent, with great sharpness and detail to the animation. There isn't any instances of pixelation or shimmer to be found, nor are there any print flaws that I saw, in the form of marks or scratches. Colors are especially vibrant and bold, looking beautiful throughout the movie. There's really not a great deal to mention with this presentation, which really looks excellent with no major (or really any minor, for that matter) complaints.
SOUND: Going into viewing "Return Of The Joker" I was pleasantly suprised to find that, when reading the back of the box, that the film was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. As the film is apparently a straight-to-video release, I wasn't expecting a great deal of effort put into the the film's sound.
Well, I'm pleased to say that I was wrong. "Return Of The Joker" provides a terrifically exciting Dolby Digital 5.1 audio experience that gives all speakers a suprisingly energetic workout. There is a great deal of effective and thrilling surround use during the more intense scenes, whether it be for the edgy, loud music score or for effects. The movie isn't consistent action, but during the more intense parts, the movie provides a very entertaining presentation. Even during the less "busy" moments, dialogue is clear and easily heard, and the track provides full, rich sound.
MENUS: Non-animated menus with audio behind them.
EXTRAS: Commentary: This is a commentary from producer/directors Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm, who provide a very interesting discussion of the production of this animated feature, giving the viewer plenty of details about the creation of the story and the animation. I found this track to provide a lot of details about the storyline of the series, which helped, since I wasn't that familiar with it, as well as details about the production of the animation. The participants are enthusiastic about sharing details about their experiences of working on the movie and the series, and between them there really aren't that many instances of silence/pauses. A good track well worth a listen. Strangely, in the special features section this feature is listed as "a word from the creators" rather than simply "commentary".
Animatics: About a minute or so worth of moving storyboards.
"Beyond Batman Beyond" Documentary: This is an 11 minute documentary that is certainly promotional in nature, as it offers more story details through interviews rather than actual production information.
Deleted Scene: A deleted scene shown in storyboard form that was taken out due to pacing reasons.
Video Character Bios: Short animated clips that reveal more information about the main characters of the movie. The feature runs for a little less than 5 minutes total.
Music Video: "Crash" by Mephisto Odyssey featuring Static X. (who?).
Also: DVD-ROM features including web-link; trailers including "Return Of The Joker", "Batman Beyond: Video Collection", "The Iron Giant", "My Dog Skip", "Pokemon The Movie: 2000" and "Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders"; bat trivia.
Final Thoughts: "Return of the Joker" is recommended for older children, as younger ones might get scared. It's an exciting animated feature, well-voiced and written, with solid animation. Those who skipped over the previous, edited version, can now get the uncut one; aside from the dissapointment about the presentation not being anamorphic, this is a very nice DVD.
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