| | | The joke's on you!
Features: DVD, Behind the Scenes Footage, Documentary
It is no laughing matter when the greatest villain of all comes out of the past to threaten Batman, Bruce Wayne and all of Gotham in Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker.The sleeker, deadlier and seemingly immortal Clown Prince of Crime is back with his own unique brand of havoc and mayhem. While trying to uncover The Joker's secrets, the new Batman, Terry McGinnis, discovers the greatest mystery in the life of the original Caped Crusader: what happened the night he fought The Joker for the last time. When Bruce Wayne is almost killed in one of The Joker's latest attacks, Batman vows to avenge his mentor and put The Joker to rest forever. Get ready for heart-stopping action, awesome adventure and amazing revelations in Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker!
"...stylish and wonderfully dark...an exciting animated feature, well-voiced and written, with solid animation." CurrentFilm.com
"The whole story is brimming with suspense, action, and humor - in short, everything a great movie can be." David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
"Surprising cartoon shocker that would have made a great live action Batman movie." Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers
"The PG-13 rating...reflects the mortal intensity of this most chilling of animated Batman tales." Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
"...a strong visual and aural dynamic...one of the best Batman movies, animated or live-action, period." Vince Leo, Qwipster's Movie Reviews
Editor's Note
This feature-length animated adventure finds Terry McGinnis (the new Batman) in a treacherous battle against the seemingly immortal Joker. More dangerous then ever, the "Clown Prince of Crime" is back to terrorize Gotham, but his primary target is the aging Bruce Wayne. When Terry unlocks the secrets of what truly happened the last time his mentor fought the Joker, he learns how to beat him at his own twisted game, and possibly save Bruce Wayne before it's too late! BATMAN BEYOND: Return of the Joker contains flashback sequences that help bridge the gap between the new animated series and the previous one. Featuring the voices of Will Friedle (BOY MEETS WORLD) as Terry McGinnis and Mark Hamill (STAR WARS) as the Joker.
| Features | English Audio | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | Music Videos | | Deleted Scenes | | Cast & Crew Bios | | Documentaries |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Warner |
| Release Date: 12/6/2005 |
| Running Time: 76 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2000 | | Catalog ID: 18173-D | | UPC: 00085391817321 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Curt Geda - Director | | Kristopher Carter - Musical Score | | Alan Burnett, et al. - Producer | | Mark Hamill - Voice Of | | Melissa Joan Hart - Voice Of | | Will Friedle - Voice Of | | Kevin Conroy - Voice Of | | Paul Dini - Writer |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
Rating: A- - Entertainment Weekly Recommends 01/12/2001 p.65Entertainment Weekly
"...It may be animated, but nothing about this saga is cartoonish..." 05/10/1992 p.59 NeedCoffee.com 9 of 10
Having been a big fan of the WB's Batman Beyond series, the arrival of the first feature-length adventure for this new, edgier incarnation of the caped crusader was a welcome day...The story is classic Batman fare, facing the new Dark Knight off against his predecessor's most troublesome nemesis. Timm's crew has always handled the Joker very well--bringing out the dark, deranged psychopath instead of painting him as a ridiculous buffoon with a violent streak--and this incarnation is no exception...This is not to say that the plot is derivative--far from it. Despite decades of exploring the Batman mythos in comics, books, TV, and movies, Return of the Joker manages a few surprises, some of them fairly major, and manages them quite well...Return of the Joker belongs on the rack of any fan of American animation in general, and the Timm/Dini DC comic adaptations in particular. And if you're a fan of the Caped Crusader, it's a better investment than a large percentage of the live-action Batman fare. If you've liked some of the other feature-length Batman productions by this animation team, then this should be no exception. Those completely unfamiliar with the world of Batman Beyond might be a bit confused at first, but the film stands remarkably well on its own, relying very little on knowledge of the characters drawn from the TV series.
Apollo Movie Guide 9 of 10
Imagine someone other than Bruce Wayne donning the cap and cowl that is Batman. Goosebumps migrate onto my back just pondering the thought. Throughout their history, comic books have been packed with drastic gimmicks derived to inject a boost in sales. I thought that was what was going on when I heard that a new incarnation of the animated Batman movies was on the way. And Batman Beyond does just that -- it provides drastic gimmicks that go far past fans' initial assumptions -- and their doubts -- and makes me a believer that comic book characters can age...Full of beautiful, rapid-fire animation rooted in Japanese anime, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is an animated masterpiece. The pulse-pounding action sequences are a marvel, and the voice acting, which includes Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill as the Joker, is truly commendable. However, what makes this film tremendously appealing to Batman fans, young and old, is the way it draws from the franchise's long standing history to lay the groundwork for the updated version...This is an intelligent animated film that can be understood by everyone. While it is intense and sometimes violent, this is not any worse than what's on television every day. If the premise of Batman Beyond was originally a gimmick, it has become one that is equally innovative and carefully crafted. - Ryan Cracknell
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  5 | | Plot |  4 | | Acting | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
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5 of 5 Who's Joking? Monday, May 06, 2002
Daystorm from Austin, TX
Despite my reservations towards a newer, sleeker, flying, wall-crawling, high tech Batman, I ended up really liking the television series. It was dark, action-packed, inventive and well-written, an anomaly in American Sat. Morning cartoons. I'd heard that this feature length DVD release was good, but until I bought it, I didn't know how good. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed, the art is clean and smooth and the story is really, really twisted. Just how I like it. I don't know what Buy.com has here, but the initially released version of the DVD had some disturbing scenes cut from it. I found the director's cut in a store, however, and it really packs a punch. The initial release is still good, though, and it's something you might want to consider if it's for your kids and not for yourself. Otherwise, you might try the stores for the box with big red "Original Uncut Version" stamped on the front.
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