Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
In the futuristic Gotham City of Batman Beyond, a shocking impossibility arises: the Joker, long thought dead, returns to terrorize a new generation. This film is a pivotal entry in the DC Animated Universe, not only continuing the story of Terry McGinnis as Batman but also unearthing dark secrets from Bruce Wayne's past. Prepare to delve into a deeply psychological mystery that challenges the very legacy of the Bat-Family. The film masterfully weaves together the classic Batman era with the futuristic world of Batman Beyond, offering crucial timeline revelations. It explores the intense, almost symbiotic psychological dynamic between Batman and the Joker, revealing its enduring, horrifying impact. Significant censorship during its initial release led to two distinct versions of the film, impacting its narrative and themes.
AI Summary
In the futuristic Gotham City of Batman Beyond, a shocking impossibility arises: the Joker, long thought dead, returns to terrorize a new generation. This film is a pivotal entry in the DC Animated Universe, not only continuing the story of Terry McGinnis as Batman but also unearthing dark secrets from Bruce Wayne's past. Prepare to delve into a deeply psychological mystery that challenges the very legacy of the Bat-Family.
- The film masterfully weaves together the classic Batman era with the futuristic world of Batman Beyond, offering crucial timeline revelations.
- It explores the intense, almost symbiotic psychological dynamic between Batman and the Joker, revealing its enduring, horrifying impact.
- Significant censorship during its initial release led to two distinct versions of the film, impacting its narrative and themes.
The Impossible Return
Decades after the original Batman — Bruce Wayne — retired, Gotham City is protected by his young protégé, Terry McGinnis, the new Batman. But the relative peace is shattered when a new faction of the notorious 'Jokerz' gang emerges, far more organized and dangerous than ever before. They're not just hooligans; they're led by someone far more sinister.
As Terry confronts the gang, a familiar, chilling laugh echoes through the shadows. Their true leader steps forward, a figure none believed could ever return: the Joker himself. The villain's impossible reappearance sends shockwaves through Gotham, especially for Bruce Wayne, who knows firsthand the terror he represents.
A Troubled Debut
This film's journey to screens was anything but smooth. Originally slated for a Halloween 2000 release, its dark and violent themes became a point of contention. In the wake of real-world tragedies, Warner Bros. grew apprehensive, leading to significant delays and heavy censorship.
The creative team was forced to make edits, specifically altering one of the film's most disturbing moments — the Joker's death. This decision resulted in two distinct versions: a toned-down PG-13 cut for initial release and a later, unrated version that restored the filmmakers' original, much darker vision.
Unearthing Old Wounds
The Joker makes a grand, terrifying re-entrance by crashing a press conference commemorating Bruce Wayne's return to Wayne Enterprises. Bruce is aghast, insisting it can't possibly be his old nemesis. But the Joker's twisted personality and cruel humor are undeniable.
Terry, needing answers, presses Bruce and Commissioner Barbara Gordon — the former Batgirl — for details about the Joker's decades-long absence. They both refuse, unwilling to dredge up painful memories. Bruce even tries to bench Terry, ordering him to return the Batsuit and let him handle it alone, despite his age and limitations.
However, the Joker quickly demonstrates he's playing for keeps. He targets Terry's girlfriend, Dana Tan, in a brutal attack. Simultaneously, in the Batcave, the Joker poisons Bruce and his loyal dog, Ace, revealing he knows both Bruce's past as Batman and Terry's present role as his successor. The stakes are raised; no one is safe.
The Secret of Robin's Fall
After Terry saves Bruce with an antidote, Barbara finally breaks her silence. She recounts the horrific truth of the Joker's disappearance, an event shrouded in secrecy for over four decades. It began after Nightwing had left Gotham, leaving a young Tim Drake as Robin alongside Batman and Batgirl.
The Joker and Harley Quinn kidnapped Tim, subjecting him to weeks of unimaginable torture and psychological brainwashing in the abandoned Arkham Asylum. During this ordeal, they forced him to reveal Batman's secret identity and began molding him into a grotesque, teenage version of the Joker himself.
Batman and Batgirl eventually found Tim, leading to a brutal confrontation. In a shocking moment of lucidity, the traumatized Tim lashed out, killing the Joker. Harley Quinn was presumed dead after falling into a ravine, and the secret of Joker's demise — and Tim's role in it — was buried deep beneath Arkham Asylum, known only to Commissioner Gordon and the Bat-Family.
The aftermath was devastating. Tim Drake slowly recovered but was forced to retire from crimefighting, severing ties with Bruce Wayne. He sought to rebuild his life far away from the shadows of Gotham, haunted by the trauma he endured.
The Unmasking
Terry, as Batman, visits a grown-up Tim Drake, now a successful telecommunications engineer with a family. Tim expresses bitterness about his past but vehemently denies any involvement in the Joker's impossible return. Terry's investigation then leads him to Jordan Pryce, a Wayne Enterprises executive with a grudge against Bruce.
Pryce turns out to be a mere pawn, attempting to kill Bruce with the Joker's help. However, a crucial detail sparks a horrifying realization for Terry: the Joker's previous attacks only destroyed Tim's Robin costume, not Tim himself. This, combined with Tim's engineering expertise, points to a terrifying conclusion.
Terry and Bruce deduce that the stolen equipment was being used to create a jamming system, designed to seize control of a laser-armed military satellite. The Joker's plan was far grander — and deadlier — than anyone imagined, threatening to wipe out Gotham itself.
When Terry confronts Tim, he falls into a trap. He pursues the Joker to an abandoned candy factory, only to find himself face-to-face with Tim, who disables his Batsuit. Then, in a chilling transformation watched by Bruce through Terry's suit, Tim physically changes, becoming the Joker.
The Joker gleefully reveals his impossible survival: a microchip, implanted behind Tim's ear decades ago, encoded with his consciousness. He had been slowly taking over Tim's body, intending to complete the transformation and permanently seize control. His grand plan? To use the satellite to obliterate Gotham and every loved one of Bruce and Terry.
In a climactic battle, Terry leverages the Joker's own gadgets against him, using an electric joy buzzer to destroy the microchip, finally extinguishing the Joker's twisted persona. Terry and Ace escape with the unconscious Tim just as the satellite obliterates the factory, effectively ending the Joker's reign of terror for good.
Loose Ends and Lasting Legacies
In the aftermath, Barbara Gordon wisely conceals Tim's unwitting involvement to protect his reputation. Meanwhile, the Joker is finally declared unequivocally dead. The Dee-Dee twins, members of the new Jokerz gang, are bailed out by their surprising grandmother — a now-reformed Harley Quinn, who, it turns out, survived her fall decades ago.
Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake finally make amends, beginning to heal old wounds. As Tim recovers, both he and Bruce acknowledge Terry McGinnis as truly worthy of the Batman mantle. Terry, with the city saved and the past laid to rest, resumes his duties as Gotham's futuristic Dark Knight.
Crafting the Story
Production for 'Return of the Joker' began after another Batman project was canceled, giving the creators, Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami, an opportune window. They seized the chance to answer lingering questions about the mysterious timeline gap between 'Batman: The Animated Series' and 'Batman Beyond', making this film a crucial bridge in the DCAU.
The animation itself marked a shift, being the first direct-to-video Batman animated film to utilize digital ink and paint, a modern technique that allowed for cleaner lines and vibrant colors. The work was expertly outsourced to TMS Entertainment in Japan, known for their high-quality animation.
The Censorship Controversy
The film's initial release was significantly impacted by the backlash against violence in children's media following the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Warner Bros. executives expressed deep apprehension about the film's intensely dark and violent content, leading to a delayed release and mandated edits.
The most dramatic change involved the Joker's death scene. In the original, unrated version, the Joker is electrocuted during a struggle. However, the initial PG-13 cut famously altered this to him being impaled by a flag shot from a handgun, a scene still considered quite intense. Years later, due to online petitions, an uncut version was finally released, restoring the original violence and language.
This film also holds the distinction of being the first animated Batman film to receive a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, a clear indication of its mature themes. This rating was unique for a film released under Warner Bros.' now-defunct Family Entertainment label.
Lasting Impact
Beyond the film itself, 'Return of the Joker' spawned a variety of tie-in media. A comic adaptation, drawn by Craig Rousseau, was released in February 2001, with the Joker's death scene having to be redrawn to match the censored film version. A video game adaptation also arrived in 2000 for Game Boy Color, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64.
Critically, 'Return of the Joker' was overwhelmingly praised, earning a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers lauded its thrilling narrative, its deep exploration of Batman and Joker's relationship, and particularly Mark Hamill's iconic voice performance as the Joker. Many felt it captured the peak quality of the original animated series.
The film was celebrated as an 'animated masterpiece' and an 'energetic and unsettling Batman adventure' that truly showcased Hamill's talent. It effectively allowed both the new Batman, Terry McGinnis, and the aging Bruce Wayne to confront significant action and emotional challenges.
Award Category Subject Result Annie Award Best Animated Home Entertainment Production Won Annie Award Directing in a Feature Production Curt Geda Nominated Annie Award Writing in a Feature Production Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and Bruce Timm Nominated Annie Award Voice Acting in a Feature Production Mark Hamill Nominated DVD Exclusive Award Best Animated Character Performance Won DVD Exclusive Award Best Animated DVD Premiere Nominated DVD Exclusive Award Best DVD Audio Premiere Nominated DVD Exclusive Award Best DVD Packaging Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Direct to Video Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Music - Direct to Video Nominated
The film's critical success was also recognized with several accolades. It notably won an Annie Award for Best Animated Home Entertainment Production, solidifying its place as a significant achievement in animated storytelling. Mark Hamill also received a DVD Exclusive Award for Best Animated Character Performance, further cementing his legacy as the voice of the Joker.
Article
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 American direct-to-video animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Home Video. It is the third film in the DC Animated Universe and is based on the animated series Batman Beyond while also serving as a continuation of and resolving plot points from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. The film features the DC Comics Batmen Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), as they try to unravel the mysterious return of the former's archenemy, the Joker (Mark Hamill), preparing a climactic showdown with the villain.
The film was heavily censored following the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and WB's objection to its content, causing its release to be delayed from Halloween 2000 to December 12. Subsequently, the PG-13 uncut version was released on DVD on April 23, 2002.
Plot
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
A new faction of the Jokerz gang—consisting of Bonk, Woof, Ghoul, Chucko, and the Dee-Dee twins—attempts to steal high-tech electronic equipment but is intercepted by Batman (Terry McGinnis), protégé of the original Batman, Bruce Wayne. The gang reports back to their leader, revealed to be the Joker, Bruce's arch-nemesis, who has been presumed dead for four decades. The Joker kills Bonk for his defiance and to intimidate the other members.
Later, the Jokerz attack a press conference commemorating Bruce's return to Wayne Enterprises, and the Joker reveals himself to Bruce, who insists that he died. After fending off the attack, Terry demands information from Bruce and Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, but neither gives him the answers he seeks, and Terry realizes that the Joker is malevolent. Not wanting Terry to face the Joker, Bruce orders him to return the Batsuit so he can make preparations to confront his foe on his own, despite being in no condition to fight him. However, the Jokerz attack Terry, nearly killing his girlfriend, Dana Tan, while in the Batcave, the Joker poisons Bruce and his Great Dane, Ace, revealing that he knows their secrets.
After Terry saves Bruce's life with an antidote, Barbara finally explains the Joker's disappearance: After Nightwing (Dick Grayson) had left Gotham City for Blüdhaven, the Joker and Harley Quinn kidnapped Tim Drake, then Robin, while he was on patrol, torturing and brainwashing him for three weeks at the abandoned Arkham Asylum, learning Batman's secret identity, and turning him into a teenage facsimile of the Joker, scheming for Robin to kill Batman. After Batman and Batgirl found Tim, a battle ensued, during which Tim briefly came to his senses and killed the Joker instead, while Harley fell down a ravine and was presumed dead. They buried the Joker underneath the asylum, and only Barbara's father and predecessor James Gordon knew of this incident. Over the next year, Tim recovered with help from Bruce's family friend Leslie Thompkins, was forced to retire from superheroics, and severed ties with Bruce, leaving to make it on his own.
As Batman, Terry visits Tim, now a successful telecommunications engineer with a family, who voices bitterness towards his past but denies involvement in the Joker's return. Terry's next suspect is Jordan Pryce, a Wayne Enterprises executive who hates Bruce for ruining his chance to take over the company. He ultimately finds that Pryce is not the Joker but had conspired with him to kill Bruce. When a directed-energy weapon strikes Pryce's yacht, Terry rescues him before turning him over to the police. In the Batcave, after realizing the Joker only destroyed the Robin costume, Terry recalls Tim's grudge against his old persona and deduces he must be involved. Cross-referencing Tim's expertise as an engineer with the Jokerz' thefts, Terry and Bruce discover that their stolen equipment can create a jamming system that seizes control of a laser-armed military satellite.
When Terry goes to face Tim in his workplace, he triggers a trap set by the Joker, whom he follows to an abandoned candy factory. Subduing the Jokerz with Ace's help, Terry confronts Tim, who subdues Terry by disabling his Batsuit and then transforms into the Joker as Bruce watches in horror from the Batcave through Terry's Batsuit. The Joker explains that he encoded himself into a DNA microarray, implanted and hidden behind Tim's ear, allowing him to survive death by taking over Tim's body and intending to do so permanently. With the satellite, the Joker plans to kill Bruce and Terry's loved ones before destroying Gotham City. As they battle, Terry uses one of the Joker's electric joy buzzers to destroy the biochip and with it the Joker's persona forever. Terry and Ace escape with the unconscious Tim as the satellite destroys the Joker's lair, then shuts down.
Following the Jokerz' arrests, Barbara hides Tim's unwitting involvement to protect him while the Joker is declared dead. The Dee-Dee twins are bailed out by their grandmother pending the Jokerz' trial. She is revealed to be an elderly and reformed Harley Quinn who is revealed to have long survived the fall. Bruce makes amends with Tim and Barbara while Tim recovers in the hospital, during which he and Bruce acknowledge Terry as worthy to carry the Batman mantle.
Production
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
The film was initially put into production after the cancellation of Boyd Kirkland's Batman: Arkham, the intended sequel to Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. When Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami were given the greenlight to produce a Batman Beyond feature-length film, they decided to use the extra time to answer questions pertaining to the time period between Beyond and Batman: The Animated Series.
The animation was outsourced to TMS Entertainment in Japan. It is also the first Batman direct-to-video animated film to use digital ink and paint.
Dwayne McDuffie, writer for the DCAU series Static Shock, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, stated that the events of the flashback sequence in the film take place at the end of the present-day timeline of the DCAU, following the end of Justice League Unlimited but prior to the start of Batman Beyond.
Release
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Return of the Joker was originally set for release on Halloween 2000, but following the backlash against violence in children's media that resulted from the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, and general apprehension by the higher-ups at WB over the film's content, the creative team was forced to make edits that delayed its release to December 12, 2000.
The most dramatic change was the method of the Joker's death; in the PG-13 "theatrical" version of the film, he is impaled by a flag shot out of a handgun by Tim Drake; in the unrated television version of the film, he is electrocuted after becoming tangled in water tubing. Nearly two years after the film's initial release, and following online petitions, Warner Home Video released an uncut and unaltered version of Return of the Joker, with more violence and some altered language, as well as the Joker's original death scene.
While the 2000 release was not rated, the PG-13 "theatrical" version was the first animated Batman film to receive a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, as well as the only PG-13 rated film to be released under Warner Bros' now-defunct Family Entertainment label.
The PG-13 "theatrical" version was released on Blu-ray on April 5, 2011.
The unrated television version became available on HBO Max internationally.
Marketing
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
A comic adaptation of the film was released in February 2001, drawn by Craig Rousseau. The page depicting the Joker's death had to be redone in accordance with the edits made to the film. A tie-in video game was released in 2000 for Game Boy Color, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64. Scholastic released a novelization of the film, written by Michael Teitelbaum, on October 1, 2000.
Music
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Released on October 17, 2000, the soundtrack to Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker contains music composed by Kristopher Carter, as well as two tracks of music featured in the direct-to-video film.
Critical reception
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "This feature length entry in the Batman Beyond mythos sends off the Mark Hamill-voiced Joker in thrilling fashion, hitting the same caped crusading peaks of the original series."
Nisha Gopalan of Entertainment Weekly praised the PG-13 "theatrical" version of the film, in particular how it "sheds light on the dark, obsessive relationship between the villain and his vigilante counterpart." Gerry Shamray of Sun Newspapers said that Return of the Joker "would have made a great live-action Batman movie." Ryan Cracknell of Apollo Guide called the film "an animated masterpiece."
Peter Canavese of Groucho Reviews called it an "energetic and unsettling Batman adventure," adding that it "provides a memorable showcase for Hamill's celebrated take on the Joker, and allows both McGinnis and Wayne to see action and face emotional challenges." Michael Stailey of DVD Verdict gave the PG-13 "theatrical" version a score of 92 out of 100, calling it "a taut, high-impact film" and "a must-buy to Bat-fans and animation lovers alike."
Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons had a mixed response when reviewing the uncut version, saying that "the script is pretty solid, the animation superb, and the voice performances all work well," but added that "the Terry character's personal scenes aren't anywhere near as engaging [as the scenes featuring the Joker or Bruce Wayne], and the investigative subplot doesn't work as well as it should." Jeremy Conrad of IGN gave the PG-13 "theatrical" version a score of nine out of 10 for the movie itself, six out of 10 each for video and audio, and eight out of 10 for extras, adding up to an overall score of seven out of 10.
Accolades
<table><thead><tr><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Subject</th><th>Result</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Annie Award</td><td>Best Animated Home Entertainment Production</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Directing in a Feature Production</td><td>Curt Geda</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Writing in a Feature Production</td><td>Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and Bruce Timm</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Voice Acting in a Feature Production</td><td>Mark Hamill</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>DVD Exclusive Award</td><td>Best Animated Character Performance</td><td>Won</td></tr></tbody></table>