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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 56853
Released: July 5, 2005 |
| Our Price: $0.75 |
| Used Price: $1.86 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The greatest villain of all comes out of the past to threaten Batman, Bruce Wayne and all of Gotham City in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the first feature-length Batman Beyond movie. 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-stomping action, awesome adventure and amazing revelations in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Description of Batman Beyond - Return of the Joker (Keepcase):
Some diehard Batfans have been slow to warm to the animated series Batman Beyond even though it was created by the same team responsible for the excellent Batman cartoon of the early '90s. The Dark Knight should be a brooding avenger in a noir-nightmare Gotham City, the purists argue, not some smart-aleck teen four decades in the future, with jet packs, invisibility shields, and other sci-fi gizmos loaned him by an elderly Bruce Wayne (voiced, excellently as always, by Kevin Conroy, his stony bass given a raspy hint of old age), now confined to hobbling about on a cane and monitoring his protégé's activities from the Batcave. Between its respectful reexamination of the "tortured hero" mythos and its sleek, anime-inspired look, this feature-length movie should go a long way toward quieting their complaints. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they've brought back the most legendary figure in the Rogues Gallery (voiced by Mark Hamill, deliciously deranged), but exactly how and why the Joker has managed to turn up 40 years after his last meeting with Batman still as youthful and diabolical as ever is explained not only logically but terrifyingly as well. The secret behind his arrival is perhaps the saddest, grimmest twist any purported "kids' show" has dared to attempt. (Parents may well want to preview this tape before screening it for the very young.) Once again, Warner Brothers' cartoon Batman has outshone all the live-action films, never allowing the thrilling action set pieces or flashes of wry humor to drown out the drama, even tragedy, of the all-too-human superheroes. --Bruce Reid
Batman Beyond - Return of the Joker (Keepcase) Reviews:
Joker's Back -- Put a Smile On Your Face! 
2009-12-22 - December 2002 saw the return of the Joker, in a direct-to-DVD adaptation of the Batman of the future. McGinnis, it is explained, is the Batman, complete with jet packs and invisibility shields. To be honest, it took me a bit of time to get used to that. What, no cape & cowls?
The flashbacks took care of that doubt. In this universe, Batgirl does not lose the use of her legs and become Oracle, but becomes the next police commissioner. Sorry to you vets out there where this is old news, but Batman Beyond is a new one on me. I must look up these DVDs and watch the 50 something episodes.
Mark Hamill is devilish as the evil Joker. Harley and her nasty twin grandchildren. The Jokerz and the clowns. Put them all together and you get a recipe for mayhem.
The original uncut version was a lot more violent and thus not really a kiddie's cartoon. There are adult themes of relationships, of revenge and of trying to forget the past, but the past, not handled, comes back and bites you hard. Reconcile or die!
The DVD: Commentary by the Filmmakers*; Behind-the-Scenes Documentary; Deleted Scenes; Animation Tests; Music Video Crash by Mephisto Odyssey featuring Static X; Animated Character Bios; Interactive Menus; Production Notes; Trailers; Scene Access; Subtitles: English & Francais.
A fresh new look on the original icon created by Bob Kane, refreshingly so.
Recommended:
Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Guide
Batman Beyond, Seasons 1-3 (DC Comics Classic Collection)
Dc Universe Classics Series 4 Action Figure Batman Beyond Unmasked Variant
Very good movie
2009-12-09 - Batman Beyond-Return of the Joker is one hour and sixteen minutes and was released directly to video on December 12, 2000. The movie open up with the Jokerz Gang trying to steal some heavy machinery and are thwarted by Batman. The film forwards to the Batcave and we see Bruce Wayne in his seventies or early eighties and Terry McGinnis (the new Batman) watching the news and are talking about Wayne reclaiming his old company and becoming the CEO. At a company party for Mr. Wayne return, the Jokerz Gang and Joker crash the reception. Bruce is in a stake of shock that Joker is alive. Terry dons the Batman outfit and fight off the party crashers. Joker and the gang make their escape by blowing up the party. Batman is force to rescue some people falling to their and is unable to give chase to the Joker and his gang. Back at the Batcave, Terry demands the truth as to what is going on. Bruce never told him about Joker and for Terry safety asks him to turn over the Batsuit. Terry and Bruce get into a heated argument and Terry hands over the suit and quit a Bruce Wayne assistant. Later on at a dance club Terry and Dana are attacked by the Jokerz Gang. Terry fights back but Dana is injured during the conflict. Terry rushes back to Bruce to try to find out why the Jokerz Gang attacked him but find Ace (Bruce pet dog) injured, the word HA painted in red all over the Batcave, and Bruce injected with Joker serum in him. Terry is able to save Bruce. Terry calls Barbara Gordon, the original Bat Girl, and she comes over and helps take care of Bruce. Later on Terry confronts Barbara and makes her tell the truth about Joker. Barbara tells Terry what he wants to know. Robin (Tim Drake) was patrolling the streets alone one night and answered a distressed called. Unknown to Robin it was a plot to kidnap him and it worked. Joker and Harley Quinn take Robin back to their hideout. Batman and Batgirl looked for Robin for three weeks and finally get a break in the case and head to the old Arkham Asylum. There the two find out that Joker has turned Robin into a Joker Junior. Robin hair is turned green, skin is bleached white, and given a mini purple Joker suit. It is revealed that through physical and psychological torture Robin reveals to Joker the truth about Batman. Batman is enraged and a fight breaks out. Batgirl chases Harley Quinn and wind up out side. During their fight Joker Junior tosses Harley Quinn a bazooka gun and Harley tries to kill Batgirl with it. Batgirl is able to dislodge the weapon from her but the gun goes off and both fall into a deep pit. Batgirl is able to grab a hold of the cliff and grab hold of Harley outfit. Harley outfit rips and she is seen falling to her death. Back inside Arkham Asylum Joker and Batman are fighting it out. Joker stabs Batman in the leg and hands Joker Junior a gun and orders him to kill Batman. Robin is able to regain his senses and kills Joker in the end. Batman, Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon bury Joker underneath Arkham Asylum. Dr. Leslie Thompkins is able to rehabilitate Tim back to health but Bruce forbade Tim from ever wearing the Robin costume again. Tim is now married, has two kids, and works as a high level communications engineer. Terry questions Tim (as the Batman) and finds out that Tim is not the Joker. Tim next lead is Jordan Price, who was next in line to head Wayne Enterprises. Jordan is in league with the Jokerz Gang but is not the Joker. We did find out that Jordan wanted Bruce out of the way. Back at the Batcave, Terry and Mr. Wayne discuss their next option; Terry notices that the Robin costume is torn while the other costumes were not even touched. Terry remembers his conversation with Tim and how he resented his role. Batman visits Tim and tries to confront him but find a hologram of Tim and finds it was a trap set by the Joker. Batman is able to free himself from the trap and heads to the Joker hideout. At the hideout, Batman confronts Tim and it is during this confrontation that Tim transforms in the Joker. Joker tells Batman that during Tim transformation into Joker Junior, Joker implanted a microchip (nanotechnology) with the Joker encoded DNA and consciousness. The microchip was implanted in Tim's neck where it sat dormant for years. First the transformation became erratic but soon the transformation of a Joker clone will become permanent. Joker prepares to fire the satellite on Gotham but Ace knocks Joker over and his joy buzzer ring falls into the controls and causing the beam's guidance system set to blow up the builder where the Joker and Batman are at. Joker tries to leave but is stopped by Batman when he seals the factory. At fight begins and Batman uses psychological warfare to defeat Joker. Joker tries using bombs to lure Batman out of hiding. Batman falls to the floor and Joker pins him to the ground. Batman uses the joy buzzer to destroy the microchip and return Tim to his self. Tim, Batman, and Ace leave the building just as it is about to be destroyed. At the city jail the Dee-Dee twins, part of the Jokerz Gang, are free on bail by their grandmother. It is found out that the Dee-Dee twins are the granddaughters of Harley Quinn and Harley did survive the fall. In the end Bruce and Tim reconciles old differences. This unedited version is 100% better then the edited version. I know because I own both of them. The unedited version is a little more violent and in the movie some questions are answered in the Batman Beyond television series. Batman Beyond-Return of the Joker gets an AAA+++.
DVD FEATURES
Play Movie
Scene Selections
Special Features
A) A Word from the Creators
B) Animatics
C) Beyond "Batman Beyond" Documentary
D) Video Character Bios
E) Confidential Bat Footage - For Your Eyes Only
F) Bat Trivia
G) "Crash" Music Video
H) Trailer
Languages
Batman Beyond - Return of the Joker 
2009-11-16 - If you enjoy the animated Batman series . Then you will enjoy this movie . It gives a slight twist to the demise of the Joker and what happens in the future . You also find out what happens to Harliquin , Batgirl , and Robin .
The Batman Beyond Series puts a future twist on the Batman story never seen before , and this is what makes this movie a must see. In this series , there are street gangs calling themselves the "Jokers" . Then when the actual Joker himself appears , it just throws everyone for a loop . In this movie , you really get the feel for what kind of Insane Genius , he really is .
I do not want to spoil the Movie for anyone out there reading this , but I will say this to you . If you want to have a bit of fun with Batman , and seeing Joker get what he really deserves , grab your Pop-Corn , Your Drink , turn off the lights and hold on for an exciting time...
Joker Beyond
2009-11-05 - Probably the best of the made-for-video animated Batflicks(Mask Of The Phantasm was a theatrical release), Return Of The Joker was the only movie of Batman Beyond, which also acted as a kind of finale to the series.
Set sometime after Season 3 of the show, a remaining group of the Jokerz(a street gang enspired by the Joker)has been working with a criminal claiming to be the original Joker. Meanwhile, the elderly Bruce Wayne has regained control of his family's business, but Joker & Co. crash his big party. Luckily, Batman 2.0(aka: Terry McGinnis)is on hand to stop them. The return of his old nemesis forces Bruce to take away the Batsuit from Terry. That doesn't stop the Jokerz from hunting down him down while Joker busts into the Batcave and nearly kills Bruce. Barbara Gordon fills Terry in on the demise of the first Joker from back in her Batgirl days when Tim Drake(the second Robin)was kidnapped and tortured by the Joker, which caused Tim to shoot him. Terry suspects Tim has some connection to the new Joker, mainly because of his current expertise as a satellite engineer, and the Joker's been stealing lots of computer parts used to control satellites. Joker uses an orbiting particle-beam satellite to shoot down the Batmobile, and wrecking half of Gotham in the process! Batman arrives at the Joker's hideout, and is stunned to find out that Tim Drake is really the Joker who the original one had planted some of his DNA inside him when he was Robin. Thankfully, Terry is successful in freeing Tim from the Joker's control, and stops the satellite laser.
This was a triumph for Warner Bros. video animation, which later helped set the stage for the current DC Universe line of films. It was also alot more mature then the previous DC Comics animated outlets up until then, so much so that there is a unrated version of this film that's much more worth owning. The animation is also profoundly upgraded. Batman Beyond was already heavily influenced by cyberpunk anime like Akira and Bubblegum Crisis, but it really shows up alot more here than in the TV series, especially in the shots involving the space laser destroying the city. The TV series also occasionally suffered from a lack of decent writing, but this movie was a profound boost in that and making it a true Batman story more with mystery and intrigue. There's also better development with the characters, more so with the original Batman characters than the Beyond ones. This is a must for all Batfans, even ones who didn't watch BB.
Fantastic film, Get the uncut version, it's actually widescreen 16:9!
2009-10-20 - This is a great Batman movie. I'm a fan of the Batman Beyond series and this was very well done and a pleasure to watch. I just want to note that Amazon.com lists the aspect ratioo as 1:33:1 (Fullscreen). The back of the DVD case also says "Standard Version" and says the film was modified from it's original version. However, this DVD is in anamorphic WIDESCREEN. So at least it's not cropped to a 4:3 pan and scan, you get the full view of the wonderful 16:9 video as it was intended to be seen.
The film was great, I have yet to go into the special features, but it does seem to have a good amount including deleted scenes, animation tests and even a commentary. I'm very happy Warner Brothers released an Uncut version of this movie. It's by-far the best version, sure it's not the best for young kids - but this series and the film aren't really that violent or adult, sure it has some adult themes, but compared to what's on TV today it's hard for me to see why they had to go and make an edited version. Then again, to each their own. This is a fantastic DVD and it's at a great price, get this uncut version, don't worry, it's in Widescreen and any fan of Batman or any of the many animated series about Batman will really enjoy this DVD.
