Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker

UPC: 883929159543

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Questionable for Children, Scary Moments]

Summary: The young prot?g? of one of the world's greatest superheroes has his first encounter with an old nemesis in this direct-to-video feature adapted from the popular animated series Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) has taken over the crime-fighting responsibilities of Batman from aging Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), but while Terry has learned a great deal from Wayne, he's never heard the startling truth about Batman's final encounter with his arch-enemy, The Joker (Mark Hamill). However, when The Joker returns to Gotham City as vicious as ever, Wayne decides that it's time that the new Batman learned all there is to know about the green-faced terror before he can bring the city to its knees -- especially after Bruce is attacked by his one-time rival. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker also features the voice talents of Melissa Joan Hart and Angie Harmon. Upon its initial release, the movie sparked some controversy among Batman Beyond fans because of last-minute edits that toned down the violence level. However, it was eventually released on DVD in an uncut format. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: Commentary by the filmmakers
Featurette Batman beyond: The Legend Lives
Animation tests
Mephisto Odyssey Crash music video featuring Static X
Animated character bios

Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 04/05/2011

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 76 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: French,Spanish

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker
1. The Heist [8:10]
2. Who Sleeps Anymore? [2:20]
3. Longer Than I Thought [1:12]
4. Tanned, Rested and Ready [2:52]
5. Hello, Gotham [5:17]
6. Tell Me About Clowns [1:19]
7. It's What I Want [2:58]
8. Stranger at Our Table [3:07]
9. This Whole Thing Stinks [2:43]
10. Rough Nigh for Both [4:08]
11. That Night... [10:50]
12. You Know Bruce [1:03]
13. Some Things Never Change [1:46]
14. No One's Leaving [3:33]
15. A Different Batman [2:18]
16. Something Special Planned [4:14]
17. A Whuppin' [13:05]
18. I Owe You Big Time [5:36]

Jeremy Wheeler

Steeped in controversy, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is about as dark and violent as family animation can get. It also happens to be the best interpretation of the character since the Batman: The Animated Series premiered in 1992. While the story does, indeed, follow the heir to the Dark Knight's throne -- Batman Beyond -- anyone who is familiar with the revamped series will know how integral Bruce Wayne is to the basic story line. With Batman Beyond: The Movie already covering the original Caped Crusader's last days on the job, Return of the Joker takes things one step further and lets viewers in on the final, climatic battle with the clown prince of crime, The Joker. Told through flashbacks, it's a brutal and nasty moment that shows once and for all why the character is undoubtedly regarded as a psychopath. Credit should go to Mark Hamill, who devilishly takes center stage as the maniacal villain once again, concocting a wicked performance that's both hilarious and downright disturbing at the same time. Thankfully, the rest of the animated film is just as tight, combining the perfect amount of drama, mystery, and full-blown bat-action for the audience to eat up. With flawless character design and highly stylized fight choreography, the feature is a visual marvel that never fails to impress. In fact, the storytelling is so visceral and seamless that it's amazing that the film was done in such a short amount of time only to be dumped to the video market (for which, in all fairness, it was developed). It might be a little extreme for the youngins, but for all others, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a true classic that delivers an inventive and adventurous take on the character's mythos. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Henry Rollins  Actor 
Melissa Joan Hart  Actor 
Melissa Joan Hart  Actor 
Kevin Conroy  Actor 
Melissa Joan Hart  Actor 
Angie Harmon  Actor 
Mark Hamill  Actor 
Terry McGinnis  Actor 
Alan Burnett  Producer 
Bruce Timm  Producer 
Michael E. Uslan  Executive Producer 
Benjamin Melniker  Executive Producer 
Curt Geda  Director 
Paul Dini  Producer 
Paul Dini  Screenwriter 
Kristopher Carter  Composer (Music Score) 
Glen Murakami  Producer 
Jean MacCurdy  Executive Producer 
Will Friedle  Actor 

Country: USA