(I am not a comic otaku and as such I will take precautions to reference the comic canon in relation to the film in a reasonable manner so as not to seem biased towards the animated medium)
Batman Beyond has not been a series I’ve had much interest in, but when I heard there was a movie with the Joker involved, I was already hooked and bought it. The premise gets complex with involvement of a Robin more familiar to newer fans, not to mention the whole background of Earth in the 23rd century or so. But I imagine this film can’t be all bad when you involve the Joker coming back. So let’s explain the plot.
We start with the Jokerz, a group of thugs basing their theme on the long deceased Joker, stealing equipment from a warehouse, but they are confronted by Batman (the Terry McGinnis version). They manage to escape and even with Terry beating them off, they get what they wanted (in the form of a microchip) and go back to their hideout elsewhere. Meanwhile Batman Sr. (Bruce Wayne) is practicing his skills (just for the fun of it) and Terry returns, noting the oddity of the Jokerz seeking out high tech equipment. Batman suggests it’s for black market interests and they watch to a news report, where it is revealed Bruce is returning to active ownership, though some members, one Jordan Price, are not as enthusiastic. Bruce notes that he’ll be willing to keep him if he follows his terms, since he worked so hard to regain his family’s company that he is not going to bend to pressures like Price would exert on him. Terry then goes to a rave party (from the looks of it), though he’s not getting enough rest, so he’s dozing off to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Dana. Meanwhile, we meet the head of the Jokerz and see his brutality first hand as he shoot a freaking flag spike into Bonk (though in the uncensored version he just sprays him with Joker gas and he is incapacitated for the rest of the film). Joker then motivates the group (through fear more than anything) to look for the last piece of equipment he needs. They find it in the same location where WayneCorp is welcoming Bruce back into his original position. The Jokerz attack (Bruce still competent in his old age) and the original Joker is revealed to still be alive, and the group succeeds in getting the tech they needed. Afterwards we hear that Bruce is less than concerned with that for the moment or is dodging the issue of the Joker’s resurrection. Meanwhile we see who is supposed to be Tim Drake reacting negatively to the Joker’s reappearance as well. Terry inquires about the Joker to Barbara Gordon, now the Commissioner and she insists he should stop questioning about him as well, Tim Drake coming in for an appointment, making one suspicious about his involvement with the Joker in the past. Terry discusses the issue again with Bruce in the Batcave and he reveals that the original Joker has been dead for decades. Bruce then shocks Terry with the request to return the Batman suit, which Terry disputes. Bruce leaves in frustration, mulling on how none of his protégés really understood why he took them in. Terry throws the suit at him in frustration and runs off. Terry then tells his family through breakfast that he’s not working for Bruce anymore. We then shift to him enjoying himself at the rave club with Dana, but the Jokerz attack. We suddenly change scenes to Bruce making Joker anti-toxin and being attacked by the Joker who apparently has figured out his identity. The Jokerz persist in their attack on Terry in the rave club. He manages to kick their butts with sheer guts and goes back to the Wayne Manor, thinking Bruce is in danger since he isn’t answering his phone. Bruce has been infected with the Joker toxin, but Terry manages to save him. We then get more backstory from Barbara about what happened to the Joker. It turns out he kidnapped Tim Drake and tortured him, nearly turning him to evil as a twisted adopted son, but Tim managed to break free, though in the process he killed the Joker and it took years for him to recover. Bruce was wounded as well, supposedly explaining his limp and Barbara saw Harley fall to her apparent death. Batman Sr. blamed himself for what happened and forbade Tim from being Robin again. Terry suspects Tim is somehow involved and he inquires, seeing Tim’s resentment towards Bruce, but also not seeing any evidence that Tim is connected to the Joker. Investigating Jordan Price, it is discovered that he helped the Jokerz break into WayneCorp, but now the Jokerz have been ordered by Joker to kill Price. Terry saves him after he is nearly killed by a giant beam from the sky. He and Bruce discuss the possibility of Tim being the Joker, since Tim noted he hated the Robin suit, it being the only suit damaged when Joker attacked. Along with Joker’s resentment for Robin killing him, the pieces start linking up and the conclusion is that somehow Tim Drake is the new Joker. There’s also the evidence of the giant beam from a defense satellite being shot and the Jokerz having stolen equipment enabling them to build a satellite jamming system, something Tim Drake would know how to do. Bruce accepts this and they team up again, Terry heading out to confront Tim about his connection to the Joker, Joker trapping him and revealing his plans. Terry escapes, discovering the new hideout at an abandoned candy factory. The Joker finds out and chases Terry with his satellite beam, but eventually gives up for some reason. Terry takes out the Jokerz, finding Tim Drake in the hideout. But it is revealed through a sudden transformation sequence and explanation afterwards that Joker had put a microchip in the base of Tim’s skull encoded with his DNA, slowly changing Tim into Joker’s replacement. The dominance over Tim has become effortless now, and so Joker continues with his plan of domination through his hacked satellite defense system. He threatens various locations of people close to Terry, who surprises Joker by sending Ace the dog to stop him and get him free from the restraint Joker put on him. Joker fights back, but Terry sabotages his satellite plan and causes it to be programmed to head straight to their present location. Joker continues to fight, revealing he has the advantage, knowing everything the original Batman and Robin did in their prime. But Terry reflects that he knows nothing about him and turns the tables on him with some of Batman’s advice and his own reflection that he’s unpredictable and unknown to the Joker in full. He starts taunting Joker and eventually drives him to fight back more directly. Terry’s in serious danger (being choked by the Joker), but he manages to turn Joker’s joy buzzer on himself and sever his connection through the microchip, defeating him and getting Tim out of there as the beam destroys the factory. Meanwhile, the Dee Dee sisters are taken in by their grandmother, Harlequin, who managed to survive her fall and is now reformed. Terry, Barbara, and Tim reminisce on valuing the people they care about, Bruce returning and telling Terry that he deserves to be Batman, and that he has made Batman better by being himself. Terry then flies off into the city as the film ends.
Terry McGinnis as a character conforms to the animated series as best my memory recalls him. A tough kid with something of an attitude who nevertheless respects and agrees with Batman’s quest and continues it on in his mentor’s stead. Bruce Wayne is also quite similar to his Batman Beyond depiction, old and yet maintaining his personality. His dog Ace gives us the reflection that he has accepted his frailty, but we also see that he keeps himself in as good shape as a man of his age can and aids Terry in his own way. The Joker’s personality is depicted excellently by Mark Hamill, the new look only reflective of the times, but his general demeanor is the same, resenting Batman and yet dependent on him to derive any meaning in his own career as a supervillain. Tim Drake is the third Robin and the one I’m the most familiar with, having watched Teen Titans as a teen and reading the Robin comic series as a kid. His personality also reflects the passing of time, somewhat resentful of Bruce, but also appreciative in the end of having kept on his quest in the form of his new student. Barbara Gordon’s involvement is important if only because she gives us the other side of the story, from one that was also enlisted by Batman grudgingly and closer to Tim’s age, but an age so as to have some accessibility to Bruce as well. Not to mention she tells the backstory behind the Joker’s death almost better than Batman could, though it is obviously noted that he really doesn’t want to think about it or talk about it, since he feels so responsible.
The two main themes are the observed relation between Bruce and Terry as two different but similar Batmen. There is some backstory from Batman Beyond I could spoil, but suffice it to say, they behave very much like they are family, even if they may not be in all technical senses. Bruce’s resignation to being Terry’s support and desire to take over his company balance his character as someone who has passed on the mask in all but advice he can still give to Terry. The new Batman fights dirty and can relate more to the punks he fights as he admits he was a bad kid himself. His devotion to the mission of the Batman is striking; sacrificing even his relationship with his girlfriend to an extent and staying distant from his family for all that he still loves them, much like Bruce did in the past. The relation between them is especially clear in that willingness to sacrifice and also to learn from each other’s perspectives on how they approach being the Batman. The other strong theme is Batman’s feeling that he is not right for involving others in his quest. He feels especially guilty for inevitably causing Tim’s capture and torture, changing him into Joker’s twisted son and driving him into madness. But even through all this, Terry notes to him that even with all the resentment involved that he, Tim and Barbara, as well as Nightwing (otherwise known as Dick Grayson) all agreed on one important thing and that was seeking to protect Gotham from evildoers. However much even he and Bruce differ, both Terry and Bruce recognize that each of them complements each other in the quest for good and protecting Gotham.
While not my favorite Batman movie, it would definitely rank among my top 5 movies featuring Batman, considering there are others that might not be as good: Batman vs Dracula coming to mind. The progression of Joker’s involvement as well as the use of the science fiction background to involve Joker in a real sense makes it a good complement to Joker’s involvement in Mask of the Phantasm, however late he appeared. Mark Hamill’s portrayal is probably what keeps him legitimate and especially chilling. And involving Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon solidifies how we can connect this to the original Batman animated series from the 90s. Final ranking of this film is another 5 out of 5, though my recommendation suffers down to about 70% because of the potential unfamiliarity people would have with the setting of Bruce Wayne aside as the original Batman in favor of Terry McGinnis. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.
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