Chronologically, acts as a fantastic farewell to these iconic series.

Pjtaylor-96-138044

'Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (2000)' sees 'Batman Beyond (1998)' further connect with 'The New Batman Adventures (1997)', and actually serves as a nice transition between the two, by reintroducing Batman (Bruce Wayne)'s most dangerous foe, 'The Joker'. Like with all of the films set in this extended 'universe', this picture doesn't really set-up its world, instead jumping straight into the action with a fantastic set-piece. It's not much of an issue, even though I'm not familiar with this 'Batman Of The Future', and the picture manages to tell you everything you need to know about its world and characters so that you aren't confused, without the need for on-the-nose origin stories or, worse, endless exposition. This is actually quite an achievement and one put further to the test considering my unfamiliarity with the character. Speaking of the character, this new Batman is different enough from the old one that he feels fresh and distinct, a new superhero for a new generation. The inclusion of the original Dark Knight as an Alfred-esque mentor figure is an inspired one, too, and the characterisation is as vivid as ever, flawed and brooding as usual but having these traits amplified by his old age. The narrative puts its focus on a mystery, as the best of the flicks featuring 'the world's greatest detective' tend to do, and it plays out in predictably intriguing and engaging fashion. The enigma isn't one that can be easily dismissed or guessed early and its resolution has ramifications that reach far wider than just finding out who the bad-guy is. The story has some real darkness in it as well, aside from the couple of on-screen killings that caused a PG-13 rating (initially cut for a PG). It's interesting stuff, thematically rich and generally unexpected. Honestly, it's a level of maturity that hasn't been seen in these animated outings since 'Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993).' The picture is wonderfully animated, with some segments making use of single colours to highlight the world's neon-infused technology and other's still pulsing with colour to show the effect of light on the characters. By this point, they really know how to animate impressive explosions. The fights are quite crunchy, too, fast-paced and frenzied. They make use of the new futuristic aesthetic but always remember that there are people involved in the fisticuffs. The way the movie intertwines a past narrative with the present one is inspired, melding the world's of two shows seamlessly into one. I was incredibly invested in its story, characters and central mystery. It is pretty pacy and always entertaining; I had a really fun time with it. It's the last film set in this 'universe' chronologically, and there couldn't be a better way to say farewell to these series. 7/10

score 7/10

Pjtaylor-96-138044 9 June 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4196826/