Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

***Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker*** is a 2000 direct-to-video superhero film. It is a spin-off film based on the Batman Beyond television series. In other countries the movie was released under the titles ***The Return of the Joker, Batman Beyond: The Movie*** and ***The Batman Beyond Movie***.

## Synopsis

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 they are intercepted by Batman (Terry McGinnis). The gang reports back to their leader, revealed to be the original Joker, who kills Bonk for defiance and intimidation to other members.

Later on, the Jokerz attack a press conference commemorating Terry's predecessor Bruce Wayne's return to Wayne Enterprises and the Joker reveals himself to Bruce, who insists that it cannot be him despite evidence to the contrary. After fending off the attack, Terry demands information from Bruce and Gotham City Police Department's Commissioner Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, but neither gives him answers. Eventually, Bruce orders Terry to return the Batsuit so he can investigate and confront the Joker on his own despite limitations of age. However, the Jokerz attack Terry, nearly killing his girlfriend Dana Tan, while the Joker poisons Bruce and his Great Dane, Ace - revealing he knows Bruce was Batman and that Terry is his successor.

After Terry saves Bruce's life with an antidote, Barbara finally explains the Joker's disappearance; Four decades ago, following Dick Grayson's departure from Gotham City to Blüdhaven, the Joker and Harley Quinn kidnapped his successor Tim Drake, then Robin, inflicting three weeks of torture and brainwashing on him to learn Batman's secrets. When Batman and Batgirl found Tim, he was altered to resemble the Joker, a fight ensued - during which Tim turned on and killed the Joker, suffering a complete nervous breakdown, while Harley fell down a ravine and was presumed dead. The Joker's body was buried beneath Arkham Asylum and Tim, after he recovered, was forced into retirement, severing his ties with Bruce and left to make it on his own in life.

Terry visits Tim, who voices bitterness towards his past as Robin but denies any involvement in the Joker's return. Terry's next suspect is Jordan Pryce, a Wayne Enterprises executive who hates Bruce, but he only finds Pryce guilty of conspiring with the Jokerz to have Bruce killed. When the beam of a directed-energy weapon strikes Pryce's yacht from above, Terry rescues Pryce before turning him in 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 a telecommunications engineer with the Jokerz' thefts, Terry and Bruce discover the stolen equipment can create a jamming system to seize control of a laser-armed military satellite.

When Terry goes to face Tim, he triggers a trap set by the Joker, who he then follows to an abandoned candy factory after surviving further attacks from the satellite. Subduing the Jokerz with Ace's help, Terry confronts the Joker, who reveals he encoded his DNA and consciousness into a microchip built with genetic technology hidden behind Tim's ear - allowing him to survive his death by turning Tim into the Joker's replicate, who is on the verge of completely taking over Tim's body. With the satellite, the Joker plans to kill Bruce and Terry's loved ones before destroying Gotham City but, in the consequent battle, Terry uses one of the Joker's joy buzzers to destroy both the weapon and the microchip, saving the city and freeing Tim as the Joker finally meets his end.

Following the Jokerz' arrests, Barbara hides Tim's unwitting involvement to protect him with the Joker declared dead in the factory's explosion, while the Dee-Dee twins are bailed out by their grandmother - an elderly Harley Quinn, who survived her apparent death and reformed. Bruce, Tim and Barbara make amends while Tim recovers in the hospital, during which Bruce and Tim acknowledge Terry as worthy to carry the Batman mantle.

## Differences between uncut and edited version

Following the Columbine High School massacre, the film received heavy edits that delayed its release until December 12, 2000. An uncut version was subsequently released on DVD in 2002, to generally positive reviews. Below are the differences between the uncut and edited versions.

* The uncut version of the movie is widescreen while the edited version is full screen.
* Lots of white flashes have been added to the action sequences where there were previously none. Additionally, combinations of punches have been mostly trimmed down to one punch. For example, Woof slashes the guard once now instead of twice. Batman no longer punches Ghoul in the gut, he just uppercuts him into the dish. Later on in the club, Terry's vicious attack on Ghoul is cut to a flash and Terry running away while Ghoul falls. There is a 360-degree fight sequence in the opening battle that has also been removed, where Batman fends off the Jokerz one by one.
* Seat belts added to Terry and Bruce as the drive home after their first meeting with the new Joker.

* In the uncut version Joker kills Bonk by shooting him in the chest with a gun that fires a bang flag. In the edited version Joker exposes Bonk to a lethal dose of laughing gas and he dies off screen. Directly after killing Bonk in the unedited version Joker asks the rest of his henchmen if they are with him to which all the terrified Jokerz say that they are with him. In the unedited version Joker also tells Dee Dee to take out the trash talking about Bonk's dead body.
* In the cut version Bruce Wayne is in the Batcave and catches a Batarang that he threw. The uncut version adds a shot where the Batarange decapitates a Two-Face dummy.

* In the uncut version the HA HA graffiti is painted red while in the edited version it is purple. Probably to assure us it is not written on Bruce's blood.
* When Terry checks on Ace after Joker's attack on Bruce, Ace is seen watching an episode of Looney Tunes. The sound from the TV is different. In the uncut version the sound coming from the TV says "I wish I were dead". In the edited version it is changed to "I don't deserve to live".

* During a montage where Batman and Batgirl comb "the underworld" looking for clues about Robin's disappearance, Batgirl talks to a nicely-dressed man and woman instead of two sleazily-dressed women (who are pretty obviously hookers) on a street corner.
* When Batman (Bruce Wayne) goes to Arkham Asylum there is a scene where he walks down a hallway. The way Batman walks is altered between the two versions.
* In the unedited version, when Batman (in the present) frees himself from the Jokers' ribbon wrap, he throws the knife that he used to free himself with at the Joker. The Joker ducks at the last second and the blade goes through the stage curtain. This sequence is cut from the edited version.
* Batgirl throws more punches at Harley Quinn in the uncut version. In the edited version this scene is trimmed down.
* In the video where Joker explains to Batman how he turned Tim Drake into Joker, Jr. the dialogue is different. In the uncut version Joker says "I'll begin with how I peeled back the layers of the boy's mind". In the edited version Joker says "I'll begin with how I affected young Robin's makeover".

* In the uncut version there is a shot where Joker wears an apron that says "Kiss the Cook". Joker then reaches into a grill pulls out two battery clamps and attaches them to the table that Robin is strapped onto. Joker then electrocutes Robin. This sequence is cut from the edited version. Joker's dialogue in this scene is also different in both versions.

* In the uncut version when Batman (Bruce Wayne) starts beating Joker, Joker has a bloody lip. The blood is removed in the edited version.
* In the uncut version Joker stabs Batman in the leg with a knife which explains why Bruce Wayne has to walk with a cane. This shot is removed from the edited version.
* In the sequence where Tim Drake as Joker Jr. holds Batman at gunpoint Joker's dialogue is different. In the uncut version Joker says "Make daddy proud. Deliver the punchline." In the edited version Joker says "Make him one of us."

* What is perhaps the biggest difference between the two versions is Joker's death. In the unedited version Tim Drake shoots Joker in the chest with a gun that fires a bang flag. Joker's dying words are "That's not funny." In the edited version Tim throws the gun to the ground and tackles Joker pushing him into wires and a puddle of water. Joker accidentally slips on the water and grabs a lever to try and stop himself from falling. However, the lever turns on the electricity and Joker dies from electrocution.
* Terry's dialogue to Barbara Gordon regarding Harley Quinn's fate is different in each version.
* When Batman is flying in the Batplane he is not wearing a seatbelt in the uncut version but he is in the edited version. This occurs in at least two different scenes.
* In the uncut version when Jordan Pryce walks into his bedroom in his yacht one of the Dee Dee twins is lying on the bed in a sexy pose. This shot is cut from the edited version.
* Jordan Pryce's dialogue while talking to the Jokerz is different. In the uncut version Pryce says "Those bunglers tried to kill Wayne". In the edited version the word "kill" is replaced with "ice". Those bunglers tried to ice Wayne.
* In the Batcave, Terry asks Bruce why Joker went out of his way to destroy Robin's costume. In the unedited version Bruce says "Robin did shoot him." In the edited version Bruce says "Robin defeated him."

* In the scene where the satellite laser chases the Batmoblie it blasts an unmarked, dark, seemingly empty building. Originally it was a lit movie theater. (In the edited version the word 'cineplex' can be seen exploding out of the wreckage in the last few frames of the shot.)
* In the unedited version there is an extra shot of Ace biting Wolf which was removed from the edited version.
* The older Tim Drake's dialogue in the scene where he is talking to Batman about the Joker is altered. In the uncut version Drake says "Oh God, I killed him. I didn't mean to. I tried so hard to forget. But I still hear the shot. Still see his dead smile." In the edited version Time Drake says "Oh God, I did it. I didn't mean to. Tried so hard to forget. But I can still hear his scream. Still see his frozen smile."
* More of Time Drake's dialogue is also altered. In the uncut version before Time Drake turns into Joker he says "That's just peachy. Because I want you to see every minute of this. It's a killer." In the edited version Tim Drake's dialogue was changed to "That's just peachy. 'Cause I want you to see every minute of this. It's a doozy."
* In the uncut version Joker asks Terry "Any last words for the old Bat Fart"? In the edited version the word fart is changed to coot.
* The scene where Joker tries to strangle Terry is shorter in the edited version.

* Elderly Harley Quinn's clothes are blue in the uncut version and red in the edited version.

## Trailers

Batman Beyond - Return Of The Joker TrailerBatman Beyond- Return of the Joker - Official Trailer

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Internet Movie Database
* DC Database
* DC Animated Universe Wiki
* Batman Wiki
* DC Movies Wiki