For years, DC Comics has excelled considerably in the realm of animated films and TV series. This run of dominance truly started in the 90’s thanks to the DC Animated Universe, a shared universe of animated TV shows and films developed by writer/animator Bruce Timm that were all set within the same general continuity. Kick-started by the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, it went on to spawn multiple TV show spin-offs, including Superman: The Animated Series and two Justice League shows. A few years after the DCAU line concluded, DC initiated a new line of animated films known as the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. Since 2007, 26 animated features have been produced under this banner centering on DC’s iconic superheroes. Many of these films were directly based on either new or classic storylines ripped straight from the comics, including The Flashpoint Paradox and Batman: Year One. As for critical reception, though, it’s been varied, to say the least. Some installments like Batman: Under the Red Hood and the 2009 Wonder Woman film have been well-received, whereas others like Justice League: War and Superman: Doomsday attracted a much more polarizing reception. This year saw one of the latter in the form of Batman: The Killing Joke, an adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic 1988 graphic novel. But, as I made very clear in my original review for the film as well as the first part of my Top 10 Worst Films of 2016 list, it was a disastrous adaptation, to say the least. However, this wasn’t the only DC animated release of the year that had a brief theatrical release due in part to the popularity of the source material it was based on. And I’m happy to say that this other one is the superior film of the two; Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.
For the record, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is not technically part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. Still, it’s worth noting because it’s inspired by one of the most notable eras of the character’s history. You see, while nowadays the Dark Knight is known more for his dark and brooding nature (he is called the ‘Dark Knight’, after all), in the 60’s that wasn’t the case. Back then, the most notable iteration of Batman outside of the comics was the 1960’s Batman TV show. Adam West starred in the role of Bruce Wayne while Burt Ward starred as Dick Grayson AKA Batman’s trusted sidekick Robin. The show lasted for 3 seasons with 120 episodes in total, including a feature film adaptation in 1966 in the form of Batman: The Movie. And while some may find the series to be way too campy nowadays (especially after the two Batman feature films directed by Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, were campier in tone compared to the two Batman films directed by Tim Burton that helped re-establish Batman as a darker/serious character), it’s still regarded as a classic part of the character’s legacy. Recently, the series finally made its way onto Blu-Ray after years of legal troubles prevented it from being released on home media. Thus, it could be said that this was one of the major factors that led to the development of this new film, which features three members of the original series’ cast; West, Ward, and Julie Newmar, the series’ original Catwoman. And for fans of the series, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a satisfying return for this iconic interpretation of DC’s legendary protagonist.
The story could generally be considered as a spiritual sequel to Batman: The Movie. Simply put, it sees the dynamic duo take on the same villainous quartet that they faced in the original film; Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler. The rest… is exactly what’d you expect from the 60’s era Batman series. The plot is full of ludicrous and over-the-top moments, whether it’s due to some of the ridiculous ways in which they set up the plot (there’s literally one point where they go up into space) or the intentionally blatant attempts at conveying moral messages, like the perils of jaywalking at night. And, simply put, that’s why this film is so damn fun to watch. It’s all done in a well-handled self-aware manner and fans of the series will no doubt appreciate the various Easter eggs scattered throughout, including the series’ trademark of onomatopoeia sound effects that pop up during fight scenes (“WHAM!” “PUNT!” “BAM!”) and a whole bunch of character cameos that occur during the film’s highly entertaining finale. As far as the voice acting is concerned, Adam West returns to his trademark role with ease, even after all these years. By comparison, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar’s reprisals of their iconic roles do show their age (though it’s admittedly more apparent with Newmar than it is with Ward) but it does seem like all three had a lot of fun reprising their respective roles. Being that they’re the only surviving members of the original cast, every other main character in the film (namely the other three main villains; the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler) are played by sound-alikes, though these sound-alikes did do a nice job at representing the characters as portrayed by the likes of Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin.
If you think that the image of Batman and Robin being tied down onto a humongous TV dinner as it moves down a conveyor belt leading to a big oven is too ridiculous, this film is not for you. Understandably, it seems like there are some people who aren’t too big on the 60’s TV series because of how different it is in tone compared to recent iterations of the character. However, for fans of the series, this is a loving tribute to the show that they love. For being a direct-to-video animated film, it does a much better job than The Killing Joke in terms of representing its source material. Sure, some parts of the plot drag a bit but, overall, the film successfully captures the spirit of the original TV show, right down to the flashy sound-effect visuals and the over-the-antics of its characters. And it’s all done in an effective self-aware manner that honors the show while still managing to maintain a fresh spin on the material. In short, when it comes to the two major DC animated features this year that managed to get a brief theatrical release due to the popularity of their respective source material, you’re much better off with Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders than Batman: The Killing Joke, even if you’re not very familiar with the original series. There’s no controversial characterizations to work around and there isn’t a prologue that’s completely unrelated to the main story and sees the characters ‘getting it on’, if you know what I mean. It’s just a fun, light-hearted Batman adventure; something that, for the record, you don’t really see a lot of nowadays. Needless to say, I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming sequel, which will feature the one and only William Shatner in the role of Two-Face. Holy Star Trek, Batman!
Rating: 4.5/5
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