2
(nothing substantial)
7
(some mild superhero violence)
6
(worth seeing more than once)
What would happen if Batman got old? What? Batman never gets old! He’s like Bart Simpson who has been a kid for what 20+ years now? In "Batman Beyond" Bruce Wayne is eligible for free coffee at McDonalds. Though he’s not going out on patrols these days that doesn’t mean there isn’t some Batman down inside there somewhere.
Enter Terry, a tough teen with a need to make amends for being a butthead to his dad but unable to apologize to him in this life. At least maybe he can avenge his father’s death. Wayne is not too keen on some kid donning his cape and cowl, but the two forge an uneasy alliance, and a new Batman is born.
Whereas Wayne trained for years and incorporated gadgets to help him, Terry has only street-fighting skills and is totally dependent on the advanced technology of the batsuit. He’s resourceful yet clumsy and undisciplined, but his quest to fill Wayne’s shoes has only just begun.
"Batman Beyond" is easily one of the best superhero cartoons I own. I like the sci-fi suit, the dark atmosphere, the industrial music, the new and reinvented villains, and the different kind of look at a long-time favorite superhero. The writing takes more risks than the average cartoon show and has enough of a progressing continuity to feel like we're going somewhere with all of it.
Villains have deeper motivations than simple, blind evil. There are some of the comic book / action cartoon cliches, but villains actually change their ways or die off occasionally in this series which doesn't happen often.
The Batman Beyond “movie” is actually the two part pilot episode. It introduces the elderly Bruce Wayne and the young, future Batman, Terry. We see Terry become Batman and Bruce's extremely negative reaction to it. Bruce has to come to grips with the spirit of Batman being passed along, and Terry must learn what it really means to be Batman.
Morality
It’s a kid’s show so there’s no sex or strong language. The violence is tame compared to average TV action, but the mood is kind of dark for younger kids especially for a cartoon. There is a little blood but not much. Batman doesn't kill.
Spirituality
As with many of the classic super heroes there is a Christ-like quality to Batman. He is selflessly giving of himself to help others. He values the lives of other people and is determined to uphold truth and justice. There are mild tinges of non-religious spirituality elsewhere in the series, but not in the movie.
Final Thoughts
This is a good way to test the waters of "Batman Beyond." It's a good story and gives an accurate glimpse at what the series as a whole will be like. The entire season 1 is accessible, though, so the “movie” presentation is somewhat obsolete. Its main draw is being presented as a seamless presentation rather than as 2 separate episodes. I'll go into a few more related details when I talk about the DVD details.
Buying Guide
"Batman Beyond the Movie" is a good way to check out the series without buying an entire season. It's more or less obsolete now that you can get the entire season 1, but this version does a better job with the presentation of the double-length pilot episode also known as “Rebirth.”
There is 1 and only 1 DVD although it is offered in different packaging and can be bought in bundles with other Batman toons.
Final Recommendation:
So to bottom line it for you, this is maybe a good release to get if you want a cheap sampling of the series. While I do like the presentation of “Rebirth” more than the season 1 presentation that really doesn't make “The Movie” worth getting if you already have the full season/series. Whatever the season 1 set's failings it's still nice to be able to see all the episodes in proper order rather than in a random assortment like what you get here. I plan to keep my copy of "The Movie" around, but if I hadn't already bought it before season 1 was released I would never have gotten it.
The Movie is a single disc DVD release.
Video
1.33:
This is the TV standard ratio. It's a bit fuzzy with a little bit of trash here and there.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
The stereo surround sound is clear and strong with enough fill in the rear channels to not feel like everything is coming from the front. There is a little bit of pleasant bass rumble.
Packaging
It originally came in one of those crappy cardboard cases. It’s been in my DVD player so many times that the plastic snap is starting to tear away from the case. I have seen a new listing for it (the second link at the bottom of this page) that offers it in a sturdier plastic case (if the product listing can be trusted).
There isn't much to the interface. It's simple but functional with a static image and a music loop (not the theme song).
Extras
-Episodes: The extras for the set are additional episodes (which, of course, you can get in the season 1 or complete series box sets). The extra episodes seem to be chosen at random because if going by storyline continuity “Ascension” would have been the best compliment to “Meltdown” with the Inque episodes in-between since they deal with the Wayne/Powers-Batman/Blight conflict the most. For whatever reason, though, we get no sense of a storyline with the episodes that are included. More details below.
-Theatrical Trailer (0:34) A quick look at the start of the series.
Episodes
This release is a mere 5 episodes (6 if counting the double-length pilot as 2 as it's presented everywhere but here) which you can read more about in the season 1 episode guide.
Unlike the versions on the season 1 TVD, these episodes are divided into chapters. Unfortunately those chapters are not particularly well placed. The end of the opening theme, for example, is the most helpful place to have a chapter stop, but only “Rebirth” has a division there.
There is a Play All feature which has become pretty standard on releases like this but was more rare at the time this DVD came out.
1) Rebirth: Originally presented as two episodes (and presented that way on the season 1 TVD), here the halves are combined to form a whole. I prefer this presentation and watch this version instead of the season 1 TVD whenever I want to see the pilot. This is the setup of the series and has Terry meeting Bruce Wayne for the first time and becoming the new Batman.
2) “Gotham Golem” is also just known as “Golem” (I don’t know why "Gotham" has been added to the title on the package). Willie Watt attacks the city with a giant robot. Terry has to be resourceful to bring down a mechanical GLM too big to be defeated with brute force.
3) In “The Winning Edge” the Venom drug resurfaces. Wayne knows only Bane has the formula so Terry sets off to find the old criminal. Meanwhile, Terry’s mom starts suspecting he’s on drugs himself, and he doesn’t know how to get out of it since he can’t very well tell her the truth.
4) In “Dead Man’s Hand” Terry runs up against a new incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang bent on revenge on Batman. Batman destroys Terry's relationship with Dana, but he finds a new spark with Melanie. His determination to make the relationship work may destroy the one he’s built with Wayne.
5) In “Meltdown” Mr. Freeze is revived in an experiment to find a cure for Blight. Freeze appears to work towards making amends for his past life, but Wayne doesn’t trust him. Terry ends up caught between Freeze and Blight, and he’s no match for either of them.