Animated in the same style as Batman: The Animated Series. Helmed by Sam Liu, the director behind some
of the best superhero animated films ever made, like All-Star Superman, Superman/Batman:
Public Enemies, Hulk Vs., Justice League: Gods and Monsters, and
the recent Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. Bruce Timm, mastermind of
the beloved “Timmverse”, doing the story.
Legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy returning to his iconic
role. As well as Loren Lester as
Nightwing. And the adorable Melissa
Rauch voicing Harley Quinn – which is seemingly perfect, especially if you’re
familiar with her work as Bernadette in The
Big Bang Theory.
These are the cool elements at
play in the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie Batman and Harley Quinn. Thus,
on paper, it has the potential of being great.
Unfortunately, it’s not. Oh, it’s
entertaining, I’ll give it that. But it
isn’t the even, delightful, well-crafted animated film I thought it could be. In fact, I understand if others would think of it as a bad movie.
The plot involves Floronic Man
and Poison Ivy working together to develop and spread a chemical that will transform everyone on Earth into plant
hybrids. In need to find them before
they can execute their scheme, Batman and Nightwing seek the help of Harley Quinn
(since she’s Poison Ivy’s BFF). It
should be a pretty straightforward narrative, but it goes to some crazy places.
In several ways, the script is
quite awkward. There are some clash of
tones, and some out-of-character characterizations. The story doesn’t make sense a couple of
times and has a ton of coincidences. And
it makes some weird choices for humor.
It does make an attempt to
do a character study on Harley Quinn.
But its thoughtfulness is more or less off-set by the cheap
sexualisation of the character. It’s not
that Harley Quinn can’t be sexy. There’s
Margot Robbie after all. But this movie
isn’t concerned with tackling whatever sexual nuances the character has, but by
just flaunting her butt and boobs. And
that’s awfully sleazy and gratuitous.
But if one gets over the fact
that this isn’t going to be the next Justice
League: Gods and Monsters or Batman:
Under the Red Hood, the flaws can be momentarily pushed aside that it can
get fun, too. And the positives are
noticed.
For starters, it’s immaculately
animated, and there’s also a bit of
nostalgic charm to be had from the animation style.
Also, there’s amusement and even laughs
to be had from its bizarre moments – some of which are whimsical, some of which are cringy. Here
are the most notable ones on top of my head (SPOILERS):
- It has a Pink Panther-esque opening credits sequence.
- A tied-up Nightwing gets aroused when Harley Quinn strips to her underwear in front of him. Then the two have some, er, “naughty time” before Batman finds them.
- Harley repeatedly farts and stinks up the Batmobile.
- The trio visits a tavern for Batman villains’ henchmen. Harley Quinn shakes her booty during most of their time there.
- There are musical numbers! First is from Two-Face’s twin henchmen. This is followed by Harley singing “Hanging on the Telephone” by the Nerves. The performance is apparently so catchy that it has even compelled Batman to tap his finger on the bar table. Later, Nightwing even begins dancing with a random chick.
- There’s a point where Harley made an exasperated Batman sigh, “God help us.”
- Harley learns that Batman has – gasp! – no bug spray in his utility belt.
- After failing to convince Poison Ivy to stop her plans, Harley opts to use the “nuclear option”, that is, making a crying, sad face at Ivy. It works.
- Right from the start, it’s foreshadowed that Swamp Thing is going to make an appearance somewhere in the movie. Indeed, he does, in all his plant god splendor. But it’s hilariously pointless. As Harley describes it, it’s “a bigass bucket of nothin’.”
- Batman and Nightwing sandwich Harley with kisses.
In the end, I admit that I really
enjoyed Batman and Harley Quinn. But I’m not sure in what way – whether due to
its own overall merits or because it’s just so bad, that it’s good. It’s hard to definitively determine with all
its insanity.
But maybe that’s simply the intention. After all, it’s a Batman and
Harley Quinn movie. Maybe the whole
point was to be batty.
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