THE BAT BLOG #3: TFG1Mike’s Top 5 Favorite Bat Centric DCAU Films

THE BAT BLOG!

Top 5 Favorite Bat Centric DCAU Films

Before I get into this I must say I love all the “films” listed on my list, except one.

Some criteria I went by in making this list.

• World’s Finest aka The Batman/Superman Movie makes the list because there was a DVD released with the episodes made into film style.
• I didn’t wanna put Mystery Of The Batwoman on here, but I guess I have to.
• This list is made up out of my personal rankings of the Batman Centric DCAU Films, I’m in no way saying my choices are better than anyone elses.

05. Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman

Brief Overview: A new hero has arrived in Gotham, but as the title suggests, her identity is a mystery—even to Batman. During patrol, the Dynamic Duo spots her trying to stop one of the Penguin‘s shipments on Gotham’s interstate, and apparently she would use lethal force, since she uses a plasma rifle that sends the Penguin’s truck with its driver off the bridge. Batman and Robin save the driver from falling to his death. Batman must figure out who Batwoman is and stop familiar enemies the Penguin and Rupert Thorne from selling illegal weapons to the fictional nation of Kasnia. Bane is also involved, as is Carlton Duquesne, a gangster employed by the dealers to provide protection.

Cast:

Written By

Story: Alan Burnett

Screenplay: Michael Reaves

Directed By: Curt Geda

Sequence Directors:

Jennifer Graves

Tim Maltby

Thoughts: This was something I NEVER knew about until I was looking through Columbia House DVD Club. I got it, watched the special features first, then watched the film. I found this to be very lackluster, and an afterthought to continuity. I did freakin love The Batwoman costume though, very awesome, and quite possibly the inspiration to what Bruce created as the Batman Beyond Suit. Overall the animation is horrid, the lip synching is nuts, and the general plot breaks anyone’s suspension of disbelief.

 Why It’s Ranked Where It’s Ranked:  Number 5 is the only place to put this. If I could choose I’d leave it off the list entirely.

04. Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero

Brief Overview: Since his last encounter against Batman, Mr. Freeze has found a home in the Arctic and started a family (of sorts) with the still cryogenically encased Nora, an Inuit boy named Kunac, and two pet polar bears, Notchka and Chokka. A nuclear submarine, unaware of the presence of Freeze and his companions in an ice cave, surfaces on an arctic exploration and shatters the cave, breaking Nora’s encasement and leaving her life in danger. The distraught Freeze returns to Gotham City with his companions, and enlists the help of Dr. Gregory Belson to find a cure for Nora. Belson determines that Nora needs an organ transplant, but due to her rare blood type there are few suitable donors available. Unfortunately, one of these few donors listed is Barbara Gordon, and she is kidnapped to a mid-ocean drilling rig for the operation.

Cast:

Written By: Boyd Kirkland and Randy Rogel

Directed By: Boyd Kirkland

Thoughts: I first saw this on VHS when it came out. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s more of a Barbara Gordon story, over a Batman Story. Of course it’s a Freeze story, and we get to see the fact that Victor is trying to save his wife, but he’s resorting to criminal ways. The animation, music, voice acting, everything about SubZero is freakin great. I really enjoyed this one, and wowzers Babs That DRESS!!!

 Why It’s Ranked Where It’s Ranked:  Number 4 it is for this one, because while I do love it, and it’s great stry. There are three better films.

03. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

Brief Overview: A mysterious vigilante begins targeting and murdering Gotham’s most powerful crime bosses, and due to the killer’s resemblance to Batman, he becomes the primary suspect. Around the same time, an old love of Bruce Wayne’s, Andrea Beaumont, returns to Gotham after having suddenly dumped Bruce ten years ago for reasons Bruce has yet to discover. While Bruce rekindles his relationship with Andrea, he must find a way to clear his name, catch the killer and find out the killer’s connection to Andrea and to the Joker.

Cast:

Written By

Screenplay: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves

Directed By: Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Thoughts: The origin story in the BTAS universe! YES. I sadly did not see this in theaters. I think we rented it from the video store when it came out. I love the story that is told in this film. The voice acting is great, and holy crap BTAS had Dana Delaney before STAS!!! I love seeing the training, and the creation of Batman in this. If I want to see how Bruce became Batman, this is the one thing I’ll always watch in animation. The music is over the moon in this! It’s just soooo freakin awesome!!! Overall absolutely love this.

 Why It’s Ranked Where It’s Ranked:  While I do love this film, and can watch it anytime, there are two films I love more.

02. World’s Finest aka The Batman/Superman Movie

Brief Overview:

Part I: The Joker steals a large piece of Kryptonite and then comes to Metropolis, offering to kill Superman for Lex Luthor in exchange for one billion American dollars. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne pays a visit to Metropolis to negotiate a business deal with Lex. Bruce also uses this opportunity to suit up as Batman and hunt the clown. Superman uses his X-ray vision to discover Batman’s identity, however Batman uses a tracking device on Superman’s cape to discover his

Part II: The Joker kidnaps Lois Lane and uses her as bait in an attempt to kill Superman. He has her bound and gagged in his lair and sends a video message to Superman telling his location. First Superman wears a lead suit, but Joker uses acid from his flower to melt through the suit. Batman manage to stop him and save the two, causing Lex Luthor to become irritated and give him one last chance to defeat the two heroes

Part III: After the Joker failed to defeat Superman and Batman, Lex Luthor tries to withdraw from the deal by killing the clown. This fails and leads instead to the insane criminals trying to take revenge on him by destroying Metropolis in a giant wing, while he uses the other half of the Kryptonite to try to stop Superman. It is ultimately up to the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight to stop this madness

Cast:

Written By: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, and Steve Gerber

Story: Alan Burnett and Paul Dini

Directed By: Toshihiko Masuda

Thoughts: I am not sure if I knew of this when it actually aired on TV. I think I saw the VHS or DVD release somewhere. When I finally learned of this STAS three parter, I watched it and loved it. The first Bat/Supey team up in the DCAU, and it’s the first Lex/Joker team up. It was great!!!! The animation, music, voice acting, and plot are all well carried out. It’s a very enjoyable three part episode. When they cut it into the film version for the DVD release it plays even better I think.

 Why It’s Ranked Where It’s Ranked:  There’s only one better than this… can you guess what that might be??

01. Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker

Brief Overview: When the Joker mysteriously reappears in the future, Terry McGinnis must deal with the threat of whoever this man is, as Bruce claims that the Joker is long dead. Furthermore, this new Joker knows all about Bruce, Terry and a now-middle-aged Tim Drake. Terry must now find out answers about the final battle between the original Batman and the Joker forty years ago, and find a way to stop the resurrected Clown Prince of Crime before he uses a Satellite Defense System to bring Neo-Gotham to its knees.

Cast:

Written By

Story: Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and Bruce Timm

Screenplay: Paul Dini

Directed By: Curt Geda

Thoughts: This is THE EPIC DCAU film. This is all about the Bat! Both Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis’s stories are told in this. We find out what really happened to the Joker, and we have an amazing film overall. Everything is running on all cylinders in this. Animation, music, character development, voice acting, and so much more.

 Why It’s Ranked Where It’s Ranked:  ROTJ is NUMBER ONE, because outside of Epilogue it puts a real period on the BatStory in The DC Animated Universe!

Final Thoughts: To close out this countdown I must say that all the Bat Centric DCAU Films I really do love, except Mystery of the Batwoman. As I said earlier I think it was just an afterthought of a story. The other four entries are superb, spectacular, and totally batastic!