The thing I can appreciate this film for more than anything is the return of Harley's OG Costume.
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, The Shaman of Animation back once again! Another DC animated film has come and gone: Batman and Harley Quinn. To me, it seemed as though there was some controversy even before the film came out. When footage was first shown of the movie, I noticed a lot of people wrote it off from the get-go, mainly because of one name attached to it: Bruce Timm. In the eyes of many, Mr. Timm did a bad with last year's Killing Joke animated movie, and it was because of that a lot of fans didn't want him anywhere near another DC animated film.
When it came to the Killing Joke last year, most of the complaints I saw about it revolved around the first 30 minutes (And keep in mind Timm didn't even write the film). But this film was an original story that Timm himself was involved in. It was these reasons that I was more optimistic for the film. And then the film came out...let's review Batman and Harley Quinn. Warning, spoilers ahead.
Batman and Nightwing are on the hunt for Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man, whose plans threaten the entire world. In order to find the two, the dynamic duo have to rely on the unlikeliest of allies: Harley Quinn.
If you're a fan of the Caped Crusader, more specifically of Batman the Animated series, then there are nods aplenty that will make you happy. From the classic Bruce Timm artstyle we all know and love (which creates a problem I'll bring up much later in the review) to the return of Loren Lester as Nightwing, the references in this movie will put a smile on any fan's face.
While not being something I usually, if at all bring up in these DC animated movies, I really enjoyed the music in Batman and Harley Quinn. I don't know if it was because the movie had a more comedic approach to it therefore it didn't have to be atmospheric the whole time, but the music really stood out. Yes, that also includes the bar scene (Which again, creates a problem I'll get to later on). Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter, and Lolita Ritmanis, good job on this soundtrack, and I hope you three are asked to do more DC animated films, and if you already were, then keep doing what you're doing and I'm an idiot.
In a film that I believe is trying to push Harley as the "funny one", to me the most laughs to be had from this film come from Batman himself. Him being the straight man to Harley's wackiness is helped tremendously by Kevin Conroy giving another solid performance as the Dark Knight. Outside of Justice League Action (which I sadly haven't seen much of), Conroy doesn't get to be more comedic as Batman, but he has such great delivery with his lines it really makes me wish he did.
This may look familiar if you've read my review of Teen Titans the Judas Contract, but for a movie that's only a little over an hour, it feels so much longer that; and that's because the thing drags on. There are quite a few scenes I watched in this movie that could've been cut a little shorter and would've helped this movie's pacing. Such a scene would be that bar scene I mentioned 2 paragraphs ago. In a film that's plot is a race against the clock to stop this potentially world ending threat, did we really need a scene that went on at least six minutes and had 2 musical numbers (No offense to Rob Paulsen and Melissa Rauch, they both sung their hearts out and did great)?
I promise you guys this and the picture before are from two different scenes.
And since I brought up the plot of the film, I'm just gonna come out and say it: Batman and Harley Quinn shouldn't have been a comedy. The story of the film is played too straight for it to work as a comedy. To better illustrate my point, let me bring up to two films to compare. The First being The Lego Batman Movie. That film's plot is more or less the same but with a smaller scale of danger in that Batman has to stop a villain from destroying his city rather than the entire world. Difference between those two films is that while the threat in Lego Batman was serious for the characters, the situation was successfully played for laughs to the audience watching because it spawned from Joker being upset that Batman didn't consider him his most hated enemy.
Another movie that could be compared to Batman and Harley Quinn as far as what it was trying to do was Deadpool. The two films (more the latter than the former) went for over-the-top humor while also having a loudness to it and using blood, swearing, and sex (again, more latter than former). But Deadpool succeeded where B & HQ failed because it started off more comedic before diving into the bloody violence, sex and drama. The movie I'm currently reviewing starts off with our villains killing security guards (which by the way, the film shows blood being spilled) while trying to steal some data before Batman shows up. There's no build up to a punchline or anything, it just carries on into its jarring opening and then the next scene.
This far in the review and I'm just now getting to Harley herself...
It's funny I bring up Deadpool in relation to this movie, because for the last couple of years, there's been an argument that DC has slowly been turning Harley into a female Deadpool, and this movie's a bit of a good indication of that. The problem with that is, this film turns Harley more into "Memepool". You know, Memepool? The version of Deadpool the majority of Deadpool fans (myself included) are most familiar with? The one that does and says crazy and random things for the sake of being crazy and random, and that's the joke? That's Harley's character in this movie, and almost all of it is unfunny. No offense to Melissa Rauch once again because I do think she did a fine job as Harley, but whenever Harley went on about how she didn't want to be talked down or went on one of her "hilarious" tangents, I just wished she would shut up. There was even a scene where Nightwing was suggesting that Batman ditch her after she left the Batmobile to use the restroom, and you know what? I was on Dick's side.
I covered all my bases here, Batman and Harley Quinn overall...wait...I gotta talk about that scene...don't I? Okay,
To the five of you that don't know, there was a very controversial scene that all but shows Harley having sex with Nightwing who had been tied up and in her bed. Many have cried out against this scene accusing Harley of raping Nightwing to which I say: look at his face in the picture above. Is that the face of a man who isn't consenting? When I first saw the scene, I didn't care either way. If you thought Bruce Timm was some old perv trying to get his jollies in, fine you could think that. But then I saw an argument that motivated this part of the review. The argument that Harley and Nightwing hooking up isn't as bad as Batman and Batgirl in Killing Joke.
One: while many find the idea of Batman sticking his Batarang in Barbara Gordon's Utility Belt disgusting, the argument can be made that because of all the time working together, that there is a chance, no matter how slim, for a possible romantic connection to form. Not to mention in the case of the Killing Joke animated film, Bruce and Barbara having sex was a very heat of the moment kind of situation and both of them regretted the action the following day.
Harley on the other hand? Even if she was reformed and trying to go straight in the film, she was a sociopath (her words, not mine) who helped the Joker no doubt commit crimes that more than likely resulted in the deaths of innocent people, not to mention the fact that her hands probably aren't clean either in that regard.
And biggest of all, Three: Seeing Dick and Harley shag in Bruce Timm's art style is specifically awkward for me, because you know what other Batman animated film used Timm's art? A little movie known as Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. You know what that movie contained? A flashback scene where Harley Quinn helped the Joker Mentally break Tim Drake (The Second Robin in the Animated series mythos) and turn him into a Mini Joker. You guys don't believe me? Here's the video, start at the six minute mark and watch to the end. So yeah, that's just a little jarring for me.
Batman and Harley Quinn. Honestly, it feels like two different films mashed together into one and because of that it falls flat in many regards. Whatever little character moment they try to give Harley is thrown in the toilet for humor that's more miss that hits. Conroy gives a performance that manages to ring in a few laughs, and the nostalgia pulls along with a nice soundtrack are good but aren't enough to save this one. It gets a pass from me. The only thing I do hope comes out of this film is that we have Melissa Rauch voice Harley in more stuff. Because if it were up to me, I'd choose her as Harley over Tara Strong any day. And now that I've more than likely upset a few people, I shall take my leave.
Til next time folks, I'm the Shaman of Animation and here's my reaction to the next DC Animated film being another freaking Batman film.
Take Care...
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