BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD – SEASON ONE, PART TWO
(not rated)
MOVIE: **** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The latest Batman animated series brings its first season to a close with 13 episodes on these two discs. Told in a more light-hearted manner with a greater skew towards comedy and aiming at a younger audience, “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” sees the Dark Knight teaming up with a different DC hero each episode, fighting off villains from his own rogue’s gallery and beyond.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a Batman fan for years, ever since I was a young child watching reruns of the old Adam West television series. I read the comic books for years, and I (like many fanboys out there) was happy to see the character to his dark side in the 1980s. However, for as cool as Batman is as a dark hero, he has lost a bit of what appeals to a younger audience.
I’m not advocating going back to the chummy nature of Adam West and Burt Ward. I’m also not calling for a return of the squeaky-clean “SuperFriends” (although those shows are still a heck of a lot of fun to watch). “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” exists in a fine middle ground. There’s still an edge to the stories and the animation, but it’s not such heavy subject matter.
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” offers a great PG-level show that you can share with your kids and have a few laughs. It doesn’t betray the current characters, but it manages to show Batman as a good guy, not just “the good guy.”
Also, the structure of this series allows the viewer to experience a variety of the DC universe heroes while having a familiar character in each episode. We see Robin show up, with whom most are familiar, as well as Aquaman and Green Arrow. But we also see lesser-known characters like Doctor Fate, Jonah Hex, the Demon and the Blue Beetle. Plus, we also get some cross-pollination into other DC cartoons, like the Outsiders, and that’s pretty cool.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While I do enjoy the light-hearted nature of this series, there are times when it goes a bit too far. In particular, there’s one episode featuring the villain Music Meister, who makes everyone sing their lines. It’s a nice gag for a few moments, but ultimately it gets old, even for the 22-minute episode. Similar things happen when Batman goes up against Bat Mite (Gotham’s version of Mr. Mxyzptlk), and the episode falters a little too close to a Looney Tunes short.
DVD FEATURES
No special features are included on these discs.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Batman fans who like a little lighthearted nature in the Dark Knight, and kids.