When I reviewed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm I said that I believed this movie to be a thematic response to its predecessor. If MOTP is the Deconstruction of the Batman mantle, this is its Reconstruction. That might seem odd considering how dark this movie gets, but there's more to this film than meets the eye.
Batman Beyond starts in a dark place. Gotham City, is once again overrun with crime, and there are no longer any superheroes to combat it. At the bottom rungs of society gangs like the Jokerz roam the streets and terrorize the innocent, while the top is dominated by immoral Corporate Executives willing to flatten anyone who stands in their way. Whatever good Bruce Wayne did in his time has long been undone. And now the older, embittered man in question lives alone in Wayne Manor, with only a dog for company. Bruce's war on crime is over, and he lost. A tragic end for a tragic character.
At least, that's how things start. But then Terry Mc Ginnis enters the picture. He's a hot-headed teenager with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, having only recently gotten out of juvie. But underneath all of that is a good heart that just needs some guidance and time to mature. Bruce wouldn't be my first choice in mentors, but Terry wouldn't be my first choice to become a superhero, so it evens out. And as the show goes on, we see the two grow from their time together. Bruce begins to open back up to others and decides to begin the steps necessary to take back his company, and Terry becomes a more level-headed, responsible young man.
Then we get to Return of the Joker, which puts both of them to the ultimate test. Bruce must finally accept that he has to rely on others, and Terry must prove he has what it takes to defeat Batman's greatest foe. It forces them to confront one of the darkest moments in the Dark Knight's history and find a way to overcome it. It's a test that both nearly fail, but in the end they do succeed. Bruce overcomes his need for control and his fear for the safety of his protege, and Terry succeeds at a task not even Bruce could: putting down the Joker for good. By the end, Terry has truly proven himself as a worthy hero and as a Batman.
So that brings us back to the big question of these two movies: is the mantle of Batman a curse? In this film both Batmen say no, but for different reasons. Terry says so around the middle of the film because it's an opportunity for him to atone for his past mistakes. Being Batman makes him a better person. Towards the end of the movie, as Bruce is about to talk with Tim Drake and attempt to reconcile with him, he stops to tell Terry that the young man has it backwards. Batman does not make Terry worthwhile, Terry makes Batman worthwhile. What the film doesn't explicitly say though is that for that to be true, the original bearer of the mantle had to be an example worth following. In effect, Batman was only worthwhile originally because Bruce Wayne was worthwhile.
Batman is not a curse. The mantle does not doom the men who wear it to live a life of tragedy. They may suffer tragedies in their lives. They may even create them. But they can rise above them. Bruce can work to reconnect with his old colleagues and apologize for the pain he put them through. Terry can help the city he once hurt. Bruce can form a new family. Terry can find a new father figure. It is their choices that determine whether or not they become tragic people. And by the end of this movie, both have decided to be more than that. Now they will do their best to help people whenever and wherever they can. And if bad things come there way, they'll work through them. That's what it means to be a hero. That's what it means to be Batman.
WesternAnimation The Triumph of Batman
When I reviewed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm I said that I believed this movie to be a thematic response to its predecessor. If MOTP is the Deconstruction of the Batman mantle, this is its Reconstruction. That might seem odd considering how dark this movie gets, but there's more to this film than meets the eye.
Batman Beyond starts in a dark place. Gotham City, is once again overrun with crime, and there are no longer any superheroes to combat it. At the bottom rungs of society gangs like the Jokerz roam the streets and terrorize the innocent, while the top is dominated by immoral Corporate Executives willing to flatten anyone who stands in their way. Whatever good Bruce Wayne did in his time has long been undone. And now the older, embittered man in question lives alone in Wayne Manor, with only a dog for company. Bruce's war on crime is over, and he lost. A tragic end for a tragic character.
At least, that's how things start. But then Terry Mc Ginnis enters the picture. He's a hot-headed teenager with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, having only recently gotten out of juvie. But underneath all of that is a good heart that just needs some guidance and time to mature. Bruce wouldn't be my first choice in mentors, but Terry wouldn't be my first choice to become a superhero, so it evens out. And as the show goes on, we see the two grow from their time together. Bruce begins to open back up to others and decides to begin the steps necessary to take back his company, and Terry becomes a more level-headed, responsible young man.
Then we get to Return of the Joker, which puts both of them to the ultimate test. Bruce must finally accept that he has to rely on others, and Terry must prove he has what it takes to defeat Batman's greatest foe. It forces them to confront one of the darkest moments in the Dark Knight's history and find a way to overcome it. It's a test that both nearly fail, but in the end they do succeed. Bruce overcomes his need for control and his fear for the safety of his protege, and Terry succeeds at a task not even Bruce could: putting down the Joker for good. By the end, Terry has truly proven himself as a worthy hero and as a Batman.
So that brings us back to the big question of these two movies: is the mantle of Batman a curse? In this film both Batmen say no, but for different reasons. Terry says so around the middle of the film because it's an opportunity for him to atone for his past mistakes. Being Batman makes him a better person. Towards the end of the movie, as Bruce is about to talk with Tim Drake and attempt to reconcile with him, he stops to tell Terry that the young man has it backwards. Batman does not make Terry worthwhile, Terry makes Batman worthwhile. What the film doesn't explicitly say though is that for that to be true, the original bearer of the mantle had to be an example worth following. In effect, Batman was only worthwhile originally because Bruce Wayne was worthwhile.
Batman is not a curse. The mantle does not doom the men who wear it to live a life of tragedy. They may suffer tragedies in their lives. They may even create them. But they can rise above them. Bruce can work to reconnect with his old colleagues and apologize for the pain he put them through. Terry can help the city he once hurt. Bruce can form a new family. Terry can find a new father figure. It is their choices that determine whether or not they become tragic people. And by the end of this movie, both have decided to be more than that. Now they will do their best to help people whenever and wherever they can. And if bad things come there way, they'll work through them. That's what it means to be a hero. That's what it means to be Batman.