Techtite DVD Reviews

The Film: I wouldn't call myself a Batman fanboy, nor a Batman critic extraordinaire. I just know what I like when it comes to the latest Bat-lore. That said: I really loved this movie. Of course, what response did you expect, when this is the latest from the folks that gave us so much cool Batman animated series fare in the 1990's?

The story picks up soon after the end of the series, and for that matter, the end of the prior Batman animated movies lately. Batman (still voiced excellently by Kevin Conroy) and Robin (Eli Marienthal) are surprised to find a new "Batwoman" in town. This would be good news because, for all intent and purpose, she's one of the good guys. However, her style is a little too "vigilante" for Batman's tastes, since she seems to take things too personally. Who is she...? That's the question, isn't it, as implied in the title, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.

Like any good mystery, we have at least three possible suspects. What makes them so interesting is that each of them is introduced to a different facet of Batman's life. As Batman, he's introduced to the new Detective in town, Sonia Alcana (Elisa Gabrielli). As Bruce Wayne the businessman, he's introduced to Wayne Enterprises' newest research scientist, Dr. Ballantine (voiced by the apparent "guest actress" for this video, Regis & Kelly's Kelly Ripa). Meanwhile, Bruce is falling for another female in his date life, Kathy Duquesne (Kimberly Brooks). Sure, we know it has to be one of the three likely suspects, but that's where the good news really shines: this is not some shmaltz-ridden "Scooby Doo" mystery, where the real suspect is brought in at the eleventh hour. These are the suspects, gentlemen. Can you guess who it is?

Don't be so sure of your answer. For an animated film, this is a very well written mystery, with a trio of suspects whose lives are extremely well-drawn (no pun intended). Each of these women is a complete three-dimensional character, not just a bland caricature. We soon learn that Detective Alcana was saved by Batman when she was young; did she want to follow in his footsteps? We learn that Dr. Ballantine is actually quite brilliant; brilliant enough to make her apparent "clumsiness" just a cover...? Kathleen lost her mother thanks to her father's criminal ambitions; does she want revenge? As in any good mystery; it could be any one of these ladies, couldn't it? However, the revelation of who it is and why is not as easy as you think. I was quite surprised...and overall, very impressed at the answer.

One more thing; before you think that you'll just quickly solve the who-is-Batwoman mystery by linking voice to suspect, they've added a little wrinkle: Batwoman is a "disguised" voice of the suspect, as portrayed by actress Kyra Sedgwick. This isn't the voice of Ripa, Gabrielli, and Strong so no the mystery is not that simple. This is one of many aspects of the voice casting that is exceptionally done.

Of course, what did you expect from an animated Batman series which always had the perfect penchant for well-cast voices...? Although some purists will dislike the fact that some of the original 1992 voice talent did not return here, their chosen new voice actors do a sensational job. Pay particular attention to "Batgirl" Barbara Gordon's cameo, as voiced by Tara Strong. Tara is such a talented cartoon actress these days --with such a diverse range of character voices-- you'd never guess she's best known as the voice of Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls!

Now, there has been some mild buzz online that this being a mystery that encompasses Bruce Wayne's life as businessman, romantic man, and Batman, that maybe as much as two thirds of the story is Bruce, not Batman. This isn't entirely accurate though I can see how someone who wants their bat-stories to be all <Pow!> <Sock!> <Zowie!> would be disappointed at times. However, it's not like the movie is without villains, with not just Rupert Thorne and The Penguin, though Bane as well (and voiced by Hector Elizondo, no less).

Sure, a cynic would tell you that the only reason this film was made, was to buy time for the live-action movies to get their act back together for another go someday. However, if that's the case, and this is meant just to keep us interested in Batman...they're doing a heck of a good job.

The DVD: While lacking the typical extras, these extras are quite enjoyable and often even unique. I particularly liked "Chase Me," a 6 minute Batman animated short involving a chase between the hero and villainess who love to hate each other, Batman and Catwoman. This is an apparent animation test due to not having a single line of dialog, with only music playing in the background. However, it's a really nice addition to the DVD. I'd love to see animated shorts like this in between Cartoon Network shows someday.

Now, I'm presuming you're smart enough to know that it's a bad idea to see a featurette titled "Behind the Mystery" before you've seen the film. In other words: Don't Watch these featurettes until after the film, please. However, after you've learned who actually is Batwoman, feel free to watch this short (9 and a half minutes) yet informative look behind the scenes, with anecdotes from all the lead voices. See how these actors look in real life (Fans of The Powerpuff Girls will have the added bonus of seeing Tara "Bubbles" Strong in real life!).

Two more featurettes offer the more technical aspects. Batman: P.O.V. showcases the work of the writing crew behind the scenes, including the how and why they chose key elements of the story, including the expansion of Bruce Wayne's life this time around. The Making of a Scene is just that: a full description of how they make an animated scene, from concept to final product. While these two featurettes aren't as long as a full-blown behind-the-scenes video, they say enough about what you'd want to know.

Other extras are for the kid in all of us. "Batcave Profiles" is a sort of Batcave-style bio of each character, fully animated, as if you just typed in their name into Bruce Wayne's super computer. However, again: Don't watch these "reports" until you see the film! These are full reports of each character, so they reveal who is who, and more specifically, who is Batwoman! Comparatively, "Bat Gadgets" is a lot less spoiler-ridden so feel free to enjoy a high-tech description of each gadget seen in the film. Kids will also like the two Super-hero savvy commercials for various other DC Comics animated DVDs, like The Justice League.

Owners of a DVD-ROM drive get the added bonus of being able to play a part of the Learning Adventure game, Batman: Toxic Chill. This game is intended for kids 7-10, as they solve puzzles and help Batman to save the day. Even if you're not 10, the other extras make the DVD version a must-buy (or must-rent, if you prefer to try-before-you-buy). As a Batman animated series fan, this was a real blast.

	Final Rating : Large Crater. Not as good as Mask of the Phantasm yet far superior to at least half of the Batman movies. Great mystery, too!
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Techtite's DVD Reviews!

Batman:

Mystery of the Batwoman

A Techtite Review