Superhero Media: Batman and Harley Quinn

I had heard that Batman and Harley Quinn was one of the better DCAU films, but I tend to not put much stock in what I read online, especially to do with Harley Quinn. As I've mentioned before, I quite like Harley as a character, especially as she is written and presented by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, but the "following" that has grown up around her is, to put it politely, complicated. As a semi-regular convention volunteer, I'm never going to complain about women in Harley Quinn cosplay, but those who idolise her as an example of womanhood and stable relationships are heading down a dangerous path towards abuse. On a lighter note, the cast and crew of Batman: The Animated Series are behind Batman and Harley Quinn, and in terms of continuity, it fits nicely into what fans call the "Timmverse". When a cutting-edge scientist is kidnapped by Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man, Batman and Nightwing have no leads, so they try to track down Ivy's former partner, Harley. 

After fighting and then seducing Nightwing, Harley convinces Batman that she needs to come along with them to stop Ivy and the second act of the film becomes a "road movie" with Batman, Nightwing and Harley in the Batmobile having adventures and little comedic scenes. Getting drive-thru fast food, toilet breaks and arguing over the radio seem more like scenes from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but Kevin Conroy, Melissa Rauch and Loren Lester really make it work with the characters. The scene where Booster Gold (played by Paul Dini) calls from the Watchtower and lists off who in the Justice League can lend a hand, whilst Nightwing mimes reasons they don't want, Black Condor is "meh", Elongated Man "talks too much" and Triumph is a loser; Booster himself offers to come down and both Batman and Nightwing panic and cut off the call. There's a fun karaoke scene, but I wonder why Warner Music couldn't come up with some better songs? The bar in which this happens is frequented by henchmen of major Batman villains from comics film and animation, which is a great moment for longtime fans. 

The ending of Batman and Harley Quinn is a bit poor, Harley's reveal on how she can stop Ivy is underwhelming and a brief appearance from Swamp Thing is fun, but doesn't add to the narrative. If I were to briefly describe Batman and Harley Quinn, it would be as a kind of "Reunion Special" of BTAS. The actors and crew are all there, but the emphasis is on fun and nostalgia rather than a serious story. Also, the rating of this film is rather high, with plenty of adult content, but it's not violence and swearing tirades, it's lewd jokes and adult sexuality, Batman and Harley Quinn aims to have aged with the original BTAS audience and hits it pretty much square-on. I've said it before and I'll say it again, why isn't WB handing over the live-action Batman films to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini? They have the talent, they know the characters well and everything they've produced is at least passably enjoyable. If you're keen for more BTAS action, check out Batman and Harley Quinn, it's a lot of fun and enjoyable enough to forgive its flaws.