Review: Batman and Harley Quinn (SPOILERS!) · 11:41pm Sep 15th, 2017
"Smells like...discipline."
Batman and Harley Quinn is a 2017 direct-to-video project from Warner Animation which celebrates both the 25th anniversary of the iconic Batman: the Animated Series and the 25th anniversary of the creation of Harley Quinn. The animation style harkens back to the second phase of the DCAU (New Batman/Superman Adventures), and the film contains many homages to the DCAU (especially B:tAS and Justice League Unlimited), the 60s Adam West Batman, and the entire history of Harley Quinn in animation, comics, and spinoff media.
Early promotional materials generated a mixed reaction and massive backlash on social media, with many objecting to the "excessively sexualized" nature of the film, largely owing to stills and short videos taken completely out of context from a grand total of three scenes in the 1 hour 14 minute film. And while it's true that there is decidedly more sexual content in this feature than you'd expect to find in anything connected to the DCAU (Word of God says it isn't connected but it's totally connected), it isn't especially gratuitous or out of place--at least, no more than it would be in any other PG-13 rated movie, which is what this is.
That's an important thing to remember going into this: it is rated PG-13. That means sexual humor, violence, and profanity. The other important thing to remember going into this:
It is very much a comedy. And, frankly, this is what Batman looks like if some dipshit lets Justice3442 loose in the writer's room. 
Click below for my full review, and be warned that there are spoilers!
Poison Ivy has teamed up with Jason Woodrue (the "Floronic Man") to steal the research that led to the creation of the Swamp Thing. Their goal is to create a viral pathogen that will transform all life on Earth into sapient mutant vegetation.
You know, like you do.
Since they're tracking Poison Ivy, Batman and Nightwing need to rely on somebody who's been close to her, knows where she might be, how she thinks. Of course, that means Harley Quinn, who's dropped off the grid since her recent parole. While Batman chases down leads on exactly what Ivy and Woodrue are up to, Nightwing tries to track down Harley. He eventually finds her working as a waitress in "Superbabes", a Hooters-like establishment staffed by titillating women in skimpy, raunchy versions of heroine/villainess costumes. Hiding in plain sight, as it were.
When Nightwing confronts Harley and tells her what Ivy is up to, she's...more than a little reluctant to get involved. Nightwing provokes her into a fight, and they beat each other up and down an alley until Harley knocks Nightwing out with some low-grade Joker Venom ("the only good thing I ever got from that asshat").
While Batman plies his trade as a master detective, Nightwing wakes up to find himself tied to Harley's bed. He finds out that she's forced to do what she's doing now because her actual degree in psychology is worth less than toilet paper now and all the job offers she's been getting lately are for porn and sex industry stuff. Her life, in a nutshell, sucks. More than that, she hasn't gotten a decent lay in a long time since she never gets to meet any decent guys anymore--just the creeps and losers that infest Superbabes. She decides Nightwing is exactly what she needs and seduces him.
When Batman finally tracks down Nightwing, he finds him in the middle of a tickle fight with Harley, and clear evidence all over the apartment that they Did It. It's more than a little embarrassing for Nightwing, but he got the job done--Harley is going with them to look for Ivy.
The Dynamic Duo quickly learn that having Harley along for a ride means getting taken for a ride, as Harley puts them through all kinds of hell while they're trying to find Ivy, including:
- Harley jumps out of the Batmobile to chase this guy down for several blocks. At the end of the chase, Batman and Nightwing find out it had nothing whatsoever to do with their critical end-of-all-life-on-Earth mission, Harley just wanted to beat the crap out of a guy who stood her up at her prom.
- En route to a place where they might be able to get information, Harley farts up the Batmobile, which cracks even Batman's stoic facade.
- At a henchpersons' hangout in Bludhaven, Harley does a seductive song and dance number for an old henchy of Ivy's while Batman deals with cheeky henchmen from his own rogue's gallery; this scene is hilarious in all its callbacks to B:tAS and the 60s Batman, including one goon mocking Batman by doing the Batusi behind his back (and getting backfisted for it).
When they finally track down Ivy and Woodrue, it doesn't go well, and the captive who's been helping them develop the virus dies in a fire while Ivy and Woodrue escape. This leads to a solemn moment where Ivy, who has been a snarky, impish, juvenile ass the entire time somberly holds the dying man and comforts him in his last moments.
After that, the threesome (after some desperate pleading from Harley to be allowed to see through the last leg of the mission) pursue their quarry to Louisiana, to the swamp where Swamp Thing was created. There, Harley learns that Ivy is about to unleash an untested viral agent into the Gulf without knowing for sure whether it'll turn everyone into plants or just kill all life on Earth, and after the two fight it out while Batman and Nightwing try everything in their arsenal to subdue Woodrue, Harley uses the "nuclear option": turns her puppy dog eyes and Cry Cute to full power to make Ivy give up.
But Woodrue isn't so easily deterred, and seizes the vial of viral toxin, fully intent on dumping it into the swamp and vegetating (or killing) the entire planet.
Then, in an epic sequence full of big dramatic music and all kinds of amazing nature effects, Swamp Thing shows up...
...and does absolutely nothing except make a speech and then leave again.
"Well that was a big-ass bucket o' nothin'."
With their apparent savior..,not bothering to save them, Batman and Nightwing are desperately trying to figure out a way to take down Woodrue when everything they brought with them failed completely--when Ivy points out that the dude's made of plants, and they could just set him on fire. Batman and Nightwing grin, Batman lights a match, and both heroes kiss Ivy on the cheek.
Iris out to credits...
...and halfway through the credits, a stinger where Woodrue is running through the bayou screaming and on fire.
So yeah, that's the movie. It's silly, it's irreverent, it's absolutely hilarious, and yes, it has some sex stuff, but it's not as bad as social media would have you believe. There's lots of shout-outs--some familiar henchmen such as the Two-Face Twins and Captain Clown, for example--and a lot of jokes and gags I didn't spoil above (including a rip on Justice League Unlimited). Melissa Rauch does a pretty good turn as Harley Quinn--she's not Hynden or Tara, but she does the character justice--and Kevin Conroy's Batman is always a thing of wonder (though, to be honest, I think he's getting too old to keep doing the voice at this point--his Batman is showing signs of wear and tear). Paget Brewster (Elise from Dan Vs) is an excellent Poison Ivy, Loren Lester makes a glorious return as Dick Grayson/Nightwing, and Kevin Michael Richardson is his usual hammy deep villain as Woodrue.
If you're on the fence about seeing it, I'd strongly recommend giving it a watch, but be warned: This movie is batshit crazy in all the best ways. If that's not your thing (but if it isn't, what are you even doing following me?) you might want to steer clear. This is not one of those "overly serious and dark" superhero movies. It's a romp.
...I need to see this movie. I need to see this movie right now
This sounds glorious
I had the impression Batman wouldn't have been quite so imposingly judgmental of Nightwing in that scene, if he'd managed to score an actual location from Harley by that point.
I'm also reminded of a two-panel somewhere in a Teen Titans comic where Bruce is ticked off that Robin's off on a date with Starfire instead of brooding incessantly over his next encounter with fill-in-the-blank. And Alfred points out that Bruce is really just upset that Dick is successfully balancing his crimefighting career with a social life, whereas Bruce has not.
But I thought...
I may have to give this movie a watch when I have the time.
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Dick does lampshade that Bruce isn't exactly in a position to complain about getting it on with a villainess.
I really liked Poison Ivy's design
I saw it, and enjoyed it overall. The bar scene was the best part, a close tie between Harley's song and the twins doing that amazing Tom Jones cover.
The one thing that bugged me was the ending. Wouldn't fire just kill Woodroe? I mean, Batman wouldn't kill someone unless he absolutely had to, and he certainly wouldn't be happy about it.
And you forgot the even better post-credits scene, where Harley gets her own TV show.
All I can say is that I have never laughed so much or so hard at anything Batman.
So aside from a couple nitpicks, overall this was amazingly well done.
Harley is such a card.
I think my favorite part was the songs. They came out of nowhere, they were dumb, padded out the plot, fairly unneeded, and I loved every single stupid second of it.
Yeah. He really is getting too old and too massive for this.......
So I just watched the movie....
Holy crap that was a some batshit crazy fun.
I think my favorite gag was the 'nuclear option" Ivy's reaction to using it was hilarious.
Well that and Nightwing's sign language commentary while they were talking to Booster Gold.