Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a 2016 animated movie set in the continuity of the 1966 TV series Batman.
Synopsis for "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders"
The Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman join forces to steal the Replica Ray, a powerful new invention that can create a perfect double of any object or person. Despite the best efforts of Batman and Robin, the villainous quartet successfully escape with the ray; shortly after, the crimefighters are lured into an abandoned TV dinner factory, where Catwoman waylays them with knockout gas.
On waking, the Dynamic Duo find themselves bound to an oversized TV tray, about to be fed into a massive oven. Out of a twisted attraction for him, Catwoman tries to spare Batman by brainwashing with her new "Batnip" drug. When the drug apparently fails, she joins her partners and leaves the duo for dead; nevertheless, Batman and Robin escape by melting their bonds in the tray's lemon tart.
In subsequent weeks, the Dynamic Duo continue searching for the villains, unaware that Catwoman's Batnip is in fact slowly corrupting its intended victim. As Batman, he grows increasingly hostile towards Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara; as Bruce Wayne, he fires Alfred over a perceived slight. However, his intelligence remains unaffected, allowing him to trail the villains to an Eastern Bloc space station.
The Dynamic Duo board the station just in time to save Catwoman, launched from an airlock by her former partners for being too "soft" on Batman. Though he remains civil to Catwoman, Batman shows the male villains unprecedented brutality, nearly beating each one to death. After returning to Earth and re-incarcerating the villains, he degenerates even further, not only refusing to return the Replica Ray but also ejecting Dick from Wayne Manor.
Eventually, the corrupted Batman uses the ray to duplicate himself into an army, and mercilessly tyrannizes Gotham City. At this point, both Robin and Catwoman (who had escaped the space station before capture) realize the Batnip's influence on Batman, and join forces to deliver the antidote, but are soon outwitted, captured, and almost cremated in the Batcave's atomic reactor. After a narrow escape, the duo infiltrate the state penitentiary, recruit a horde of Batman's lesser enemies (such as Egghead, King Tut, and Mr. Freeze) to their cause, and try again.
This second attempt is easily quashed by Batman's own army, but before Batman can personally kill Robin and Catwoman, he is slipped a universal antidote by a disguised Alfred (who had, years ago, been assured his firing would only result from mind-control, and given specific instructions on how to counteract it). Moments later, the Batman duplicates collapse into dust, as a result of the Replica Ray's molecular instability. From this, Batman deduces that Joker, Penguin, and Riddler had only stolen the ray to create decoys - namely, decoys of themselves, which would occupy the authorities so the originals could loot Gotham unopposed.
With Catwoman at their side, the Dynamic Duo pursue and eventually rout all three villains. To Batman's dismay, however, Catwoman quickly lays claim to her former partners' loot, and refuses to surrender herself. When Robin manages to recover the loot, Catwoman continues to reject Batman's pleas, and leaps into a smokestack - apparently to her death - rather than face incarceration again. Though saddened, the duo return to Wayne Manor as committed to justice as ever, ready to fight evil wherever it may strike next.
Appearing in "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred
- Commissioner Gordon
- Harriet Cooper
- Miranda Moore[1]
- Professor Carter Nichols
Antagonists:
- Catwoman (Apparent Death)
- The Joker
- The Penguin
- The Riddler
Other Characters:
- The Archer (Final appearance)
- Black Widow (Final appearance)
- Bookworm
- Clock King
- Egghead
- Falseface (Final appearance)
- King Tut
- Louie the Lilac (Final appearance)
- Mad Hatter
- Minstrel (Final appearance)
- Mister Freeze
- Sandman (Final appearance)
- Shame
- Siren
- Belgravian cosmonauts
- Mayor Linseed
- Warden Crichton
Locations:
- Between 1966 and 1969
- Gotham City
- Acme Atomic Research Laboratory
- Fitzsimmons Frozen Foods
- Franklin Wilson High School
- Gotham City Hall
- Gotham City Police Headquarters
- Gotham Palace
- Gotham State Penitentiary
- Kitkat Kave
- Wayne Manor
- Gotham City
Items:
- Batarang
- Batcomputer
- Batnip
- Batphone
- Batpole
- Bat-Signal
- Belgravian Space Station
- Catwoman's Whip
- Cryo-Suit
- Joker's Joy Buzzer
- Mister Freeze's Ice Gun
- Penguin's Umbrella
- Replica Ray
- Riddler's Staff
- Shakespeare Bust
- Utility Belts
- Batkerchief
- Bat-Knockout Gas
- Bat-Shield
- Old, CRT TV
Vehicles:
- Bat-Copter
- Bat-Rocket
- Belgravian Rocket
- Batmobile
- Catmobile
- Jokermobile
- Penguin's Blimp
- Whirly-Bat
Concepts:
Cast
- Jeff Bergman as The Joker, Narrator
- Sirena Irwin as Miranda Moore and other Catwomen, see Notes
- Thomas Lennon as Chief O'Hara
- William Salyers as The Penguin
- Lynne Marie Stewart as Aunt Harriet
- Jim Ward as Commissioner James Gordon
- Steven Weber as Alfred Pennyworth
- Wally Wingert as The Riddler
Notes
- This is the first animated movie based on Batman (1966 TV Series); Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar, from the original TV series have voiced their respective original roles, see Cast.
- When Batman is hit on the head by Penguin, he momentarily begins to see in triple. He see three Catwomen, each one different of the other; an homage to the three actresses who portrayed Catwoman: Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt (the latter two being voiced by Sirena Irwin).
Trivia
- Comic covers homaged during the opening: Detective Comics #27, Detective Comics #38, Batman #3, Detective Comics #203, Batman #11, Detective Comics #67, Detective Comics #140 and Batman #20.
- While punching Riddler, Batman repeats a phrase originally from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: "...This is the operating table... And I'm the surgeon!"
- There is more ethnical presence than in the original series.
- BBBP on Belgravian cosmonauts' helmets is an obvious reference to CCCP, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
- Belgravia replaces Russia in the Space Race. At that time, the United States was further behind in astronautics than Russia in the real world. (See List of human spaceflights, 1961–1970)
- Aunt Harriet seems to be aware of Bruce and Robin being Batman and Robin.
- King Tut is not shown in prison; In the 1960s original series and Batman vs. Two-Face, Tut was considered unimputable due double personality, then Robin and Catwoman recruited him behind-the-scenes. He is also shown fighting; King Tut generally relied on his henchmen to fight.
- Mister Freeze is not being affected by ambient temperature!
- Batman dancing is a reference to the original series episode "Hi Diddle Riddle".
- Catwoman falling to apparent death (and Batman wiping his tears) is a reference to "Scat! Darn Catwoman".
See Also
- Characters from Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
- Other things related to Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
- Movie Gallery: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
Links and References
- ↑ Identified as "Miranda Monroe" in the film proper, but listed as "Miranda Moore" in the credits