Poison Ivy (Padget Brewster) and the Floronic Man (Kevin Michael Richardson)āyeah, I had no idea who Floronic Man was before thisāplan to turn all animal life into plants. Batman (Kevin Conry) and Nightwing (Loren Lester) need Harley Quinās (Melissa Rauch) help to find Ivy and stop her.
The last eleven DC Animated films haveāmore or lessāfit together into one universe, vaguely based on The New 52 comics run. Not Batman and Harley Quinn. This looks and feels like Batman: The Animated Series, though with more comedy. Considering the major fall off in quality of the movies, thatās a good thing. Batman and Harley Quinn is the best of the franchise in the last four years, which is not a bold statement. Beating Throne of Atlantis is not a significant accomplishment.
The plot is kidās show simple, as are the villains. The bad guys have an over the top and unlikely plan to kill everyone and our three āheroesā just have to reach them and punch things. Thatās it. Even with the addition of swearing and implied sex, this is juvenile. But it isnāt as if the other DC animated films have been sophisticated. What it lacks in story and character, it makes up in humor. This is the Anti-Killing Joke. If you need your superhero films to be serious to justify your childhood, you are going to hate this movie.
Harley dominates, though Nightwing and Batman have their moments. Sheās cute, with every other line a joke, and every third of those a really solid one. Sheās played even more broadly than in the TV show where she originated, but Iāve no complaints. The linear story pauses from time to time for unrelated gags which tend to be a better use of time than anything that progresses the plot. Ā The henchmen dance bar is one of the better ideas DC has had in recent years. DC has never used music so well, in animation or live action.
Batman and Harley QuinnĀ isnāt quite as silly as the 1966 Adam West Batman, but it isnāt as clever either. It is at least as funny. After sitting though Batman v Superman, this is the proper medicine.