DVD Corner

Batman And Harley Quinn Blu-ray Review

“Batman and Harley Quinn” is a disgrace to the Batman universe.

In “Batman and Harley Quinn,” the Dark Knight and the beloved villainess team up alongside Nightwing to stop Poison Ivy and Floronic Man from turning humankind into animal-plants hybrids. That’s the very thin plot in a nutshell.

When “Batman and Harley Quinn” was announced, I was thrilled. Not only was Kevin Conroy once again voicing Batman, but the animation was done in a style that harkens back to the classic “Batman: The Animated Series.” Unfortunately, this movie is nothing like TAS. At all.

There’s a scene in “Batman and Harley Quinn” where Batman is driving the Batmobile, Nightwing is in the passenger seat and Harley Quinn is in the backseat. Harley states she needs to use the bathroom but Batman ignores her. Harley Quinn farts, Nightwing gags from the smell, and Batman says ‘It’s not so bad. It smells like…discipline.” She farts again, Nightwing begs Batman to pull over and they do at the “Gotham Gas” station. That’s the kind of movie this is. The rest of the film is as bad if not worse. The story is an afterthought, there’s an endless karaoke sequence and a Looney Tunes esque closing shot, there’s a lot of raunchy humor that is entirely out of place, and, perhaps worst of all, the character of Nightwing is reduced to a dancing buffoon who is seduced by Harley Quinn in an instant. Even if this movie was viewed as an elseworlds story, it would still be baffling and batty.

Note: This is a review of the “Batman and Harley Quinn” 4K set only I am reviewing the Blu-ray only portion as I do not have a 4K TV. The 4K set is a 4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital copy combo pack. The Blu-ray set contains the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital copy of the film. There’s also a Blu-ray gift set release that comes with a Harley Quinn figure and a DVD release as well.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The animation shines in this hi-def transfer.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? I have no complaints with this track. The action, dialogue, and sound f/x sounded clear to this reviewer.

Extras: * WB and DC trailers. * 2 episodes of the classic “Batman: The Animated Series” titled “Harley and Ivy” and “Harley’s Holiday.” * Archival sneak peeks of “The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 and 2” and “Batman: Assault on Arkham.” * A brand new sneak peek at the upcoming adaptation of the classic graphic novel “Gotham By Gaslight.” Let’s hope this one is a faithful adaption. * “The Harley Effect”- A 21 minute featurette on the iconic villainess Harley Quinn and her history in the animated series, comics, animated movies and “Suicide Squad.” * “Loren Lester: In His Own Voice”- A spotlight on the fan favorite voice actor who voiced Robin and Nightwing.

Overall Thoughts: Writers Jim Krieg and Bruce Timm should be ashamed of writing “Batman and Harley Quinn.” It is so out of character that it is insulting to fans. Skip it and check out “Batman: Year One,” “Batman: The Animated Series,” or a whole host of other DC animated films with Batman.

August 25, 2017 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Batman, Batman And Harley Quinn 4K, Batman And Harley Quinn Blu-ray Review, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Poison Ivy