While some in Hollywood scoffed at the notion that post-Columbine the industry would suffer a severe bout of self-censorship, could the recent brouhaha over the editing of Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker be our first Exhibit A? Or is it just another case of marketing wizardry, simple recutting of a film to improve it, or just plain old fashioned untrue speculation?

Certainly, plenty of films have received a few nips and tucks here and there, or been issued in re-rated versions to appeal to a more family or mainstream market (such as R-Rated and Unrated versions of such films as American Pie, Road Trip or Showgirls.) But Return Of The Joker may be the first case in recent memory where a film has been heavily edited before it ever reached the screen. So, what happened?

The controversy started in September of 2000, when Warner Home Video announced last-minute postponement of nearly two months to December 12 for the direct-to-video Return Of The Joker. It didn't take long for the rumors to swirl that the delay was not due to marketing or distribution issues, but rather to edit the film and tone down the violence for kiddie consumption. Sites such as Ain't It Cool News and Coming Attractions quickly pounced, and message forums across the land lit up with angry fans protesting the rumored alterations.

At first, Warner Home Video denied the charges. IGN.com reported "Warner Bros...assured me that the movie is in fact not being altered or toned down. 'When we saw the quality of the image, which was a lot better than we expected, we pushed it back into the holiday season to avoid its being perceived as a Halloween product,' Warner PR rep Josh Sabarra told me."

But quickly conflicting information surfaced from sites like AICN, which subsequently reported that their Warner source confirmed that indeed they "are currently reworking parts of BB:ROTJ to curb the violence to make the film accessible for all ages." But reportedly, Writer Paul Dini "saw the results, and he was pleased. He felt that the film still works, that the intent of his story and script is still there. And at one point he said that a part of him kinda wished they'd written it that way from the beginning."

But on November 28, when the Canadian DVD release of the film hit store shelves, it turned out the film had been edited, and the cuts were quite severe. As ToonZone soon reported, "The previously uncut promotional video has become a highly sought-after prize. Before they were discovered and shut down, bootleg copies of the video were causing bidding wars on ebay.com, boosting the price as high as 50 to over 100 dollars." Big surprise, eh?

While speculation remains as to whether a uncut edition of the film will ever be released, and fans wasted no time in organizing petitions demand the original version be released intact, just how severe are these edits? And more importantly, do they ruin the flow and comprehensibility of the film? Indeed, it seems in some cases, yes they do. Below is a complete list of the 45 cuts made to the film, submitted by our diligent an highly observant reader Lucas Barela. (Further resources follow below, including a link to our review of the current disc.)

• In the opening heist sequence, Terry punches then kicks Bonk in the chest but in the edited version there is only a punch with a quick flash. Right after that there is a pan around sequence showing Terry take on each of the Jokerz except the Dee Dee's who are pretending to cower in fear at the sight of the Batman. In between the pan around and the Dee Dee's cowering, there is a quick cut of Terry smacking Ghoul square in the face.
• Once Terry let's his guard down for the Dee Dee's, they pull out a tazer-like gun a shock him. Weakened, the Dee Dee's continue to kick and punch beating the heck out of Terry.
• As Bonk is strangling Terry on the hover-lift, Terry hits Bonk twice in the face before Bonk head butts Terry. Terry then proceeds to tell Bonk about the upcoming flagpole. Terry only hit Bonk once in the face for the edited version of the film.
• While in the cave, a batarang is flying around throughout the cavern. It flies past some dummies of the Riddler, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, and Two-Face. It then beheads the Two-Face dummy from the neck. The head then slowly falls to the ground. Then the batarang continues on until it comes to stop in Bruce Wayne's hand.
• After Bonk tells the Joker "I think your a fake," the Joker comes back by saying "Ah, brave new world, that has such putzes in it." "Putzes" is changed into "Yutzes" for the edited version of the film.
• Bonk is no longer shot in the chest with the BANG! dart from the gun, but is gassed in the face with Joker-toxin. He laughs uncontrollably and soon thereafter dies (when we no longer her him laugh) with a smile on his face. The edited version of Bonk's death does have and additional scene added onto an existing one from the unedited. It is when the Joker tosses his gun behind himself and it lands somewhere off screen. In the edited, the Joker tosses his gun and it now lands onto Bonk's laughing body.
• Following Bonk's death scene, the Joker goes around each member of his team and wants to know whether or not they are "with him." From the Dee Dee's to Woof and Chucko then to Bonk's dead body. Remembering that Bonk is dead, the Joker asks the Dee Dee's to "sweep out the trash." The Dee Dee's grab Bonk's body from the table and throw it to the floor.
• After the Joker's return to the "public eye" at Wayne Enterprises, Terry is driving Bruce back home. Seat belts are digitally added around their bodies for the edited version.
• At the club when the Joker'z show up, when the Dee Dee's are pounding on Terry, Chucko's line of "I don't know why the boss wants a dreg like you out of the way, but hey, as long as it's fun" is cut, as well as the punch he delivers to Terry. Also, as Terry sees Dana being attacked by Ghoul, Terry punches Chucko and proceeds into the scene where he jumps over the Dee Dee's and slams their heads together.
• In that same scene when Ghoul grabs Dana by her hair, a small scene is cut showing him actually reaching, grabbing, and yanking her by her hair.
• And the final cut from the Nightclub sequence is when Terry sneaks up behind Ghoul and gives him the beating of his life. It is shortened to a bright flash and a punching sound to where Terry can be seen running off camera.
• The color of the "Ha! Ha! Ha!" graffiti in the Batcave (after Bruce Wayne is gassed by the Joker) has been altered. The unedited shows it to be an almost "blood red" color while the edited is a mix of red and purple.
• The clip of the old Warner Bros. Bug Bunny cartoon "Hare Ribbin" is shortened and looped over with the dog's wailings of "I don't deserve to live." The unedited version continues on with the actual cartoon dialogue of "I wish I were dead. I wish I were dead."
• In the flashback sequence, Batgirl's "hooker" contacts, last scene in The Ultimate Thrill, are changed to a guy and girl.
• As Batman breaks free from his bindings in total anger, you will hear the knife rip through but will no longer see the knife. It is digitally removed and makes Batman look weird for having his left arm raised with a clenched hand holding nothing.
• The scene following, showing Batman throw his knife at the Joker is cut. This does not make any sense for the edited version because there is now a hole in the curtain behind the Joker where there once was not a hole.
• As Batgirl and Harley have a fight of their own inside Arkham, one kick to Harley in the face is cut.
• Before the Joker displays his "home movie," his dialogue of "Then I'll provide the narration," comes before the lights shutting off. The edited version shows the lights shut off first and then the Joker says "Then I'll provide the narration."
• In the beginning of the "Our Family Memories" movie, The Joker originally says "I'll begin with how I peeled back the layers of the boys mind." But in the edited version he says "I'll begin with how I affected young Robins make over."
• Almost all of the "Our Family Memories" movie is cut. That being mainly the scene showing Joker opening the barbecue, grabbing his voltage tongs, and shocking poor Robin.
• The Joker's dialogue is then altered from "All too soon the serums and the shocks took their toll..." to "All to soon the dear lad began to share such secrets with me..." to coincide with the edited scene of "Our Family Memories"
• For the rest of the Flashback sequence and movie itself, all of the blood is digitally removed from the film making everyone impervious to cut and scrapes.
• The Joker no longer unsheathes his concealed knife and slashes Batman across the chest and stabs him in the leg with it but merely punches Batman in the face sending him down to the floor. Although in the edited version, if you pause the scene frame for frame, you can see the end frame of the Joker slashing at Batman with his knife and Batman falling over with a rip in his chest. The knife in the leg though will not be there. (Note: The stabbing of Bruce's leg is the cause of the elder Wayne's limp and use of cane.)
• The Joker's line of "Here you go, sonny-boy, make daddy proud. Deliver the punch line." is changed to "Here you go, sonny-boy, make him one of us."
• Batman's "Tim..." moan is cut because it is no longer needed since Tim has now thrown the gun aside and has decide to attack the Joker head on.
• Since the Joker's death is now altered from an insane Tim Drake shooting the Joker with the BANG! dart gun square in the chest, he now gets caught in some wiring, is soaked in water and now looks the fool for simply slipping on the slippery floor and grabbing a hold of the electrical power switch as he falls henceforth electrocuting himself. Note that the gun lying next to Tim as he collapses laughing/crying uncontrollably in the edited version makes no sense presuming the Tim tossed it aside to attack the Joker.
• With the whole death sequence shortened, so too was Tim's insanely ongoing laughter.
• Barbara's dialogue is now altered from "We buried the Joker deep beneath Arkham..." to "And for Robin's sake, he kept that night a secret," therefore not directly mentioning the Joker's untimely demise.
• Terry's dialogue is altered from "I'm assuming his girlfriend bought it, too" to "And since you saw Harley fall into the pit..."
• Barbara's dialogue is once more altered from .".she was able to help Tim back to sanity" to ."..she was able to help Tim back to himself."
• The sequence on the yacht with Jordan Price and his "friend" Amy is cut down so you don't see Price enter the room thinking that he is talking to Amy whereas it is actually on of the Dee Dee's lying on the bed waiting for him. Probably too much sex appeal involved for young children watching.
• Jordan Price's dialogue is also changed from ."..bunglers tried to kill Wayne" to ."..bunglers tried to ice Wayne."
• In the Batcave when Terry question Tim Drake loyalties, Bruce's dialogue is altered from "Robin did shot him" to "Robin defeated him" to coincide with the Joker's "new" death scene.
• As with the seat belts on Bruce's limo ride home with Terry, the Batmobile too has "magic" seat belts that appear once Terry enters the vehicle.
• When the Joker's beam is chasing Terry around the city, the brightly lit Cinema that is seen being blown up by the beam is now a dark undescript building. But when it blows up, you can see the letters spelling out Cinema as illuminated rubble from the enormous blast.
• As the beam continues it's destructive path through Gotham, a small scene is cut showing the beam tear through what seems to be a park full of people.
• After Terry crash lands and Woof appears ready to do battle and Ace is called upon to fight, a quick scene is cut showing Ace bite Woof's left arm causing a painful expression on Woof's face.
• As Tim Drake is recounting past events of the Joker's death, his dialogue was altered from "Oh god. I killed him. I didn't mean to. I tried so hard to forget...but I still hear the shot, still see his dead smile" to "Oh god. I did it. I didn't mean to. I tried so hard to forget...but I can still hear his scream. I can still see his frozen smile."
• Tim Drake's dialogue is also changed from "It's a killer" to "It's a doozy" right before he turns into the Joker.
• The Joker's dialogue of asking Terry if he had "any last words for the old Batfart" now changed to "any last words for the old Batkoot."
• As the Joker gets Terry under the table and begins to strangle him madly, his strangle last slightly longer then it does on the edited versio
• When Harley finally reappears at the end of the film, her outfit is altered to reflect the colors of her old "Harley Quinn" outfit. The unedited version shows here to be wearing a lavender and blue outfit to the edited version showing her wearing red and black to reassure the audience that she is the original Harley Quinn.
• Throughout the edited version of the film, a lot of quick "white flashes" appear whenever someone is punched or hit in the face. The unedited version shows no signs of these "white flashes."
• As an extra bit of knowledge of stuff done to the movie: If you watch the actual trailer for the movie you will see the pan around fight sequence the was cut from the final edited version as well as Terry (as Batman) punching Ghoul in the face all found in the opening heist scene. Also on one particular television commercial that shows the Jokerz and their names underneath their picture, Ghoul is mislabeled as the Scarecrow.

Further Resources

» Our Disc Review
» Check out these Return Of The Joker petitions to get the film released uncut: World's Finest Petition, Stop Warner From Butchering Batman Beyond and the BB: ROTJ Uncut Petition
» ROTJ Timeline from Coming Attractions
» Batman Beyond Official Site

NOTE!!!

Warner has finally released the uncut version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker on DVD. Check out our review here...