Batman and Nightwing are forced to team up with Harley Quinn in
​order to stop Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man from unleashing a virus.

ACTION/CRIME

Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)

Directed by Sam Liu

Written by James Krieg and Bruce Timm

Starring Kevin Conroy, Melissa Rauch, Loren Lester,
Paget Brewster, Kevin Michael Richardson

​Based on characters from DC Comics

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Connor Eyzaguirre

June 24, 2020

8/10

This animated adventure is pretty reviled by fans and critics alike. I can't imagine why, as it's a perfectly entertaining Batman story that dares to inject a little humor into the otherwise dreary Gotham City we are always subjected to. Batman and Harley Quinn features characters that we don't always get to see, like Nightwing, Poison Ivy, Swamp Thing, and the Floronic Man. I enjoyed a little something new for once, and Melissa Rauch's take on Harley is at the forefront of it. Sure, it's a little juvenile than most of DC's animated films, with a few fart jokes and a goofy ending. But it wasn't another Joker movie, thank God.

Batman (Conroy, the best to ever do it) and Nightwing (Lester) must track down Poison Ivy (Brewster) and the Floronic Man (Richardson) before they unleash a virus that will kill every human being on Earth. With nowhere to start, they track down Harley Quinn, Ivy's best friend who has gone straight. After a bizarre scene where Harley seduces Nightwing, who is tied to the bed but highly aroused, she agrees to help Batman find the botanical duo. Along the way, Bats and Nightwing bond with Harley and we get to see the lighter side of these characters' lives for once.

There's a lot of comedy in this one, and that's something we don't often get with these animated films. Most of them are so serious, and while that can be great for the story, it is a bit of a drag sometimes. Batman and Harley Quinn goes out of its way to remind audiences that this is a comic book movie and therefore, is allowed to be a little ridiculous at times. I appreciated the throwbacks to the classic 90's animated series, especially the animation style. I think this one deserves a second look.