Backstage - Complete Return of the Joker
Edit List First reported by James Harvey and The World's Finest in 2000, updated multiple times since and recently in 2022
The World's Finest
was the first site to report and show the edits made to Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
upon its original home video release back in Fall 2000. After watching both the unedited and edited version of the animated
movie, a list of edits, cuts and changes was created first right here, on this page! In
November/December of 2000, WB Home Video released an edited copy of
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, with changes made to tone down the film's mood and violence following concerns from WB executives and the political climate at the time. While the edited version was officially
released, an unedited bootleg edition made it's way around the fandom. When
WB saw the fanfare and backlash against the edits, they announced that Batman
Beyond: Return of the Joker - The Original Cut would finally make it's way to
DVD in 2002.
Below is the most complete list of cuts and changes made in Batman
Beyond: Return of the Joker on the net, a list spearheaded and created
here first at The World's Finest, as well as a video and detailed screenshots. The video clips are at the bottom of the page. Thanks to the fine folks
over at the Batman Beyond Board (now The DC Animation Forum) and anyone who helped James Harvey and Zach Demeter in the creation
of this page - especially "Bono", "Cornydog", "Salvor", "TimWan",
and "Reddata". Thanks alot for the help! Now, there's a lot of changes,
totalling up to fifty cuts, edits, or changes. To see the detailed list,
just scroll down and see for yourself!
The Edits
In the very first scene, Woof hits the security guard twice before he
falls to the ground in the unedited version whereas in the edited, Woof
only hits him once.
As Batman climbs his way up the system’s scanner to fight Ghoul,
Batman hits Ghoul in the stomach then upper cuts him in the face. Now in
the edited version he only upper cuts in the face and the punch to the
stomach is now gone.
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 fight 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.
After the pan around scene, Woof will run at Terry and Terry will toss
him over his shoulder. In the unedited, Woof hits Terry a couple of
times and then runs at him were the scene continues.
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. In the edited version, this is ALL
cut out.
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. In the edited version, we only see
the Batarang come back to Bruce.
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 weather 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 Jokerz 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.
Also 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.
And the final cut from the Nightclub sequence is when Terry hits
Chucko twice in the face sending him over the edge onto the floor. The
edited shows Terry hit Chucko once with his right arm then it cuts to
Chucko falling with Terry holding a left-handed punch position.
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 seen in
The Ultimate Thrill, are changed to a guy and girl.
As Batman begins to enter the Operating Theatre, he is no longer
running towards the doors. Instead he is now walking towards the doors.
In the unedited version you can see Batman’s legs moving up and down
fairly quickly. It looks pretty funny, so maybe that’s why they edited
that part.
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, as well as a punch.
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 Robin's 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 shoot 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. In addition to the belts, a seat was digitally added for the
belts to come out of.
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
building in the edited version. 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
version.
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.
ALSO...
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 still has these "white flashes", but not nearly as many
as the edited.
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".