Batman and Harley Quinn: When Team-Ups Get Nutty

"Harley Quinn reporting for duty sir." - Harley Quinn.

Last night was quite a fun one as my girlfriend, myself and a friend of ours took in the one time only showing of the latest DC Animated Film Batman and Harley Quinn. This was a special event between DC and Fathom Events before the film was released digitally today, and will get its actual home video release on August 29 later this month.

Before reading further everyone should know something, this movie is NOT for small children, this has adult language and implied adult themes in it, and therefore should only be viewed by age-appropriate persons.

That being said, this really was a fun animated feature, it felt like a bit of a throwback to the days when Batman the Animated Series was king of superhero cartoons (while still competing with Spider-Man and the X-Men and Superman cartoons). Seeing the movie on the big screen, there was a sense of nostalgia that made me think of what it must have been like when Batman: Mask of the Phantasm hit theaters in 1993. With Bruce Timm returning to co-write the script alongside Jim Krieg, this is something Batman fans, Harley Quinn fans and fans of DC's animated properties will all enjoy.

It's plot (without giving too much away) involves Batman and Nightwing having to team up with the Joker's former partner and girlfriend, the one and only Harley Quinn, to stop Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue (the Floronic Man) from unleashing chaos on the world. Nothing further is going to be said, no spoilers here.

In one corner, voicing the teams heroes is the return of stars Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester as Batman and Nightwing, with The Big Bang Theory star Melissa Rauch stepping into the role of Harley Quinn. Conroy and Lester do a superb job as they have in the past. To have them step back into their two most memorable roles, its sort of a trip down memory lane, back to the days of Saturday morning cartoons and sugar cereal. It's almost like it hasn't been years since they teamed up to voice the Dynamic Duo. As for Melissa Rauch taking on the role of one of DC's most famous and quite honestly now iconic leading ladies, its different and downright awesome. This Harley is independent, she doesn't need her 'Mista J', but she's also the same firecracker spunky Harley fans have come to love over the years. On top of that, Harley doesn't take any sort of nonsense from Batman, she doesn't let the Dark Knight push her around when it comes to helping to stop Ivy and Woodrue. Rauch's banter as Harley to Conroy and Lester's Batman and Nightwing will have fans laughing themselves silly, and there's an added surprise in store in a certain scene that no one will even remotely see coming.

And in the other corner, stepping up to the plate to voice the villains of this story, is Paget Brewster as Poison Ivy and Kevin Michael Richardson as Jason Woodrue aka. The Floronic Man. Both of them kill it in their roles, Paget's Poison Ivy is dead on, exuding the same contempt for all humanity and willing to do whatever it takes to make the world safe for nature again. And her dialogue with Melissa Rauch's Harley is awesome, classic Harley and Ivy material all the way. Richardson's Jason Woodrue, now he is one bad plant man. For DC fan's who know of Woodrue and what he's capable of, the ruthless anger he has towards "meat" for poisoning the Earth will be felt through and through.

Summing it up, Batman and Harley Quinn was excellent, just excellent. To everyone who didn't get the chance to see it in theater's last night, now you can see it on your screen's digitally, or wait until August 29 to get the DVD or Blu-Ray. Either way, to Batman and Harley fans, it'll be a treat, a real treat to watch Gotham's hero team up with Harley Quinn in order to save the day. For this animated extravaganza, five out of five stars is what it gets, thanks to an astounding voice cast, great story and all in all a huge nostalgia wave to the glory days of Bruce Timm's masterpiece work.

The Dark Tower: Stephen King's Novel's Brought to Life

"For centuries, the gunslingers were knights. Sworn to protect this from the coming of the dark. Now I'm the only one left" - Roland Deschain.

A few days ago with my girlfriend and some of our friends, we took in a showing of Nikolaj Arcel's film version of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series. Starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain (the last of the Gunslinger's), with Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers (the boy who aids Roland in his mission to protect the Tower) and Matthew McConaughey as Walter Padick/ The Man in Black (the man who would destroy the Tower and rule over all). Despite not having read 'The Dark Tower' series myself (yet), I found the movie to be very enjoyable, with an excellent cast, story, and special effects and a strong theme of never giving up.

The story itself is a mash-up, a weaving together of elements from the first seven of the eight books in 'The Dark Tower' series. While for many fans who may take issue with this because it can lead to beloved characters being dropped and 7 whole books being put together for an 95 minute movie, this is still a very enjoyable science fantasy western. If anything, for people who haven't read the books before (like myself) it only encourages them to go out and actually read them. 

Casting wise, the three principal characters were dead on. Idris Elba IS Roland Deschain, a man of conviction and strong ideals who has been shaken by the war against Walter Padick, yet still continues on against seemingly impervious odds. Tom Taylor, who is a newcomer to the movie industry, is well cast as Jake, a boy with spirit who keeps dreaming of Roland, The Man in Black, the Tower and the destruction that will come with its fall. 

Matthew McConaughey would not have been my first choice as Walter Padick (he has never struck me as the villainous type) but after seeing his performance, that mindset has been eliminated. His smooth voice, which has aided his many roles in the past a more cheerful and heroic figures, aids him again, this time helping bring such a dark figure to life. With a honey like tone that sounds pleasing to the ear but brings with it death and the promise of chaos should he succeed in destroying the Tower.

The special effects were marvelous. Bringing to life Mid-World, a place not unlike Earth but that has fallen into decay and fractured chaos, the gates that allow travel between the various world (very excellent, makes one think of how a rip in space and time would like, but controlled). And lastly there's Walter's dark magic which he uses with such willful malice, coupled with the device with which he plans to destroy the Tower. It was all quite simply, awesome. 

With the theme of never giving up, movie goers can really latch on to the character's of Roland and Jake. Jake is set to not give up in his quest to prove that his dreams are real, and then his determination to help Roland stop Walter and save all life. Roland, his purpose and goal of not giving up is skewed at first. Initially, his mission or quest is one of vengeance against Walter, it is only after meeting Jake and seeing the boys youthful ambition and desire to help does he get out of his "funk" and knuckle down to finally bring about the end of Padick's mad campaign of destruction. This is something for people to take to heart, that even when the odds are seemingly against someone, one can still pull themselves up and make a firm stand. 

The Dark Tower was a intense, story driven and action packed summer film. Fans of both 'The Dark Tower' books and other Stephen King film adaptations will enjoy the mashing of plots into one synchronistic story. With it also brings the promise of a TV series (with Elba and Taylor slated to return to their roles of Roland and Jake. So for Even the most die hard of Dark Tower fans, this movie brings a lot with it, not just on the big screen but also with the promise of more adventure on the small screen as well. A resounding 5 out of 5 stars goes to The Dark Tower with the encouragement that anyone who has not seen it yet needs to, you won't regret it one bit.