Movie Review: Batman vs. Two-Face (2017) directed by Rick Morales
It is night at Gotham Penitentiary, and a small group of people have gathered to witness a bizarre experiment. Doctor Hugo Strange wants to use his new Evil Extractor to remove the criminal impulses from Gotham City’s super-criminals in order to make them not evil anymore. Present are Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Police Chief O’Hara, and District Attorney Harvey Dent, an old friend of Bruce Wayne’s. Several of Gotham’s nastiest crooks, especially the Joker and Penguin, are escorted in and hooked up to the device. Unfortunately, there is so much evil in them that it overwhelms the machine, and the storage vat for the extract explodes, mutilating Harvey Dent and turning him into the villainous Two-Face.
Some months later, extensive plastic surgery seems to have repaired the damage to Dent’s face and restored his mental balance. He’s paid his debt to society, and resumes his prosecutorial duties, though at a much demoted level. But when other costumed criminals prove to have been manipulated by someone else, the clues point to Two-Face still being active. And yet Harvey appears to be just fine, so Bruce Wayne wants to believe he’s innocent.
What’s really going on, and can Two-Face’s ultimate plot be foiled without killing Harvey Dent? Tune in to this same Bat-Channel to find out!
This animated movie is based on the Sixties live-action Batman television series, and stars the voices of several of the stars of that show. Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Julie Newmar as Catwoman. There’s a cameo role for Lee Meriwether, who also played Catwoman (sadly the third Catwoman, Eartha Kitt, had passed away.) And the special guest star is the voice of William Shatner as Two-Face.
We last saw West and Shatner together on this blog in Alexander the Great a TV pilot made before they got their plum roles. During the run of Batman, William Shatner was unavailable to guest star as he was busy being Captain Kirk over on Star Trek. Back at the time, the plan was to have Clint Eastwood(!) play Two-Face, but the character was deemed too scary for child viewers–and given how intense Mr. Eastwood would have played him, yeah.
For the most part, the movie emulates the tone of the series, though most of the scenes take place at night, which gives it a darker resonance. This origin for Two-Face slides away from the mental illness aspect usually associated with the character, having the evil personality be the product of literal evil contamination. Shatner’s delivery works well here, establishing that even when Harvey’s “normal” there’s a hesitancy that raises suspicion.
It is pretty obvious that the main voice actors are much older now than the characters they’re playing, but they can still catch the imagination and inspire feelings.
There are some moments that are leaning on the fourth wall, such as when Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara try to talk tough like they’re in a serious police drama, but then admit they’re helpless without Batman. And a shoutout to the slash fiction fans when Aunt Harriet gushes about how Bruce and Harvey are “two handsome bachelors who are such good friends!” The interactions between Bruce, Harvey and Dick do play out as something of a platonic love triangle.
For all the silliness, Adam West’s Batman is one of the best versions of the character. His belief that Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle can eventually be redeemed and restored to society is very genuine, even if only one of those people is fully saved.
Content note: Lots of fisticuffs, some gun violence; no one is killed or even seriously injured. O’Hara commits police brutality (It’s played for laughs, but is one of the few sour notes in the movie). King Tut’s mental illness is played for laughs. Body horror.
This was Adam West’s last movie, and a fine sendoff for both him and this version of Batman. Recommended to superhero fans who prefer their caped crusaders clean-cut.
