Batman and Harley Quinn

Batman and Harley Quinn is an American animated film of the superhero fantasy genre. It was produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and is based on characters from the Batman line of comic book titles published by DC Comics. It was first screened at San Diego Comic-Con International on July 21st, 2017. It was released direct-to-video in Blu-ray format on August 15th, 2017. The movie was directed by Sam Liu with a teleplay written by James Krieg based on a story treatment by Bruce Timm. The film stars the voice talents of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Loren Lester as Nightwing, Big Bang Theory 's Melissa Rauch as Harley Quinn, Paget Brewster as Poison Ivy, and veteran voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson as the Floronic Man.

Plot
Poison Ivy teams up with the Floronic Man and break into a S.T.A.R. Labs facility in Bludhaven. Ivy hacks into the data banks and steals the Bio-restorative formula that once transformed Alec Holland into the Swamp Thing. She then uses her pheromone control powers to force a technician to show them how to cultivate the formula. Their plan is to release the formula as virus that will transform everyone on Earth into plant people, thus saving the planet from humanity.

Batman and Nightwing are alerted to the S.T.A.R. Labs break-in and go to investigate. They coordinate their investigation with A.R.G.U.S. and its project leader, Sarge Steel. Bruce and Dick analyze the computer servers and find records of Alec Holland's research. They determine what Ivy and Floronic Man's plan is and realize that they need Ivy's old partner in crime, Harley Quinn to help them track her down. Batman sends Nightwing out to find her.

Harley meanwhile, has since reformed from her criminal lifestyle and is out on parole. She is hiding in plain sight, working as a waitress at a superhero themed restaurant called Superbabes. During her shift, she judo-flips a customer who is getting a little too handsy, then walks home. Nighwing catches up to her outside of her apartment and the two begin fighting. After swapping several blows and kicks, Harley gets the upper hand, when she injects him with a minor dose of Joker venom. When Nightwing awakens, he is inside Harley's room, tied to her bed. Nightwing explains that they need her help, but Harley dismisses him - at least until she realizes the opportunity that is now at hand. The two have sex with one another, and Dick chalks it up as a personal sacrifice. "The things I do for Gotham", he says. Batman eventually catches up to them as they are engaged in a post-coital tickle fight and tells them that they need to find Ivy and Jason Woodrue. They all take the Batmobile out as Harley guides them towards a bar frequented by underworld henchpeople. Along the way, she gets distracted when she spots a man who dumped her at her high school prom and gives chase. Once this situation is dealt with, they get to the bar where Harley tries to get info out of a contact named Schrubbie. Schrubbie won't give her any info unless she agrees to perform a burlesque song on stage. Harley concedes and after the number, Batman and Nightwing end up engaging in a classic barroom brawl with the other henchpeople. Despite this, Harley gets the info that she needs.

They track Poison Ivy and Floronic Man to Houma, Louisiana. The villains have determined that in order to effectively recreate the bio-restorative formula, they need samples of the exact same body of water that first transformed Holland into the Swamp Thing. Batman, Nightwing, and Harley find Ivy and Floronic Man and a large fight breaks out. Sarge Steel also arrives with members of A.R.G.U.S., but their weapons are useless against Floronic Man. The Swamp Thing finally makes his grand appearance, but all he does is intone some cryptic existential rhetoric and then slinks back down into the murk. Harley and Ivy get into a protracted fist fight, but Harley finally convinces Ivy to forego her mad scheme by removing her mask and makeup and giving her sad puppy dog eyes. Ivy cannot resist and decides to abandon her plan. Now all they have to do is stop Floronic Man. Harley realizes that the only thing they need to defeat the villain is a match. They light him on fire, and Floronic Man runs off screaming in flames.

Notes & Trivia

 * This is the twenty-ninth movie in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.


 * The tagline for this film is "When evil goes green, nature takes a deadly turn".


 * Actors Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester reprise their respective roles as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Conroy and Lester voiced the Dynamic Duo on episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.


 * According to Bruce Timm, this film is intended to be part of the DC Animated Universe continuity.


 * There is an after-credit sequence in the film showing Harley Quinn as the host of her own talk show, "Doctor Quinn". The show is a mixture of Doctor Phil and American Ninja Warrior.


 * Booster Gold makes a behind-the-scenes appearance on the other end of a telephone call. He is voiced by writer and producer Bruce Timm.


 * Alec Holland appears in human form in a photograph only.


 * Linda Holland appears in a photograph only in this film.


 * Reference is made to Black Condor in this film. Booster Gold recommends sending him as back-up to help Batman and Nightwing.


 * Reference is made to Elongated Man in this film. Booster Gold recommends sending him as back-up to help Batman and Nightwing.


 * Reference is made to Bloodwynd in this film. Booster Gold recommends sending him as back-up to help Batman and Nightwing.


 * Sarge Steel makes reference to a prior case involving Lady Shiva and the League of Assassins.


 * Harley Quinn makes reference to her former paramour, The Joker, indicating that she has broken up with him for good.

Recommendations

 * Batman: Assault on Arkham
 * Batman: Gotham Knight
 * Batman: Under the Red Hood


 * Batman: Year One
 * Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
 * Batman: Bad Blood