Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series) Be a Clown (1992) User Reviews

Another Extremely Colorful Episode

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 7 July 2007]

The Joker is back again, disguised as a clown and appearing as such at the birthday party of the mayor's son.

The mayor is a pompous guy, as shown in the opening sequence when (1) he brags about how safe Gotham City is and will be under his leadership, and (2) he lumps Batman in with Joker as nothing but "costumed freaks." That's even after Batman collars two crooks right in front of his eyes! I can't understand why a guy who nabs all the crooks is still looked upon with suspicion by so many.

Anyway, the mayor promises the city will be as safe as his mansion. Well, the Joker proves that to be a false statement, too. He has no problems getting inside the mayor's grounds, pretending to be a hired clown at the boy's birthday party.

The mayor's kid, a real snotty brat named Jordan, isn't kidnapped by The Joker, instead hides in his truck and winds up back at the latter's hideout in an amusement park. The kid thinks the clown is a cool magician and doesn't know his real identity. Batman comes for him, but gets knocked unconscious. I won't divulge any more to avoid spoilers.

Suffice to say this is an extremely colorful episode, with the Joker's wild face, his purple suit, the clown outfit he also wore, the bright colors of the amusement park. We even had a flaming roller-coaster. The visuals in this episode were as outrageous as in any I've seen.

It also has a lot of funny lines. They wrote great dialog for The Joker. But make no mistake: he is a sadistic and nasty as they come.

It's all fun at the fairground!

[maxglen · 8/10 · 1 September 2020]

I really like this one, Joker is particularly manipulative and maniacal in this episode. Probably a favourite of the Joker bunch. A decent 8/10

"Fasten your seat belt, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 8/10 · 9 August 2017]

First review in ten years, yikes! Reacting to the perceived slight of he and Batman being compared to each over as the same kind of 'criminal' by Gotham's Mayor Hill on live TV, the Joker infiltrates his mansion in the guise of a goofy clown after replacing the real clown that was visiting for the mayor's son on his birthday party, he deviously plants a birthday cake bomb which Bruce Wayne manages to shove into the pool in time, and while making his getaway the Joker inadvertently takes the mayor's neglected and miserable young son Jordan along for the ride and back to his deserted fairground hideout after he stows away in the hijacked clown van, being an aspiring magician and apparently so desperate for a role model that he runs away with a trickster clown he just met. And the rest of the story is "Jecko" entertaining Jordan with a few dangerous parlour tricks as he tries to win the naive boy over to his demented way of thinking whilst Batman races to save the kid as he gradually comes to realise that his new 'hero' is most definitely not clowning around! This to me is a very good early Joker episode, it's not exactly dark or complex in any particular way but I don't agree with those who consider it a bad episode, if nothing else it's a fun Joker escapade that's easy to get something out of if you just like that character and how could you not!! Mark Hamill's now iconic voice performance alone gives all the Joker episodes huge pluses and makes them above average including this one. There's something decidedly creepy about the Joker disguising himself as an actual clown because...well, just what the hell is he the rest of the time then? It was a neat touch how Hamill actually bothered to give Jecko and Joker slightly different voices, with the latter being a tiny bit more deeper and menacing. As for a few other characters though I do find the mayor to be too selfish and Jordan too stupidly gullible for either to be very sympathetic, I mean didn't anyone ever tell little Jordan never to go with strangers? I love the spooky setting of the disused amusement park where most of the action occurs, it so terrifically goes with the Joker's theatricality and the climactic fiery ride on the exploding roller-coaster is literally and visually a spectacular thrill ride and a fantastic piece of fast moving animation that I find to be the best part of the story and ends things on a satisfying blast that's followed by a sickly sweet reunion between mayor and son! The tracks are a little rickety but it's still fun and gets where it needs to go, another very good episode of a classic and great series, there's just enough Joker in it to keep you coming back for more!

Be a Clown - Plot Holes, Plot Holes, Plot Holes

[jones-markjones-mark592 · 13 November 2018]

Story: A rather silly motivation for Joker. Some of Jekko's magic tricks are actually magic and aren't realistic. I think Jordan runs away too quickly and without enough motivation (too rushed). Why does nobody realise the sparkler candle has a massive Joker face on it? The relationship between Jordan and Jekko is entertaining though. Why does Jordan trust Jekko so much? The water scene where Batman is trapped is great. Why does Batman never check the water for foes without giving them loads of time to escape? (4/10)

Characters: Nice to have more focus on Mayor Hill. There's some REALLY stupid Batman lines in this episode. Jordan is annoying at the start. Mark Hamill's Jekko voice is good. And the design of the clown is cool. Hamill's Joker voice is really gruff for some reason - did he lose his voice? Good character arc for Hill. (6/10)

Animation: Nice pan on Hill's speech at start. Cool sound-effects. Joker's reveal is really cool. Cool cake explosion. Cool setting of amusement park. Good perspectives on roller coaster. And a well done Batman and Joker fight. (7/10)

Verdict: 6/10

Hill Horror

[osbornj-00213 · 1/10 · 1 July 2020]

The series' very WORST episode. It is not simply bad, BEYOND that--unbearably UNWATCHABLE. "The infamous CHILD episode ," an online series' commentator called it. Blame is on that little fool, freak, in horrid top hat AND moping Mayor HamilDULL Hill who completely KILL it every nauseating nanosecond they're on screen,, appallingly, awfully, written AND performed. Terribly together TOO much, they OVERWHELM the episode undermining even THE JOKER, maudlin, mawkish, their dreadful-dancing last scene SO excruciatingly embarrassing it actually makes one CRINGE. So sad for bright, beautiful, Summer to count for NOTHING to such story sinkers. Wasting her as here brief broadcasting bits was THE mistake of the series, given chance like Night of the Ninja showed what she could DO for an episode but got few such. The OTHER major mistake woefully was Hill, as here, should NEVER been back after THIS, no episode EVER the better for him, the wretchedly WORSE. In comics Hill was HamilDANGEROUS, corrupt, ally of crime lord Rupert Thorne, enemy WITHIN, interesting, even tried TO MURDER Bullock, actually FIRED Gordon fortunately forced to reinstate, but in show indifferent intoning plot paralyzing drear dullard. Ironically the press announcement of series' 1992 debut in TV Guide carried illustration which would NO question would have made BETTER Joker funhouse of fear episode--SUMMER tied up over dunk tank WITH BOILING ACID, Joker about to throw BOMB, not baseball, Batman diving to the rescue, thought it was ACTUAL episode, waited for it--BUT - GOT - THIS.

Summary

[Harand4life · 4 February 2006]

So Mayor Hills son likes magic, but the mayor thinks it's childish and wants him to grow up. The Joker escapes Arkham and takes a clown's place at the son's birthday party. Bruce Wayne is in attendance and when the Joker uses a candle (actually dynamite) in the cake, Bruce saves the day by shoving it into the pool. In the confusion, the son slips into the Joker's van is whisked away. The son, thinking Joker is actually the real Jecko the clown, wants to learn everything he can from him. Batman tracks down the joker to an abandoned amusement park and eventually corners him on a staircase. Joker throws a playing card at him, which explodes into a cloud of knockout gas. Batman struggles, but the gas takes him out quickly and he is knocked unconscious. Joker goes to a fortune teller machine (like the one form BIG) and laughs at the fortune he receives for Batman. Batman comes to and is tied in a straight-jacket, upside down and being immersed into tank of water with a locked lid. His utility belt is on a bench. Batman struggles but can't break the lock on the lid from the inside. The son, finally realizes that this is not a game and frees batman. the Joker chases the son, and after a fight on a roller-coaster, Batman defeats the Joker. Mayor hill realizes how-stupid he's been and he and his son make up.