I find this Christmas Special is very good, Because of the excellent story, good hand-drawn animation, awesome music score by Danny Elfman, excellent voice acting and splendid characterisation of characters are Batman, Robin and the main antagonist, Who is a clown Prince of Crime and voiced by a fellow Star Wars Cast Member Mark Hamill is The Joker, Unlike the horrendous Teen Titans Go! (2015)'s portrayal of Robin, This version of Robin did save Christmas along with Batman himself, The Joker is delightfully Villainous, because of his charisma and hilarious, I'll giving this Christmas Special a 9/10 and Merry Christmas.
Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series)
Christmas with the Joker (1992)
User Reviews
Review this title13 Reviews
Funny! and not only because it´s a Christmas Special!
David_del_Real_Reviews_in_IMDb12 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
-------BATMAN. THE ANIMATED SERIES (1992)------
Season 1. 38th Episode
--------------Christmas with the Joker.--------------
FUNNY! AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT´S A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!!!!!!!
Before Batman and Robin leave the Bat-Cave to make their daily patrol on Christmas Eve, Robin insists that they should have Christmas Dinner and watch "It´s A Wonderful Life". Batman says:
"""You know? I have never seen that. I could never get past the title""""
Some plots like the one of BATMAN: The Animated Series make you laugh not because their main or secondary characters are making any joke but because (like in this case) they happen to perfectly describe one of them in just a second.
After a failed patrol, in which an apparent theft attempt was only a guy running to give an old grandma a present she dropped two squares behind, Batman seems to still be reluctant to stop working for one night. Robin says:
"""He could give lessons to Scrooge""""
In essence, Robin doesn´t want to work on Christmas and says Batman that even the villains are going to be out, celebrating. Batman on the other side, is worried because the Joker just escaped from his cell in the prison-asylum of Arkham.
When Robin and Alfred finally seem to have convinced Batman to relax and watch TV while the goose is ready, on TV the voice of the Joker says
"- "It´s a Wonderful Life" will not be seen this year, in it's place it´s this..... ....Batman, I hope you are watching ´cause I have a very special surprise for you. -"
Between other surprises, The Joker has caught Summer Gleeson, Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock and set a lot of traps all along Gotham...Batman and Robin, being Batman and Robin, we can be sure they will catch the Joker and his accomplices before any of the hostages get hurt...but I really want them to come back to the Wayne´s Manor to taste Alfred´s dinner; his curriculum says he is a world-class chef and they could even maybe borrow a copy of "It´s a wonderful life" after the mission, from one of the three grateful hostages recently rescued.
IMDb Review by David del Real
Mexico City. Mexico.
2018.
--------------Christmas with the Joker.--------------
FUNNY! AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT´S A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!!!!!!!
Before Batman and Robin leave the Bat-Cave to make their daily patrol on Christmas Eve, Robin insists that they should have Christmas Dinner and watch "It´s A Wonderful Life". Batman says:
"""You know? I have never seen that. I could never get past the title""""
Some plots like the one of BATMAN: The Animated Series make you laugh not because their main or secondary characters are making any joke but because (like in this case) they happen to perfectly describe one of them in just a second.
After a failed patrol, in which an apparent theft attempt was only a guy running to give an old grandma a present she dropped two squares behind, Batman seems to still be reluctant to stop working for one night. Robin says:
"""He could give lessons to Scrooge""""
In essence, Robin doesn´t want to work on Christmas and says Batman that even the villains are going to be out, celebrating. Batman on the other side, is worried because the Joker just escaped from his cell in the prison-asylum of Arkham.
When Robin and Alfred finally seem to have convinced Batman to relax and watch TV while the goose is ready, on TV the voice of the Joker says
"- "It´s a Wonderful Life" will not be seen this year, in it's place it´s this..... ....Batman, I hope you are watching ´cause I have a very special surprise for you. -"
Between other surprises, The Joker has caught Summer Gleeson, Commissioner Gordon and Detective Bullock and set a lot of traps all along Gotham...Batman and Robin, being Batman and Robin, we can be sure they will catch the Joker and his accomplices before any of the hostages get hurt...but I really want them to come back to the Wayne´s Manor to taste Alfred´s dinner; his curriculum says he is a world-class chef and they could even maybe borrow a copy of "It´s a wonderful life" after the mission, from one of the three grateful hostages recently rescued.
IMDb Review by David del Real
Mexico City. Mexico.
2018.
Fun Joker debut episode!
TalesfromTheCryptfan23 November 2017
On Christmas eve, The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamil) has escaped after decorating the tree in the asylum when it was obviously a rocket. Bruce Wayne (voiced by Kevin Conroy) and Dick Grayson (voiced by Loren Lester) are having a nice quiet Christmas evening to watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV which Bruce has never seen, that is until it wasn't showing and Joker is taking over the TV network where Summer Gleeson (voiced by Mari Davon) works as she with Detective Bullock (Voiced by Robert Contazo) and Commissioner Gordon (voiced by Bob Hastings) are being held hostage, now it's up to Batman and Robin to save Gotham on Christmas eve.
A very entertaining episode that has nice animation, some good action and a sense of humor with a fine script that is co-written by Paul Dini. I like the visuals and the holiday atmosphere to get anyone in the holiday mood and watched this episode every holiday season as a tradition and makes good holiday viewing. There is some "It's A Wonderful Life" references and Joker singing the famous "Jingle Bells Batman smells" song, it's one of the better Robin guest starring episodes.
A very entertaining episode that has nice animation, some good action and a sense of humor with a fine script that is co-written by Paul Dini. I like the visuals and the holiday atmosphere to get anyone in the holiday mood and watched this episode every holiday season as a tradition and makes good holiday viewing. There is some "It's A Wonderful Life" references and Joker singing the famous "Jingle Bells Batman smells" song, it's one of the better Robin guest starring episodes.
Fantastically Entertaining With Super Visuals
ccthemovieman-130 June 2007
Wow, now I am starting to see why people rave about this animated Batman series. This is my second episode look and I was extremely impressed in only the first few minutes. (This is the second story on the DVD but it's listed as the 38th episode on the IMDb, so, I don't what the story is except to presume the DVD has all the shows in a different order.)
Whatever. The artwork is magnificent with great drawings utilizing light and shadows. The action scenes feature bold colors. This is simply great visuals, but most people are more interested how the stories are, and with The Joker blasting out of Arkham Asylum on top of a rocket-propelled huge Christmas tree, I guess that kind of tells you this episode had a fun story to tell.
The Joker's singing lyrics and dialog were not only humorous but so were some of the things he did - so many sight gags in here that there are too many to mention. I was just pleasantly surprised, after watching the first episode, to see so much humor in this one. Joker hosting his own fake TV program - with canned laughter - was hilarious! Well....he is called "The Joker," after all. I wish all the villains were as entertaining as this guy. Who can get mad a guy - even at Christmas - who sing "Jingle bells, Batman smells.....?"
This was my first look at "Robin," as he wasn't in the first episode ("On Leather Wings") on this First Season DVD package. He seems a lot more cheery and human-like than our morose hero, so he complements Batman's character nicely. It also confirms that the DVD has these episodes out of order, because I haven't seen Robin since this one.
This episode is so crammed full of great material I hope it doesn't spoil me for subsequent episodes. I mean, I can't see how they can be more entertaining than this one.
Whatever. The artwork is magnificent with great drawings utilizing light and shadows. The action scenes feature bold colors. This is simply great visuals, but most people are more interested how the stories are, and with The Joker blasting out of Arkham Asylum on top of a rocket-propelled huge Christmas tree, I guess that kind of tells you this episode had a fun story to tell.
The Joker's singing lyrics and dialog were not only humorous but so were some of the things he did - so many sight gags in here that there are too many to mention. I was just pleasantly surprised, after watching the first episode, to see so much humor in this one. Joker hosting his own fake TV program - with canned laughter - was hilarious! Well....he is called "The Joker," after all. I wish all the villains were as entertaining as this guy. Who can get mad a guy - even at Christmas - who sing "Jingle bells, Batman smells.....?"
This was my first look at "Robin," as he wasn't in the first episode ("On Leather Wings") on this First Season DVD package. He seems a lot more cheery and human-like than our morose hero, so he complements Batman's character nicely. It also confirms that the DVD has these episodes out of order, because I haven't seen Robin since this one.
This episode is so crammed full of great material I hope it doesn't spoil me for subsequent episodes. I mean, I can't see how they can be more entertaining than this one.
Even the Joker celebrates Christmas!
Foreverisacastironmess12328 February 2022
On Leather Wings might be listed as the first episode of this fine series but to me this one always felt much more like a real pilot. So in this tremendously fun introductory adventure we first ever meet who is possibly the best and most consistently great villain of the series, The Joker, as he makes a suitably spectacular escape from Arkham Asylum by crashing through its roof riding on a rocket powered Christmas tree in order to cause a little chaos in Gotham and force everybody to watch his demented version of a holiday tv special on Christmas Eve! I like how Joker was one of the few villains that didn't get an origin episode but simply appeared as an enigmatic pre-established menace, which worked fantastically for a villain who is more effective and interesting the less you really know about him. Mark Hammill has all but retired from voicing the character now but it's still great to look back on the beginning of what proved to be one of he most perfect magic combinations of an actor's voice and an animated bad guy ever, it will always be my favourite incarnation of the character... As of this episode he was still clearly finding his feet as the Joker's character and his voice range somewhat, but you can tell he was having a blast from the being the crazy showman as it were, and the great iconic laugh was definitely there! His voice and the character evolved but I think he did have it down pretty much from the start. They'd get to his truly dark and malevolent side later but there are hints even here of his more darkly twisted quirks, like how he laughs at the reporter's tears when she tells him her mother is on a train that's heading for disaster thanks to him, and his complete disregard for human life in what eventually turns out to be a quest for a simple punchline is pretty dang scary! And that is kind of hilarious in the story, how after everything they've gone through running around the city in the snow and icy cold all night trying to stop the Joker who has put many lives in deadly danger in the name of what he considers fun, all leads up to Batman getting a pie in the face! I love the thrilling animation of when they're running along the speeding train and the snowy terrain is rushing by, it looks so good! I do love the visuals of these earliest episodes in particular, they just draw you right in, it's beautiful and some of it like works of art. I never liked Robin and I don't get how he's just here in this episode without any explanation and you don't even learn his story for another thirty episodes! This episode, which is both very entertaining and strangely genuinely festive has a lot of great Joker gags and is just plain barrels of fun, there were even better, much darker and deeper Joker stories to come, but this little classic has a special place for me and it should never be disregarded, I still love it and I think it's gotten even better over the years! Classic, top tier animated series fun x.
A Deranged Christmas Special
TheDarkRooms5 January 2024
The introduction to the Joker (if you follow the production order) is a spectacular one. He is an agent of chaos who disrupts the seasonal airing of It's a Wonderful Life to bring his own deranged Christmas TV special to viewers. The early scenes of Batman fruitlessly looking for crime are cute, but once the Joker gets his attention, things get dark fast. This episode strikes just the right balance of morbid humor and terror, with a touch of sadness regarding Joker and Batman's lack of family. Mark Hamill's vocal performance is so wild and full of life. He makes the perfect TV host, even telling us to hold on for a word from our sponsor right before the episode actually breaks for commercials.
Joker and Summer
osbornj-0021321 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
One of the series' BEST episodes, Mark Hamill bowled-one-over stunning debut, to first hear THAT laugh, had one checking the credits, asking, HIM?
GREAT life lesson for Batman, so depressed can't watch It's A Wonderful Life, "I don't understand the title," at end DOES, with wry smile, "It--has its moments," one of the series' NICEST moments.
Summer Gleeson's actual debut , introducing herself, "I'm Summer Gleeson..." was in Nothing to Fear, made BEFORE, shown AFTER this (too earlier, strangely SEPTEMBER) confused viewers who she was, assumed Vicki Vale. It was SO astute of makers to have HER as the centerpiece of the kidnapping, hardly remember Gordon or creep cop,. The scene Joker reducing her to tears taunting about killing her mother would be the ONLY scene they would have together in WHOLE series--he was to just see her on TV briefly broadcasting which was what WAS to become her MAIN role, setting up story--then NOT part of it. It was sad surprise how she became the WASTED character of the series, only 22 of 85 episodes, but when she GOT the chance, kidnapped TWICE more (Night of the ninja, ONLY real co-starring episode, Lock-Up, saving it from dreariness of OLD MEN getting kidnapped), KNOCKOUT at party attacked by Mr. Freeze (Heart of Ice), beautiful in gas mask reporting Joker attack (Last Laugh), fright under fire then coolness with camera (Shadow of the Bat), clashes with creep cop (Bullet for Bullock), visited ONLY time by Batman for information (Baby Doll)SO showed what could BRING to an episode, made it BETTER, made one wonder what the makers were thinking--or MORE to the point, NOT--in not giving her MORE, instead wretchedly wasting chances on plot-paralyzing mayoral mistake HamilDULL (as in D-U-L-L) Hill,.. Mari Devon, to her credit, always enthusiastically voiced with verve where someone else could have become disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, being most times Scant Seconds Summer, fallen in to rut just reading off lines, Cynical, cruel, how she would be DUMPED from the second series for JERK Ryder, as BAD at reporting as she was GOOD, actor hardly bothering, to become a failed comics' CATASTROPHE from the 1960's, the Creeper, to TRY to help a comics comeback--IT FAILED.
GREAT life lesson for Batman, so depressed can't watch It's A Wonderful Life, "I don't understand the title," at end DOES, with wry smile, "It--has its moments," one of the series' NICEST moments.
Summer Gleeson's actual debut , introducing herself, "I'm Summer Gleeson..." was in Nothing to Fear, made BEFORE, shown AFTER this (too earlier, strangely SEPTEMBER) confused viewers who she was, assumed Vicki Vale. It was SO astute of makers to have HER as the centerpiece of the kidnapping, hardly remember Gordon or creep cop,. The scene Joker reducing her to tears taunting about killing her mother would be the ONLY scene they would have together in WHOLE series--he was to just see her on TV briefly broadcasting which was what WAS to become her MAIN role, setting up story--then NOT part of it. It was sad surprise how she became the WASTED character of the series, only 22 of 85 episodes, but when she GOT the chance, kidnapped TWICE more (Night of the ninja, ONLY real co-starring episode, Lock-Up, saving it from dreariness of OLD MEN getting kidnapped), KNOCKOUT at party attacked by Mr. Freeze (Heart of Ice), beautiful in gas mask reporting Joker attack (Last Laugh), fright under fire then coolness with camera (Shadow of the Bat), clashes with creep cop (Bullet for Bullock), visited ONLY time by Batman for information (Baby Doll)SO showed what could BRING to an episode, made it BETTER, made one wonder what the makers were thinking--or MORE to the point, NOT--in not giving her MORE, instead wretchedly wasting chances on plot-paralyzing mayoral mistake HamilDULL (as in D-U-L-L) Hill,.. Mari Devon, to her credit, always enthusiastically voiced with verve where someone else could have become disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, being most times Scant Seconds Summer, fallen in to rut just reading off lines, Cynical, cruel, how she would be DUMPED from the second series for JERK Ryder, as BAD at reporting as she was GOOD, actor hardly bothering, to become a failed comics' CATASTROPHE from the 1960's, the Creeper, to TRY to help a comics comeback--IT FAILED.
The inauspicious debut of Batman's greatest villain
Mr-Fusion21 December 2016
'Christmas with the Joker' was never one of my favorite episodes; I mean, I'll watch any of 'em, but every show's got its share of clunkers. For the most part, the animation's iffy and a lot of it plays like filler; the train rescue is more distraction than anything else. And the mentions of "It's a Wonderful Life" feel forced.
But like I said, every episode maintains a degree of watchability, and it 's thanks here to Mark Hamill. He's why the Joker's always entertaining, even when the episode's fairly lackluster. I remember giving an audible groan whenever this one would rerun, and I thought for sure this would be at the bottom of the barrel when revisiting it as an adult. But I don't dislike it as much as I used to. It's not bad, but there are much better Joker stories.
6/10
But like I said, every episode maintains a degree of watchability, and it 's thanks here to Mark Hamill. He's why the Joker's always entertaining, even when the episode's fairly lackluster. I remember giving an audible groan whenever this one would rerun, and I thought for sure this would be at the bottom of the barrel when revisiting it as an adult. But I don't dislike it as much as I used to. It's not bad, but there are much better Joker stories.
6/10
"Jingle Bells, Batman Smells..."
mkurland2325 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin laid an egg. Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker got away!"
That's the first song heard as Joker makes an unforgettable escape from Arkham.
"Crashing through the roof
On a one-horse open tree
Busting out I go,
Laughing all the way (Hee-Hee!)"
Joker has a plan to ruin the holiday season for the dynamic duo, but they'll get the last laugh on him.
An Enjoyable Time
amongpixels27 September 2020
'Christmas with the Joker' is an exciting, fun little adventure with a nice heartfelt through-line and some decent humour here and there. However, the episode's over-the-top and extra comedic style makes it feel more like the older childlike, stereotypical cartoon superhero shows that this series was trying to seperate itself from, lacking its distinctive mood and darkness.
Mindless, festive fun with Hamill & Conroy
maxglen30 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"They don't call you Batman for nothing." This episode is pure fun. There's very little story to be had and what is there doesn't always even make sense but if it's not fun than I don't know what it is... Mark Hamill is a force of nature and in my opinion the best Joker put to screen, period. The visuals are quirky and fun. It's definitely one of the lighter episodes of Batman: The Animated Series but that's not necessarily a bad thing. A light 8/10
Christmas with the Joker - The Clown Prince of Silliness
jones-markjones-mark59212 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Story: Great, refreshing Christmas setting. Funny comparisons to Scrooge and Batman from Robin. I love the scene with Joker's "family" (Bullock cracks me up). Very funny episode. Very 1960s-esque. Stupid ending with how Joker is defeated. (7/10)
Characters: Nice appearance from Robin. Harvey Bullock as a baby is funny. Batman talks too much though for my liking. Joker is great in this episode though. Kevin Conroy's voice work isn't as fantastic as he uses predominantly the same tone all the way through. (6/10)
Animation: Fun snow effects. Character faces are quite simple. Joker looks fat. Over-the-top expressions on Joker. Batman's swinging of the bat has weird movements. (3/10)
Verdict: 5/10
Characters: Nice appearance from Robin. Harvey Bullock as a baby is funny. Batman talks too much though for my liking. Joker is great in this episode though. Kevin Conroy's voice work isn't as fantastic as he uses predominantly the same tone all the way through. (6/10)
Animation: Fun snow effects. Character faces are quite simple. Joker looks fat. Over-the-top expressions on Joker. Batman's swinging of the bat has weird movements. (3/10)
Verdict: 5/10
Fun, simply and purely fun.
Cox-Rocker14 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The Joker is my all time favorite fictional character, you can make him to be a gangster, a psycho, or just a villainous clown. Like we see in this episode. But that's the thing. This episode isn't overly dark, emotional, or try to surprise you. It's just fun. This is my personal favorite Joker episode of The Animated Series. The first moment when Joker took off out of Arkham on a rocket Christmas Tree singing "Jingle bells, Batman smells" was just perfect. Great episode, a must watch every Christmas!
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