Episode #14 - Critters
Original Airdate - September 19th, 1998
Farmer Brown's up to no good scientifically as he creates overgrown farm
animals with which he assaults Gotham City in retribution of his strange
growth project being taken away from him.
Media by Bird Boy
Review by Robin III |
Credits
Story by Steve Gerber
Written by Joe R. Lansdale
Directed by Dan Riba
Music by Shirley Walker
Animation by Koko/Dong Yang
Voices
Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Mathew Valencia as Robin/Tim Drake
Tara Charendoff as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon
Peter Breck as Farmer Brown
Dina Sherman as Emmylou
Robert Costanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock
Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon
Jane Singer as Old Woman
Dorian Harewood as Judge
Phil Hayes as Sergeant
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Quotes
GORDON: Quick thinking, Wayne.
BRUCE: Actually, I was trying to escape through the window...
--
DATE: ...And after you didn't call I was beginning to think you'd
forgotten me. That maybe I'd end up like all the others.
BRUCE: I've just been busy at work. You've got to have a little faith
Sharon.
THE DATE FROWNS.
BRUCE: Karen?
THE DATE FROWNS AGAIN.
BRUCE: You're not going to help me, are you?
--
BATMAN: The DNA was altered so that these insects were immune to
poisons. They were engineered to self-destruct when they did.
ROBIN: But why would someone do that?
BATMAN: To show us that he can.
--
ROBIN LOOKS AT THE COW THAT HE JUST ESCAPED FROM.
ROBIN: That's a lot of bull.
--
BROWN: Always check your money first, honey. Check your shoes for what
the cow left, and check your money. Two solid rules.
--
BULLOCK: So you survive the Joker and the rest of those freaks only to
buy it from [Jed] Clampett and a bunch o' bugs. And I got to be here to
see it!
Review: "Look out Robin! He's
Amish!" I kept waiting for Batman to yell this at some point in the
episode, but was sadly disappointed what he didn't. This was an attempt
to be a throwback to those bad 50's sci-fi B-movies, and well, it worked
in a way. It was bad. The concept was just out of place for the world of
Batman, especially since the Batman space adventures of the 1950's ended
in the 1950's when they were supposed to.
The concept could have worked if applied well, but the combination of
having this Amish farmer screaming "Yee-haw" and calling the Caped
Crusaders "Batfolk" mixed with elements like the goat-ransom-message and
the giant insects (on a farm?) Just didn't work. Oh, and add in some of
that wacky technology that Farmer Brown probably borrowed from
Apokalypse and hey, we got us one hootinany of a bad episode, pardner!
Yip-yip-yipee!
The animation was nothing to write home about, or review as such since
it's been the same animation quality used in Chemistry, Joker's Millions
and Old Wounds. The inconsistent character models and sloppy action was
all there, but you have to admit, the large farm animals did look
threatening and twisted.
Overall, this episode could have been saved with the Bat-team commenting
on how absurd this all was. The quip from Bullock about how Batman was
about to die almost made the final scene worth it, but what this episode
needed was a lot of jokey remarks about how far-fetched Brown's plan
was, then maybe some dignity would be salvaged.
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