2.1: "The Bat, The Cat, and The Very Ugly"
Author:Jett
SYNOPSIS
During a museum robbery, a partnership is formed between Catwoman and Penguin. But when Penguin double-crosses Catwoman before she can double-cross him, she and Batman have to stop Penguin before he unleashes his true plan: harnessing the power of Ra!
INFO
Season 2/Episode 1 -- "The Cat, The Bat, and The Very Ugly" -- was written by Thomas Pugsley and Greg Klein. It was directed by Brandon Vietti. It originally aired on Saturday, May 14, 2005.
REVIEW
“The Cat, The Bat, and The Very Ugly” episode of THE BATMAN reminds one a bit of Tim Burton’s BATMAN RETURNS. There’s Catwoman (“The Cat”), The Batman (“The Bat”), and The Penguin (“The Very Ugly”). Sound familiar? Except this time, it’s animated and there’s no black goo. (Oh my! Did a take yet another crack at Mr. Burton’s macabre interpretation of The Dark Knight? Probably.) Anywho…
The review continues after the jump!
In short, the plot revolves around a team-up for two of Batman’s first tier villains -- Catwoman and The Penguin.
Sound familiar? (Just wait 'til you read about Cobblepot's "evil plan." It's sort of the opposite version of the Mr. Freeze's weapon of mass destruction in BATMAN AND ROBIN.)
The Dastardly Duet steal two cat statues that -- when put together -- can channel the power of the sun. “The Very Ugly” wants to use this weapon as a means to hold Gotham City for ransom. On the other hand, “The Cat” simply wants the cat statue that she’s taken a fancy to.
I quite liked the characterization of Selina Kyle in THE BATMAN -- wealthy Gotham socialite who quite enjoys stealing valuables from the rich. She’s not really a “bad guy” per se -- sort of Robin Hood-ish anti-hero.
As expected, The Bat and The Cat end up on the same side vs. “The Very Ugly.” While they may be kindred spirts and briefly become allies, The Batman’s uncompromising sense of justice never wavers.
This was a fairly enjoyable episode of this series which starts to pick up steam here with this first installment of Season 2. The only thing is was missing was a slew of rocket-equipped emperor penguins. Damn!
A life-long Batman fan, "Jett" is the founder of BATMAN-ON-FILm.COM and resides in the great state of Texas.
