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Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
By Danny Brogan,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Animated superhero caper has cartoon violence.
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Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
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What's the Story?
In BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN, Gotham City's criminal underworld is under attack from a masked female vigilante. While she shares the same foes as Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy), her methods are too extreme even for the Caped Crusader who vows to put a stop to her antics and reveal who is behind the mask.
Is It Any Good?
This 2003 animated adventure pits the Dark Knight against a new foe -- at least initially -- in the form of Batwoman. This premise for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a promising one. Batwoman (Kyra Sedgwick) is portrayed as strong, capable, and more than an equal match for the Caped Crusader. Indeed there are a number of strong women characters, who often outshine their male counterparts. Yet for all that is good with the film in that regard, it undoes by patronizing and sexualizing these same characters.
Bruce Wayne too comes across as creepy. Of course, he has a certain playboy persona to live up to. But including a scene where he wriggles out of a phone call with the college-attending Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Tara Strong) -- Commissioner Gordon's daughter, no less -- after she asks him about his involvement with other women, leaves a bad taste in the mouth. All of which is a shame, as take away these shortcomings, and there's a decent story that touches on revenge, arms dealing, family betrayal, and taking the law into your own hands. Which would have been plenty, even without the leering and sneering.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the women characters in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. Would you consider them strong role models? Why, or why not? Did you think they were overly sexualized? Why media role models matter.
Discuss the cartoon violence in the movie. Did the fact that the action was animated make it less impactful? If so, why was that? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Why do you think Batman has remained popular to this day? How did this movie compare to other stories about the Caped Crusader you may have read or seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 21, 2003
- Cast: Kevin Conroy , Kimberly Brooks , Kelly Ripa
- Director: Curt Geda
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
- Studios: Warner Home Video , HBO Max
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes
- Run time: 75 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: action violence
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
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