Batman Beyond & Return of the Joker (series & final movie)

After successful runs of Batman Adventures and Batman and Robin Adventures animated series, Warner Bros. decided to take the Caped Crusader in a new direction: the future. This series actually takes place 50 years in the future from the end of the original series, and doesn't go so far over the top with the science that the future seems so far off. With this expansion in the Batman timeline it gives the whole concept a shot in the arm that in the not to distant future there will be a Batman to fight against the evil in the world.
Batman Beyond (the series) - 50 years into the future and a new Batman has entered onto the scene in Gotham to deal out a new brand of justice to the criminals, and super criminals, that threaten the populace. Done with the same animators, and in some cases the same voice actors, this series has the same feel of the Batman Adventures series. None of the violence is so over the top that children couldn't watch it, but it also doesn't hold back when introducing a new villain that can be just as vicious as one of the originals. Each episode is done at a very quick pace, so much so that by the time the story is over your quite ready for the next one to begin.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker - When the true Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, appears with a sleeker and deadlier attitude towards Gotham City and Bruce Wayne, Batman must stop him before the havoc and mayhem destroys everything he knows. With enough action to stand up against most films from that Batman empire, this story keeps your interest from beginning to end, and with just the right amount of plot twists your left on the edge of your seat to see what happens. The further development of the characters helps ground this storyline in the Batman universe, with the introduction of Tim Drake and The Joker.
I watched the series, along with the movie, since the film was done to clean up a story idea about The Joker that had been hinted at throughout the three seasons that the show was on. Watching the three seasons and the movie was a nice treat, to see the natural progression of the characters, new and old, was like seeing the evolution of the Batman universe to its realistic conclusion. Between the new gadgets and the athletic moves that this new Batman has the show is very enjoyable to watch, it has the action that most viewers are looking for and the humor and flair that brings you back wanting more. It's a shame that the series only lasted three seasons; there are quite a few directions, and characters, that they could have dealt with. For what ever reasons this is as far as it went, but the fans of the show are happy to have what they've got, there is a force for good in the future that we can rely on.