Terror on Dinosaur Island! | Episode 02
Aired: November 21, 2008
Heroes: Batman, Plastic Man, and Fire
Villains: Gentleman Ghost, Gorilla Grodd, and Kite Man
Objects: Utility Belt, Mind Control Module, Nth Metal, Batmobile, and E-Ray
Places: Earth 23, Dinosaur Island and Iron Heights
Beasts: Dinosaurs and Pterodactyls
Written By: Steven Melching
Directed By: Brandon Vietti
Review By Yojimbo
The second episode of The Brave and the Bold is a comedic romp with a heartwarming tale of redemption. Even though Batman is the main character, Plastic Man steals the show with his irreverence and desire to make things right. The episode begins somewhere in South America during Los Muertos, a celebration of the dead, and also a convenient cover for the phantom gunslinger, Gentleman Ghost to commit his latest robbery. It becomes apparent that the Ghost was defeated by Batman before and is nursing a grudge. While Batman nearly gets killed, Plastic Man succumbs to the lure of stolen money. Luckily, Fire is also on hand and saves the day. Batman has a handy set of Nth Metal knuckles and handcuffs in his utility belt. It is the one material capable of defeating Gentleman Ghost. I wonder if Batman got them from a certain pair of hawks.
Terror on Dinosaur Island! follows the megalomaniacal vision of Grodd, an ape with cunning genius of a scientist and the convictions of a super villain. Grodd is one step closer to turning the world into apes and taking over with his E-Ray. Meanwhile, aboard the Batplane, old history gets stirred and the two heroes are at odds with each other. A brief, yet hopeful mention of the Justice League of America is interrupted by Grodd's mind altering helmet. The beauty of the episode is Plastic Man and his shape shifting ability. He turns into a parachute then hang glider and escorts Batman to the nearest land mass, Dinosaur Island.
Keeping Plastic Man's super durability in mind, his "interactions" with the local population of dinosaurs was entertaining and humorous. Plastic Man's one liners only added to the fun of each scene. The tone of the episode takes a serious direction when tempers flare and the audience is treated to the origin of Plastic Man. A great fight scene follows and a nice throwaway line about Batman's martial arts history (Nanda Parbat, anyone?). Thankfully, things get weird and unexpected again. The unexpected is emphasized. You could not have expected a unwilling shovel, a Bat Ape, or using yourself as a human gatling gun. The ending was a familiar sight for past viewers of Justice League. Grodd is outsmarted when a hero rewires his technology, he suffers a temporary trauma, and in defeat, he plots revenge.
The voice acting was slightly better than the pilot episode. Relative newcomer, Grey DeLisle did a great job evoking Fire and her telltale accent. Greg Ellis was able to express the "Gentleman" in Gentleman Ghost. Even Spongebob alum, Tom Kenny captured the exuberance of Plastic Man and even had me thinking about decades old animated series about Plastic Man. The episode was a hit on all categories and this episode appears to be a clear indication for the direction of the series, a total success and top notch viewing pleasure.