Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series) The Last Laugh (1992) User Reviews

'The Joker' Provides Killer Laughs

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 30 June 2007]

The Joker is back already (4th episode presented on DVD), and that's fine with me: he's always extremely entertaining. This time, he has green laughing gas as his weapon. He piles it like toxic waste on top of a barge that sails down the city's waterway and everyone who gets whiffs of the stuff gets the giggles. Unfortunately, it's not funny for the citizens of Gotham because why they are uncontrollably laughing, The Joker and his henchmen are stealing them blind. At one point, The Joker jokes, "This is what a call a sidewalk sale" as he mugs people of their money and jewelry walking down the street.

Also unfortunate is the news bulletin that this gas leave people brain-dead if they are exposed to it for too long. That dilemma hits home quick when Batman's butler Alfred is affected. Batman quickly dons a gas mask while Alfred is destroying his house and laughing at the same time.

How will Batman counter this strange attack from the Joker, especially after "Captain Clown" spins him around and dumps into a garbage can and throws him into the river?

There are lots of jokes (mainly puns), colorful graphics and wonderfully entertaining characters in this episode. I am beginning to fully see why people rave about this animated series.

The clown prince of laughs

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 4 January 2017]

As much as I like Shirley Walker's scoring work on this series, 'The Last Laugh' has never been one of my favorites. That aspect has lived on in my memory more than any other and, even though I still agree with that assessment, it's actually not a bad episode. The Joker is in full-on prankster mode, even as he's stuffing Batman into a drum and sending him to a watery grave. Despite his homicidal intent, the tone is especially gleeful. Batman really does get put through his paces on this one, and it's not a bad (early) Joker episode.

And the Joker's "You killed Captain Clown" is a nice (subtle) reference to "He stole my balloons!" in the '89 film. What Hamill did with that line was really nice. The man can do no wrong.

7/10

April Fools!

[maxglen · 8/10 · 31 August 2020]

A really fun little instalment. Joker is always a treat when Mark Hamill is involved and 'The Last Laugh' is no different. The animation at times isn't quite up to scratch but the art direction makes up for any lacklustre frames. Lots of fun! although, I do warn you, prolonged exposure can lead to permanent insanity. A decent 8/10

One of the best Joker episodes

[Diamond_Dog7 · 10/10 · 6 July 2010]

On April Fool's day, Joker sets out causing havoc by releasing a laughing gas which when inhaled makes you permanently insane. Also, Alfred gets affected, can Batman save him too? So, naturally, Batman has to save the day.

The episode has great dialogue, and the story is also brilliant, one of the best Joker episodes by far. Mark Hamill really started to shine in this episode, personally, I feel this episode would have been the ideal Joker episode to air first. The episode features good action sequences and has some good humorous moments too.

10/10. Up there with the all time great Joker moments in the series.

Another one of my fave episodes!

[TalesfromTheCryptfan · 10/10 · 23 November 2017]

It seems Joker (voiced by Mark Hamil) with his goons have hijack a garbage boat to head to a garbage dump island where on the garbage pail it has gas sprayed on it so it would make people in Gotham laugh their butts off and go nuts. Joker with his hooligans commit robberies and it's on April fool's Day which is probably the Joker's favorite holiday. Alfred (voiced by Efrem Zimbalist Jr) has been exposed to the gas and is nearly wrecking the living room and giggling, luckily Bruce Wayne/Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) is wearing a gasmask as he must find the Joker to stop him before everyone will die with a smile.

One of the best Joker episodes ever and one of my all time favorite episodes. I gotta say the music score in this episode is very memorable and has been stuck in my head since i first saw this show on Fox when i was 11. Nice animation, action, intensity plus there's Captain Clown who is one of the coolest robots ever plus Joker delivers such great memorable lines like "You killed Captain Clown, you killed Captain Clown". Fantastic voice acting and even a dose of humor especially from everyone's favorite clown to the butler, it's just that awesome of an episode.

"Why don't you take your mask off and have a few laughs?!"

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 9/10 · 3 March 2019]

On April Fools's Day in Gotham a garbage boat passes along the river and spreads a pungent vapour through the streets that soon has the citizens in an uncharacteristically happy mood, but this unfortunately is the kind of laughter that's contagious in a bad way, and while everybody is laughing themselves helplessly silly, the Joker and his clown-masked goons move in to commit a little wanton grand larceny! I love the weird music that plays a lot in the early part of the episode, I think it gives it a bit of an offbeat busy tone and it's a very action-driven episode from start to finish, and it's not at all a deep contemplative kind of a story, just a fundamentally silly romp about the Joker's idea of fun, which is fine by me as it is a rather terrifically fun episode! Ok so the Joker's scheme in this one doesn't exactly seem to be in keeping with the far more twisted criminal that we all know and love today, if this was a Joker story from these days the act of gassing the citizens alone would be the goal! In his original comic appearances though he was always a killer but one not above committing the odd common robbery, and there is an element of danger, the people infected with the gas are said to become permanently insane if they're exposed to it for long enough, and like in "Christmas With the Joker"you can see the beginning of his underlying menace. A big highlight for me would have to be Captain Clown who was doubly terrifying because he was both a clown and a killer robot - in effect making him a bonified Clowninator!!! He is darn intimidating when he's chasing after Batman and taking him out with the disturbing super-spin manoeuvre! The Joker's reaction is so utterly priceless when Batman manages to beat his beloved toy, at first he's all dismayed, then he's genuinely angry! The best part is when Batman chases the Joker through a fiery metal works of some kind as the crazy clown shows his complete disregard for his own safety as he carelessly leaps and swings out of reach until he happens to trip and nearly fall to his doom in a situation not too different from his very origin! It's Batman who invariably gets the last laugh when the Joker pleads for him to save his life. I love Batman's little wry smirk, like he may actually be considering how easy it would be to just let his archenemy drop right then and there! Love this episode, it's just very memorable and fun. Knowing just how darker the Joker would become in his latter appearances and incarcerations, it's kinda nice to look back at a more lighthearted confrontation between the two that was serious, but not too serious! Good Joker story but there was much greater to come. 🃏

Jammin' Music, Tense Action, Creative Story

[Aegelis · 10/10 · 28 October 2023]

Surprisingly front and center for me was the backbeat jazzy tune by Shirley Walker that played when the action began heating up. Check out on Youtube: Sub-Main Title (From The Episode "The Last Laugh") to hear what I mean. Ties in nicely with Danny Elfman's main title song as well as a bit of circus music.

Stack on top of this episode crazy action scenes from the bottom of a river and the lava of a forge. We get a few Joker puns and snarky remarks for dialogue we know and love from the comics and classic TV series.

Not a lot of detective work on this DC (Detective Comics) episode as from the opening scene, the whole of Gotham City going insane from laughter was finger-snap easy to figure out by all. With this in mind, the show would be a good intro for new Bat fans.

The Last Laugh - The Last Bad Joker Episode

[jones-markjones-mark592 · 5/10 · 12 November 2018]

Story: Pretty dumb and elaborate plot. Another 60s-esque episode. I like the Alfred laughing scene and the air holes scene is funny. There a few funny lines actually. The music is repetitive - it switches from the episode's main theme to the Joker's theme constantly. Has the same dumb ending as Christmas with the Joker when he slips and is caught over a bat. (5/10)

Characters: Alfred is funny and decent voice-acting at last. There are some stupid Batman lines in this - "Cut the clowning, Joker". Also, where did Joker get Captain Clown? How was he made? (4/10)

Animation: Cartoony, stupid laugher. Inconsistent animation. The Batarang is cool. Well-Animated Captain Clown fight. Stupid Batman shock face again. Cool image of Batman hanging over furnace. Batman's position at the end is weird and embarrassing. (4/10)

Verdict: 4/10