Holy DVD Batman!
This Film is Filled with Bat-Nostalgia

Back in the late '80s, when Tim Burton was beginning to revamp the Batman film franchise, there was a lot of talk about whether it should be serious or comical. For many fans of the comic book, the idea of a humorous Batman was appalling. But for those of us who grew up on the television show, the idea held some appeal. After all, what would a Batman film be without the soothing, FM-disc jockey voice of Adam West and the "Gosh jeepers!" expletives from Burt Ward? Although Burton took a darker path for the Dark Knight, fans of the old series can still relive those thrilling days of yesteryear when silly storylines and awful dialogue brought a comedic mix to the Daring Duo.

Batman: The Movie
Robin (Burt Ward, left) and Batman (Adam West) address an emergency call on the Bat-Phone. (20th Century Fox, 1966)
Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson
Written by: Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Starring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin

Rated Not Rated
Running time: 105 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 10 out of 10.

Batman: The Movie is a classic. It takes the charm and humor of the original television show and brings it up a notch for this theatrical release. Make no mistake. This is not just a collection of episodes from the television series. It is a full-blown movie from the height of the show's popularity.

Batman (West) and Robin (Ward) rush headlong into danger to save a distressed yacht, only to find that the yacht was an illusion -- part of a trap built to kill the dynamic duo. When the caped crusaders manage to survive, they uncover a horrible truth: they are not at odds with any one villain. Instead, four of the most notorious criminals have teamed up to destroy the heroes and take over the world!

The villains in this piece are played by Cesar Romero (Joker), Burgess Meredith (Penguin), Frank Gorshin (Riddler), and Lee Meriwether as the Catwoman. As delightful as the heroes are, it has always been the villains that make or break a Batman story. Here, four of the best recognized and interesting villains take the stage. It is impossible to decide which performance is the best. Romero is over-the-top as always. Gorshin shows real pathos. Still, it is Meriwether's duel role as Catwoman and the Russian reporter Comrade Kitanya 'Kitka' Irenya Tantanya Karenska Alisoff that is Batman's undoing.

The story is filled with plot holes, but that's all right. If it doesn't make sense, it wasn't supposed to. Despite all the fight scenes (with the requisite POW! and BAM! cartoon graphics), it's a comedy not an action movie. The movie is filled with enough gags to fill a vaudeville routine. The best (in my humble opinion) is a great scene in which Batman runs around a crowded wharf with a bomb trying to find a place to dump it. Everywhere he turns, he finds children, nuns, baby ducks... it's priceless!

When Batman aired on television, it was one of the most watched shows of its time. It aired twice a week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Celebrities from every venue clamored to be guest stars. Those performers who weren't cast as guest villains could frequently be seen popping their heads out of windows to exchange a few words with Batman and Robin when the dynamic duo were climbing up a building wall.

For those who didn't grow up on the television series, this version of Batman may seem as horrifying as what Joel Schumacher did in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. Keep in mind that what Schumacher did was destroy an existing franchise. The makers of Batman: The Movie made the hero a household name and -- according to Batman creator Bob Kane -- saved the comic from being cancelled.