Batman: The Movie

Classic American production, what a great view. I would advise anyone to show the new generation this masterpiece. It reminds me of watermelon Sundays and hot summer nights when my heart was young and gay. Adam West the majestic somber faced master, with his devoted Burt Ward rallying as the perfect foil parrying and cavorting through the majestic sets of a magnificent bygone era. This movie represented the zenith of entertainment on this planet. The only series to go near it, was the Star Trek original with Captain Kirk, and the crew of the good ship enterprise, reward yourself and buy this, then purchase the box set of the complete series. I have not opened my set yet, I am still savoring the bouquet of the the haunting memories that linger within my soul.

Ok, I remember the TV show and made sure that I was front and center of our black and white 19 TV. And, I also remember seeing this film in our local movie theater one Saturday matinee. And, I was too giddy at seeing my favorite TV show on a big screen and in color, that the details escaped me. So, one night recently, I saw the movie available on Prime. I clicked and sat back. I smiled and shook my head: how did I miss all these things? And, in the first 15 minutes I had a laundry list of mistakes and shortcomings. For example, there is a scene when Batman descends down a helicopters ladder--and for those of us who have rappelled or fast roped down a moving helicopter that is one of the scariest things I did--that I burst. Impossible. Then when Robin overshot the LZ of the yacht they were chasing and Batman sank into the water, what appears to be a shark--yes, it is very poorly made rubberized fake--attacks Batman. I said to myself, well, at the time, that was exciting! So, if you watched the TV show in black and white in 1966, saw this at the movie theater, take a trip, back in time, and sit back and smile.

This is not a movie with good acting or production value. Its fun because its funny, even though its not supposed to be. All the gadgets are labeled and theres even a big fight scene where words like BLAM! are superimposed on the screen. Its also fun because its a little snapshot of the 60s. Its also fun because Batman and Robin are so gay.

Es muy divertida y si, es Batman de Adam West, el mejor Batman!! No hay nada más que decir, altamante recomendable

Let’s be honest: This is a deliberately and thoroughly silly movie, in direct continuity with a deliberately and thoroughly silly 1960s TV series—both aimed squarely at kids. “The Dark Knight,” this is not. Nor is it even the campy, but dark Tim Burton movie which this blu-ray’s cover art emulates. This is Adam West at his most Adam West-y. If you go into this knowing and accepting that simple reality, then you’ll have helluva good time and lot of delightful laughs (as was intended). Furthermore, while Julie Newmar remains popular as TV’s original Catwoman, I’m rather partial to Lee Meriwether’s turn in the slinky catsuit in this tie-in movie. She sizzles. The rest of this review regards the blu-ray—and before we go further (because Amazon tends to link a lot of customer reviews to the incorrect items), this review specifically regards the 2008 blu-ray release from 20th Century Fox. It’s got a lot of great behind-the-scenes documentaries and interviews which are very interesting and informative. There’s also a very cool 3D interactive guide to the classic Batmobile which is very well done and educational. However, the disc’s general navigation is very wonky and not very user friendly. It doesn’t hold your place if you leave and return to resume; and you are forced to sit through all the ads every time you restart it. It does not allow you to go directly to the main menu. Also, on my disc, one of the two classic Batman trailers didn’t work. Additionally, while some of the special features are in HD, I’m not convinced that the movie itself is in HD (1080p). It does not stipulate that it is, therefore I suspect that it is not. Don’t misunderstand, the picture quality is very good. It doesn’t look bad at all. But I do notice that it looks ironically grainier and not quite as sharp as the standard definition DVD box set of the TV series, released by Warner Bros. home video—which is so good, you could be tricked into thinking you were watching it in HD. The blu-ray quirks are the only reason I knocked off a star. Still, at around six bucks at the time I purchased it, it was certainly worth the price and worth having to complete my Batman’66 collection.

Adam West is the best Batman ever. Sadly, these days the only version of Batman that you see is the dark one, which is inappropriate for young children. Batman has had so many interpretations throughout the years and the 1960s series is a great representation of his cheesy years. This movie captures all of the silliness of the show in one fun narrative that includes 4 major villains. I love dark Batman, especially Michael Keaton, but if your in the mood for a refreshingly lighter take that you can enjoy with your small kids or goof on with your nerdy comic book friends, then Adam West is your Batman.

No one can beat Adam West or Burt Ward for their ability to hold their tongues firmly in cheek. These guys are fabulous! This kind of sarcasm is really a lost art, and the scene where some days its just impossible to get rid of a bomb! is just about the funniest thing I have ever seen! Watch Adam West as he is frantically running around holding a cartoon bomb over his head-his physical comedy is amazing. I am sorry he never received the recognition he deserved, or another series in which he could shine.

When it comes to the Batman TV show, this has it all. The 4 major super-villains (Riddler, Joker, Penguin, Catwoman), lots of gadgets, the quirky humor of the script, and the square-jawed, dead arrow straight delivery from Adam West. Somedays, you just cant get rid of a bomb. (BluRay transfer and extras are nice as well.

The grandkids watch this again and again at my house. At first, they say “This, again?” And then, they color and play and watch their favorite parts and can even report to me what’s going to happen next sometimes. Good clean fun.