Batman: The Movie

A little long, but full of the kind of fun that the Batman series started. It has some overly funny sequences, such as the fake shark that clamps onto Batmans leg and will not let go; and the bomb chase that has Batman running while carrying a smoking bomb along a pier, trying desperately to dispose if it, but being thwarted over and over by civilians who keep getting in the way to prevent it. The movie also features four of Batmans arch enemies.

Almost all the fun of the Batman TV Show without the commercials (sadly, no Batgirl)! Take the entire regular cast of the TV Show, add in the best villains, stir in a romance between Bruce Wayne and Catwoman with a heavy dose of camp and you have Batman: The Movie (1966). ***Spoilers May Occur Below*** When the Joker (Ceasar Romero), Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) join forces to steal a device that will dehydrate anything in order to kidnap the entire United World Central Committee, you know that only Batman and Robin can save the day! Not only do B&R get outwitted a few times, but Bruce Wayne falls for (and almost converts) Catwoman (disguised as Kitka). The regular hi-jinks occurs ending with, you guessed it, Batman and Robin saving the day and the world in the end--even though we do find out that Batman is not perfect in the final return of the Central Committee. Whip out the buttered popcorn, get that giant slurpee, sugar yourself up with a large movie-sized Raisinettes and Milk Duds and lay back in your easy chair to remember what it was like to go to the movies or watch Batman on the daily serialized TV Show. Same Bat Time! Same Bat Channel!

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.

While most Batman fans are familiar with Christopher Nolans Dark Knight or the Tim Burton series (most Batman fans try to purge themselves of the horrible Joel Schumacher films) this is the one that started it all. Adam West of Family Guy fame stars as the Caped Crusader and he has his trusty sidekick Robin (Burt Ward) and Alfred, who wears a mask and drives the Batmobile in one scene. The plot is fairly standard: Four of Batmans greatest foes The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman plot to disrupt global politics by kidnapping the UN Council by using a dehydrator. The costumes are bright, the villians are over the top and Adam West pulls his clean cut Bruce Wayne swagger with Ms. Kitka or Catwoman. Very funny and entertaining film. Some memorable moments include Batman vs a shark, Robin literally lowers himself to hand Batman his anti-shark Batspray and the helicopter is left unpiloted for a good while, a dolphin sacrficing itself to save Batman and Robin (off screen) and Batman and Robin jogging through Gotham to rescue the UN Council giving the villians enough time to kidnap the ambassadors and get away. Classic.... The Blu-ray is amazing, the film looks very good on HDTV and the film reminds us of a different and gentler Batman, a good introduction for kids, a great trip down memory lane and an amusing trip for the rest of us.

Great old school tongue in cheek comedy Batman. Not some three hour life inspire ing story of a poor down t rotten boy who rises up and....... IDK. NOR DO I CARE BS story....

I gave this to an 8 year old who loved it.

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.

This film is terrible, and awesome and everything that would expect from a two hour episode of Batman from the 1960s. I watched it with my teenaged son who had never seen the show. It was cringe-worthy campy, and yet after 15 minutes we were hooked and we watched the whole thing. It was a thoroughly enjoyable way to pass some time. The plot is pretty thin. The action typical of the show. There are scenes and lines though that are pure comedy gold if you catch them. The film, made in 66, lacks the political correctness you see in many films and shows today and yet isnt mean. In some respects it is refreshing. So, if you like Batman, or are a 60s TV junky, give it 20 minutes. Youll probably enjoy its campiness.

Batman, the movie is essentially a longer (just over an hour and a half) version of one of the very campy 1960s TV series episodes. It was actually filmed between seasons one and two of the show. It is basically a team-up between the series villains, Joker (Cesar Romero), Penguin (Burgess Meridith), Catwoman (Lee Merriweather, who took over for an unavailable Julie Newmar), and Riddler (Frank Gorshin). Of course, they try to lure Batman into a trap, part of which includes kidnapping Bruce Wayne. Like the TV show, the movie is very campy and tongue-in-cheek. The two most memorable scenes are probably Batman running around trying to dispose of a huge bomb without endangering anything from puppies to nuns (my Torts professor in law school could have easily made an exam question out of that), and the shark repellant scene. Of course, the 60s series is totally different from any recent versions of Batman which make the character very dark and violent. But, given the time in which the show aired, that is what they could get away with and they were not going to change the tone of the movie to be inconsistent with the show. For those who get the special edition Blu-Ray, the extras include two commentary tracks on the movie. One by the screenwriter, and a great one with Adam West and Burt Ward, who are pretty hilarious. Then there are a series of featurettes, the main one titled Batman: A Dynamic Legacy, which is a 30-minute retrospective on the impact of the series. Then there are separate features on the heroes and the villains of the show, and a feature on the Batmobile. It also includes the featurette from the original 2001 DVD release that contained interviews with the surviving cast members. So, if you like watching the extras, there is a lot there for you. Overall, you have to go into this knowing what it is and what it is not. If you are not a fan of the 60s TV show, then watching this is going to be a waste of time. It has the same cheesy, campy tone, and the plot makes as much sense (or does not) of any of the plots in the TV episodes. It is funny in parts, eye-roll inducing in other parts, and you have to know you are not getting anything close to The Dark Knight version of the character. While the movie does look and sound pretty good in HD, I would not say it got an over-the-top restoration like some older movies have, so really the main reason to get the Blu-Ray over streaming it is for the extras, because you have the tv series on disc, and/or just a preference for physical media. If you are in one of those categories, it is a good pickup.

As a family we love it year after year it is so tongue in check hilarious! Doesnt take itself seriously like the animated versions. Casting could not be better : Burgess Meredith; Caesar Romero; Frank Goshen ; and Adam West as Batman. Id mention them all and I would if I could remember them. (Im the grandma) Grandkids are 6, 8 and 10 years; their father is 41. We span the decades and we all love this beautiful comedy! Dont you remember that Batman music: da-na-da-na-da-na BATMAN. Slide down the Bat Escape to the waiting Bat-winged Chrysler Imperial or the likes. Pure unreal fun! Great Color super-real fiction.