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.

I cant say anything bad about this 60s version of Batman! It was good for what it was meant to be and thats a light-hearted take on this character. While I have not seen the DVD version, I have seen this film on TV many times! Adam West is great as his version has influenced other versions of Batman including the darker versions with his stiff seriousness (though todays Batman isnt as funny). Burt Ward is the trusty sidekick and suitable for that era as Robin. That version, however, wouldnt work today as the relationship between Batman and Robin (which is often conflicted as it is cooperative) is actually more believable. As for the villians, they are the best of the best. With three actors that are no longer with us in the form of Ceasar Romero (The Joker), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler/who couldve easily played Jack Nicholsons Joker if he had been young in 1989) and Burgess Meridith (more popularly known as Mickey in the Rocky boxing films)! Lee Meridewith was okay as Catwoman but Julie Newmar and, later, Eartha Kitt were DEFINITELY better! One thing thats a personal note that Id like to get off my chest and thats the misconception that Adam West was the original Batman! WRONG! And even West himself will tell you that the character had been around since the late 30s and was NOTHING like the West version. In fact, the early Batman was more like the one we see now than the campier version. The one that West portrays came about due to the comics code that was implemented in the 50s to keep the U.S. Government from censoring them! Still, back to the movie, it is a fun trip down the 60s and I am sure the bonus track will be very enlightening to hear from Adam West and Burt Ward. On a final note, I will give this version of Batman credit for one thing. If not for the popularity of this version, the Batman that we know now may have never had the chance to be seen! In fact, even the creators the excellent Batman: The Animated Series admitted to being big fans of this version of Bats and even had Adam West as a guest star in the episode entitled Beware Of The Grey Ghost. I should also note that eppy is available on Vol. 1 of Batman: The Animated Series. They also patterned a lot of the humor in that series from this version of Batman (only not as campy). So, to Mr. West and to Mr. Ward, I say this to you. THANK YOU FOR THIS VERSION AND WHILE MANY DARK KNIGHT FANS FROWN AT THIS VERSION, THIS IS ONE DARK KNIGHT FAN THAT APPLAUDS AND APPRECIATES IT! ;)

Today’s movies today’s toys have changed dramatically from when I was a kid . Friends from school nieborhood friends would play with push toys planes that didn’t fly trains that we hand pushed around the track growing up in late 60s with threat of war . We used imagination with toys and played out in our minds the different things happening that day with our toys sometimes crash and burn others saving people . All though I do enjoy modern toys it’s good to remember classics like Batman and robin good against evil . We always knew that good would win evil would always loose . As kids every boy wanted to be Batman robin Superman . My baby brother would put a red blanket and pretend to fly . Now That’s imagination . Sadly it’s lost in kids you show them a toy they ask what does it do . I was able to In still imagination in my two kids to dream anything is possible .

The 4 villains in this movie made it so funny. They had one goal and couldnt stop Batman and Robin. Well usually the good guys are successful. It is a fun and neat movie to watch.

Some TV shows and movies date themselves, but Adam Wests Batman is so perfectly cartoony that it will never grow old. Rotten Tomatoes gives this 1966 movie 81%! This is a review for the 2008 Special Edition DVD reissue. [Edited to add 07/15] When I wrote this review, Batman: The Movie was only available in DVD. After the (finally!) release of the TV series on BluRay/DVD, this movie has been released on BluRay. Ive been told the extras are different. The movie starts out with this dedication, which exemplifies the campy humor, fake seriousness and double entendres of the movie and TV show: We wish to express our gratitude to the enemies of crime and crusaders against crime throughout the world for their inspirational example. To them, and to lovers of adventure, lovers of pure escapism, lovers of unadulterated entertainment, lovers of the ridiculous and the bizarre ... To fun lovers everywhere... this picture is respectfully dedicated. If we have overlooked any sizable groups of lovers, we apologize. -- The Producers Batman and Robin go in a huddle with Commissioner Gordon and Chief OHara after Batmans hilarious fight with a shark, on a rope ladder, hanging from the BatCopter, where he hits the shark and it sounds exactly like hes hitting a rubber fish, said rubber shark finally repelled with a handy can of Bat Shark Repellent. The crime duo had been tracking a yacht, which mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the ocean. The four huddlers come to the horrible conclusion that they are up against four supercriminals working together: Batman: Pretty fishy what happened to me on that ladder. Commissioner: Where theres a fish there could be a Penguin. Robin: It happened at sea. See? C for Catwoman. Batman: The exploding shark was pulling my leg. Commissioner: The Joker! Chief OHara: It all adds up to a sinister riddle. Riddle-er. Riddler? Aaargh!! Yes, the fab four criminals are after the yacht owners new invention, the Total Dehydration Machine. With it, you can turn a person into a pile of colored dust. Later, just add water, and the person pops back up. How will our favorite crime fighters defeat them, especially when Catwoman dons the disguise of a Russian reporter to get close, very close, to Bruce Wayne? Dressed in a leopard skin hat and coat, she first introduces herself to Batman at a press conference: Comrade Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisoff. I am from the Moscow Bugle. Aaargh again! This movie is great fun to watch, with all sorts of verbal and visual jokes. And everybody seems to be having a great time. The movie is presented in widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The menu and extras, however, seem to be TV-sized. Heres the extras on the 2008 Special Edition DVD: 1. Commentary. You can watch the movie with commentary by Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). As theres only two commentators, there are some pauses, but it was fun. Like me, you may wish that Julie Newmar had played Catwoman in the movie. Ward remembers that Newmar was busy filming MacKennas Gold and not available. West says: These tights were not terribly comfortable. Ward: Holy Understatement! I called them my python pants, because they strangled me to death. The TV show ran for three years on ABC. Ward remembers that the Bat Cave was a very expensive set. When we were cancelled, if they hadnt destroyed it, NBC was gonna pick up the show and we would probably still be shooting today. 2. Batman Featurette. This is a 30 minute short with interviews with Burt Ward and Adam West, accompanied by movie outtakes and stills. Ward remembers that he had a great stuntman, but he still kept getting hurt. During the first episode, four days in a row in the emergency hospital. I didnt think I was going to survive the first week. West remembers that the TV show had 250 guest stars, including the people who pop up out of the window while Batman and Robin are doing their infamous wall-walk. This was a coveted guest appearance and people who wanted to do it but couldnt get the scheduling included Frank Sinatra! The short ends appropriately, with Ward crying, Holy DVD, Batman! 3. Batmobile Revealed, with George Barris. This short is an interview with the designer and builder of the original BatMobile. I dont know about you, but THATS the BatMobile I want! It includes a hilarious remembrance of being arrested in Fargo North Dakota for driving the BatMobile with no windshield wipers and incorrect taillights. 4. From the Vaults of Adam West. These are photos and stills from Adams collection. 5. Behind the Scenes Still Gallery. More photos. 6. Theatrical Trailer 7. Spanish Theatrical Trailer 8. Teaser 9. Planet of the Apes Cross Trailer. A theatrical preview showing snippets from Charleton Hestons Planet of the Apes to introduce the remake of the same movie. 10. Languages available: English stereo, English mono, French mono Captions available: English, Spanish This movie is a lot of fun, but you have to put your silly hat on, or youll just be groaning as you watch it! After you watch the movie, watch the great 2-disc TV special

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.

This movie, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, kept up with the 1960s campy version of the series it spun off from, and was just plain fun to watch. I purchased this movie for the purpose of reviewing it for Classic Cinema Online, as Im comparing live action Batman from the 1940s to the present, and am enjoying their many differences. This movie, as cheesy as it is, fits right in - no disappointments here! Of all the Batmans, this one makes for the best family entertainment, being suitable for children of all ages, and I highly recommend it because of how fun it is to watch. I ordered this new and it arrived on the day anticipated in excellent condition.

While this is pretty much a bare-bones DVD release, for me it is an entertaining guilty pleasure. When this first was released in the theatres in 1966, I was a 5 year old Batman obsessed kid. I remember my wonderful twin great aunts taking me to the movies to see this cheese-fest. While its no technical marvel, it is a very fun addition to the 60s TV show era of the Batman legacy. And for just a few dollars, its well worth re-living the the memories associated with it.

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.