Movie Review: Batman (1966)
In recent years Batman is known for being among the grittiest, coldest of comic book superheroes. The 1960’s TV show Batman and the tie-in movie were the polar opposite of the modern age when guys like Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan were shaping Bruce Wayne’s image on the big screen. Batman: The Movie shows the “Dark Knight” while he was still the “Caped Crusader”.
Four of Batman and Robin’s (Adam West and Burt Ward) best-known supervillians – Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), and The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) have kidnapped an unaware commodore to take control of his powerful invention and attack the United World Organization. It is up to our dynamic duo to foil the criminal team’s plans and save the world once again. Oh, and Bruce has to do this while keeping his identity secret from Russian news reporter Miss Kitka. Oh, and one more thing: Miss Kitka is actually Catwoman in disguise.
Being the cinematic version of its television counterpart, Batman: The Movie is not as serious as Batman Begins but it’s still highly entertaining to watch. Expect to see outrageous attempts to kill the two heroes – such as exploding sharks and the good ol’ fashioned bomb – and equally outrageous ways for the heroes to dodge death. The fight scenes are well put together although you will only see one of them with the show’s trademark “BAM!” and “POW!” visual effects. It has enough action to keep almost anyone satisfied.
As for on-screen chemistry, the four bad guys shined while bringing their strong yet different personalities out as they plot to destroy our heroes. On the good guy side, West and Ward do great in portraying the relationship of the wise veteran and the young jumpy apprentice, comparable to Obi-Wan and Anakin. But, what really shines in this movie is the romance between Bruce and Miss Kitka. Although it’s fraudulent chemistry on Catwoman’s part, I love seeing this romance!
Batman: The Movie is not just a great superhero movie for its age, but a great superhero movie no matter what era of movies you compare it you. It is the perfect break from watching the “crap your pants in fear” Batman and letting out a few laughs for a change.