Batman: The Movie

Ridiculous? Yes Dumb villains trying to get caught? Yes Too many labels? No A good movie to relax to with the wife and kids? Definitely! Silly and unrealistic, this movie is a good time if you can let go of reality and live in a dream world where good and evil is black and white. Plus, Ceasar Romero (The Joker) didnt even shave his mustache. They just put the white make up over it. From the shark repellent at the beginning to the Dynamic Duo climbing walls with celebrity cameos this movie is F - U - N!

DVD is good quality but packaging could be better

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.

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.

Detective Comics from the late 30s and 40s portrayed Batman as a crime fighting detective / vigilante. The nonsensical and totally absurd TV series / movie was based on what the books had become by the 50s and early 60s. A low point in sales for DC at the time. Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). The character was originally written in the style of the pulps and this influence was evident with Batman showing little remorse over killing or maiming criminals and was not above using firearms. Batman proved a hit character, and he received his own solo title in 1940. By 1942, the writers and artists behind the Batman comics had established most of the basic elements of the Batman mythos. In the years following World War II, DC Comics adopted a postwar editorial direction that increasingly de-emphasized social commentary in favor of lighthearted juvenile fantasy. The impact of this editorial approach was evident in Batman comics of the postwar period; removed from the bleak and menacing world of the strips of the early 1940s, Batman was instead portrayed as a respectable citizen and paternal figure that inhabited a bright and colorful environment. It has also been suggested by scholars that the characters of Batwoman (in 1956) and Bat-Girl (in 1961) were introduced in part to refute the allegation that Batman and Robin were gay, and the stories took on a campier, lighter feel. In the late 1950s Batman stories gradually become more science fiction-oriented, an attempt at mimicking the success of other DC characters. By 1964, sales on Batman titles had fallen drastically; Bob Kane noted that as a result DC was planning to kill Batman off altogether. Editor Julius Schwartz was soon assigned to the Batman titles and presided over drastic changes. Beginning with 1964s Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) - cover-billed as the New Look - Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary and return him to more detective-oriented stories. And then came the TV series and movie. Although both the comics and TV show were successful for a time, the camp approach eventually wore thin and the show was canceled in 1968. In the aftermath the Batman comics themselves lost popularity once again. As DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz noted, When the television show was a success, I was asked to be campy, and of course when the show faded, so did the comic books. Starting in 1969, writer Dennis ONeil and artist Neal Adams made a deliberate effort to distance Batman from the campy portrayal of the 1960s TV series and to return the character to his roots as a grim avenger of the night. ONeil said his idea was simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC Comics library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Bob Kane and Bill Finger were after.ONeil and Adams first collaborated on the story The Secret of the Waiting Graves (Detective Comics #395, Jan. 1970). Few stories were true collaborations between ONeil, Adams, Julius Schwartz, and inker Dick Giordano, and in actuality these men were mixed and matched with various other creators during the 1970s; nevertheless the influence of their work was tremendous. Giordano said, We went back to a grimmer, darker Batman, and I think thats why these stories did so well . . . Even today were still using Neals Batman with the long flowing cape and the pointy ears. In essence, DC Comics hated the way the Batman TV series / movie butchered their crime-fighting detective. The proper and most accurate point of reference that one should subscribe to are the original comic books - Tim Burton it seems did to a degree and Christopher Nolan has most definitely given us the best portrayal of the classic Batman. At the end of the day, if you like the campy style, thats fine. I just like keeping up with all the historical facts of a fictional character spanning almost 70 years. For reference, parts of this commentary was accessed from Wikipedia and yes I do have a comic book collection into the thousands with several hundred Batman books dating back to the early 60s. Its interesting that a lot of people seem to think that comic books are for kids only and that they should just provide slapstick entertainment, devoid of intelligent dramatic dialogue and social commentary. In fact comic books have been a great study resource because of their anthropological reflections. Look at what Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and many other great storytellers and artists did in the early 60s at Marvel Comics. Super hero comic books that were wonderfully entertaining, incredibly scripted, dialogue that was realistic, dramatic, fun, quirky, serious and occasionally touching on social commentary. What a great balance. Its little wonder Marvel Comics has remained at the top of its field and even better that DC Comics in the late 60s returned to faithfully representing the true classic Batman ethos.

Hilarious movie- especially if you prefer Frank Millers harsher version of the character- but its the commentary tracks that really make it enjoyable even if youve already seen the movie. Recommended if you grew up on it- or want to mock it to no end. Either way this movie is gold.

I never realized how very funny the writing was for the 1966 movie. I remember it being very camp (a stigma that movies about comic book heroes had to endure for some time), but having watched it again last night for the first time in many a year, I found myself laughing at a lot of its outrageous gags (one of my favorites was when they report they are just passing the Benedict Arnold Monument, like someone in America would build a monument to Arnold, LOL). The picture quality for the Blu-ray high def release is excellent, with vibrant colors and the audio is good. There are a number of extras that fill out the disc. There are two commentaries, one by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr., and the other with Adam West and Burt Ward. There is a short featurette with George Barris, creator of the Batmobile. An interactive map of locations can be played while watching the movie, and while the map spotlights can jump from Santa Barbara (for the wharf where Batman runs with the bomb) to the studio in Culver City where interiors were shot there is an option to pull up factoids, photos, and map directions to the locations. There are featurettes on the heroes and the villains, and more. All in all, a fun Blu-ray disc to purchase.

I always liked the Batman TV show and I think it was a very smart move to make this movie with the 4 most known villains. Each one had nice parts. Ive always liked the Riddlers laugh and the Jokers as well. I sure wished that Julie Newmar had been in the role of Catwoman. Theres no other Catwoman like Julie Newmar. All in all the movie has its laughs and great moments. This movie is a must have for all Batman fans of the 60s.

I rented this for viewing with a Girlfriend and her two Grandsons ( 11 and 9 ). We watched it for about 45 minutes and they ( the boys ) got up and left the room. We watched it for a few more minutes and I got a peck on the Cheek and an at-a-boy for my effort. Just about then we heard some commotion coming from the other end of House. When we went to see what was going on the two Boys where play fighting like Batman and Robin. Im not kidding, their Mother went looking for the camera and said lets get a picture before they go back to their x-box. They tired out and wanted to watch it from the beginning, which we did. I had not watched this since I was their age ... this Movie is pure magic.

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.