Film: Batman
Alternate title: Batman: The movie
Release: 1966, theatrical
Starring: Burt Ward, Adam West, Caesar Romero
Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson
Description: Batman's greatest foes has teamed up and is terrorizing Gotham, now Batman and Robin will have to do their best to save the day.
Hans' thoughts:
For my generation, the existence of this movie is downright strange. These days Batman is considered a John Wayne of the superheroes, a serious brooding knight who is vigilant every waking moment with his... Shark repelling bat-spray? Yeah. This movie takes place in the same universe as the very silly TV-series from the same era and it shows. The characters make lame puns, the logic in this movie is ridiculously flawed "Batman and Robin take off their masks? That would completely ruin them as ace crime fighters!", and lines like "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" makes you think it was intended as a downright parody of the character - it isn't. To my parents generation, this was Batman. This was what they thought of when they thought of Batman. Personally I cringed through the movie, and had to pause the movie at times to make my brain catch up with the stupidity. But something made me sit through the whole thing, I'm not sure if it was a sense of duty or - as I suspect, I was starting to engage in the cheese factor of the movie. This is a movie I suspect will grow on it's modern audience with repeated viewings, and it is a fun little footnote in superhero history. However, I have to admit this movie should probably remain buried in the bargain bin, waiting for the next comic book nerd, curious cinephile or unsuspecting victim. Hardcore Batman fans only, and even they may not be able to sit through it.
