Starring Adam West

I hate films like "Starring Adam West" because I began watching it at 2am and planned on only seeing a few minutes and watching the rest later. Then, at 3:30am I was STILL awake...finishing this documentary! This is because for all his faults, it's hard not to like Adam West or his story.

This documentary follows West's life from his childhood to today. You learn about how he got involved in acting, how he landed the role of Batman, about his nadir with acting in the 1970s and 80s as well as his more recent resurgence as a pop-culture icon. Through all this, West seems to have kept his humor and perspective and it's an engaging film from start to finish. Well worth seeing--even if you aren't a fan.

As a child, I was utterly captivated by the 1960s Batman TV series. After a recent re-watch of some episodes as an adult, I also stumbled across this documentary of the show's leading man and decided to give it a try. What I found was a fun little doc that chronicles the life of Adam West in all its stages.

"Starring Adam West" basically plays out in two formats (both comprising roughly half the 90-minute runtime):

First, viewers get the typical bio information to be expected. This includes West's childhood on a farm, his decision to become an actor, the overnight success of "Batman", and his battle (to the point of bankruptcy) to avoid the stereotyping and continue carving out a career in show business. This information is very well-produced and presented, including some pictures and home videos I had certainly never seen before.

Intercut between the biographical material is the "current-day" (2012-2013) campaign to get West a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I won't spoil whether or not this is successful, but either way it does provide an interesting window into West's interaction with fans and him coming to terms with his Batman characterization.

Overall, "Starring Adam West" simply ends up being a fun documentary to watch. It isn't ground-breaking or overly dramatic--just a nice look at the career/life of a unique Hollywood legend.