Batman

I seriously hope that the director intended this film to be a comedy and didn't want the audience to actually take Batman seriously, because after a few minutes of this film, all seriousness is thrown out the window.

When I was young, I used to watch the old Batman TV series, so I kind of knew what to expect, but it has been quite some time since I've seen any of those episodes. The film was far cheesier and sillier that I expected. With all that said, I actually liked the film. I didn't think it was an excellent film, but it was worth my time.

Adam West and Burt Ward are hilarious in this film. The way they say things just cracks me up. The cast of evil-doers are quite good and funny as well: Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin. The rest of the cast pulls off a good performance as well.

I don't know that I would recommend this film to everyone, but if you're a fan of superhero films or just like old campy movies, then this is the film for you. If you do see it, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

Tim Burton's BATMAN is for people who take comic books seriously. The Adam West BATMAN TV series and movie is for the rest of us.

Batman is the role West was born to play. He delivers his lines with a seriousness and self-importance perhaps matched only by Steven Seagal--and Seagal isn't trying to be funny.

I can understand how comic-book fans might dislike this movie. It does, after all, treat the whole Batman concept with jokey disrespect (though really, as another reviewer pointed out, it's an over-the-top parody of the old serials). However, for those of us who see the inherent silliness in the notion of a "millionaire playboy" dressing up in a bat suit to fight "supervillains," it's fun to watch a movie that sees it as well.

Perhaps the most amusing aspect of this movie is its off-the-wall view of the United Nations; the particular ambassadors are treated as something more than bureaucrats, apparatchiks, and political cronies who could be replaced in five minutes with any of ten thousand equally capable (or incapable) people.

7/10.

For folks my age, despite the more serious Batman films that began in the 90s, this frankly is how I like my Batman. Funny, tongue in cheek, and populated by some really great players who look like they were having a ball doing this film.

The Batman series in the Sixties ran for three fun filled seasons with Adam West and Burt Ward playing the dynamic duo. They got their shot at big screen laughs and took it and ran. The three most popular Batman villains all got into the film and Frank Gorshin, Burgess Meredith and Cesar Romero all did one glorious job in overacting their characters to the max.

The plot if you can call it that involves these dastardly people having invented the ultimate dehydrating machine and they capture the nine members of the UN Security Council and hold them for ransom. Also involved is Lee Meriweather taking over for Julie Newmar as Catwoman.

And part of the plot is for Catwoman to put on some sexy street clothes and pretend to be a Russian journalist Miss Kitka for whom Bruce Wayne is ready to share stately Wayne Manor with. Not to mention getting Dick Grayson a mother figure. Of course that would compromise their alternate identities, but is there no end to the dastardly plots that this crew can think up?

Batman also marked the farewell performance of Reginald Denny as a silly English millionaire who the villains take over a submarine he owns and use it for their own evil plans. Denny looked like he was just well into the spirit of all the fun involved.

This is how Batman should be.

As a story of a super hero goes, this Batman did not cut it, and it is not as good as Tim Burton's Batman movies. However, as comedy and something off the wall, this one has the stuff to make it.

Spoiler - Wait till you see how Batman and Robin escape the torpedo that got through Batman's utility belt defenses.

Burgess Meredith, Caesar Romero turned in great performances as the villains Penquin and Joker, and Frank Gorshin's terrific crazy laugh as the Riddler was everpresent.

Lee Merriweather tookover for Julie Neumaur as the Catwoman and played catwoman well using her charms on Bruce Wayne.

For those of us that were young at the time, it worked out to be a good ending and a good experience.

If you can't appreciate the sublime glory that is the 1966 version of "Batman," I pity you, brother. There's nothing quite like Adam West dashing around a pier, holding a bomb with a ridiculously long fuse, declaring, "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!" There's nothing quite like Cesar Romero's refusal to shave his moustache before putting on his Joker makeup. There's nothing like Romero and Frank Gorshin getting in a cackling contest as the Joker and the Riddler. For that matter, there's nothing like the Joker and the Penguin deciding that they need to don masks in order to commit crimes...

Comic book dorks whine and complain about the 60's-era Batman - I say that such people don't recognize how great the 60's Batman really was - the best fictional characters are the ones who can stand up through the decades to dozens of different interpretations. There's room in the world for Tim Burton's Batman, Adam West's Batman...heck, maybe even Joel Shumacher's Batman. Like "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai," "Rocky IV" or "Flash Gordon," this version of Batman is one of the great goofy pleasures of movie-watching.