Batman - The Movie

Some TV shows and movies date themselves, but Adam West's Batman is so perfectly cartoony that it will never grow old. Rotten Tomatoes gives this 1966 movie 81%! This is a review for the 2008 Special Edition DVD reissue. [Edited to add 07/15] When I wrote this review, "Batman: The Movie" was only available in DVD. After the (finally!) release of the TV series on BluRay/DVD, this movie has been released on BluRay. I've been told the extras are different. The movie starts out with this dedication, which exemplifies the campy humor, fake seriousness and double entendres of the movie and TV show: "We wish to express our gratitude to the enemies of crime and crusaders against crime throughout the world for their inspirational example. To them, and to lovers of adventure, lovers of pure escapism, lovers of unadulterated entertainment, lovers of the ridiculous and the bizarre ... To fun lovers everywhere... this picture is respectfully dedicated. If we have overlooked any sizable groups of lovers, we apologize. -- The Producers" Batman and Robin go in a huddle with Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara after Batman's hilarious fight with a shark, on a rope ladder, hanging from the BatCopter, where he hits the shark and it sounds exactly like he's hitting a rubber fish, said rubber shark finally repelled with a handy can of Bat Shark Repellent. The crime duo had been tracking a yacht, which mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the ocean. The four huddlers come to the horrible conclusion that they are up against four supercriminals working together: Batman: "Pretty fishy what happened to me on that ladder." Commissioner: "Where there's a fish there could be a Penguin." Robin: "It happened at sea. See? "C" for Catwoman." Batman: "The exploding shark was pulling my leg." Commissioner: "The Joker!" Chief O'Hara: "It all adds up to a sinister riddle. Riddle-er. Riddler?" Aaargh!! Yes, the fab four criminals are after the yacht owner's new invention, the Total Dehydration Machine. With it, you can turn a person into a pile of colored dust. Later, just add water, and the person pops back up. How will our favorite crime fighters defeat them, especially when Catwoman dons the disguise of a Russian reporter to get close, very close, to Bruce Wayne? Dressed in a leopard skin hat and coat, she first introduces herself to Batman at a press conference: "Comrade Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisoff. I am from the 'Moscow Bugle'." Aaargh again! This movie is great fun to watch, with all sorts of verbal and visual jokes. And everybody seems to be having a great time. The movie is presented in widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The menu and extras, however, seem to be TV-sized. Here's the extras on the 2008 Special Edition DVD: 1. Commentary. You can watch the movie with commentary by Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). As there's only two commentators, there are some pauses, but it was fun. Like me, you may wish that Julie Newmar had played Catwoman in the movie. Ward remembers that Newmar was busy filming "MacKenna's Gold" and not available. West says: "These tights were not terribly comfortable." Ward: "Holy Understatement! I called them my python pants, because they strangled me to death." The TV show ran for three years on ABC. Ward remembers that the Bat Cave was a very expensive set. "When we were cancelled, if they hadn't destroyed it, NBC was gonna pick up the show and we would probably still be shooting today." 2. Batman Featurette. This is a 30 minute short with interviews with Burt Ward and Adam West, accompanied by movie outtakes and stills. Ward remembers that he had a great stuntman, but he still kept getting hurt. "During the first episode, four days in a row in the emergency hospital. I didn't think I was going to survive the first week." West remembers that the TV show had 250 guest stars, including the people who pop up out of the window while Batman and Robin are doing their "infamous" wall-walk. This was a coveted guest appearance and people who wanted to do it but couldn't get the scheduling included Frank Sinatra! The short ends appropriately, with Ward crying, "Holy DVD, Batman!" 3. Batmobile Revealed, with George Barris. This short is an interview with the designer and builder of the original BatMobile. I don't know about you, but THAT'S the BatMobile I want! It includes a hilarious remembrance of being arrested in Fargo North Dakota for driving the BatMobile with "no windshield wipers and incorrect taillights." 4. From the Vaults of Adam West. These are photos and stills from Adam's collection. 5. Behind the Scenes Still Gallery. More photos. 6. Theatrical Trailer 7. Spanish Theatrical Trailer 8. Teaser 9. Planet of the Apes Cross Trailer. A theatrical preview showing snippets from Charleton Heston's "Planet of the Apes" to introduce the remake of the same movie. 10. Languages available: English stereo, English mono, French mono Captions available: English, Spanish This movie is a lot of fun, but you have to put your silly hat on, or you'll just be groaning as you watch it! After you watch the movie, watch the great 2-disc TV special " Batman - Holy Batmania ". Great bios and additional information about all facets of the "Batman" TV show and this movie. Someday, the TV show will come out on DVD, and I'll get that, too! EDITED TO ADD October 2014: At last, the TV show is coming out on DVD and BluRay on 11/11/14! Batman Complete Series (DVD) Happy Reader

I can't say anything bad about this 60's version of Batman! It was good for what it was meant to be and that's a light-hearted take on this character. While I have not seen the DVD version, I have seen this film on TV many times! Adam West is great as his version has influenced other versions of Batman including the darker versions with his stiff seriousness (though today's Batman isn't as funny). Burt Ward is the trusty sidekick and suitable for that era as Robin. That version, however, wouldn't work today as the relationship between Batman and Robin (which is often conflicted as it is cooperative) is actually more believable. As for the villians, they are the best of the best. With three actors that are no longer with us in the form of Ceasar Romero (The Joker), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler/who could've easily played Jack Nicholson's Joker if he had been young in 1989) and Burgess Meridith (more popularly known as "Mickey" in the Rocky boxing films)! Lee Meridewith was okay as Catwoman but Julie Newmar and, later, Eartha Kitt were DEFINITELY better! One thing that's a personal note that I'd like to get off my chest and that's the misconception that Adam West was the original Batman! WRONG! And even West himself will tell you that the character had been around since the late '30's and was NOTHING like the West version. In fact, the early Batman was more like the one we see now than the campier version. The one that West portrays came about due to the comics code that was implemented in the 50's to keep the U.S. Government from censoring them! Still, back to the movie, it is a fun trip down the 60's and I am sure the bonus track will be very enlightening to hear from Adam West and Burt Ward. On a final note, I will give this version of Batman credit for one thing. If not for the popularity of this version, the Batman that we know now may have never had the chance to be seen! In fact, even the creators the excellent Batman: The Animated Series admitted to being big fans of this version of Bats and even had Adam West as a guest star in the episode entitled "Beware Of The Grey Ghost." I should also note that eppy is available on Vol. 1 of Batman: The Animated Series. They also patterned a lot of the humor in that series from this version of Batman (only not as campy). So, to Mr. West and to Mr. Ward, I say this to you. THANK YOU FOR THIS VERSION AND WHILE MANY "DARK KNIGHT" FANS FROWN AT THIS VERSION, THIS IS ONE "DARK KNIGHT" FAN THAT APPLAUDS AND APPRECIATES IT! ;)

I enjoyed this movie, but held off on buying the DVD until the complete Batman TV series was officially released on DVD. It's coming out November 11, along with a limited edition Blu-ray version and a Complete First Season edition. I pre-ordered the DVD version of the complete series. In the movie, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Adam West) and Dick Grayson/Robin (Burt Ward) battle four of their archenemies simultaneously - The Joker (the late Cesar Romero), The Penguin (the late Burgess Meredith ("quack, quack," which resulted from ex-smoker Meredith choking on his character's cigarette smoke)), The Riddler (the late impressionist Frank Gorshin), and The Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) - as the villains, banding together as the United Underworld, try to take over the United World Headquarters (a fictionalized United Nations). Reginald Denny is also featured as Commodore Schmidlapp, who is kidnapped by the villains, and is forced to provide them with his dehydration machine, which the United Underworld criminals use to dehydrate the entire United World (U.N.) General Assembly. Van Williams, who played the title role (Britt Reid) in the TV series The Green Hornet - not an official DVD release , has a cameo as the voice of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. As in the TV series, the Caped Crusaders are put in every possible predicament - at one point, Catwoman, disguised as Russian newswoman Miss Kitka, seduces and falls in love with Bruce Wayne; not until the last part of the movie, after the four villains are finally captured, does Batman find out the truth (holy heartbreak!). The Caped Crusaders eventually rehydrate the General Assembly, although the results are not perfect, with the members speaking different languages than their original native tongues. The supporting TV cast is also in the film - Commissioner James Gordon (the late Neil Hamilton), Chief Miles O'Hara (the late Stafford Repp), Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth (the late Alan Napier), and Wayne's Aunt Harriet Cooper (the late Madge Blake). The film, like the series, also contains its share of gadgets - the Batmobile, Batcave, Batcopter, Batcycle, Batboat, and more. Had 21st Century marketing practices been in effect in 1966, this movie would likely have been a 2-hour special edition of the TV series, instead of a theatrical release. Due to prior film and stage commitments, Julie Newmar, the original TV Catwoman, was unable to reprise her role in the film, so Meriwether replaced her (though Meriwether later claimed that Newmar injured her back). The best Catwoman, for my money, was the late Eartha Kitt ("purrrrrrfect!"), who replaced Newmar in later episodes of the series. Halle Berry ( Catwoman ) did look good in that catsuit, though. But I digress. Bonus features on the DVD include mini-documentaries on the making of the movie and the Batmobile, English and Spanish movie trailers, a teaser, two still photo galleries, and an entertaining audio commentary by West and Ward. For those who loved this version of Batman, this movie, along with the upcoming release of the TV show, is a real treat. Modern-day versions of Batman, with Michael Keaton, George Clooney Tunes (loved his Aunt Rosemary , but can't stand him), Val Kilmer, and others, are just too gory and violent for my taste. Adam West though so as well; see his autobiography Back to the Batcave . And now, R.I.P. Adam West, who joined the late Yvonne Craig (who played Batgirl in Season 3 of the TV series and passed away in 2015) in Heaven on June 9, 2017, age 88. Hope you two are getting reacquainted! Adam West, was, and will always be, the definitive Caped Crusader, as far as I am concerned.

I want to start out by saying I am an adult female fan. I have loved Batman as long as I can remember. I bought the Blu Ray when Amazon had it on sale for $8.99 While waiting on it to arrive I watched some clips on YouTube. Every clip I saw I was laughing. The last time I watched this movie I was a kid. My mom bought me the VHS when I was a kid. As a kid it wasn't corny. The trailer had me laughing the entire time. Poor Burt Ward had the corniest lines in the trailer. Spoiler Even the date Bruce & Catwoman went on was so corny it was funny. Bruce was a bit dramatic sounding on the date. End of Spoiler I do wish Julie Newmar had been Catwoman. Lee Meriwether did a great job but she's no Julie Newmar. I think the movie is way more corny than the tv show. While I think Adam West is a great Batman he is no Michael Keaton. Ever since I was kid my favorite Batman actor is Michael Keaton. He will always be my favorite Batman. I could not believe it when I read in a magazine that had a section dedicated to Batman that Bob Kane's favorite Batman is Val Kilmer. I honestly don't see how he thinks Val Kilmer is the best Batman. My two favorite Batman actors are Michael Keaton & Adam West. I like Christian Bale much better than Val Kilmer & George Clooney. I was sad to read in that magazine that Michael was offered the Batman role in Batman Forever and he turned it down. I can understand him being sick of playing Batman since he played Batman twice. I still wish he had played the role for his fans. Batman The Movie in my opinion is still a great movie despite the corny lines. Considering it was made in the late 60s the technology and special effects were good. My first two favorite movies are the two Michael Keaton movies then this one. I ended up buying the Blu Ray since for some reason the regular DVD is no longer available. The regular DVD is $15+ on eBay and they are used. I found it was for once cheaper to buy the Blu Ray version. Amazon very briefly had it at $8.99 and I just couldn't pass up that great price.

While most Batman fans are familiar with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight or the Tim Burton series (most Batman fans try to purge themselves of the horrible Joel Schumacher films) this is the one that started it all. Adam West of Family Guy fame stars as the Caped Crusader and he has his trusty sidekick Robin (Burt Ward) and Alfred, who wears a mask and drives the Batmobile in one scene. The plot is fairly standard: Four of Batman's greatest foes The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman plot to disrupt global politics by kidnapping the UN Council by using a dehydrator. The costumes are bright, the villians are over the top and Adam West pulls his clean cut Bruce Wayne swagger with Ms. Kitka or Catwoman. Very funny and entertaining film. Some memorable moments include Batman vs a shark, Robin literally lowers himself to hand Batman his anti-shark Batspray and the helicopter is left unpiloted for a good while, a dolphin sacrficing itself to save Batman and Robin (off screen) and Batman and Robin jogging through Gotham to rescue the UN Council giving the villians enough time to kidnap the ambassadors and get away. Classic.... The Blu-ray is amazing, the film looks very good on HDTV and the film reminds us of a different and gentler Batman, a good introduction for kids, a great trip down memory lane and an amusing trip for the rest of us.

4 stars for the fun! If you are a Batman fan and you grew watching the show starred by Adam West and Burt Ward, this special edition is definitely a keeper. The series were a hit on its days and have become a cult classic for fans. In the old days in which Batman wore tights and was accompanied by Robin everywhere, the humor was not voluntarily at all. The movie opens with a hilarious sequence in which Batman fights a suicidal shark filled with bombs, how does he escape the trap? With his anti-shark bat spray of course! What makes this movie a fun thing to watch is all the camp humor in it, the detective labor of Batman and Robin is reduced to nothing but funny, wait until you see how they resolve the riddle on who was behind the attack at the beginning of the film. The united underworld puts together our favorite villains form the series: the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin and Catwoman. There are memorable sequences in this film such as the described opening sequence or Batman trying to get rid of a bomb. This movie may not be a great film compared to recent Batman flicks, but it is definitely fun to watch and to see how naive was the humor in the decade they made it and the concept of Batman that this series created; no wonder why Joel Schumacher tried to pay a tribute with his two attempts on Batman (`Batman Forever' and `Batman & Robin') Adam West also made a career thanks to this show and the film, he had presentations everywhere as the caped crusader; unfortunately people never stopped seeing him as the Batman. Besides of a very decent digital transfer of both image and sound (Sound is presented in both Stereo and Mono), the bat features are a good complement to this special edition, there is a comprehensive audio commentary by Adam West and Burt Ward that opposite to what you may expect, gives you a lot of details, production notes and facts about the making of the movie. There is also a Batman featurette, 2 still galleries, the trailer and a documentary on the creation of the famous Batmobile from the show. The menus are colorful and very well designed according to the movie. The only flaw this special edition has are the subtitles, they do not match at all what is being said on screen, sentences were shortened by an unknown reason, and some of the jokes and funny dialogues will pass unnoticed if you are reading the subtitles. If you were a fan of the show as a kid, you'll love this special edition; if you have never seen this film or the show, be prepared for the best camp humor ever seen. Not a great movie maybe but lots of fun and good memories.

Gotham City’s four foulest fiends, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman join forces to take down Batman and Robin once and for all. There is a tie at the top of my favorite Batman movie between this, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and Batman Returns. Each is a little different than the other and each is an amazingly fun time. Usually when asked I go with which ever of the three I have seen last. I love the movie bright colours and seemingly endless energy. It is a wonderful counterpoint to the endless array of perpetually angry dark Batmans we get these days. The movie knows it is silly and leans into it hard. Watching Batman race about the seedy waterfront carrying a giant bomb trying to avoid the nuns, the young mother and her child, the three piece Salvation Army Band and finally a flock of ducks is hilarious. It feels like the writers are another super villain throwing obstacles at the cape crusader. You would never see a modern Batman do this and that is why I love this more than any Batman made in twenty plus years. Adam West’s indomitable calm is balanced perfectly against the wild energy of our cast of villains. You know they were having a great time and that energy comes pouring out in ever scene. From the start this movie when Batman is attacked by the most terrifying shark in cinema history to final umbrella battle on the submarine this movie just screams energy. You can’t help but groove along Nelson Riddle’s swinging score as Batman and Robin survive scrap after scrap with the most ridiculous means of survival. At no point does it take itself seriously and for a Batman movie it is such a refreshing change that I love this movie a little more each time I watch it. It perfectly encapsulates the Batman TV show with the crazy villains, bright 60s pop art colors, explosions of fisticuffs with appropriate visual sound effects, and one of the best Batmans of them all, a definite tie with Kevin Conroy but he had the advantage of just doing the voice. We need to all remove our cowls in honor of the great porpoise who gave his life so Batman could live and triumph over evil. His sacrifice will not go unmourned.

This is the first theatrical Batman movie. This was released by 20th Century Fox. All the Batman movies since then are from Warner Bros. This stars Adam West and Burt ward. If you like the tv show, than you will like this movie. It is campy and the actors seem to know what kind of movie they are in. This is a fun movie.

The original 1966 Batman movie is, by far, one of the cheesiest and camp movies you'll ever watch. However, I don't intend to slate a film from the 60's that had kids excited and amazed - this is 2007 afterall. We love this film now, thankfully, because it is dated. And by that I mean what? Who can not smile and grin at the sheer fun of this film! The fact that its so innocent makes us laugh now, but the bright colours and well-spoken people involved can only make you happy after a hard tiring day! It would be silly to explain the plot - you've probably already got an idea of the structure involved! But present in the film, we see Adam West playing good ol' Batman, with an array of transportation, from his 'Bat-copter' to his 'Batmobile', not to mention the many other items he owns - all just standard things, made special by the fact they have 'Bat' in front of it. I may be mistaken... he does have a "Shark-Repellent-Bat Spray". Its just as well he doesn't spray it at himself then! The best bit? Its not even worth questioning - West may come with some woppers, such as his truly viscious "You........CRIMINALS!", but the best scene was always going to be the funniest by todays standards. We see Batman and Robin in their Batcopter, flying over a boat. Batman releases his 'Bat-ladder' so he can try and board the boat. However, Robin rather foolishly lowers him too much, and so he goes waist-high into the sea - Cue a stiff looking model of a shark to be attatched to Adam West's leg, as he gets raised from the water. "Holy Sardines!" cries Robin, but the flustered Batman grunts, spits, stabs, and attempts to thump this shark. Cue once again, 'Shark-Repellent-Bat Spray'. And to top it all off, after a long spray on the shark, its blows up when it hits the water! Very handy indeed.... More laugh out loud moments are included in what would be considered by many now, a rather camp film. Its the truth! Society has changed massively. But if you can find it in your heart to try and treat it as a big-kids adventure, you might stop your self from becoming a Mr or Mrs Sarcastic! I thought I'd end on some of Batman's most noble & dedicated quotes... Enjoy! "We must leave inconspicuously... through the window!" "How lucky it was that such a brave sea animal gave his life for ours, to prevent that torpedo from hitting us. One can only honour" "Surrender! You.... Criminals!" "Luckily this corrugated sheet of iron was the perfect retreat from that fiendish bomb" "Who would dare gamble that we would crash land on this pile of foam mattresses? Luckily... I was able to see it in the corner of my eye" B.M - "Say.. no more.. Robin. It... would only be compromising..." ROB - "Of course Batman..." "Batman to Coastguard - we have have infiltrated the enemy sub, its filled with human jetsam... BATMAN "Look Robin, another Riddle! What gobbles, and flies upside down?" ... ROBIN "A sparrow with a machine gun!" ... COLONEL "Yes of course!"

Great item

10

Ce film n'est pas à prendre au sérieux. Aucune logique, aucun sérieux, un scénario sans queue ni tête, des non-sens continuels du début à la fin. Avec des amis nous aimons regarder des films risibles et celui-la est magique! Il ne devient pas ennuyeux ou lassant, il est plein de surprises et de chutes auxquelles on ne s'attend pas. L'univers est très kitsch, il ne pourrait pas être plus éloigné des Batman d'aujourd'hui mais si vous voulez rire un bon coup je le recommande fortement!

About the movie: A little bit of the beginnings in Batman cinema. Fun and serious, with ridiculous riddles and awkward fights. Excellent for that very reason. Must-have for Batman fans! About the DVD: Good picture and sound, DVD Zone 2, with special features. Language: English. Subtitles: Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, English for the hearing impaired.