Batman (1966)

Batman, released in 1966 is a movie based on the television series of the same name, staring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, Casar Romero as The Joker, Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, and Frank Gorshin as The Riddler. This movie is basically a bigger budget and larger scale episode of the television show, adding in more bad gadgets like the Batcopter, the Bat Boat, Penguin's submarine, and the Batcycle. The movie also pits Batman and Robin against four super villains, who have all joined forces against our heroes. Now what this movie, as well as the television series is not, is a serious version of Batman, not like the new Batman movies that modern audiences are accustomed to. Batman was almost a parody of the idea of a superhero movie, it never takes itself serious and often times uses humour and satire to tell its bizarre story. The film has a lot of political undertones, and satiric scenes commenting on things such as the cold war, and capitalism. There is also the comic use of flashing the sound effects of fights on the screen like one would see in a comic book, this was underused in the movie compared to the television series, but it is a nice touch. There is a purposeful disconnect between the world you see on screen and the reality, and it is used to great effect. The movie is fun, it is funny, and is always great to view and review. The inspiration on the 1960s Batman series, which this was part of was the 1940s Batman serials, which are more obscure to fans of the comic. The series and movie also at times is a direct parody of Batman's history and of contemporary comics, and I think that is part of what makes this movie the best of the Batman movies. Honestly, I hate comic book superheroes, and I am honestly not a fan of superhero comics at all because they try to pass themselves off as serious stories, yet they are so ridiculously unrealistic, where as this film and the great television series drop the pretense and just do everything over the top and make fun of the outlandish unrealisticness of the superhero genre. This movie is fun, and honestly most modern superhero movies aren't fun, they try too hard to be serious, and to me it fails. Another thing that really works for this film is the on screen chemistry of Adam West and Burt Ward, they play there parts well, and really work well together as a comedic duo, that does a great job at playing their parts with a straight face (which adds to the hilarity of it all). The vaudevillians are also expertly played and perfectly cast. The effects and sets are well done, and pleasing to the eye, and great for both action and comedic effect. Would I recommend this movie? Yes, every time, this movie is expertly done, it is always a lot of fun, and in my opinion the greatest Batman film of all-time, from the memorable Batman theme song, to the colourful costumes and sets this movie is a great joy to watch. The corny jokes, and Riddler's riddles that read like a Laffy Taffy wrapper, it is all just so much fun. This movie is a must see for viewers of all ages, and it never seems to get old. From the special features it also sounds like it was a total blast to work on as well, which I feel carries over into the great performances that unfold on the screen. I feel lucky to own a copy of this great movie, and I highly encourage everyone to watch it, or re-watch it if like me you've seen it dozens of times as a kid.