Batman: The Movie [Blu-ray]

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 Trailer7. Spanish Theatrical Trailer8. Teaser9. 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 monoCaptions available: English, SpanishThis 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

Delivered as described

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.

If you like corny humor, this is the perfect move for you! Forget overly serious batman movies that get darker and more moody every year, bring on the laughs and unforgettable jokes!

Satisfait merci

10

Witziger Trash Retro Batman Film von 1966, nicht nur jene welche die Serie kennen werden den Film zu schätzen wissen. Sehr gute Qualität, der Film muss digital bearbeitet worden sein.

Edicion alemana, incluye audio y subtítulos en inglés.

Au delà du nanard, il y a ce film ! Tout oscille entre le génie et la folie.Le film est bien en VF même si c'est l'édition allemande.