Here’s where it all started for this Bat fan.
I don’t really remember the first time I ever saw this movie, but I can’t really recall a time in my life before having seen it.
You might say this movie is responsible for the way I turned out, like a sexual awakening, but for Batman, and not in a creepy Fredric Wertham kind of way.
Anyway, before I make anymore bad analogies, let’s shed some light on this movie and why it is both simultaneously celebrated and reviled by Bat fans of all ages.
This was the very first Batman feature length film, which was based on the popular TV series of the time. It was part of the 3 B’s of pop culture during the 60’s – The Beatles, Bond and Batman.
For this movie, they upped the budget and gave Batman more expensive toys to play with including the Bat-copter and the Bat-cycle (complete with a detachable sidecar for Robin). The dynamic duo were played by Adam West and Burt Ward whose chemistry is what made this series for me. Sure, it was a satirical take on the characters and was played for laughs, but I was at an age where I took it completely seriously, despite the colorful villains and BIFF! BAM! POW! sound effects.
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| “Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb!” |
Many fans like to pretend this era of Batman never existed as it doesn’t fit into what their idea of Batman should be, but no one can deny its staying power as 75 years after the character’s debut, Batman ’66 is just as relevant now as it was in its heyday.
When I first watched this as a kid, I found the villains to be the most captivating characters in the movie. They were so over-the-top that you couldn’t take your eyes off them. I enjoyed Batman and Robin too, but it wasn’t until I got older and looked back that I began to appreciate them even more. Their brand of humor is subtler but it’s there and as an adult, I appreciate their scenes even more as they come off as effortlessly amusing. Funny how the years change your perspective.
Whether you like it or not, this movie also features some of the most iconic moments in all of Bat history including the Bat-shark repellent spray, Batman’s musing on alcoholics as he and Robin scale the outside of a building, and the Bat bomb scene (as I like to call it), just to name a few. West’s dry delivery and Ward’s earnest enthusiasm are immediately likeable.
Speaking of that shark repellent, the opening scene of the movie is one of the funniest scenes ever. The Boy Wonder’s slow ascent down the rope ladder with the spray while Batman fends off a rubber shark latched onto him is absolutely ridiculous and really sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
The fun nature of the material and performances is infectious and as long as you go into it with that frame of mind, there’s lots of joy to be had.
THE BAD
OK, I know we’re not meant to take it seriously (which I 100% did as a boy), but while the movie is entertaining, the plot is pretty unimaginative.
You’d think if they were going to go to the trouble of putting four of Batman’s most iconic villains in a movie together, they could have come up with a better scheme for them than to dehydrate the United World Organization’s Security Council (it’s as ludicrous as it sounds). It gives the movie a very rushed feel (which it probably was) and doesn’t make it all that re-watchable. There are definitely classic scenes and one-liners, but it’s pretty thin beyond that.
The movie is also very Penguin heavy. From Penguin “sneaking” his way in to the Batcave, to the gang riding around on flying jet powered umbrellas, to finally ending up in a giant penguin shaped submarine, you’d think that he was the big boss and that the rest of the villains were his subordinates. It should feel more like a villain team up giving each member a substantial role to play. Other than Riddler’s riddles and Catwoman’s alias as Miss Kitka, this is Pengy’s show.
Speaking of Kitka, Catwoman’s scenes as her alter ego trying to seduce Bruce Wayne are some of the weakest in the movie, with her whole role revolving around being lusted after, making for some very boring romance. For the movie, Adam West requested more scenes as Bruce so he could act without the mask, but unfortunately for us, he’s far more entertaining with the cape and cowl than without it.
THE BAT
I can’t compare this too close to the source material before I end up writing a 10 page essay that tears it down, but I don’t want to write that and you don’t want to read it.
I will say that while they took a lot of liberties with this version and it’s more West than Wayne in execution, it did mimic the absurd pop art style of the comic during this era and was definitely a product of its time without regard to the character’s origins.
For example, for someone who is meant to be the world’s greatest detective, it took Catwoman’s mask falling off for him to put it together. Having said that, it took Michael Keaton’s Batman just about as long in Batman Returns, but that’s for another post.
THE ROGUES
As was previously mentioned, we’ve got four or Batman’s most notorious rogues represented here – The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and Catwoman (albeit played here Lee Meriwether replacing Julie Newmar from the series). I’ve always been a one villain per movie kind of fan myself, as I think splitting the movie in half between the hero and one villain has produced the best results (Spider-Man 2 being a great example), but it’s when you bring in two or more, that’s when it takes a dive (too many examples to list).
This movie gets a pass as all these villains had been previously introduced in the show so no back-stories were necessary to slog through and therefore it doesn’t feel too overcrowded. Teaming up those four villains for the movie did have an impact on Batman for years as putting them front and center affected what order they would later be introduced in Burton and Schumacher’s Bat films.
This iteration of The Riddler significantly raised his profile so who knows what would have become of him if not for this movie.
THE CONCLUSION
Is this the best Batman movie you’ll ever see? No. Is it the funniest (intentionally) Batman movie you’ll ever see? Yeah, probably (unless you’ve got a thing for Schwarzenegger one-liners).
If you’re watching the DVD, I highly recommend watching with West and Ward’s commentary where you get to hear West spice up the dating scene by drooling over Lee Meriwether. You can almost hear Ward rolling his eyes and it’s hilarious.
If you’re a Batman completest like me, this movie has to be part of your collection.
Once looked down upon in the wake of the Burton movies, between the long overdue release of the series on disc, a new line of toys, and the Batman ’66 comics, the love of this iteration for Adam West’s “Bright Knight” is at an all time high. For the longest time, this was the only official release of the show so it’s had the daunting task of holding fans over for the past couple decades of seeing every other show get its release.
It introduced a whole new generation of fans to the world of Batman, myself included, and while the formula had been improved upon since, this movie wasn’t trying to be something it was not and has earned its place in the Bat mythos.
