Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Twentieth Century Fox – 105 minutes – 1966 – Rated PG– 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio

With the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, about to hit theaters this summer; for anyone who needs their caped crusader fix before then, it is highly recommended that you pick up the Blu-ray for 1966’s Batman: The Movie. Before there was Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, and Bale, there was a man named West that wore the black cowl that put the fear into the evil doers of Gotham City. For all of you who have never seen this movie or the 60’s TV show it was based around, you should definitely put this on your stuff to do list, because Fox Home Entertainment has delivered all the POW!, KABLAM! and WHOOF! in one great high definition package. Now…To the Batpoles!!!!

THE MOVIE

Let’s just start by making it clear that the 1960’s Batman is not the dark arena of evil and inner demons that we have seen in the recent string of films; instead it’s a bright and colorful campy version that reflected that era in America. Batman was originally a TV series that became so popular, that Twentieth Century Fox green-lighted a movie version to be made to cash in on the Bat-craze. The TV show and the movie featured the same cast, starring Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson. And to sweeten the pot, the film doesn’t feature one villain…it has four of Batman’s biggest foes; The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman, played by actors Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Burgess Meredith, and Lee Meriwether. Today having multiple villains in a superhero movie is common, but this movie started the trend, (and no one has done it better since).

There’s no need to explain who Batman and Robin are, or why villains wearing freaky outfits and make-up are always terrorizing Gotham City, because if you don’t know already you won’t be interested in this movie. In the opening scene the dynamic duo race to stop a crime on a yacht via the Batcopter, but the boat turns out to be a clever hologram that leads to Batman almost being eaten by a shark (fortunately he has Bat-shark repellent handy). Batman and Robin then figure out that four of their most diabolical enemies have collaborated in a plan to sabotage the world leaders as they meet at the United Nations, reduce them all to dust, then ask for a hefty ransom to have them restored, thus holding the world hostage.

Yes, this all sounds far-fetched, but that’s the beauty of it. And it’s still far more superior to the horrific 1997’s Batman & Robin movie that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. At least in the 60’s Batman movie the jokes were intentional, with gags like Batman running across a pier full of people holding a bomb, but as he is about to throw it in the water he spots a couple of ducks swimming and chooses not to toss the explosive in. Or how Batman (the world’s greatest detective) can’t tell that Catwoman and Ms. Kitka, the woman he’s falling for, are the same person.

This film works because of its innocence, bringing out the kid in all of us who used to hang a towel around our necks and pretend to be a superhero as we ran around the house. The villains are harmless and silly, and the heroes are so cocky that there’s really no sense of danger. You know Batman will always have something to pull out of his utility belt to save the day…he always does. The current Batman movies and the the 60’s Batman are as different as day and night, but the one similar foundation is that both eras tell the stories of a hero protecting his city. Just how kids today are blown away by seeing Batman on the big screen, kids were equally thrilled seeing this movie 42 years ago. As a piece of superhero nostalgia, nothing surpasses Batman: The Movie.

VIDEO

This film is over 40 years old? You wouldn’t think so by watching this Blu-ray, presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this transfer looks better than some of the new movies sold in high definition. With Robin’s bright red outfit, the Joker’s Purple coat, and the Riddler’s green costume, the colors of HD are put to the test and they shine. The image is so sharp you can see every detail on the dashboard of the Batmobile, and you’ll also notice that Cesar Romero never even shaved his famous mustache off when he played, it’s just covered over with a patch of make up. The film looks like one big live action cartoon complete with POW! And BLAM! Flashing on the screen every time Batman and Robin punch a villain. Dark scenes do have some grain issues, but overall this transfer is a pleasant surprise.

AUDIO

This film was made long before anyone ever heard of Dolby audio, so hearing it re-mastered makes it that much more amazing. Offering a lossless DTS HD 5.1 audio mix, this film sounds great. Just listen to the theme in the opening credits as the sound bounces from speaker to speaker; and when the Batmobile thrusts out of the Batcave, your subwoofer will vibrate across the floor. Every campy line of dialogue sounds crystal clear; and when the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler do their signature laughs, it’s the icing on the cake.

EXTRAS

Batfans will be happy that Fox has thrown in a nice selection of bonus features. Most have been ported over from the standard DVD edition that was released a few years back, but a couple of new items have been added for the Blu-ray.

There are two audio commentary tracks, one with actors Adam West and Burt Ward and the second with screenwriter Lorenzo Sempler, Jr. The track with West and Ward is the best, with the guys just having fun and making a lot of ‘in jokes’ about the production, and how their were no breaks between filming the TV show and the movie. Sempler’s track is interesting because he goes into what the studio wanted him to do, and how little time he was given to make it happen.

‘Batman: A Dynamic Legacy’ runs about a half hour and focus entirely on the 60’s Batman TV show and movie, discussing that impact it made on pop culture that is still modeled today. This is a really good documentary for die-hard fans, and even though it’s super nerdy, it delivers exactly what you want.

‘Caped Crusaders: A Heroes Tribute’ is a twelve minute featurette that looks at how the colorful heroes made quite an impression in the dawn of the color TV era, because they were the first comic book heroes to have a show in color. Interview clips with Adam West and Burt Ward highlight this piece.

‘Gotham City’s Most Wanted’ is a fifteen minute spot on all the villains from both the TV shows and the movies, and how they were one of the main reasons for the success of the show.

The standard featurette that was on the 2001 twenty-fifth anniversary edition DVD has been ported over, and even though it’s not in hi-def, it’s still fun to watch and has a lot of nice behind the scenes information.

‘The Batmobile revealed with George Barris’ is a five minute piece on the man who created the Batmobile. This was also ported from the standard DVD.

The Blu-ray allows you to take an interactive tour of the Batmobile, so you can see all the cool stuff that only the caped crusaders had access to.

‘Batman on Location: Mapping the Movie’ shows a map of the locations the movie was filmed as you view the film, including facts and Bat-information.

The original 60’s Batman movie trailers, still galleries, and Holy Trivia Track, Batman! selections that were on the original DVD release are also available here, to make things complete.

BOTTOM LINE

Batman: The Movie is a great Blu-ray disc, offering excellent picture and sound that puts most current high-definition movies to shame. The nice batch of extras and all the Bat-nostalgia it contains makes this a must have Blu-ray for all fans of the caped crusader and the boy wonder. If this doesn’t make you want to tie a towel around your neck and jump up and down on your bed again…then you’ve sincerely lost the happy kid inside of you. To the Batpoles!!!!!!

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0