THE MOVIE

Now, it would be really easy to populate my review of Batman: The Movie with half a dozen 'Holy (insert ridiculous word here) Batman', or just completely take the piss out of the whole thing, but I'm going to try and restrain myself and not do that. Why, you may ask? Because this 1966 version of the caped crusader comic books is too timeless to knock.

As popular as Tim Burton's 1989 version of Batman was, have you ever wondered why there were so many people out there who complained that Burton's film was too dark and gothic? It was most likely because they were raised on the campy 60's Batman series and this feature film spin-off. Yes, long before Burton got his twisted hands on the franchise, Adam West and Burt Ward became famous as the dynamic duo, Batman and Robin. Mostly played for laughs, though with enough comic book style excitement to keep the kiddies entertained, the series worked extremely well and this big screen adaption managed to maintain the tone.

There's not a great deal of story to speak of. Basically, Batman and Robin have their hands full when super-villians The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and The Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) join forces in a plot to....well, basically take over the world. And that's it. Oh, and there's a rubber shark thrown into the mix as well...

THE TRANSFER

Video:

For a film made in 1966, Batman comes up pretty well on DVD. It's presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. Shot modestly at the time, the film doesn't really deserve to look as good as it does. The comic book colours come up very well.

Audio:

The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 and this is more than adequate. A 5.1 remix may have been nice, but the dialogue is clear at all times, and the Batman theme music still sounds pretty sweet.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary
Stars Adam West and Burt Ward contribute on this track. Coming across like a reuinion of two old friends, it's an enjoyable listen, although West and Ward do try a little too hard at times. Still, it's informative and often funny. Definitely a must for fans.

Batman Featurette
Basially just interviews with West and Ward, this covers a lot of the same information in the commentary track. Worthwhile, just to see how the two stars have aged over the years.

Batmobile Revealed
A brief interview with George Barris, the man behind the Batmobile. He talks for around 5 minutes about his creation. Worth a look.

From The Vaults of Adam West
A collection of photo's from....you guessed it...Adam West!

Photo Gallery
More behind the scenes photos.

Theatrical Trailer & Teaser
The Teaser is hilarious and really captures the film's tone. It's just Batman & Robin talking directly to the camera, in their usual earnest style. The theatrical trailer is the same, with moments from the film added.

SUMMARY

I had a good time revisting Batman: The Movie on DVD. Coming up with good picture quality and adequate sound, and a nice selection of extras, it was nice to see that I had as much fun with the film now as I did when I was a kid. It may be a little long, and the humour may have worked slightly better in the half hour series format, but Batman is still great, campy entertainment for the family.