Batman Vs. Two-Face

Wow, this movie was great!

A loving last tribute to the bright, colorful, and wild Adam West Batman series that is everything you want and more. I was genuinely surprised how good this movie was, last time with Return Of The Caped Crusaders which wasn't bad by any stretch it wasn't what I was hoping for. This movie was leaps and bounds better than the last, with our Caped Crusaders unraveling a mystery of identity surrounding Harvey Dent. Now if you should know anything, Two-Face is my absolute favorite Batman villain of all time, better than The Joker, Mr. Freeze, or Scarecrow so when I heard William Shatner was going to voice him I had just one thought: please don't let it be cheesy. Well....more cheesy than necessary, this is the 60s Batman we're talking about. But to my surprise he did a great job, sure he had fun with it but you actually got the sense of the struggle between the two personalities which must be applauded. The best part is we get a whole volley of classic Batman villains, from King Tut and The Bookworm to Penguin and The Riddler, meaning I could revel in the lavish and ludicrous villains that I know so well. Another huge plus to the movie is the lore. This not only pays tribute to the Adam West show, but references the comics, Batman The Animated Series, previous films and I loved every last second of it. This movie was a blast, and though my heart is still shattered over the loss of our Bright Knight, I couldn't ever wish for a better send off to the Batman we deserve. The animation is great, voice acting is classic, the humor is off the wall and hilarious, and does the 60s TV show incredible justice. And of course the movie ends with a bat dance party, and yes I did Batusi. Well worth renting, buying, and wishing a fond farewell to the most beloved Batman in history. Until we meet again old chum.

Batman The Movie (1966)

I love this movie. This may be my favorite Batman movie.

Now I'm not just saying that because of Adam, I am seriously thinking this is the best Batman movie. Why? Well let's see, it's pretty much a prolonged episode of the original series which I love. It's virually bulletproof from criticism because every single decision in terms of sets, acting, and even action were done on purpose, it's campy on purpose and that is the beauty of it. The sets from Wayne Manor, to the Batcave, and hell even the villain's lair are nothing short of kaleidoscopic! Color leaps off the screen. I highly recommend you buy the blu-ray for this movie, the picture and sound quality are a sight to behold and it has excellent bonus features. So what's the story to this marvellous, colorful, and just plain awesome movie? Well Bruce and Dick are called into action when news of a ship captain and his astounding new invention have disappeared, due to the combined forces of the Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman. So our caped crusaders are off once again to the rescue to save the entire world from evil. Easy plot to understand and enjoy, with now classic characters in the forefront played to perfection by our cast. Now I said it once, and I'll say it again. Adam West is THE Batman! There is without a doubt in my mind he had the suit and the car at his house and fought crime. Burt is a joy to watch even though he doesn't get much action as Batman (in slightly more ways than one) but he still does great work. But I would be lying if I said the villains didn't steal the show! So fun, so hilarious, and devilishly clever! And you know what? I don't really appreciate people who dislike the Adam West show or the movie. So it's not dark or gothic, get over it. Without the show, Batman comics would have been cancelled. In fact, all of the villains besides the Joker were rarely in comics, and the personality and attributes of these characters in modern day come from the movie and the show. Whether you like it or not, this version of Batman made the character as popular as he is today. So that's why I hold this movie and the tv series so highly. It's both a wonderful introduction to the character, and a fan favorite to revisit. This Knight might be bright, but he is the hero Gotham needs right now.

But wait! There is more yet to come from Gotham City! Tune in tomorrow, same time same channel!

Return Of The Caped Crusaders

Thank God this was a good movie. I don't know if I could have taken another rubbish animated DC movie.

A love letter to the classic 60s Batman television show, Return Of The Caped Crusaders is a well deserved return to the Bright Knight iteration with Adam West and Burt Ward. A loving tribute with admiration and respect, this movie captures the zany, ridiculous, and truly wonderful feel of the campy 60s show with added easter eggs for the die hard Batman fans, our story follows the caped crusaders hot on the trail of the most dastardly group of villains ever to plague Gotham City, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman. An obvious throwback to the 1966 movie, with even more to offer than before. The voice acting is spectacular, obviously always a treat to hear Adam and Burt in the roles that made them forever famous, the look takes a more realistic version of the art style used in The Brave And The Bold tv series, with excellent use of color and even a few bits of the highly acclaimed Batman The Animated Series thrown in. The cast is the true reason to watch this movie, although the movie itself is very good and feels like a long lost episode of the 60s television series, although I have to admit it saddens me to really think of how many fine actors we have lost that were once in the old show, but the replacements do their best to bring justice to such iconic performances and they deserve some respect for that. For a movie that is barely even an hour and twenty minutes long, lots of things happen that feel just right in this vein of Batman lore, from the lavishly ludicrous villains, to the brilliantly ridiculous gadgets, this movie is built for a true fan of the television show which I am. I found it campy and silly when I first viewed the 1966 movie (since it was many years before the television series hit home video) but as it played on I grew a love and admiration for it, and still defend it to this very day. And I am very happy to see another edition to the Adam West Batman legacy.

Tune in next week for more, same time same channel, with one warning: the worst is yet to come!!