Batman: The Movie [Blu-ray]
![Batman: The Movie [Blu-ray]](/images/Batman-The-Movie-Blu-ray-B0016MOWOQ-L.jpg)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Adam West, Lee MeriwetherBrand: FOX
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
Published: 2008-07-01
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-07-01
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Batman: The Movie [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: the Dynamic Duo vs. an all-star collection of villains . . . classic 60's camp, looks amazing on blu-ray
Summary: 5 Stars
There was something that was truly magical and unique about the 1960's, a time when network television was a major conduit for cultural experience, and fad after fad seemed to explode on the scene. With its campy, comedic, take on the classic comic book character, zany super villains, and unique two episode a week format, Batman quickly became a cultural phenomenon, when it ran on ABC in the spring of 1966. Making stars of Adam West as Batman, and Burt Ward as Robin.
20th Century Fox, and producer William Dozier, actually brought two classic characters from the 1930's to television that year. Besides Batman, The Green Hornet, a classic crimefighter who originated in radio serials, also ran on ABC for one season, starring Van Williams as the Hornet, and Bruce Lee as Kato. It is remarkable that neither Batman, or The Green Hornet, is not yet available on DVD.
Batman: The Movie was released in the summer of 1966, after the first season of Batman had already aired, and was basically an extension of the series. The characters, style, and settings, were already familiar to audiences at the time. The movie got into detail about things like the Batcave, stately Wayne Manor, and Bruce Wayne's personal life. Exotic modes of transportation, the Batcopter, and ultracool Batboat, thrilled and delighted fans. It was a brilliant idea to pit the caped crusaders against four supervillains. Together, The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), The Joker (Cesar Romero), and The Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), made up the 'United Underworld'. These classic characters from the comics, had already made the transition to television, thanks to the superb performances of Meredith, Gorshin, Romero, and Julie Newmar during the first season of Batman. Newmar however, was unavailable to play The Catwoman. Sexy, svelte, and a former Miss America, Lee Meriwether (Time Tunnel, Barnaby Jones) was the purrfect choice for the role as the feline villainess.
The film also features regular characters, Alfred the butler (Alan Napier), Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton), Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp), and Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake). The plot is rather silly, and largely designed to showcase the film's many action sequences. The United Underworld have kidnapped Commodore Schmidlapp (Reginald Denny), to get his invention, a dehydrator ray. The device can remove all the water from a human body, a leave only a pile of powder. Hoping to lure Batman to the crooks dockside hideout, The Catwoman, in disguise as Miss Kitka, a Russian reporter, gets involved with Bruce Wayne, setting him up to be kidnapped, and taken on a night flight on one of the Penguin's flying umbrellas. Batman makes a memorable, and exasperating attempt to dispose of a bomb on a pier. The Penguin masquerading as Schmidlapp, is taken to the Batcave with five dehydrated crooks who are destroyed, when they are rehydrated with heavy water. The villains proceed with their plot, and dehydrate the members of the United World Headquarters, and head out to sea in the Penguin's sub. The Dynamic Duo force the sub to the surface, and finish off the crooks in a furious battle. Adam West and Burt Ward get a heavy duty workout, on the land, in the air, and at sea. The film made them even bigger stars. Lee Meriwether rocks, in a dual role. And Burgess Meredith is magnificent, as the cranky Penguin.
The multitude of extras in this edition is fantastic. In one commentary track, West and Ward, share some warm and humorous remembrances. Writer Lorenzo Semple has a more detached view of the film, and shares his thoughts in a second commentary track. There are also a number of excellent featurettes covering various facets of the film, the TV series, and the Batmania phenomenon. The interactive Batmobile feature is highly detailed, though it takes a while to go through. The whole package is delightful, and looks fantastic on blu-ray. The price is very reasonable, and is simply a must have for any Batfan of the 1966 program, particularly as the release of original series does not appear imminent.
Summary of Batman: The Movie [Blu-ray]
Synopsis:Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: PG
Street Date: 07/01/08
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
Holy camp site, Batman! After a fabulously successful season on TV, the campy comic book adventure hit the big screen, complete with painful puns, outrageous supervillains, and fights punctuated with word balloons sporting such onomatopoeic syllables as "Pow!," "Thud!," and "Blammo!" Adam West's wooden Batman is the cowled vigilante alter ego of straight-arrow millionaire Bruce Wayne and Bruce Ward's Robin (a.k.a. Dick Grayson, Bruce's young collegiate protégé) his overeager sidekick in hot pants. Together they battle an unholy alliance of Gotham City's greatest criminals: the Joker (Cesar Romero, whooping up a storm), the Riddler (giggling Frank Gorshin), the Penguin (cackling Burgess Meredith), and the purr-fectly sexy Catwoman (Lee Meriwether slinking in a skin-tight black bodysuit). The criminals are, naturally, out to conquer the world, but with a little help from their unending supply of utility belt devices (bat shark repellent, anyone?), our dynamic duo thwarts their nefarious plans at every turn. Since the TV show ran under 30 minutes an episode (with commercials), the 105-minute film runs a little thin--a little camp goes a long way--but fans of the small-screen show will enjoy the spoofing tone throughout. Leslie H. Martinson directs Lorenzo Semple's screenplay like a big-budget TV episode minus the cliffhanger endings. --Sean Axmaker
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