STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - Batman (1966)

BATMAN

(1966)
With Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Burgess Meredith, Lee Meriwether
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Reviewed by JB

Purists may prefer the recent darker incarnations of Batman, but I like to recall a time when movies based on comic books were light-hearted and fun. This feature-length adaptation of the hit television series cannot always sustain the laugh quotient of the half hour TV episodes, but it is worthwhile for the whacked-out "Rogues Gallery of Villains": Cesar Romero as the Joker, Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Lee Meriwether, ably filling in for Julie Newmar as Catwoman. Adam West and Burt Ward, of course, star as a clearly insane Batman and a hyperactive Robin. West gets the best line, one that should be up there with "Here's looking at you, kid" and "'Twas beauty killed the beast": "Somedays, you just can't get rid of a bomb."

Purposely cheesy and campy, BATMAN is tons of fun. - JB