Superhero Media: Batman the Movie (1966)

It's been said by better commentators than I that Batman the Movie functions as more of "highlight reel" of the television programme than a feature-length version of the same. Most of the main elements are there, fight scenes, gadgets, vehicles, colourful villains and unlikely escapes, but the wry humour and subtle social and political jabs are missing. The Caped Crusaders are called in to help when a cabal of villains, Penguin, the Joker, Catwoman and the Riddler, enact a complex plot to conquer the entire world. Over the next 105 minutes, we're treated to such memorable moments as the Bat-Shark Repellent, dehydrated UN delegates and a penguin-shaped submarine; it's pretty wonderful really, even if it's not quite as great as the series proper. 

If you've seen any Adam West Batman, it's likely that it was Batman the Movie, as it tends to get regular play on commercial television, usually mid-afternoon on school holidays. Even people that have never seen more than a clip compilation are aware of the Bat-Shark Repellent and classic lines like "that exploding shark was pulling my leg". Having recently finished the entire Batman series, I found that I missed little things like the sexual interplay between Batman and Catwoman and the villain plots often being more mundane than needing to conquer the world. Then again, more use of the Bat-Cycle and Bat-Copter than the budget of the average episode will allow is pretty cool and has me eyeing off some more die cast vehicles to add to my collection. Perhaps a Batcave with a motor pool? But where the hell would I store it? 

This one's a little brief because there's really not too much here to talk about. Batman the Movie is a fun romp, somehow even less serious than the series, but aside from a couple of key scenes, it's not terribly memorable. For me, Batman the Movie is a good "litmus test" for seeing if friends, loved ones or potential dates may be able to stomach watching more Adam West Batman. Although the series is a lot better than Batman the Movie would indicate, the film is about as bad as the series gets, so if you, or anyone else, can stomach the film, then the series is well within reach. Annoyingly, Batman the Movie is not included in the Batman boxed set, but it should prove easy enough to track down if you really feel like it. Still not the worst live-action Batman film by a mile.