SEASON 3
ENTER BATGIRL, EXIT PENGUIN
Commissioner Gordon's Daughter Barbara Gordon, gets kidnapped by the Penguin, and forces her to marry him, or else he'll kill her Father. Batman and Robin race to the rescue, to save Barbara; however, Barbara (Who is locked in a room) escapes from the room that she's locked in; goes to her apartment (Which is next door to the room where she's kidnapped) and changes into Batgirl to help the Dynamic Duo fight off the Penguin, while hiding her true identity.
Before I talk about the performances, the Bat-Fights, and so on, I must start by talking about a major change to the series. Instead of each Bat-Episode being a two parter, they're for the most part in this Season, just a regular half an hour Bat-Episode, which disappoints me because having each Bat-Episode as a two parter wasn't only a tradition that didn't need changing, but it gave us numerous amounts of twists and turns, as well as having plenty of comedy and Bat-Fights. Here it sadly feels rushed, and the writing in this Bat-Episode, while not bad, doesn't feel like too much thought went into it, compared to most of the Bat-Episodes in the previous Seasons. It feels like since these Bat-Episodes are now only an hour and a half, the writers don't have the time to put too much thought into a Bat-Episode. However, each Bat-Episode would end with a cliffhanger, but instead of being a Death-Trap, it's the entrance of a different villain, to set up for the next Bat-Episode. Not a bad idea, since it gives the Season a chance to have an ongoing story, instead of having Bat-Episodes that have 2 or 3 parts be stand alones, and believe me, the Second Season really screwed up their continuity! With that said, I still miss the old style of formatting Bat-Episodes that have parts as stand alones. Speaking of continuity, this Bat-Episode DOES NOT follow the continuity to Batgirl’s promo Bat-Episode (Especially since it never aired) so this Bat-Episode is a complete reboot to Batgirl’s origins.
Getting to our performers, Adam West and Burt Ward are still fun and heroic as the Dynamic Duo. Burgess Meredith is still great as The Penguin. Alan Napier is still perfect as the butler Alfred, whi even gets to do a few things in the Bat-Episode. And Stafford Repp and Neil Hamilton are still hilarious as Chief O'Hara and Commissioner Gordon. With that said, I for some reason, can't help but feel that the actors are slowly losing their touch. They're not doing a bad job or anything, but I feel like the series is starting to grow too old; and on top of it, I feel like the humor is lacking. Yvonne Craig as Batgirl does just as great of a job as she did in her Promo Bat-Episode. As Barbara she's kind and innocent; but as Batgirl, she's tough, heroic, and beautiful. On top of it, despite revealing her secret to Alfred, who he promises to keep her identity a secret from everybody including Batgirl's superiors Batman and Robin. Let's just say with Barbara in those tights along with the wig, I never would've suspected her to be Batgirl like all the other characters who are left clueless about her identity. With Bruce and Dick on the other hand I would. They don't even change their voices when they're in those tights, which are indeed very distinctive. But however, that's part of the fun of the show, where the show at least makes fun of it. However, I do hate that in this Bat-Episode there's a scene with Dick is talking about driving the Bat-Mobile to Bruce right where there's people walking by!
As for the Bat-Episode itself, it was ok. The Bat-Fights in all honesty aren't as fun or exciting as the previous ones on the show; and now when we see a pun word, not only does it cover the whole entire screen to cleverly hide most of the fake punches, but now we see flashing the colors, which is now annoying and hurts my eyes. The comic-book looking set not only looks as cool and colorful as the past two Seasons, but it looks even more colorful, almost like how the Movie looked. I especially love the design and concept for Batgirl's secret lair.
This Bat-Episode is an ok start for the third season. The performances are good, despite feeling a bit tiresome; the sets look great; and Yvonne Craig does just as great of a job as she did in her un-aired Promo Bat-Episode; but sadly, the writing and pacing feels rushed; the jokes aren't as funny as the first two Seasons; the Bat-Fights are unexciting; and making the Bat-Episodes into a half an hour long, just doesn't feel right. Not bad, but I defiantly do feel a strong weakness in this Bat-Episode, especially with some of the unneeded changes being perhaps the main part of this Bat-Episode's weakness.
RATING 2/5
RING AROUND THE RIDDLER
The Riddler has returned to Gotham and is planning on taking over Prize Fighting in Gotham City, as he disguises himself as an Arab boxer, as well as using a mind controlling drug on other boxers, which results with Batman fighting the Riddler in a boxing ring, because The Riddler tells him that people think he's a coward for not fighting him (Which is not only mentioned in that one scene, but Batman decides to box him in the same exact scene, without thinking about it, or letting the people who call him a coward get to him). Oh and The Riddler is also teaming up with a villain called The Siren. First of all, this Bat-Episode has so much stuff going on, that it doesn't flow naturally, it just feels like a one hour Bat-Episode that was cut for a half an hour. Even the ideas that this Bat-Episode has, are not as executed as well as most of the other Bat-Episodes from the previous two Seasons, they just feel half-assed.
The actor playing The Riddler in this Bat-Episode is the great Frank Gorshin who by far owns this famous Batman villain. After a long absence of not playing the villain, while we had Gomze Adams dress up as The Riddler, as well as having a rip off Riddler called The Puzzler in the last Season, despite the poor writing, I expected Gorshin to at least be fun and entertaining much like in the Bat-Episode when he does Silent Film related crimes. While I still think he's the best Riddler, I hate to say this, but his performance in this Bat-Episode is sadly just as worn out as the rest of the cast. He's not bad, but there is indeed something lacking in his performance, as well as the rest of the cast in this Bat-Episode. I've just recently watched the first Season, and found myself laughing, as well as finding some new things to like and laugh about, but here, the comedy and style is growing too old, and the actors themselves look like they know it too. Oh, and as for The Siren, I'm going to save my thoughts for her for the next Bat-Episode, because she's just there to be set-up for the next Bat-Episode, and NO, she does not appear at the end, she actually does team up with the Riddler which is sadly pointless because she hardly does anything, and she and The Riddler share zero percent chemistry.
As I said before, the rest of the cast, including our two leads, have worn out their over the top and fun charm, and do feel like they're lacking the same heart and effort that they put into the last two Seasons. Yvonne Craig as Batgirl still does a good job, but I'm sorry, much like how fans and critics feel (Even West), I feel like her character didn't feel needed. She's smart and tough, but I feel like most of the things she does in this Bat-Episode could have been easily done by our heroes. I mean there's something about the way that this Bat-Episode is written that makes her feel forced in. Even the scene when she invades The Riddler's lair, seemed pointless, since it doesn't do much for the story. The Bat-Episode also hints that Batman likes her, which feels forced, as well as not being as interesting as his relationship with Catwoman. As for the fight in the ring between Batman and The Riddler, the idea was poorly written into the Bat-Episode; it looks stupid, instead of funny; and the fight itself was really boring and unexciting. The Bat-Episode even has a climatic Bat-Fight at the end in The Riddler's hide-out and even that was boring and unexciting.
This Bat-Episode was Gorshin's last Bat-Episode as The Riddler, and the results are extremely disappointing. The writing is poor, cramped, and not funny; the performances from the original cast are lacking and tired out; Batgirl feels forced in; and the Bat-Fights are really boring and stupid.
RATING 0/5
THE WAIL OF THE SIREN
The Siren (Joan Collins) plans to take all of Bruce Wayne's fortunes by singing a high note that hypnotizes men into doing her bidding. With Wayne under her spell, only Robin and Batgirl can save him. We go from an ok Bat-Episode, to an awful one, and now we're back to a Bat-Episode that seems to bring back the charm of the show. Despite being only a half an hour long, this Bat-Episode doesn't feel cluttered, or half-assed as the others, it's actually thought out well.
Joan Collins as The Siren who I found to be very boring and uninteresting in the last Bat-Episode, makes up for it here, especially when given more to do. She's just as fun, beautiful, and classy as Marsha and Catwoman. On top of it, her scheme is so great that I didn't know how Robin and Batgirl were going to defeat her. She not only hypnotizes Bruce Wayne to give her his fortune, but she also hypnotizes Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara to do her bidding, and part of her plan is having them find out Batman's identity, and without giving anything way, it almost looks like that her plans succeed. The only thing I hate about this villain is that high pitched sound she makes. That sound is so loud, and used so many times in this Bat-Episode that my ears still hurt after watching it. Couldn't they give her a beautiful hypnotic voice or something?!
After seeing the original cast's performances being tired and worn out in the last two Bat-Episode, they bounce right back up in this Bat-Episode. At first, it seemed tiring, however, once The Siren puts her plan into motion that's when their performances get better. West, while decent as Batman, does a much better job at playing a hypnotize Bruce Wayne, as well as Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara when they're under The Siren's spell. I also admire that this Season is giving Alfred more and more things to do, and in this Bat-Episode, despite being a short scene, he does something really important in this Bat-Episode. Ward as Robin, I'll admit, his "Holy lines" are still sadly getting old, but it's not only nice seeing him and Batgirl team up to save Bruce, but we actually get to see a side of Robin that we've never ever seen before.
Remember in the last Bat-Episode how I felt that the writers forced Batgirl in to do things that Batman and Robin could have done? Here, she fits in this Bat-Episode perfectly. Since Bruce is under The Siren's spell, it is up to Batgirl to find out what The Siren is planning and help Robin stop her. I guess in many respects if we didn't have Batgirl, the writers could have thought of a twist of Bruce actually not being under her Spell, while Robin tries to save him on his own and fails, but since we've seen that so many times on the show, putting Batgirl in this Bat-Episode seemed to fit better, as well as not resorting to the same old predictable formula. Also Batgirl gets her own theme song, and the lyrics are so bad, along with music that it doesn't sound as cool as the Batman theme song, that it's actually funny for how lame it is. As for the sets, they sadly look less colorful as they were in the last two Bat-Episodes, as well as making the sets look like an obvious set, as opposed to looking like a comic-book world. Yes we've had fake sets, and cheesy effects before, but man are these sets so bland and fake looking. As for the Bat-Fight at the end, it's really nothing special compared to the others.
Despite having some weaknesses, the Bat-Episode still has enough strengths to make it decent. The story has plenty of twists and turns, as well having some really funny moments; the original cast members, while still not hitting the same high note as they did in the first two seasons, are really close to hitting it; Batgirl fits into the plot well; and The Siren is actually a pretty good villain if you can get past that ear bleeding screech. I'd give it a 3/5 but that screech is really painful to hear.
RATING 2/5
THE SPORT OF PENGUINS/A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOR
The Penguin and his rich and classy parasol friend from childhood Lola Lasagne (Ethel Merman), band together to fix a horse race so that they can win millions. It is now up to Batman, Robin, and Batgirl to foil their plans. Instead of one Bat-Episode, we now have a two parter with the same villains carrying out their same exact plan, instead of having a villain being built up for another Bat-Episode with a completely different scheme. However, despite being back to being a two parter, the Bat-Episode is sadly just as mediocre as most of the previous Bat-Episodes made this Season.
Starting off with the villains’scheme, I honestly didn't find their plan interesting or engaging. It's just them trying to fix a horse race to win cash, that's it. On top of it, for a simple plan it just seems a little too complicated for a show playing out for kids. That would be fine if it was fun and entertaining, but as I said before, it's actually pretty boring and unexciting. As for the villain that teams up with the Penguin played by Broadway singer Ethel Merman, she's really just playing herself, and her character is really uninteresting. I will admit though, I do enjoy seeing Merman and Meredith work off each other, it's just a pity that their plan is boring and Lola isn't an interesting or threatening villain at all.
What can I say about the stars; they still don't bring the same magic as they did in the first two Seasons. They still feel worn and tired out, even Burgess Meredith as The Penguin and Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, and isn't even a Season old! The Bat-Fights are still unexciting; the sets are lazy and fake; and the humor is dull.
Despite the scenes with Merman and Meredith together, it's a really lame and unexciting Bat-Episode that's just as tired-out as the series is, and even the chemistry between the villains, gets tiring once we get to the second part.
RATING 1/5
THE UNKINDEST TUT OF ALL
The Yale University Professor (Victor Buono) is back to thinking that he's King Tut again, and plans to gain the police's confidence by predicating crimes that are of course staged by him. After gaining their confidence, he plans to steal a collection of priceless Egyptian Scrolls at the Gotham City Library. However, while committing the crime, he discovers the secret identity of Batman and Robin. After seeing a previous Bat-Episode with an unexciting plot, this one really makes up for it.
If you read my reviews on the first two Seasons, than you already know how much I hate this villain, and while his plan is good, he's still annoying as hell. I seriously can't stand him, and to make things even more annoying, he has a moll who's on the same level of annoyance as him! As for the rest of the cast, they still lack the heart and magic that they brought in the previous Seasons. Batgirl's welcome has not only worn out, but now I'm starting to find her slightly annoying, and her relationship with the duo is not only annoying as well (Considering the many times that Batman and Robin question her identity, and comment about how she vanishes) but her semi-love story with Batman, as well as with Bruce Wayne as she's Barbara Gordon, is still boring and not as interesting as Batman's relationship with Catwoman. She's also really useless in the Bat-Episode as well. As for the other good stuff like the sets and Bat-Fights, they too still lack the fun and creativity as the previous two Seasons. Though I'll admit, I did love how Batman foils King Tut in the middle of the Bat-Episode, before we head to the climax. That to me brought the spirit as well as the clever and humorous writing from the original 2 Seasons.
Aside from the premise being interesting, as well as having a fun and clever twist, the rest of the Bat-Episode is still sadly mediocre, as well as annoying.
RATING 2/5
LOUIE, THE LILAC
In this Bat-Episode, the Tremendous Trio must now fight against a flowered themed villain. NO, it is not Poison Ivy; it's instead a flower loving gangster named Louie The Lilac (Milton Berle). He plans to take over the "Flower Generation" by brain-washing a hippie girl. Wow, that plan is really stupid, and it's not entertainingly stupid either, it's just boring and unexciting, and that's what pretty much the whole Bat-Episode is.
First of all, the villain; without comparing him to Poison Ivy, he's still a really lame villain. I mean come on, a gangster that obsesses over Flowers, how is that clever or creative, it sounds really lame, and it is lame! When I heard Milton Berle was playing the character, I thought he was going to be fun to watch, but sadly, he just comes off as a typical bland tough guy, who acts more like a henchman you'd see on the show, than an actual leading villain. He also has a moll who's not only as boring as he is, but she looks pretty creepy with all that Make-Up on. As for the Hippies that are in this Bat-Episode, they're really bland and annoying, but thank god that they’re forgettable. As for the rest of the Bat-Episode, it suffers from the same exact problems that this Season's been having. The actors have still lost their charm; Batgirl is still annoying and really doesn't play a big role in the Bat-Episode at all; the Bat-Fights are lame; the sets still show the same stage that we've seen on a handful of other sets in previous Bat-Episodes; and the story is boring and stupid.
What more can I say, it's a lame and boring Bat-Episode, nothing more. It's not insultingly bad, but it's still bad.
RATING 1/5
THE OGG AND I/HOW TO HATCH A DINOSAUR
Egghead is back in Gotham, but this time he's teaming up with a woman named Olga (Anne Baxter) who's Queen of the Cossacks...ooookkkkk. So what's their evil plan, well in all honesty, I'm not 100% sure since they keep changing their plans. First Egghead wants to tax Gotham City for every Egg they buy or else he'll kill a kidnapped Commissioner Gordon, however, during the plan Olga plans to capture the Duo, and Marry both Batman and Egghead since she can have 6 husbands (So her countries traditions say). However, instead of the two part Bat-Episode sticking with this scheme, the second part acts as a stand alone Bat-Episode by having Egghead bring back a Dinosaur that's inside a giant Egg, as Olga just hangs back. Seriously, when was that plan ever addressed in the last part? I do feel like I should review both of these two Bat-Episode's separately, but since this is considered a two parter, as well as featuring the same exact villains that we saw in the last Bat-Episode, who are still scheming at the end of the first part, I have to review it as one.
So aside from the fact that these two different plots don't fit together as one Bat-Episode, how is it in general? Starting off with the villains, Vincent Price comes back to reprise his role as Egghead and surprisingly he actually does just as great of a job as he did in his first Bat-Episode in Season 2, which is very rare in this Season since most of the actors seem to be losing their touch. Every single time I see him appear on screen, I always find myself getting into the fun that he's having, and the best part is he doesn't shower us with Egg puns as he did in his first Bat-Episode. Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of Egg puns in this Bat-Episode, but not enough for it to become annoying and insufferable. As for Egghead's partner in crime Olga, Queen of the Cossacks, despite being a political character with a Russian army that kids hardly know about, she's still a really fun villain. Her obsession with Batman and Egghead along with the over the top accent is not only really funny but she surprisingly isn’t annoying, nor is her character as insultingly mean spirited as you would think she would. I wish she did something in the second part, but even then she's still fun to watch and the chemistry with her and Price never gets old. Oh and a little bit of fun trivia, the actress playing Olga has previously played Zelda The Great in the classic first Season, and this is the only time on the show when a Special guest who's previously played a villain, plays another one.
While West and Ward still are tired-out from their roles, as well as having to work with an annoying and forcefully written in Batgirl that does stuff that these guys could easily do without her help, there's still enough humor and some smart writing for them (As well as the rest of the cast) to work with and make plausible. The moments that sticks out to me is when Batman and Robin question why that they never made a certain type of gadget before (Though I will admit, that joke sadly gets ruined when Batgirl has it as well in a scene later); Alfred being on the phone talking to Batman and Batgirl at the same time, while trying hard to not let any of the them suspect that he's working on both sides; how Batman outsmarts Egghead in the end, which is just as funny and clever as the writing to the endings of the Bat-Episode's from the previous two Seasons; and even the Bat-Fight that takes place during the first part was actually as entertaining as the Bat-Fights in the first two Seasons, though I will admit, it was nothing special.
While still not hitting the same exact note as the Bat-Episodes from the first two Seasons, it comes pretty close. In fact, it hits it much closer than the Bat-Episode with The Siren (Remember, the villain that can damage a viewers hearing). There's a good amount of humor that's funny; the villains are tons of fun; the Duo are close to hitting the same note as they did before; the Bat-Fight in the first part almost completely captured the same amount of a good Bat-Fight; and how Batman foils Egghead and Olga while a bit predictable, was still a better foil compared to the other foils in this Season. However, Batgirl still sucks and feels forcefully written in; the climatic Bat-Fight was boring; the sets are still obviously put on the same stage; and the two Bat-Episodes don't feel connected, despite the fact that they are. Still, it is one of the better ones in this Season, so I'm rewarding it the love or hate rating.
RATING 3/5
SURF'S UP! JOKER'S UNDER!
Oh my god, this Bat-Episode! The Bat-Episode that people say when the series has officially "jumped the shark", though I personally thought the show "jumped the shark" a long time ago! However, is it really that stupid? Well, The Joker plans to steal the talent from a Surfer with a machine that he created, and become a Surfing champion so people will follow him and do what he says. Batman of course is on the case. OK, this plot is beyond stupid! I mean seriously that's The Joker's plan, to become the best Surfer ever so people can follow him, that's got to be one of the lamest evil schemes that I've ever heard.
Do you know why this Bat-Episode was made, and why it made Surfing its theme; so it can appeal to a teenage crowd proving that Batman can be just as hip and cool as the teen crowd, by Surfing and saying cool phrases like cowabunga and stuff that sound out of character. I can see Robin doing this stuff, but with Batman and the freaking Joker, no, just no! The whole concept of Batman and The Joker surfing as a crowd of teenage beach goers cheer for them isn't appealing, it just feels desperate! You know those School assembly's when you were passed Elementary School where they have the Teachers or a guest speaker talk to you about the dangers of drugs or something, but would try to appeal to the students by doing something hip and cool, which feels very silly, awkward, and desperate; that's how I feel about this Bat-Episode. It's like the writers and producers weren't trying to make a funny and clever Bat-Episode, all they wanted to do was to appeal to the teenage crowd to get ratings.
Cesar Romero returns as The Joker, and he too has sadly lost his touch. While still having the energy, his performance feels just as tired-out as our leads along with Meredith and Gorshin; and instead of being fun and sinister; he now acts like a child in a grown mans body that becomes a bit of a whiner. I honestly can't tell you how disappointed I am with Romero's performance in this Bat-Episode. West and Ward still don't hit the same note as they used too; Chief O'Hara and Commissioner Gordon have to wear cool and hip looking beach disguises that looks painfully ridiculous on them; and just when you think that the hot swimsuit wearing Barbara Gordon wasn't going to resort to her Batgirl identity, she does only for the Bat-Fight at the end that Batman and Robin could have easily handled by themselves.
As you may have guessed, the sets still show that they were filmed on the exact same stage; I mean seriously what happened to the budget for this show? They're not only just as obvious looking as they were in the previous Bat-Episode's made during this Season, but even the Window that Batman and Robin come crashing through is an obvious set-piece that was placed in the middle of the set. Seriously, you can clearly see the rest of the sound stage through the window. As for the scene when Batman and The Joker Surf against each other; it's just as boring and embarrassing as the time when Batman boxed against the Riddler. The image and set-up is too ridiculous even for the show's standards; the green-screen effect was boringly bad, instead of being so bad that its funny and fits with the shows campy world; there's no excitement or comedy to it aside from the fact that Batman and The Joker are Surfing; and the only piece of action we get is Batman using his Bat-Spray Shark Repellant against a NON-exploding shark, which was a desperate and forced in nod to the movie. The only thing I can say was nearly good in the Bat-Episode was the Bat-Fight at the end; that was just as close as capturing the charm of the series like the previous Bat-Episode, but sadly it really wasn't that exciting or memorable for that matter, and feels just as tired-out as everything else.
This Bat-Episode is embarrassingly desperate to appeal to the teenage crowd. Nothing about the concept works, nor does it seem like a plausible concept to begin with. I don't know if I should I call it the worst Bat-Episode of all time, but it's really (And I mean really) close to it!
RATING 0/5
THE LONDINIUM LARCENIES/THE FOGGIEST NOTION/THE BLOODY TOWER
This is the first and only three part Bat-Episode made in this Season, as well as being the last, and usually when there's a three part Bat-Episode we get a team up of villains who've previously appeared on the show. While this Bat-Episode does have two villains, they're not villains that we've seen before. These are villains who are fresh and new, and have been created specifically for the show. Despite breaking a part of a tradition with the three part formula for the show, does it work? Well, the Bat-Episode's premise is about Batman and Robin being sent to England to the city of Londinium (Why not London, I haven't the foggiest idea why) to stop two fog themed criminals that have been stealing treasures and rare items, while acting as respectable aristocrats when they're not robbing, since nobody knows that it was them. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon along with his daughter Barbara are on vacation in Londinium, as they help the Dynamic Duo catch the crooks.
Now for those of you who are wondering why the series decided to put the Dynamic Duo in England, instead of Gotham City where they always fight crime, it’s so the show can appeal to young audiences who are obsessed with "Swinging London". The 60s was not only a time of peace and war, but it was also the time when England ruled America with its fashion, music, and films. Two of the most iconic and popular British trends that went on during the 60s was British rock bands (Especially with everyone being obsessed with "The Beatles"), and the 007 films (Not to mention the fact that these two things had a B in front of it, like the Batman craze that was going on at the time). Even Disney's most beloved live action film that was made at the time was about a magical British Nanny named "Mary Poppins". So with the success of the "Swinging London" craze, the show decided to try it. How did it do, in all honesty, its pretty weak. It's not as insultingly lame and embarrassing as the previous Bat-Episode, but it just feels only there as bate to appeal to its target crowd. Like there's really nothing special about the way the show captures Britain, we get a few references to Sherlock Holmes, "Around The World In 80 Days", and old time Britain, as well as hearing British slang terms, but they just feel there to make the reference. Plus, this is all based on old fashion Britain, instead of the current stuff that's going on that made Britain rule America at that time. The closest the Bat-Episode ever got to referencing current British culture, is when Dick is playing the drums with a long black wig as Bruce at one point calls him Ringo; and that joke and reference actually felt desperate and forced so it can give modern audiences at the time a laugh.
The villains in the Bat-Episode are Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and his sister Lady Penelope Peasoup (Ha ha, get it...uh boy) played by Rudy Vallee and Glynis Johns and man are they boring. There's nothing about these two that I find fun or interesting about them, nor do I find their plan threatening. Even their methods of stealing items by using Fog that comes out of Ffogg's pipe to blind people or parallelize them, isn't that cool or intimdating either. Ffogg's Sister also runs a school for girls only to teach them how to be crooks with her Daughter Prudence as the leader to help them with crimes, and even they are boring and forgettable. All they do really is capture Robin by seducing him, that's it! I think its fun to note that for those of you who are not familiar with the name Glynis Johns, you probably know her best from the classic British Disney movie "Mary Poppins" as Mrs.Banks. I will admit, at first she was a fun villain, but once we got to the second part, that's where she starts to become boring. Know what I would think would be awesome, instead of Rudy Vallee as Ffogg; I think it would be a lot better if the show casted David Tomlinson as the villain, with Glynis Johns by his side. I'm dead serious, it would be great seeing these two work together as evil villains, instead of neglecting parents. Hell, I think Monte Landis (Aka Mario the magician from "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure") who plays Ffogg's butler henchman, would be a better choice. In fact, I think he's the closest to being fun, interesting, and threatening compared to the lead villains. As for the traps that our villains spring on the heroes, they’re not intense, or so bad that they are silly. I think the lamest trap is when Robin trips on a wire that releases a deadly bee from a bee hive, and the bee that pops out of the Bee hive is a toy bee with a string attached to it. I know this show has bad effects that make it fun to watch, but this effect is so ridiculous that it’s not even funny, nor does Ward bring any type of comedy when he's being attacked.
West and Ward, not just feel tired out in this Bat-Episode, but they too look and feel as tired out as the show is, especially West. I mean good god, he's acting like George Clooney as Batman in this Bat-Episode, looking bored and not caring or putting any heart into his performance. The scene when Batman forgets who he is when Ffogg uses a machine to erase his mind (That for some reason when Batman wakes up all the people in front of him disappear like ghosts); he lacks any humor or energy, nor is he as over the top as he usually is when he's drugged or losing control. Batgirl, what can I say, she's still annoying, and still feels forcefully written in. In fact, Batman even states that they don't need her assistance during a Bat-Fight. Speaking of forcefully written in characters; Aunt Harriett makes an out of nowhere and pointless cameo as she arrives in England on her way back from a trip to surprise Bruce and Dick, as she sits in the Police headquarters talking to Commissioner Gordon; and after that scene we never see her again, nor does she appear in the rest of the series, making this her last Bat-Episode. Wow, what a way to throw away a character that we spent a lot of time with in both Seasons, as well as seeing the character to have more of a role in the second Season. She's only been in two Bat-Episodes during this whole entire Season. Ok, I'm not going to be too hard on her lack of appearance in this Season because the actress was suffering from declining health and died a year or 2 later; it's just a pity that she's hardly in this Season and just as she was becoming to be more than an innocent worry wart. As for Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara, and Alfred, they give a better performance compared to our leads, but with that said, there's nothing that really stands out about their performance in this Bat-Episode.
While being bad as most of the other Bat-Episodes during this Season there were a few things that I did find cool. While the sets look just as obvious as the other Bat-Episodes, there was a little bit more creativity put into them, to give it its British look. I think the best set in the whole Bat-Episode is the Bat-Dungeon that looks way cooler than the BatCave (Though the BatCave is awesome too). I also like how the British Police Headquarters is the same set as Gotham City Police Headquarters with different props, which of course the Bat-Episode itself playfully acknowledges. I also thought the Bat-Gadgets were pretty cool. This Bat-Episode also has the best Bat-Fights in this whole season. They're not just fun, action-packed, choreographed well like the previous Bat-Fights in the last two Seasons instead of being boring; but they also happen at some very creative locations. All I hate are those annoying flashing colors when a pun word pops out.
While being one of the better Bat-Episodes made during this Season, it’s for the most part dull and boring with its villains; performances; uninteresting story-line; and its lame attempt at trying to attract audiences with its "Swinging London" theme.
RATING 2/5
CATWOMAN'S DRESSED TO KILL
Catwoman has returned to Gotham and plans to steal a Golden Fleece from a Queen that's appearing in Gotham, and if Catwoman steals it, a war will break out. However, Catwoman has captured Batgirl and plans to saw her in half with a very slow automatic buzz-saw. Will Batman and Robin stop Catwoman from starting a war, or save Batgirl? I must say this about the Bat-Episode's plot, at first I wasn't interested in it, but as I let it play out, it actually did keep my interest wondering what our heroes are going to do. In fact, Batgirl doesn't even feel forcefully written in this Bat-Episode; the Bat-Episode clearly needed her, despite that she has to be rescued.
Since Julie Newmar couldn't do the show since she was busy filming "Mackenna's Gold", singer Eartha Kitt was given the role. Now, I've heard people say that this is a different character dressed as Catwoman, but as far as this Bat-Episode goes, she isn't; Kitt is playing the same character despite her black skin, as well as being shorter than Newmar and Meriwether. However, while she's playing the same character, the whole love subplot between Batman and Catwoman has been completely dropped because of race issues during that time, and Batman now falls for Batgirl. While some maybe distracted that the character is played by someone who isn't white, I personally don't mind the recasting at all. Don't get me wrong, the idea of dropping the romantic subplot between these two is beyond stupid, not just because of the stupid racism at the time, but the fact that she's playing the exact same character that Newmar and Meriwether have played. Hell, despite her skin being black, she doesn't act out of character at all, she literally brings the same class, charm, and fun to the character as the previous actresses did, as well as really acing those purrs! Even the characters don't even comment on her change of skin either. Besides this isn't the first time a villains been re-casted or changed in terms of design. Look at the Mr. Frezzes that followed after George Sanders in the second Season for example; they're the same character, but they all have completely different designs. I know I criticized the Mr.Freezes’ that followed after Sanders', but it wasn't the design that I criticized (If anything they were improvements from the suit that Sanders' wore), it was the performance. If you find Catwoman's change of race distracting, I guess I can understand, but if you're cool with the changes to the villains in previous Bat-Episodes and are not cool with this change only because of the race and not the performance itself; I'm not one to judge a person, but I'd suspect that you're probably a racist.
Aside from Kitt's puurrrfffeccct performance, the rest of the cast still lack the magic that they had, as well as going as far to make Alfred dress-up like a hippie, which is another embarrassing way to appeal to the teenage crowd. Also the joke with Batman and Robin not entering a woman's dressing room to catch a criminal, was jut as stupid as almost letting The Joker's moll Susie get away by not going into the girl's locker room in the first Season. With that said, they do get one or two good jokes to work with; such as Batman and Robin talking about a possible war; and Chief O'Hara interrupting an award ceremony. As for the Bat-Fight that happens at the end, while not that exciting, it does have one or two cool moments.
This Bat-Episode is indeed one of the better ones made this Season, and aside from having an interesting premise and a few good jokes, it's really Eartha Kitt's performance that makes it a real treat to watch.
RATING 3/5
THE OGG COUPLE
Egghead and Olga are back in Gotham, and the two plan to steal a large stash of caviar that is worth millions. Batgirl catches on to the plan before Batman and Robin can, but she gets kidnapped in the process. It is now up to Batman and Robin to save Batgirl and defeat Egghead and Olga.
Vincent Price and Anne Baxter return to reprise their roles for the last time in the series, and despite their plan not being interesting, as well as the way they pull it off, they're still fun to watch. Baxter still keeps her over the top charm, with that exaggerated accent; while Price, keeps his fun and over the top class and elegance. I will admit though, I did find it insulting that Egghead keeps getting himself pushed around by Olga and Batgirl, which makes him a total wuss. He's been pushed around before, but the amount of times he cowares and fears as he gets pushed around in this Bat-Episode really makes me lose a bit of respect for this smart and classy Egg themed villain. By the way, when we first see Olga, Egghead, and the Cossacks; we get a really lame rehash of a joke used in the last Bat-Episode that they appeared in.
There's nothing new I can say about West and Ward's performance in this Bat-Episode, they're performances still don't have that same magic, along with the rest of the supporting cast, including Batgirl. However, I will say this about Batgirl being in this Bat-Episode, the only thing she gives to this Bat-Episode is being a damsel in distress like in the previous one. Seriously, in almost every single Bat-Episode made this Season (So far) she either feels forcefully written in to do stuff that Batman and Robin could've of easily done; and when she does play an important role its usually when she's kidnapped. In fact, her kidnapping and getting in trouble in this Bat-Episode not only makes things tougher for the duo, as well as almost letting the villain's get away; but Batman tries to convince her that crime-fighting should be left only for the men, which makes Batman sound like a sexist asshole. To be fair, he does afterwards think that she should keep fighting crime, but at the same time, I did feel it was a bit too mean and out of character for Batman to even suggest such a thing. As far as the Bat-Episode goes, it's pretty unexciting and not at all that funny. However, I will admit, Batgirl fighting the Cossacks before getting captured was actually pretty fun and cool to watch (Even though I still hate those flashing bright colors). I also found myself laughing as Batgirl has to dance to avoid getting stabbed by swords.
This Bat-Episode is nothing special, but it's nothing horrible either. It's just a mediocre, yet tolerable Bat-Episode, with Price and Baxter being our real source of fun entertainment from beginning to end.
RATING 2/5
THE FUNNY FELINE FELONIES/THE JOKE'S ON CATWOMAN
In this two part Bat-Episode; The Joker has been released from The Gotham City State Penitentiary for his good behavior (Like most villains in the series); however, he and Catwoman are actually teaming up to figure out the clues of an ancient riddle to find a hidden source of gunpowder for their next crime (Shouldn’t this be a Bat-Episode with The Riddler?). Batman, Robin, and Batgirl must now stop these evil crooks’s plan, and put them behind bars.
I'm going to admit, when the Bat-Episode first started, it seemed promising. The actors were starting to get close to their old comical and campy charm (Robin said a Holy line that actually made me laugh during this tired out Season); the plan seemed like an interesting and creative premise; Joker and Eartha Kitt's Catwoman teaming up sounded like it was going to be a fun partnership; and their was some really good humor in the first part that actually made me laugh, especially from the rich teenage Tycoon character Little Louie Groovy, who's reactions to his apartment getting destroyed during the Bat-Fight had me laughing. Even little jokes like the idiotic cops at the prison not taking any action to save the "Kidnapped" Joker; and the sleazy hotel that Joker and Catwoman stay at called "The Sleazy Hotel" are really funny gags that bring back the humor from what the first two Seasons had. The only problem I had with the first part is, at the end of the previous Bat-Episode, we see Catwoman and The Joker already banding together; when in this Bat-Episode, Joker just got released from Prison. That's really awful continuity, but I was willing to overlook it, to enjoy the Bat-Episode.
However, once the second part came around, that's when everything went back to its lazy and tired-out roots. Batman and Robin are back to being boring and tiring; Batgirl is pretty much useless in this part; Romero, while not all that great in the first part, he's really boring in the second part; and Eartha Kitt as Catwoman who I loved in her debut Bat-Episode, is just as boring and tired-out as the rest of the cast, and her constant purrs are starting to feel tiring and annoying. This is by the way is Eartha Kitt’s last performance as Catwoman, as well as the last Bat-Episode to star this villain, and man was it a terrible exit; not just because she was boring, but the romantic subplot is completely dropped, nor hinted at; and Batman and Catwoman don't even bid each other an emotional good bye at the end. I know that the writers didn't know it was going to be her last Bat-Episode, but dropping the romantic subplot completely all because of race, despite the fact that she's the same character (Not once does this Bat-Episode imply that she's a different woman) just really pisses me off! Remember the character Little Louie Groovy who I loved in the first part; he's boring too. We also have some new characters like the couple that own a Lighthouse, and a smart lawyer, and even they are boring. This Bat-Episode even fails to show a character from the first part named Karnaby Katz. During the courtroom scene in the Bat-Episode, every victim is testifying against the evil duo, and when they call Katz up to the stand, we cut to the next person testifying. Maybe the Producers had problems bringing the actor back, but it seems pretty stupid that they would still include his character for the courtroom scene, instead of making up a reason for why he didn't show up.
The actors are not only boring, but everything else feels lazy and half-assed. The humor is dull; the Bat-Fight is a complete mess; and even the writing feels half-assed. There's a scene when The Joker and Catwoman are shocked to see the duo alive, but there's no reason for them too since they left no Death-Trap to kill them during their last encounter. The only person that they should only be surprised to see alive is Batgirl, that's it; but no, they act as if the trap that they sprung on Batgirl was also sprung on Dynamic Duo. How lazy can the writing get? The sets are not only on the same stage that was used in every other Bat-Episode made this Season, but the laziest set I've ever seen on the show, is when the crooks are outside of the Lighthouse. It's not only clear that they're on a stage, but in the background that doesn't even take half of the stage, we see a painted billboard that's supposed to be Gotham City at night. WHAT THE HELL HAPPEN TO THE BUDGET?! I know the sets in the first two Seasons were fake too, but they were creative, fun, colorful, and above all, didn't look like they were filmed on the same exact stage that we keep seeing in this Season. I mean the fake painted background for when Batman and Robin are fighting the villains in the movie, looked for real than these sets! The sets all look like stuff you'd see on a low budget community theater stage, not a TV show.
While the first half seemed promising and decent, everything goes completely downhill when we get to the second part, which for me kills this two part Bat-Episode. Even the good stuff in the first part, isn't strong enough for me to recommend you to give it a watch.
RATING 1/5
LOUIE'S LETHAL LILAC TIME
Louie The Lilac is back, and has kidnapped Bruce and Dick to help him make a Lilac perfume. With Commissioner Gordon under the impression that the Dynamic Duo are on vacation; it is up to him, the police, Alfred, and Batgirl to rescue Bruce and Dick. Ok, aside from Louie's boring evil scheme of making a Lilac perfume, the Bat-Episode did have an interesting premise. In fact, I was actually hoping that Batgirl would be the hero and rescue the duo, with no help at all with taking on Louie and his gang, nor would Bruce and Dick figure out a way to escape. However, all the hope of Batgirl trying to save Bruce and Dick without any help sadly never happens and she winds up as a victim that Bruce and Dick have to save, making Batgirl's appearance stupid and pointless.
Milton Berle plays this flower loving gangster villain for the last time, and he's still boring, as well as having a very boring plan. He also has an Asian moll by his side that is both bland and annoying. As for the rest of the cast, what can I say, the charm that they had is really lacking. It's so lacking that the jokes and humorous situations that they're given should be funny, but it feels bland that prevents it from being a funny. A few examples are the scene when Alfred prevents Barbara from finding out Bruce and Dick's secret identity in Wayne's study, and while it had a really fun idea, Alfred's worried reactions aren't as funny as they used to be, and him telling her that the beeping noise are the ghosts of Wayne Manor is a really lame cover up, with hardly any humor put into it. Another moment I can think of is when Barbara prevents a maintenance man from finding her secret closet and the way she prevents him from finding out is a fun idea, but the delivery from both actors is bland and annoying. There's even a scene when Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara, and Barbara watch clips of Batman fighting crime, which is pointless and not funny in the least, as well as making me question where they got the footage from. I know Batman has some gadgets that are questionable too, but the humor from the actors and the creative and humorous writing is what makes the questionable gadgets so plausible. Here, it feels boring and half-assed. The only joke I laughed at was how Bruce and Dick were able to bring their costumes with them, that's it. As for the sets and the Bat-Fight, I really don't have anything new to add or comment on; everything I criticized about those things have already been stated in most of the previous Bat-Episode's made this Season.
While the Bat-Episode had an interesting concept, and jokes that could've been funny; the execution of those things are horrible, and all the stuff that makes this Season fall flat is all in this Bat-Episode.
RATING 1/5
NORA CLAVICLE AND THE LADIES' CRIME CLUB
Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara, and even the Gotham City police have all lost their jobs and are now being replaced by women, lead by Women's Rights Activist Nora Clavicle (Barbara Rush). The women however not only stink at protecting Gotham city, but Nora is actually an evil schemer who plans to destroy Gotham with an army of robotic mice that will explode. It is now up to Batman, Robin, and Batgirl to figure out how to stop those mice and get the men back their jobs as Police cops. First of all, WOW, just WOW! For a show that's now trying to prove that women are just as strong as men, it's doing a really, and I mean a really poor job at doing it! Not just because Batgirl feels forcefully written in almost every Bat-Episode. Not just for the amount of times that Batgirl gets captured resulting with Batman and Robin constantly saving her. And not just the fact that Batman becomes a sexist asshole, despite the little stuff that Batgirl has done for them. But the fact that this Bat-Episode shows that women are useless and evil when given high authority!
Alright, I know that this show is a comedy that's not supposed to be taken seriously, but being marketed towards a young audience with a message showing kids and teens that women aren't capable at doing things outside of cleaning, cooking, and regular work jobs, is really a bad and misleading message. I mean throughout the Bat-Episode we see women as cops caring more about their looks, than they do with stopping a criminal robbing a bank. And when they see mice that pose a threat to them, they scream and hop on top of a chair or a desk before fainting, instead of doing something about it! As for the men, they not only think that they should be under law patrol instead of women, but they can't do a thing without their wives cooking and cleaning for them, since they can't do it their-selves. And the crazy thing is when the war is over, the men don't learn a single lesson from the experience, except that women are useless when it comes to power and fighting crime; and the ones that are smart and strong are actually evil, which makes this one of the most insulting and offensive sexist message that I've ever seen! I don't care if women are making fun of themselves, the messageos still horrible! So horrible that it makes me wonder if any of the women casted in this Bat-Episode (Aside from Yvonne Craig) have any respect for themselves at all, and how this Bat-Episode is tarnishing the image of women.
As you may have guessed, the performances are still boring and unfunny, and Barbara Rush as the villain is very dull and boring. The sets are still half-assed and show the same stage that the actors have performing on. And we don't get a Bat-Fight at all, which I guess is a good thing considering how bad the Bat-Fight's have gotten during this Season. The only thing I thought was funny is how Batman defeats the robotic mice, but that's about it.
I must honestly say, after seeing Bat-Episode's with Batman boxing a worn-out Frank Gorshin; and seeing Batman Surf against The Joker to desperately try to appeal to a hip teenage crowd; this has got to be the worst Bat-Episode that I've ever seen by far! The message and portrayal of Women in power is really disgraceful in every stretch of the imagination (and remember this is marketed to a young audience), and just because one joked worked, that for me isn't enough for it to save the sexist message and portrayal of women, along with everything that makes this Season bad!
RATING 0/5
PENGUIN'S CLEAN SWEEP
The Penguin taints the ink on money with a Lygerian Sleeping Sickness, and if the people in Gotham come into contact with the money they will be in a thousand year deep sleep. However, the Penguin and his gang injected themselves with a drug that will make them immune to the virus and when the people in Gotham throw away their money or pass out, he will take the money and use it outside of Gotham City. Can Batman, Robin, and Batgirl save all the people in Gotham City from the virus?
I must say out of all the bad, ok, and horrendous Bat-Episode's made this Season, this one actually comes the closest to hitting the same tune as the Bat-Episodes from the previous two Seasons; and I seriously mean that too! I don't know if it’s me, or if the Producers and actors actually giving a damn, but whatever the case is, it’s really good. West and Ward, somehow do manage to bring back their classic fun and over the top the charm. I guess the reason why is because they're given a little more to work with. Like the scene when they're being attacked by The Penguin's flies, that we never see (Except during a close encounter), but hear the buzzing noise for example. Since West and Ward are losing their touch during the majority of Bat-Episodes made this Season, the scene of them pretending to swap flies and be afraid of them wouldn't be plausible due to their loss of their fun and over the top charm to make the scene funny. However, the humorous reactions from West and Ward are so hilarious, that the scene did work along with the writing and bad effects. I especially died when I saw Robin getting in close contact with a fly. In fact, the rest of the old cast are really funny, along with the humorous moments that we see them in. The only cast member that appears in every Bat-Episode that I found to be boring and pointless was Batgirl, that's it.
Burgess Meredith plays The Penguin for the last time on the show, and even he brings back his old over the top charm. Every scene I see him in I can't help but laugh and enjoy the fun that he's having. I mean, the minute I first saw him appear in this Bat-Episode with the thought that his performance isn't going to be as good as his previous performances from the last two Seasons, I suddenly laughed and got invested into his performance from beginning to end. I just can't tell you how pleased I am with him and the rest of the cast's performances in this Bat-Episode. The only things I can fault this Bat-Episode for aside from the useless Batgirl, is half of the sets are still obviously on the same stage (Though, I do think the machine that prints money was a really cool set piece); and the boring Bat-Fight at the end, but other than that, it's still a really good Bat-Episode.
This is very rare for a Bat-Episode in this whole Season to bring the same charm as the Bat-Episodes did before this Season, especially when being after perhaps the worst Bat-Episode of all time! Maybe the rest of the Season will get better, or maybe it will hit rock-bottom again, but either way this Bat-Episode is indeed a fun watch.
RATING 3/5
THE GREAT ESCAPE/ THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY
In this two part Bat-Episode, which is in fact the last two part Bat-Episode of the series; Western themed villain Shame (Cliff Robertson) has been broken out of the jail with the help of his love interest (Who we've never met or heard of in the last Bat-Episode with Shame from the Second Season) Calamity Jan (Dian Merrill). Jan along with her Mother (Hermione Baddeley) has rounded up a gang for Shame to help Shame with his crime to rob a train full of cash. Batman, Robin, and Batgirl are on the case, but Batgirl gets captured (OF COURSE!) and it’s up to the Duo to stop the criminals and save Batgirl. Ok, remember how much I praised the last Bat-Episode for bringing things back on track; this Bat-Episode surprisingly does the same!
Don't get me wrong, the problems that I have with this Season, are still here! Batgirl is nothing but a forcefully written in damsel in distress and is still more of a dweeb than Robin is; we're still looking at an obvious stage for most of the sets; and the Bat-Fights are an unexciting eye hurting mess. Also some of the members in Shame's gang are pretty lame. Dian Merrill as Shame's love interest Calamity Jan, while the two do get some funny moments together, she's pretty boring and is really just a bland moll who just happens to be played by a big named star. There's also a racially insensitive Indian on Shame's team, which I'll admit has one or two funny moments, but the majority of the actors performance is on the same level of racial insensitivity as Chief Screaming Chicken in Egghead's first Bat-Episode from Season 2. Aside from all that, this Bat-Episode is great.
Cliff Robertson plays this Western themed villain for the last time, and his performance is just as fun and Western like as his last performance in the last Bat-Episode that he was in; and giving this villain a traditional Western theme crime of robbing a train, while cliche, it's a better and more fitting motivation for this Western themed criminal, than building a fast car. His gang aside from his love interest and cringe worthy racial Indian stereotype are a lot of fun. Hermione Baddeley (Who you may know her as the maid Ellen in "Mary Poppins") as Calamity Jan's strict Mother that breaks up Shame and Calamity Jan's romantic moments is a lot of fun; and the Mexican Bandit with a heavy British accent is not only funny, but the gag of Shame's reaction towards the accent is hilarious. The rest of the cast are still back on track, and West and Ward haven't bored me once or failed to make me laugh. I think their funniest moment is when they're effected by Shame's "Fear Gas", I honestly couldn't stop laughing at their over the top performance. While the sets in the show still look like they're on the same exact stage that we keep on seeing, I do at least like the detail with these Western set pieces, it’s just a pity that they didn't build enough to cover the rest of the stage. While the Bat-Fights in the Bat-Episode are a tired-out mess, the final one on one showdown between Batman and Shame surprisingly actually did keep me entertained and excited, which is very rare for this Season to do.
Two solid Bat-Episodes’s in a row, that to me is a record for this tired out and half-assed Season. West and Ward are fun; the villain is enjoyable; the writing and jokes are funny and creative; the set pieces look nice; and the Bat-Fight at the end was enjoyable. I don't know how the last three Bat-Episode's that I'm going to review are going to do, but this Bat-Episode is one of the few Bat-Episode's made this Season that I consider to be good.
RATING 3/5
I'LL BE A MUMMY'S UNCLE
King Tut wants to build an indestructible empire and searches for the strongest mental that can be found underneath Wayne Manor, where of course the BatCave is, and with King Tut already suspecting Batman and Robin's secret identity, it mighty seem to be curtains for their crime fighting career, unless they can figure out a way to keep Tut from finding the BatCave. Aside from King Tut as our main villain, I was at least hoping that this Bat-Episode would at least have enough comedy; fun and clever writing; and a good Bat-Fight in the BatCave for it to become plausible, sadly this Bat-Episode has set itself back to the overly stupid and bland mediocrity that this Season has been known for.
West and Ward throughout the Bat-Episode had me so bored, that I felt like falling asleep! I mean what happened to the campy charm that they just had in the previous two Bat-Episodes, it’s like they just stopped caring again! Ok, I did laugh at the last line that Batman said in the Bat-Episode, but that's it. It really pains me to see them go back to being dull, boring, and tired out. Victor Buono plays our villain King Tut for the last time, and man am I so glad that I won't be seeing this lame and annoying villain ever again, and yes the stuff I dislike about the performance and villain is all here, along with a boring plan to go with it. Ok, I will give this villain credit for finding the BatCave, while also knowing where it exactly is. I actually did get a bit worried that the Duo's cover is about to be blown by a villain that I really despise. Even when knowing that somehow the Duo are going to find some way to erase his memory, I was still just as curious to know how they're going to keep this villain from remembering; much like how I'm curious about how the Duo are going to escape a Death-Trap, despite knowing that they're going to live. However, giving King Tut credit for being the first to know where the BatCave is; I still think he's an annoyingly lame villain.
I honestly don't have anything else to say that's new since everything that I've been blabbering about of what's wrong with the majority of Bat-Episodes made this Season, still remains. Even the Bat-Fight in the BatCave as we see some of the equipment get damaged is just as boring as the majority of Bat-Fights made this Season. While not a horrible Bat-Episode since it did keep my interest after the first half, its still not a good one due to how bland, dull, and annoying it is, and even when I did take an interest into the Bat-Episode once King Tut finds the BatCave, I still found it to be a very boring and unfunny Bat-Episode with a total loss of the charm that the show is known for.
RATING 1/5
THE JOKER'S FLYING SAUCER
The Joker plans to terrorize Gotham and the world with his flying saucer, and Batgirl and Alfred are kidnapped. Can the Duo stop The Joker's planed invasion and rescue Batgirl and Alfred? Going into this Bat-Episode knowing about the concept, I thought this Bat-Episode with The Joker was going to be just as stupid and painfully cringe worthy as when The Joker wanted to be the King of the Surfers. However, it surprisingly didn't reach that level of shark jumping idiocy. With that said, it’s still a really bad Bat-Episode.
Cesar Romero plays The Joker for the final time in the series, and while having the energy, the humor that he's given is poor; his plan is lame and uninteresting; and he still lacks the same charm that he used to have, despite trying really hard to bring it back. The only thing I find plausible about The Joker's flying Saucer is the sets for inside the saucer and how it is shot, that's it. He doesn't at all use any high tech gadgets to take over Gotham and the world. He just uses the Saucer and a guy dressed as an Alien to cause a panic, which is really lame and not at all a threatening scheme.
West and Ward aren't as boring and lifeless as they were in the previous Bat-Episode, but they still don't have the same charm that they used to have. The energy is there, but the humor that they're given is really poor, and not well written. The scene when they survive a near death situation for example, is so lazily written in, as well as lacking any humor from our leads that this is one of the rare times where I not only not laughed at what they did to survive, but don't at all buy by their survival all together. Even how Batgirl gets out of a dangerous situation was just as rushed and lazily written as how Batman and Robin survived a near death situation. If the writing put the same amount of thought and humor as the first two Seasons did, or at least had a funny delivery from the actors that didn't feel rushed or lacking, it would've been plausible, but sadly it doesn't work. The only thing that I came close to laughing at was The Joker's moll questioning about Alfred talking into a hanky that has a secret Bat-Radio device inside it, but even the humor in that scene was dull and lacking. As for the other problems that I've been complaining about this Season are still here, aside from the set for the inside of The Joker's flying Saucer.
While this concept could have been a lot worse, its still just as bad as pretty much every other Bat-Episode made this Season, and this being Romero's exit in the series really makes me sad.
RATING 1/5
THE ENTRANCING DR. CASSANDRA
Dr. Cassandra (Ida Lupino) and her husband Cabala (Howard Duff) have created a device that can make them invisible and plan to release Gotham City's top arch criminals from The Gotham State Penitentiary to take over Gotham. Batman, Robin, and Batgirl try to stop the couple, but are turned into cardboard by a ray gun by just standing right in front of it looking not at all amused by it. Will these criminals succeed?
I have to admit, I really like this set-up, despite feeling like it should be a two or three part Bat-Episode. On top of it, I really did like the humor because there actually were some moments that made me laugh, like the mini Bat-Phone that Batman keeps in his utility belt; the reaction from our heroes as they're being turned into cardboard; and the creative Bat-Machines that Batman just so happens to have in the BatCave, which granted are as lazily written in as the stuff in the previous Bat-Episode, but are still inventively funny. Even West and Ward, as well as Napier do a fun job working with the humor that they're given, instead of feeling boring and tiresome.
While there are things that I do praise about the Bat-Episode, there are indeed some major problems that I have with it. The villains are sadly boring and uninteresting, and while both performers try to be funny and villainous, they sadly still come off as bland and unfunny villains that just happen to have a good plan, and even that plan is executed poorly in the Bat-Episode. Since it was really expensive to get the original actors to play the classic recurring villains on the show, we instead get obvious stand-ins, who are shot from a far away distance, with their backs mostly turned, as we hear obvious dubbing of the original actor's voices from previous Bat-Episodes, as well as hearing at times really bad impersonations. On top of it, since the original actors aren't playing the villains, the whole climatic Bat-Fight involves our heroes fighting invisible crooks in the dark to even the odds. The ideas of that Bat-Fight sounds plausible, but would only work if they got they got the original actors to play the villains, as well as giving each villain time to shine and work off each other, which this Bat-Episode doesn't do at all, nor could they since it’s only a half hour! The opportunity is so completely missed, that our heroes just might as well be just fighting invisible henchmen, than actual villains that are useless, do nothing but fight, and are not played at all by any of the original actors.
I also don’t like some of the villains that they chose to put into this Bat-Episode. First of all, why is King Tut with these villains, he clearly got his memory back as the Yale University Professor in the last Bat-Episode that he was in. Did he go back to thinking that he was King Tut again? If that’s the case, did Batman and Robin put him behind bars off-screen; obviously the police didn’t, because they can’t without the duos help to catch this type of criminal. If that’s the case, for a season that’s trying to follow continuity, it’s really doing a very, and I mean very poor job at it. I even question if King Tut remembers where the BatCave is since when he becomes King Tut, he remembers his encounter with the duo? I also hate that for a hero like Batman who doesn’t fight women (and I’m only talking about this version of Batman), he sure doesn’t mind socking Catwoman, which really disturbs me considering what these two characters have been through, despite all that being ignored in this Season! Also I don’t get why this Bat-Episode has a “The End” title card, when it’s clearly setting itself up for another Bat-Episode. What was the point in that?!
While this Bat-Episode does have some good humor, the whole entire Bat-Episode completely falls flat once these bland villains put their plan into motion, which falls so flat that the humor from the writing and acting doesn't at all save for what could've been a great Bat-Episode.
RATING 1/5
Tune in next year for my review on the final Bat-Episode of the series, as well as giving you my overall impression on the Third Season and the show itself.
