When I finished reviewing the 60s Batman series, I mentioned
that I still planned to do more reviews related to it, given the amount of
spin-offs that it had. I was originally going to start off with reviewing the
two "Legends of the Superheroes" TV specials, but I didn't think they
would've been an appropriate start for how bad they were. A part of me wished
to do a review on the animated film "Return of the Caped Crusaders"
but I felt that it was still a little too soon since it came out only two years
ago. So I've decided to review the first spin-off of the show that was
introduced to me (with the exception of the 60s Movie)...
This made for Television movie that was aired on March 9th
in the year 2003, was first introduced to me through James Rolfe's"Bat-a-thon" videos on his website "Cinemassacre", and was
later again brought to my attention in David Rose's review of the 60s Movie on his show "The DVD Shelf Movie Reviews". I've been curious to see it for
its casting of the show's leading stars as well Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar,
and Lee Meriwether; and how the film recreates the stuff that went on behind
scenes while making the show, but I had trouble buying it since it is currently
out of print, and couldn't find a place to stream it. That is until I found it
on "YouTube" in good quality and decided to take advantage of the
opportunity while I was thinking of what to review to follow-up on the
popularity of my reviews for the 60s Show. Is this Special a real treat for
fans of the 60s Batman that should get a re-release, or should it remain as an
obscurity? ON WITH THE REVIEW!
I just want to quickly note, that the film does have two
entirely different segments, so I'm going to review them both individually and
see how well they jell together at the conclusion to my review.
THE REUNION PORTION
What holds the two segments together is the stuff that
happens in the present with Adam West and Burt Ward. The two meet at an orphan’s
charity that features classic cars, including the Batmobile, which Adam still
has the key for. As Adam shows the key, the lights go out, and both the key and
the Batmobile are missing. All is not lost when the two are giving clues from
this mysterious laughing villain, and set out to recover it and find out who
stole it as they relive the past. The plot involving the stolen Batmobile is
not as exciting or cleverly bizarre as the show itself, that ends up with a
reveal that's so obvious from the very start that the villain is going to be
Frank Gorshin based on how this villain is clearly mimicking the Riddler that
you begin wonder why they couldn't just show the viewer that it's Frank Gorshin
in the first place, especially when the show usually reveals the villain that the
Dynamic Duo will be facing. All this plot really serves as a lazy way to tie in
the second segment and have the actors recreate elements from the show that
give its identity while making fun of the show's formula. So regarding the humor
and casting of celebrities that starred on the show, does it at least make up
for such a weak and predictable mystery plot?
Well starting with West and Ward who have continued to
reprise as well as make fun of their portrayal as the characters
in countless TV Shows, specials, and even animated films; they bring the same
amount of effort and charisma that they have given outside of the show and do
seem like that they are enjoying themselves. Lee Meriwether's cameo as the
waitress who got her breasts signed by Adam West back during the show's run,
though her presence feels wasted given that she played Catwoman in the movie
where we could've gotten some kind of conflict between her and Newmar, still
sells-out her short presence through her energy and how she resembles the
actress portraying the character in the flashback. However, the performances
from Julie Newmar and Frank Gorshin as the film's main films are a different
story. Obviously, they're both trying to recapture the characteristics that made
their performances so memorable from the show, and though Julie Newmar is fine where the only distracting element is her age which just feels
awkward on so many levels, Gorshin is lacking energy for how old and frail
he's become. You know he's putting as much effort as he possibly can, but he simply can't go all out since he's not as young as he used to be. And to be fair,
the same can be said about West and Ward as well, since they too don't appear to
be as fit as they once were (that can easily be revealed during a very slow
moving Bat-Fight scene), but at least mostly do a better job at hiding it cause of their
timing and how they work-off each other, which is a key element to why their
performances were so phenomenally memorable on the show.
Unfortunately, unlike in most of their appearances outside
of the show where they were given material that's funny and clever, there's not
very much of it here. There are some good bits like when they discover the food
on the menu is named after the actors who played the villains on the show; and
how they lampoon the show's formula as they break the fourth wall. And speaking
of which I like how the film uses many of the classic elements from the show
like the henchmen who wear black t-shirts with their names on it; the death-trap;
the colorful comic-book sets; and the over dramatic narrator (that causes West
and Ward to question who it is, which leads to a clever cameo that I won't
spoil for you). But while providing a few good laughs here and there, I mostly
found myself watching these scenes with a straight face eagerly waiting for the film to
cut back to the flashback portions for how unfavorably cheesy, boringly
uninteresting, and devoid of energy most of it is. It's practically on the same
level of weakness as the show's Third Season. There are some great jokes and
moments, but it overall isn't as funny, energetic, and well-thought out that leads
to a few cringe-worthy embarrassing moments (did I mention the scene when West
and Newmar dance to a Hip-Hop remix of the Batman theme).
Above everything, I feel that this reunion was made very
late. We only see 5 of the original cast members from the show since they were
still alive and available to do it. But while we have our two main stars, and
three celebrities who previously played the villains, most of the cast of
characters who constantly appeared on the show have been deceased, such as
Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Alan Napier, and
even the show's producer and narrator William Dozier. The only other recurring
cast member who was alive at the time was Yvonne Craig, who turned down making
an appearance as Batgirl. I guess as long as you have West and Ward present, it
shouldn't matter that much since they are the stars and focus. But since they
already made appearances before this film, it doesn't feel as special because they're doing what they've been doing for years just with material that isn't all
that funny and will continue to make appearances with stuff that is
legitimately funnier than this. And since this portion is supposed to be a
reunion, it doesn't feel warranted given how old and lacking survivors there
are from the original cast.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This isn't nowhere the near the worst out of all the
appearances that West and Ward did to lovingly pay tribute to the show, it's
just not their strongest work. It's very half and half. Both our leads share
excellent chemistry, and there are some legitimately funny jokes that either
reference or poke fun at the show. However, everything else about it is very dull
and corny, for its lack of energy and lousy writing towards a reunion that
should've came out a little earlier than it did.
THE BIOGRAPHIC PORTION
When we're not with Adam and Burt searching for the
Batmobile, we're treated to a series of flashbacks to when they were first
casted, to the cancellation of the show at the end of its Third Season. I've
watched many documentaries about the show and its legacy, and I can say that
this portion has portrayed most of the facts accurately. Burt being an
inexperienced actor who auditioned for the show by showing off his karate
skills in tights; the feud that both actors had as the show went on; the reason
why Romero won't shave off his mustache; how Meredith developed the Penguins
squawks; the egg fight that the actors had with Vincent Price; the show's
reception from both audiences and the censors; their feelings towards the
character of Batgirl; the list goes on. There was even information that I
didn't know, and looked up under curiosity to see how true this new information
was. For example, did you know that out of that long list of TV Shows that West
appeared in before he was Batman, he was in a kiddie show in Hawaii with monkey
named Peaches titled "The Kini Popo Show"? I had no clue that West
was in something as silly as this before being known for his silly performance
as the caped crusader.
Like watching any biographical film, liberties are going to
be provided to make it more interesting and dramatic to audiences. I'm not
exactly sure how much of it was made up, but there are moments that I can
easily tell right on the spot that what I’m witnessing didn't happen. Like when
Adam shows Burgess all his gadgets in his utility belt, including a Batbomb
with a lit fuse that came out of his small pockets. There's no way that West in
real-life would be able to carry something as big as a bomb inside his belt,
let alone all the other items, as some of them weren't even developed until
later on during the show's run. I'm also 100% positive that an elderly Betty White
didn't make a cameo appearance through the window during the famous Bat-Climb
scenes. An inaccuracy that a fan who's watched the show many times can easily
see are the Batpoles in the study of Wayne Manor being exposed as Robin's alter-ego
Dick Grayson is shown to be kissing a girl right in front of them that has never happened in
an episode of the show, and never would with that kind of secret information
being revealed. I'm also certain that half of the facts that this portion does
tell the audience didn't happen within that context. With that said though, as
exaggerated, silly, and inaccurate the biographic portion can be, like any good
biographic film as long as it captures the spirit of what an event or person
has left behind, it's easy to forgive most if not all those inaccuracies, and
here they certainly do the show's history justice, where it can be silly in
many places like the actual show itself, but still have moments for it to
depict the dramas that was going on with the actors and the network at the
time! The only moment out of all the liberties that were taken that offends me
is really a minor element, and that's hip-hop music being used for when the
actors are suiting up for the first time, that just doesn't at all fit!
For me, what truly makes this portion work so well is the
actors they've casted to play the young Adam West and Burt Ward. Jack Brewer as
Adam West, and famous voice actor Jason Marsden as Burt Ward look almost
identical to their real-life counterparts, as they mimic them very closely. If
I had to compare the two and say which one did the best impression it’s without
a doubt Marsden as Ward. I still stand by Brewer doing a solid job at portraying
Adam West, but there were indeed times where I either didn't recognize him as
West or felt that his impression was a bit off. I guess it’s because I'm so
used to watching West in the real show and find his voice to be so distinctive,
that it's nearly hard to duplicate both his look and voice. With Marsden on the
other hand, I kept forgetting that he isn't really the real Burt Ward. Thinking
back at this film now, I'm still in disbelief that it was an actor portraying
him for how much he heavily resembled him, that I find to be quite rare,
especially when knowing both the show and 60s Movie inside and out. The secret
to why these two actors are so authentic at portraying them is because the real
Adam and Burt had input on who to play them, and helped direct them to make
their performances be so convincing.
Now even though the stars of the whole film had a hand on
who could play them, that doesn't mean that the rest of the cast pale in comparison at
mimicking the other actors on the show because they aren't, if anything they do
just as phenomenal job as the leads in this portion do. The look and sound
alikes for the actors portraying Meredith, Romero, Price, Craig, and Newmar are
as short lived as Lee Meriwether's cameo, but still do a highly believable job at imitating them. The best impression from the supporting cast is the actor
they hired to play the young Frank Gorshin, who has more scenes when compared
to the rest of the supporting cast (that also makes the obvious mystery element
of the entire film, even more painful and obvious). He looks and acts so much
like him, that it scares me just as much as Marsden's performance as Robin! The
casting for this portion of the film is just simply perfect!
Another element that duplicates the show nearly as well as
the casting is how they recreated the sets from the original show such as the
Batcave, the study in Wayne Manor, and the villains’ lairs. Yes, a fan of the
show can spot the differences easily, including sets that were never used in
the show. As a matter of fact, the suits that the actors wear have a few
alterations to them because of copyright and trademark issues, that not only
affect this portion but also the reunion portion since the only clips from the
show being featured are all from the movie. In spite of these alterations the
sets that don't resemble any of the Bat-Episodes still look as eye-popping
colorful and wacky as the sets looked in the original show, and the sets and
costumes that are supposed resemble the show are very close to the point where quite
frankly the minor alterations are barley even noticeable.
As I was watching and comparing both portions, I found myself
quite amazed how much dirty jokes and adult material is being featured in this
part of the film. It doesn't go far to the point where it warrants an R rating
(or TV-MA), and there are a couple of suggestive jokes that take place in
the meat of the film; but it's far from subtle, if anything it’s pretty
direct. There's a good number of shots and jokes involving women's breasts; scenes involving the actors having sex with women; and a whole
sequence dedicated to making Burt's crotch not stand-out while wearing the
costume. I just found it very shocking to jump from something corny and
childishly family friendly as the modern bits, to cutting to scenes that are
clearly not aimed for a family audience.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This whole portion alone is what makes watching this film a
must see! It's at times exaggerated in terms of telling the history of the
show, or playing up the comedy, but it doesn't go far enough to be distracting
or fail to capture the difficulties that the actors had when filming the show.
The casting of actors to portray the celebrities is near flawless; the sets do
an excellent job of resembling the period and sets from the original show (even
when taking liberties); the gags are funny; most of the facts are represented
extraordinary well here; and it's interesting to explore the more adult
elements surrounding the show and the careers of West and Ward.
OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE WHOLE FILM
Apart from both segments having to do with the 60s Show, I don’t
really see the need to combine these two together, when they could’ve easily
been their own separate TV Special. It’s not just for how the reunion portion
is mediocre and nowhere near as interesting when compared to the biographic
portion of the film, it’s mainly for how incredibly different they are in tone!
While the scenes with West and Ward are cartoony, goofy, and family friendly;
the flashback scenes though having their gimmicky and comical moments too are a
little more serious and adult rated, which results with them both not going
hand and hand. Whenever I watch the
scenes with Adam and Burt, I feel like I’m watching one of those cheesy promotional
spots for the TV show made during the early late 80s and early 90s with the two
actors when re-runs of the show were coming back, only this time with a plot
and more of a budget. And every time I have to return to the stolen Batmobile plot,
I always find myself constantly annoyed to see the best and most intriguing
parts of the film be interrupted. If you’re a big fan of the show, it’s definitely
worth checking out, mainly for the biographic portion of it where the film is
at its strongest. But like I said earlier, the Adam West and Burt Ward scenes
aren’t entirely bad for having a couple of great jokes, it just pales in
comparison to the flashback scenes. I’m not eagerly desperate to see a re-release of the film but it still would be nice given that there are enough things to make it enjoyable and fascinating!
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