Batman: The Return of the Caped Crusaders -- a review

Holy animation,, Batman!

Batman: The Return of the Caped Crusaders is a loving tribute to the 1960s TV series that manages to feel like the second 1960s-era Batman movie, thanks to the voice-casting of original Batman and Robin stars Adam West and Burt Ward, along with Julie Newmar, who reprises her role as Catwoman. Taking place in the same time period as the series, the film is filled with the social mores of the time, such as having Catwoman demurely step to the side whenever Batman and Robin battle the villainous henchmen (complete with the customary BIFF! BAM! and POW! word balloons the original series always flashed during the fight scenes).

Catwoman is a part of a fearsome foursome of rogues that includes the Joker, Penguin and the Riddler as they set out to work together to wreak havoc on Gotham City. The fact that these villains team up, along with their use of a penguin-themed zeppelin later in the film, is a nice nod to the original 1966 Batman movie that was released during the height of the TV show’s popularity. But there are plenty of fun Easter eggs here, all riffing on the various incarnations of Batman. One of my favorite moments is when Batman, having been struck on the head, sees three Catwomen standing before him, with two of them looking just like Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt.

The may be evil, but they're still buckled up!

There are also fun nods to Michael Keaton’s Batman, the Nolan Batman films, and even a shout out to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. But while it tweaks the nose of the original series (like when Bruce outright fires Alfred for not stopping a nosy Aunt Harriet from snooping around), this animated version is still very respectful of the source material. I first saw the 1960s Batman series when I was a toddler, so I always took it very seriously–until a viewing when I was older made me realize that the show was much more lighthearted and whimsical, but still entertaining in its own way.

That was what the makers of this animated feature realized as well, and they sought to recreate that same silly vibe, and they succeeded marvelously. The characters are all drawn just like they appeared in the series (although this version of the Joker, while drawn to look like Caesar Romero’s version, doesn’t have his painted-over mustache–and I’m actually grateful the filmmakers’ dedication didn’t go that far), and even the original 1960s Batmobile makes a valiant return. If you’re a diehard Batman fan, like me, then this is the movie for you. –SF

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The View From The Mountain

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