It’s always fun to revisit the
old 1960s Batman from time to time,
chuckling at its wackiness and at how far comic book adaptations have come. A
new adventure starring that not-so-Dark Knight would have been a good time any
year. But after the relentlessly broody Batman v Superman and the nastiness of The Killing Joke, Return of the Caped
Crusaders is an especially welcome and refreshing palate cleanser.
The film even subtly addresses super
serious versions of the character, with a storyline that sees Adam West’s boy
scout Bat inexplicably turn bad. It’s amusing seeing what constitutes dark and
gritty in this lighter continuity, and how even a tiny shred of Frank
Miller-esque ruthlessness is such a rough fit in it. It also astutely
highlights how its campier take isn’t that
much sillier than going full-on grim and gritty just for the sake of it.
Also back are series alumni Burt
Ward as Robin and Julie Newmar as Catwoman, while The Joker (Jeff Bergman),
Penguin (William Salyers), and The Riddler (Wally Wingert) somewhat resemble
their 60s counterparts. It’s a fairly typical absurd plot pitting the Dynamic
Duo against their dastardly foes, albeit on a much larger scale than the TV
show (animation doesn’t have the budget limits that 60s network fare had, I
guess). The iconic theme and word graphics that follow each punch are there
(the latter making for one of the best gags once adjusted for the eviler
Batman), as are the comically perilous situations and ridiculous dei ex machina leading out of them. Also
scattered about are tiny references that pop culture junkies can have fun
trying to spot, including one or two that surprisingly snuck their way into a
film as PG as it gets.
If there’s one complaint, it’s
that it never quite arises to the laugh-a-minute zaniness of the show. And in a
way, you can’t fault the movie for this; no matter how goofy things get, nothing
is ever quite as absurd in animation as seeing it performed by live-action
actors with a straight face and zero special effects. Also, some of the gags
(particularly the famous recurring “spray can” for every situation, which is
repeated a few times) play like winking directly at the audience. Such plot
points were much more hilarious when the old show simply went with them like
they weren’t totally laughable.
These are far from death blows,
though. And considering the state of DC’s live action films, I’m willing to
grade on a curve. Batman: Return of the
Caped Crusaders is a joyous, funny piece of work for Bat fans of all ages, and the first Batman film in a while that meets any of those criteria.
