Oct 122017
 
two reels

Continuing the adventures of Batman and Robin (Adam West and Burt Ward) from the 1966 TV show, the Dynamic Duo are back to stop the criminals King Tut, Bookworm, The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Clock King, and The Riddler. It all started after Batman’s brief romantic visit to the imprisoned Catwoman (Julie Newmar). Dr. Hugo Strange tested his new—and no doubt unconstitutional—evil extractor on the inmates at the local prison. Things went wrong and District Attorney Harvey Dent (William Shatner) was transformed into Two Face. Over the course of the introductory credits, Baman and Robin put him away, and therapy and plastic surgery rehabilitated him. But now there’s a mastermind behind all of the recent criminal activity, and everything points to Two Face.

Time has passed, and the troubled fanboys of the ‘90s and their need for comics to be TAKEN SERIOUSLY have become less prominent, and so the 1960s Batman TV show has begun to reclaim its status. The old show was witty and fun. It also had an excellent, bold, true blue Batman in Adam West. Before he died earlier this year, West recorded his voice-work for this animated flick. It isn’t the perfect last take on his Batman, but it is nice to have him do it once more.

Batman Vs. Two-Face is a sequel to last year’s surprisingly good Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. This second return of the ‘60s version of Batman doesn’t live up to its prequel. It is still fun, and has a few very good jokes, including a wonderful meta-gag involving Lee Meriwether—she voices a defense attorney here, but replaced Julie Newmar as Catwoman in the 1966 feature. But there aren’t enough of those solid jokes, and the Two Face plot is dull—far too much like something from a kids’ cartoon rather than a kids TV show from the ‘60s, and nothing like the mutli-leveled plot of Return of the Caped Crusaders. I’d thought they were too restrained with that one and this one is done nearly straight. The animation is better than that typically seen on television, but a step below last year’s.

I’ve been watching the old show of late, and while this film is a good enough way to spend 70 minutes, it isn’t the equal of even an average episode. If the nostalgia bug is hitting you, I’d suggest picking up Batman: The Complete Television Series or Batman: The Movie (1966). If you’ve finished those, as well as The Return of the Caped Crusaders, then give this one a shot.

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