I finally had a chance to see a piece of Batman History: the 1966 adaptation of the TV Series, Batman the Movie. Over all it's not the worst Batman movie ever produced, and in many ways, like the TV show itself, the movie hovers between being a comedy and a spoof of the Batman Character as he existed in the 1950s and early 60s. Today the crowing achievment of the Batman series is the greatness that is the Dark Knight, but back in the 60s Comic Books were treated the same way Video Games are seen today: something that appeals only to children or a small majority of adults.

The plot of the film is cleche at best, and is in many ways just a big screen verson of an episode of the TV Show. Batman and Robin (played by Adam West and Burt Ward) confront four of their biggest enemies: The Joker (Ceaser Romero), Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Penguin (Burguss Meradeth, who would later go on to play Golobulus in GI JOE: The Movie and Mickey Goldman in the Rocky Movies) and Catwoman (Lee Merriweather) who have united in an attempt to take over the world by using a disintgrating gun on the members of the United Nations Security Council.

In many ways the film can be seen as the point where the Batman TV Series "jumps the shark" since there are a few scenes and events that are so rediculus that they're good. For example about half way through the movie there is a scene where Batman is running around like a maniac trying to get rid of live bomb, howeve he keeps running into every thing from Nun to a band that plays the same song over and over again to baby ducks, the result is probably one of the best bad lines ever written: "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Towards the end of the movie, the Batcopter is damaged by a Polaris missile, fired from the Penguin's submarine, and despite what should have been a fatal shot, the Batcopter lands safely at a conventally placed Foam Rubber Convention, and shows no signs of any kind of damage.

Another thing that people will notice in this film is Batman's relationship with the Police. In the film, much like the TV Series, Batman and Robin are honorary members of the Gotham City Police Department, which is portrayed as being made up of rejects from other cities police accademies. Unlike the Comics, which even at the time, showed Batman's relationship with the GCPD was at best strained or uneasy, the film portrays the GCPD as being unable to function without them. In fact Batman and Robin are apparently so well loved in the film and the TV Show that they are even allowed to store the Batcopter at the Gotham City International Airport, instead of in the Batcave.

The acting is what one would expect from the 1966 era TV Show, poorely written dialogue, combined with over acting at it's best. At times, Adam West and Burt Ward act, and sound like, they're reading their lines from que-cards while an acting coach is directing their movements. However, it should also be noted, that the 66 film does pay homage to the romance that exists between Batman and Catwoman, although it is never taken seriously, and the audience knows in advance that Catwoman is simply playing Batman for a fool, owing to her identity as Batman's love interest: Kitka, a Russian Report, being revealed at the beginning of the movie.

In the end though, Batman the Movie, like the 60s TV Show is actually watchible, but it should be remembered that it's a comedy/spoof of the Batman Universe, and isn't meant to be taken as seriously as the Tim Burton and Chris Nolan films of later years. When compared to a film like Batman 89 or the Dark Knight, Batman 66 is outdated, and is seen as a slap in the face to many Batman Fans, especally those who grew up watching the greatness of Batman: The Animated Series or were introduced to the character through the Tim Burton and Chris Nolan films.