DVD Review: Return to the Batcave

DVD Reviews

By Patrick Luce May 11, 2005, 22:08 GMT

Anchor Bay Entertainment is bringing back those bat memories and the “true” stories behind the hit series in the DVD release of Return to the Batcave – The Misadventures of Adam and BurtThe show starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, and grew into a pop culture icon thanks to the series’ campy humor and look at the comic character. It was also known for the huge cast of A-list actors, such as Vincent Price as Egghead and Cesar Romero as the Joker, who did cameos as villains. Another star of the television series wasn’t an actor, but the car known simply as the Batmobile. Every episode it was seen every episode blazing through the streets of Gotham.Return to the Batcave is mockumentary look at the chaos that happened behind the scenes and is almost as much fun as the original series. The movie marks the return West and Ward, who now play themselves, as they stumble from clue to clue in an attempt to recover the stolen Batmobile. Along the way, they have flashbacks to their wild days as Batman and Robin and stumble upon some old villains from the show – including Julie Newmar, Frank Gorshin and Lee Meriwether. In the flashback scenes, Jack Brewer plays Batman/Adam West and Jason Marsden plays Robin/Burt Ward. Although watching West and Ward ham it up for the cameras again, including a bar fight that has all the great action words we loved from the show is great, the really interesting parts of the movie are the flashbacks where we are treated to a peek at how the actors tried to handle the massive phenomenon that shot the to stardom. We are also able to see how the two men took advantage their popularity and let their egos get the best of them that lead to family problems and huge feuds on the set.

Main Menu screen

The flashbacks are also loaded with humor as we witness the horrors Ward had to endure to play Robin – including rashes from the suit and being burned from the Batmobile’s afterburner. They also do a great job of keeping Brewer’s West/Batman funny by making everything that he touched turn to gold.Other flashback treats for fans of the show include the screen tests and auditions that Ward and West did to get the parts, some of the on-set stunts and explosions, and the fan-hysteria that the actors and their family had to deal with whenever they were in public.Although the movie could have took a closer and more serious look at the show and the iconic status it has received, it just seems more enjoyable having all the camp and humor that made the series as popular as it still is today.The story with West and Ward allows us to see the two heroes deliver their lines with the straight faces and seriousness that they possessed as the Cape Crusaders. The flashback scenes give a good look at what was happening behind the cameras, but also keeps the movie’s light comedy feel. The flashbacks are almost as funny as when West and Ward are on the screen.The only special feature on the DVD is the original screenplay that is accessed through DVD Rom. It would have been nice to have some extra features such as cast interviews, deleted scenes or even some artwork from the show.

West and Ward ham it up once again.

Return to the Batcave is a fun movie for any fan of the series or any fan of classic television. It handles its subject with the same humor that made the series a hit and is as much fun as watching the reruns of Batman - that can almost always be found on some channel at some point of the day. As a huge fan of the show, I would recommend it just for the memories it brings back, but also because it is a lot of fun to watch.The movie is available on May 17 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon. It will be available in the UK on June 6 and can be pre-ordered at AmazonUK. Visit the film’s database for more information.

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