Batman (1966) (PG-13)

1960s flick won’t appeal to today’s kids.

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Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
  • Directed By: Leslie Martinson
  • Cast: Adam West
  • Running Time: 105 minutes
  • Release Date: 01/01/1966
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 04/15/2003
  • Genre: Action/adventure
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: Violence

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has goofy fight scenes and viewers are briefly led to believe that Batman has been blown up. He is quickly shown to have survived.

Families can talk about how this movie compares to other Batman films. Does the Batman character seem the different to you?

Message

Social Behavior:

Consumerism:

More recent movies, Saturday morning cartoons, and a general resurgence in the popularity of superheroes have resulted in an endless barrage of toys, lunchboxes, clothing and fast food tie-ins.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Cartoonish fight scenes in which physical contact between the brawlers is often covered by the TV series' famous onscreen exclamations ("POW!"). At one point, Robin and the viewer are briefly led to think that Batman has been blown up; he is quickly shown to have survived.

Sex

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Ed Grant

The stars of the 1960s TV series jumped onto the big screen for this Dynamic Duo adventure in which an inventor and his "dehydration machine" are abducted by a quartet of super-villains: Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), and The Riddler (Frank Gorshin). The quartet plots to hold for ransom the United Nations security council. The foreign dignitaries will be dehydrated (reducing them to powder), and re-hydrated if the ransom is met. In pursuit, Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) engage the villains in goofy fight scenes, though physical contact between the brawlers is often covered by the movies famous onscreen exclamations ("POW!). Viewers are briefly led to believe that Batman has been blown up. He is quickly shown to have survived.

Is it any good?

3
Fans of the old TV show will welcome the opportunity to experience once again all of the series' hallmarks: the unforgettable Neal Hefti theme music, the spinning batsign, the pop-art exclamations, and Robin's "Holy!" hyperbole. Viewers unfamiliar with the TV series will have to judge the movie on its own merits, which are few. Batman contains none of the mock tension and suspense that was such a major component of the original TV series. The sparse usage of the TV show's silly narration also undercuts the comedy. The talents of the zany villains from the TV series are wasted, as they are seen merely scheming instead of showing their bizarre quirks.

At some points, Batman becomes an out-and-out comedy (as when our hero combats a rubber shark), further ensuring that kids used to the tightly-scripted and intelligently plotted animated series, animated movies like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and the grimly heroic live-action Batman Returns will have little use for this quaint, ironic fossil from another era.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 5 reviews.

3


Posted on 11/14/08 by xmasterxofxmyxdomainx39@yahoo.com Adult contributor

classic campy batman that is very mindless and predictable

ACTING- 3.5/5 (Adam West and Burt Ward give hilarious straight-faced performances) SCREENPLAY- 2.5/5 (Although very predictable, its still a lot of fun and a joy) CINEMATOGRAPHY- 3/5 (Average camera angles, lighting, etc. nothing new here) ART/SET DIRECTION- 4/5 (I had to give a high score for art and set direction, the bat cave, four villains' submarine, the whole setting is fun and sometimes just plain goofy) MUSICAL SCORE- 3.5/5 - The campy, classic original score does not disappoint die hard batman fans Overall, this is a very fun movie that can make anybody laugh with its sheer stupidity, and goofy screenplay, i recommend to the more die hard batman fan
1


Posted on 03/05/08 by Timbeaux Adult contributor

Batman at a kiddie level

The perfect Bat-film for kids under the age of four.
5

Posted on 07/21/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 12

too much story, not enough action

this is a great kids movie but there are a couple reasons why it's PG 1. ther is one final fight scen ther is punching then and this "BIFF" or "POW" will pop-up 2. bruce wayne goes on a date with miss kitka and ends with a kiss. so this is a good movie for family's to watch!
4


Posted on 05/29/06 by cash Kid contributor, age 8

I was chearing.

One thing,are you crazy it's not a pg/13 movie , it's a pg movie!What do they do?Blow up people,or do they take machineguns and shot them up?It's a pg movie, that's all.
4

Posted on 03/07/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Adult Reviews

There are 3 reviews.

3


Posted on 11/14/08 by xmasterxofxmyxdomainx39@yahoo.com Adult contributor

classic campy batman that is very mindless and predictable

ACTING- 3.5/5 (Adam West and Burt Ward give hilarious straight-faced performances) SCREENPLAY- 2.5/5 (Although very predictable, its still a lot of fun and a joy) CINEMATOGRAPHY- 3/5 (Average camera angles, lighting, etc. nothing new here) ART/SET DIRECTION- 4/5 (I had to give a high score for art and set direction, the bat cave, four villains' submarine, the whole setting is fun and sometimes just plain goofy) MUSICAL SCORE- 3.5/5 - The campy, classic original score does not disappoint die hard batman fans Overall, this is a very fun movie that can make anybody laugh with its sheer stupidity, and goofy screenplay, i recommend to the more die hard batman fan
1


Posted on 03/05/08 by Timbeaux Adult contributor

Batman at a kiddie level

The perfect Bat-film for kids under the age of four.
4

Posted on 03/07/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Kids Reviews

There are 2 reviews.

5

Posted on 07/21/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 12

too much story, not enough action

this is a great kids movie but there are a couple reasons why it's PG 1. ther is one final fight scen ther is punching then and this "BIFF" or "POW" will pop-up 2. bruce wayne goes on a date with miss kitka and ends with a kiss. so this is a good movie for family's to watch!
4


Posted on 05/29/06 by cash Kid contributor, age 8

I was chearing.

One thing,are you crazy it's not a pg/13 movie , it's a pg movie!What do they do?Blow up people,or do they take machineguns and shot them up?It's a pg movie, that's all.
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