Reviews (140)

"Santos superlativas, Batman!"
I was a little kid when BATMAN was finding new life in reruns and I completely bought it. Since running into the show again (right now on cable's TVland), I've been rediscovering the hilarious camp humor and have been enjoying the fun all over again.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, you should enjoy the DVD of the BATMAN movie. The extras are fun (they've even included a Spanish trailer--hence the title of this review) and the commentary by Adam West and Burt Ward is funny and illuminating.
Howard Stern was right: "Forget those other guys, Adam West is the REAL Batman!"

I was initially disappointed that Julie Newmar wasn't involved--she will always be the hottest Catwoman Gotham City will ever see--but Lee Meriwether looks great in the cat suit (and her Russian is pretty good too).

Travel back to the 1960's, feel like a kid again, and find some new laughs: you can't ask for anymore than that!

SCHMIDLAPP
With the release of BATMAN THE MOVIE on DVD - it easily puts to shame all other releases of any other BATMAN movies on the market (save for BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER - a top notch and disturbing noir thriller with great extra's). A clear and clean widescreen transfer of the film with excellent color (everything is just plain snappy and fresh), coupled with solid sound and superior menu interfaces (featuring original vocals by Burt Ward and Adam West)this is a must for any fan of the BATMAN franchise. Highlights on this DVD release feature Adam West and Burt Ward commentary on their experiences and memeories of making both this movie and the series itself - while there are a series of lags and gaps in the commentary, this is a solid commentary overall and will please fans of the series easily (it's fun when Adam and Burt switch between calling themselves by their real names, and then slip into calling themselves Batman and Robin without warning). Perhaps the best feature of the disc is the tour of the BATMOBILE - a car which still has no equal, and still turns heads wherever it goes. The movie is still as goofy and wonderful as it ever was and at once betrays the time it was made, and yet still remains timeless... a feat only a handful movies can lay claim to. BATMAN - THE MOVIE is solid entertainment, fun and and a keeper.

Funny movie!
Okay this movie is very different form the Batman movies that younger audiences may be familiar with but it's still a very good movie altogether. Batman along with his sidekick Robin team up to fight an alliance of criminals The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Penguin and they must stop them from terrorizing Gotham City. This moive is so incredibly funny! Nothing like the darkness of 1989's "Batman" 1992's "Batman Returns" or even Forever but while it's certianly cheesy, the cheese factor on here is far better than on 1997's horrible "Batman and Robin"! This movie is a must-have but mostly for bat-o-philes.

Missing the Point?
I think a few of the above reviews are really missing the point regarding Batman - The Movie. Is it campy? Of course it is! Is it cheap? Yes! Why were these particular people cast? If you don't know, read on and learn.
Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, was a TV series which ran for like 3 years, twice a week, from 1966 to 1968. After the 1st pretty successful season on American TV, a movie was produced, using the same actors, screenwriters, sets, music, etc. The reason the movie was made was to pre-sell the TV series to the European market. They wanted to make a feature length movie using the same talent and if the movie did well in Europe, they'd be able to sell the series. That's the whole reason this movie was made. Obviously, the producers couldn't make the movie using other actors, cars, etc. It had to fit into the existing very campy, very funny TV series.
The movie is slow at times, the acting IS over the top (most all TV acting was over the top in the 60s and 70s), the plot silly. None of this stuff really matters, because of (and one reviewer has already pointed this out) the sincerity of Adam West and Burt Ward in their roles as the Caped Crusaders. This isn't something they do to keep from spending time with Aunt Harriet. This was deadly serious to them and they showed it. To me the funniest sequence in the movie is the scene where Batman is trying to get a cartoon-type bomb away from various groups of wandering people before the bomb blows up. He runs all around the docks where the scene is set, holding what is obviously a prop bomb with a sparkler attached to it for a burning fuse. He runs to this side of the dock, there's a small group of Salvation Army people, to that side, young lovers, or a family of ducks in the water, etc. All of course, olivious to the bomb or the sight of this crazed man in grey spandex running around WITH a bomb. "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!"
Anyway, the whole idea of this movie was to cash in on what was considered a flash in the pan TV series. As ratings sagged, they brought in Batgirl, and as sexy as Yvonne Craig was in skintight purple leather, she wasn't enough to hold the US TV audience's attention, and the series folded.
Over the years, I've caught this movie on TV and usually tuned in, as I remembered enjoying the TV series. When the movie came out on DVD, I bought it immediately, and was very pleasently surprised to hear Messers West and Ward giving background commentary during the movie. Also, the DVD menus and features are fascinating, but you HAVE to remember, ALL of this was based on the original TV series (which had the second-coolest Batmobile ever, but the absolute coolest theme music).
I hope this helped some of you who may feel ripped off or were expecting a more "Dark Knight" flavor to your Batman experience. This was the original, and it kept extremely true to its (very budget conscious) television roots. This is what we had back in the 60s to watch on TV, this or Lawrence Welk.

This shows that Batman is over-rated....
They have done a ton of both animation and live action films on Batman, but the character must have a streak of bad story ideas that come with every film. This film was to put it mildly, very campy. The casting or West and Ward was terrible. They tell jokes that are not funny and wear long underwear costumes that make them look like they escaped from a mental hostpital. The villians casting of familar actors was not much better, they read the same corny dialoge from a script that clearly needed a real writer to make this work, but the film makers never bothered with that. The effects work is mostly cheap animation shots done and put on film and it looks like they used a cheap film projector to do that. There was no art direction to speak of in this movie, just a lot of fake sets that had fake machines with lights on them. There are a hundred other things wrong with this movie to speak of, but the main points have already been made...This was a bad movie period. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Timeless "Boy And His Dog", Story That Will Touch Your Heart
Here we have the "ultimate", Lassie experience with the classic film that first introduced this famous Collie to moviegoers in 1943. Film and TV audiences ever since have had an ongoing love affair with this beautiful dog that always seemed to understand humans better than they often did themselves. It was these "human", qualities that Lassie seemed to possess that made her so endearing to audiences and which made her a movie icon. I know I grew up watching the Lassie television series starring child actor Tommy Rettig however it is this beautiful movie which shows Lassie in her prime, full of love for her master, tremendous strength of character often under difficult circumstances, and a touching warmth that made her almost human and was guaranteed to tug at the heart strings. "Lassie Come Home", provided yet another stunning showcase for child actor Roddy McDowall as Lassie's devoted master Joe and was also very significant in marking the MGM debut of an incredibly beautiful 10 year old Elizabeth Taylor as Priscilla thus beginning the long career of this legendary actress.

Originally there were not high hopes for this "dog picture", as it was termed, so much so that the film was relegated to MGM's "B" department as a minor feature to possibly please wartime audiences. Strangely for a second string film it was shot in colour which was a blessing as it greatly enhanced the story of a Collie's efforts to cross a whole country to return to her master. The immortal story of Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) whose love aand devotion to his pet Collie Lassie is mutually shared is just as touching now as it was for war time audiences. Joe is the only son of struggling family head Sam Carraclough (Donald Crisp)who is currently out of work. Along with his wife (Elsa Lanchester) everyday is a trail to put food on the table and as their financial situation worsens they are forced to sell Lassie to the local Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) who lives at the nearby manor with his little granddaughter Priscilla (Elizabeth Taylor). Lassie however missing Joe makes numerous attempts to escape from the kennel at the Manor. Taken by the Duke to Scotland Priscilla can see how unhappy Lassie is away from her real master and she allows Lassie to escape and return home to Yorkshire where she belongs. However the long journey home proves to be an exhausting and at times terrifying one for Lassie. She has to endure frightening electrical storms and having to swim across fast moving rivers in her quest to return home. Injured in a fight with a hunting dog where she is shot at for tresspassing Lassie now near death from exhaustion and hunger is taken in by a kindly elderly couple and nursed back to health. The old woman, (Dame May Whitty), grows very attached to Lassie but rightly senses that she is in the middle of a journey of some kind which she must now resume. Lassie next encounters a lovable travelling salesman Rowlie (Edmund Gwenn), who with his little dog Toots temporarily takes Lassie along on his selling travels. Tragedy strikes however when Rowlie is robbed and Toots is killed and finally Rowlie also senses that Lassie must go on to what she needs to do. Finally Lassie makes it back home to Joe and his family and when the Duke and Priscilla visit they can see that Lassie is where she belongs with her loving family. All ends happily when the Duke offers Sam a job caring for the dogs at the Manor.

First class entertainment is the only way to describe "Lassie Come Home". Based on the equally loved novel by war veteran Eric Knight the films rich "English", feel despite being filmed in the United States due to the war is typical MGM and was what studio head Louis B. Mayer loved to see in his movies. Inspired by the huge success of other "English", themed movies such as the classic "Mrs. Miniver", it went on to enjoy huge success at the Box Office. Certainly apart from Lassie's obvious screen appeal the cast of "Lassie Come Home", is a memorable one. Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester as Joe's devoted parents who are tortured by the necessity of selling their son's dog in order to survive are heartbreakingly sincere in their playing. Nigel Bruce and Edmund Gwenn in their respective roles provide the necessary local feel to this story so totally associated with the British Isles. Elizabeth Taylor even at this early age shows a delightfully enchanting screen presence that enabled her to mature into one of Hollywood's greatest adult legends and here her beauty even as a 10 year old is startling. She was selected for the role due to her still present English accent as like Roddy McDowall she was a recent evacuee from war torn London. Director Fred M. Wilcox who is perhaps best remembered nowadays for his direction of the sci fi classic "Forbidden Planet", shows a particular flair in directing the younger members of the cast such as the still largely inexperienced Elizabeth Taylor. The films has a beautiful musical score and also boasts "A" grade cinematography, that gives the film a rich authentic English feel to it. "Lassie Come Home", has something for all viewers to cherish and if you are someone that thinks sentiment should be seen more often in movies like myself, then you can't go past this great film.

Wholesome and moving family entertainment is not common nowadays and it seems hard to imagine in our present movie culture a dog like Lassie becoming a star in her own right as she did in 1943 with this film. "Lassie Come Home",is guaranteed to move even the hardest cynic with its simple message of the devoted love that exists between a person and their dog. You dont have to even been a dog lover to enjoy this film as the wonderful characters, excellent photography and great acting by veteran performers and the younger cast members alike make this a classic not to be missed. Treat yourself to a viewing of this superb film soon and you will see why the legend of Lassie has endured for over 60 years.

What Love and Devotion mean to a boy and his dog!
This movie was such a treasure for me to watch. What Love and devotion R.M. and Lassie had for each other. Roddy was so cute when he was a little boy and Liz Taylor was just as beautiful as she is today! It is great that they grew up to be friends! The movie made me cry but I knew Lassie would come home! Roddy McDowall is the BEST actor to me from just a little boy till he left this world behind! I will Love and miss him allways, LOVE YOU R.M., Anna Marie

The Love of a Dog for a Boy
This is a superb film, taken nearly word-for-word from Eric Knight's novel about the faithful collie who travels a thousand miles from northern Scotland to England to return to the boy she loves. Lassie is neither Superdog or magically endowed, just following ancient instincts and the love in her heart. The entire cast is marvelous, the color brings the countryside to life, and small scenes will tear your heart out, including Dame May Whitty as a lonely old lady willing to let Lassie go rather than have her fret.

That was then, this is now
And I love this movie now as much as I did back then! Wonderful cast, wonderful acting, and awesome-beyond-compare plot. You just don't get good movies about dogs nowadays. This is a classic.

Excellent overall--but one scene upsetting to 4-yr old
We enjoyed the movie overall, but one scene was very upsetting to my sensitive 4-year old girl. One of the villains kills a dog friend of Lassie's with a stick. The scene itself was not that violent, but the fact that the dog was killed upset my daughter a great deal. If we had known about this scene, we could have prepared her for it (or fast forwarded it). ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Charming and Hilarious Re-telling of the Robin Hood Story
I am not a great Danny Kaye fan, but this movie is one the the very funniest I've ever seen. Everything about it is excellent, from the production values to the songs & lyrics, from the fine quality of actors to the charm and wit of the dialogue and the story. There is literally nothing wrong with this movie. It is fit for all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest members of your family. I remember the first time I saw it, being struck by the fact that all the actors seemed to be having an absolutely marvellous time. Particularly during the Jester's first call at entertaining the court...unforgettable and sheer delight. Every single person on camera looked like they were having a wonderful time just being there. I hadn't seen anything like such a fine emsemble cast since 'All About Eve.' I think it must have been because there were no bad lines, no bad parts, no scenes that didn't work, and everyone had a chance to shine. Having a good material to work with really does make a world of difference. Stars Danny Kaye, Angela Landsbury, Basil Rathbone, and a host of marvellous British actors whose names are right now escaping my memory. Buy it. Keep it. Enjoy it for years.

The Brew that is True...
If one is tired of baudy bathroom humor of the typical comedies one finds today, perhaps "The Court Jester" will satisfy your comical thirst. Set in England during the time of chivalry and knighthood this musical comedy stars Danny Kaye as a ne'er do well circus performer who ends up out"fox"ing the dastardly villains, getting the girl and saving the real king's butt (so to speak). Glynis Johns plays Maid Jean whose stunning beauty and big eyes just make you melt (wow, I wish I'd been born earlier). Basil Rathbone is his typical bad self as the evil Ravenhurst playing it to the hilt! This film pulls out all the comical stops from tongue twisters to hypnosis, magnetism and even a Zorro sword play spoof with Rathbone! This is Danny Kaye's finest and funniest comedy! A must see movie!

Comedy Could Not Better Be!
In the history of the movies, fewer things are more amusing than watching Danny Kaye behave as Danny Kaye. Watching his films was a wonderful part of my childhood,and I remember being at home from High School on the day of his passing. I'm very glad for the legacy he has left us to enjoy.
In "The Court Jester" he couldn't be more in his element as he amuses us with his usual patter numbers clever, tounge-twisting lyrics and sword play, and moves us with his loving care of the orphaned infant heir to the English throne. The scene of his lullabying the baby was shown as a tribute to him at the end of "Entertainment Tonight" the weekend after his death and it was a fitting tribute to him, his love of children, and the childlike sense of wonder he brought to all of his films.
As Kaye's love interest, Jean, a charismatic Glynis Johns is highly complimentary.She is not the sterotypical woman of medeival times, but having been raised as a boy, has a lot of cunning, ingenuity, and an occassional bit of brawn as the leader of those in rebellion against Cecil Parker's evil King.
Angela Lansbury's Princess Gwendolyn longs for true love rather than an arranged marriage. She is firm and decisive in many ways, as she helps bring the tale to a positive conclusion.
As the sourceress, Mildred Natwick leads into some of the film's funniest scenes, including the notorious "Pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle" routine that has become a classic.
Hubert Hawkins' cleverness in seizing the real Court Jester,(John Carradine, a man whom I could never really think of as funny) who was very arrogant, disguising himself in his clothes, and using his tounge-twisting dialogue with the King to cover his tracks is also a riot.
Basil Rathbone as the evil henchmen is a refined villian. It's amusing the way Kaye kept pushing his name out of the way during the opening credits, and I have wondered how often Hawkins' accelerated knighthood ceremony had to be rehearsed before those on the set could stop laughing.

Although the film overlooks the fact that a person can't be hypnotized against their will, the way Hubert Hawkins is, the comedy is generally light, and goofy, doesen't get any saucier than the exposure of an infant's backside, and children will love it.
And as Hawkins reassures us at the beginning,"What starts like a scary tale ends like a fairy tale, and life couldn't possibly better be!"

So funny your cheeks will ache from laughing!!
This is one of Danny Kaye's best. He was so talented and his comic timing is impeccable. The "chalice from the palace" scene is so funny that I have not forgotten it over the years. This movie will get you out of the blues in no time.

You will go and buy this movie and do it like that (snap)!
This is my favorite movie of all time. When I was a kid Danny Kaye movies played every Sunday morning and we would wait the few months until it came around again.

I have never stopped laughing at the scenes, the funny interplay between Danny Kaye and the court and his continual buffonery.

Even kids will love this movie. It starts with a dance routine which is almost like Robin Hood Men in Tights. That is quaint, yet the next scene will take you in and take you on the funniest rides of all time.

Kaye, disquised as an old man who is hard of hearing having a scream fest with the captain of the guard. This few minutes is one of the funniest scenes I have ever witnessed. Then there are just funny scenes that will make you split your sides with laughter from there on out.

The wit it took to bring together this cast and the concept of the movie seems that it will never be outdated.

What Danny Kaye and the rest do here is ascend age and time making this movie appeal to any age group, young or old. I have seen a young family start off thinking this was a silly movie then, taken by the first comedic interaction, launch into continuous laughter. I laugh getting a kick out of watching everyone else laugh too.

This movie is a must for any DVD or VHS library. Share it with your friends, watch it when you are a little too stressed out to do anything else to lighten up your day.

The plays on words, the different fast paced situational scenes that will have you thinking; 'how clever...,' even when you think that Hawkins/Giacommo is at his end, then it gets even funnier. The Chalis with the poisly has the pellet with the pesly......

This movie is so fast paced that you cannot believe you have sat there and laughed for the better part of 90 minutes. The great thing about the DVD, you do not have to worry about watching this over and over again and wearing it out.

This movie has great color and scenery. The imagery is wonderful. You wonder if they really were in a castle.

Laugh and love this movie......I recommend it for school, church and family activities. It is a classic that may become more well known with time. ... Read more