Wow. This movie was so much better than I was expecting. When I heard that the 66' Batman was being continued in animated movie form I was, like most people, quite wary of the idea - I felt as though it would do more harm than good as modern audiences would not react positively to the campy format of the classic series. However, this movie used the campiness to its advantage which led to some of the funniest moments in any movie I have seen this year. Honestly, I still do not believe that this movie if for everyone but people who are willing to open their minds to a very silly take on the dark knight will be in for a treat.
Most of the comedy in this movie came from making light of the profound weirdness of the classic series by taking things like Robins seemingly super-human deductive reasoning to the extreme. The movie is much more light-hearted than any other batman product we have gotten this year due to the fact that this movie is front and foremost a comedy. The movie manages to feel like a direct sequel to the classic series while being original enough to not alienate new viewers. This is great as fans of the original will be able to enjoy many of the old call-backs while newer viewers will just be able to laugh at The Dark Knight doing such ludicrous things - at one point he refuses to jaywalk because he must never break the law. The first half of the movie feels very much like the classic series with the Dynamic Duo facing off with their greatest foes, however, it is the second half in which the movie really becomes interesting by introducing a new and very unexpected villain. As the plot progresses Batman slowly becomes more and more like newer interpretations of the character by being dark and brooding. Trust me when I say hearing Adam West quote Frank Millers Dark Knight Returns is one of the most amazing things you will ever hear in a movie.
The actors give amazing performances with any living member of the classic series cast reprising their roles, sadly, this only includes Batman, Robin, and Catwoman. Robin, hilariously, is voiced by a senior citizen but is still portrayed as a teenager which, in some instances, really shows and yet manages to add to the campy charm of it all. The rest of the cast are voiced by sound-alikes who all give brilliant takes on the classic characters. In particular, The Riddler stood out as his actor sounds nearly identical to the original.
The movie is not without its flaws, however, as some moments did feel like they dragged on as the plot moves at a rather slow pace. Most of the time it is fine but around the third act I did find myself wondering when it was going to end. Another little flaw is the animation could have been a little bit smoother - this is more a fault of the films budget and does not really detract from the overall experience.
I very much enjoyed this movie and all I can say is bring on BATMAN VS TWO-FACE!
8.5/10
Pros
Funny
Interesting take on classic show
Great performances
Cons
Some bits did feel like they dragged on
Animation could have been a little smoother
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