Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
Article 5473 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 6-22-2017
Directed by Rick Morales
Featuring the voices of Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar
Country: USA
What it is: Animated retro Batman

Batman and Robin must contend with the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin and Catwoman, who have joined forces in a plot involving a duplicating gun.

Since I’m no longer restricted to a given hunt list, I’ve opened up my series to anything I see that qualifies as genre, so I’m covering this animated Batman movie that revives the campy style of the mid-sixties TV series, and even nets three of its original actors to do the voices. Those who never liked that TV series will find little of appeal here; me, I always prefer my superheroes with a humorous approach, and I quite liked this one. It does manage to capture the feel of the original series, and it even takes a couple of good-natured stabs at the “Dark Knight” portrayal of the character. The original actors featured are all in their seventies or eighties, but only Adam West sounded old; fortunately, his sense of humor was still intact, and he delivers his character’s “goody two-shoes” dialogue with the proper aplomb. No, it’s not a modern classic, but it’s not trying to be; it’s more of a laid-back nostalgia piece, and it hits the target close enough that it works on that level. At least one sequel is planned, though the recent death of Adam West may end the series after that one.