User Reviews

There are different ways in which to do a comic book movie. The style which this film goes for is a campy comic style. And by that, I mean it does not try to be literary gem. It just has a solid story with memorable characters, and some great action sequences. At least one really solid action sequence can be found in each episode. And the ending has cool twist.

First off, Batman and Robin are both done perfectly. Robert Lowery and John Duncan play off of each otehr perfectly. There is a sway of personalities between Batman and Bruce Wayne and for Robin and Dick Grayson which this film has the right look on. They make Bruce and Dick very charming characters with distinct personalities that are contrary enough to Batman and Robin. Then there is Vikki Vale. Here, the writers could have truly given into Hollywood writing and had more of a love story between Bruce and Vikki, but instead they focused more the main story. Good idea. They also tie Vikki well into the story, having her brother as a villain you sometimes do; sometimes don't root for. The villainy is excellent. I love the Wizard. He is so creepy and diabolical. He is vulnerable, but exceptionally intelligent as well. And really his intelligence it his greatest ally. He makes good use of the machines he steals especially when he uses the neutralizer and the beaming machine to make himself invisible. But Batamn is also realistically capable of catching onto his plans.

I have heard this film compared to the campy Adam West stuff of the 1960's. Do not expect to see Adam West and Burt Ward in different colored tights, using the most far-fetched gadgets imaginable, and solving the most far-fetched puzzles. I love that Batman version, but this is not the same. This film is campy, but nowhere near that campy. I think theses serials are better off being compared to the Spiderman movies. In that, they are both meant to be viewed for fun and little if anything else, but are not nearly as over-the-top as the 1960's Batman stuff. MINOR SPOILER There is one scene in the film in which Batman and Robin and running out of air. Batman pulls out two oxygen pipes and gives one of them to Robin. Yeah, that's a little far-fetched, but at least he uses it again later. And from that, you can honestly believe that Batman and Robin figured they may need an oxygen pipe and they find uses for it throughout the serial. As opposed to some absolutely chessy gadgets from the 60's Batman like shark-repellent Bat Spray, or the Batcave's nuclear power source.

SPOILER

This serial has a neat twist revealing the Wizard's identity. It seems completely obvious that Professor Hamill is the Wizard. In fact, watching it the first time, I just thought you were supposed to know that. I did not even realize that it was meant to be a mystery. But then, once I realized it was Carter, I saw how all the pieces fit. And it gave a completely different look on sll the scenes with the minor character Carter seemed to be. I thought the thing about his twin-brother getting shot was kind of cheesy. It would have made more sense if I knew that Carter had a twin brother, but short of that, it was a neat literary twist.

END OF SPOILER

As a whole though, this is just a really good serial to sit back and enjoy. If you like Batman (particulalry the comics) this is very much for you. I highly recommend it.

I've sat through this serial a number of times, trying to understand its appeal, even among hardcore serial fans. It's just very poorly done. Robin seems to be on tranquilizers, and looks more like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer than the Boy Wonder. Wayne Manor is a middle class home and the Batmobile is a Mercury. It's not even black. All of which could be forgiven were the writing remotely coherent. But alas.

Take Professor Hamill...a scientist and "wheelchair invalid" (with a nicer house than Bruce Wayne) who frequently, albeit temporarily, regains the use of his legs through the use of a hidden "electric chair" device. We see this process time and again, and Hamill is clearly keeping both the device, and whatever the hell her does whilst mobile, completely secret, even from his servant, Carter. He maintains at all times the illusion of being permanently disabled, for whatever reasons, and would, I guess, prefer to dance the cha-cha by himself (or whatever one secretly does with their legs) than benefit mankind, win a Nobel prize, and make an inestimable fortune with his incredible machine.

All of which is incredibly goofy, but nothing compared to the fact that Hamill spends the penultimate chapter openly walking around...in full view of not only Carter, but also Commissioner Gordon, Batman, and Robin. And not one of them notices that he isn't in a wheelchair. Nor, in the final chapter, when he returns to his wheelchair, is it ever remarked upon that, hey, that guy can sometimes walk.

Not only does Batman - the world's greatest detective! - fail to notice a wheelchair-bound man, walking...he and Robin also spend a lot of time out of costume, basically doing the same routine as when they're in costume. Including consulting with Commissioner Gordon as Bruce and Dick, in a manner indistinguishable from their consultations as Batman and Robin, except that they spend a lot of time saying things like "Batman asked us to give you this, " rather than just wearing the damn costumes. Considering the fact that Batman also drives Bruce Wayne's car, the guy seems pretty cavalier about the whole secret identity thing.

Sure, the action is poorly staged and the acting variously hammy/anemic, but I cannot overstress the degree to which virtually nothing about the plot or character actions makes a lick of sense. In one early scene, the fact that diamonds are stolen, and that diamonds power the "remote control machine" that is the villainous Wizard's primary weapon (see, don't I sound like I'm having a stroke at this point?), is taken as instant and conclusive proof that the robbery was committed by the Wizard's gang, for the sake of powering the machine in question. It never even occurs to Batman - or indeed, to anyone - that diamonds might be stolen for any other purpose.

But most of all, above and beyond all else, never let it be forgotten...BATMAN DIDN'T NOTICE A DISABLED MAN WALKING.

BATMAN AND ROBIN is a 15-instalment cliffhanger serial from 1949 that follows the intrepid duo as they battle against a masked villain called The Wizard and his plans to destroy the world. This is very much a serial in the classic tradition, with short, snappy and action-packed episodes and lots of scenes of our heroes facing, and surmounting, death. It's light and breezy, a neat counterpoint to the more modern superhero shows put out by DC and Marvel, and completely charming.

Batman and robin recover a stolen machine which can remotely control means of transportation--a machine which crudely predates today's autonomous driving devices. the plot has so many holes to go into much more detail. the biggest hole is the identity of the wizard. viewers are led to believe its the crotchety old inventor but it turns out it wasn't him. there is no explanation offered for what he does after sitting in the electric chair and then diappearing down a secret passage in the fireplace. there are other smaller holes which can be chalked up to this serial being made for kids who probably wouldn't notice. when viewing this you must realize times were different 70 years ago--something thst may be impossible for many peoole who see this today.

A pretty good superhero serial with Batman and Robin in conflict with hooded arch-villain called The Wizard. The plot might not be that original (and sometimes rather baffling) and the identity of The Wizard is rather ridiculous (a twin brother!) but there are plenty of car chases and fisticuffs to keep up the excitement. Robert Lowery as Batman and Johnny Duncan as Robin are fine and the supporting cast good enough with the usual group of behatted henchmen battling the dynamic duo though Jane Adams as Vicki Vale doesn't get much of a look in. The batmobile is an ordinary car but the batcave set is seen a lot, furnished with its own hovering bats! Some of the cliffhangers are obvious but that doesn't spoil this watchable 15 part serial.

I really wish I had seen this as a kid because I'm pretty well convinced I wouldn't have fallen for any of the goofy gimmicks on display here. Don't get me wrong, these Columbia serials have a special place in the minds and hearts of Batman fans like myself, but they do take a special effort to get through. One is always on the fence on how liberal one's use of the fast forward button ought to be, in my case I have to breeze through each of the opening chapters to get to just the right spot to see what kind of red herring the last one offered before a car went over a cliff or some building blew up.

Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan seemed like pretty good choices to portray the costumed heroes; Lowery managed to distract me a bit with his uncanny resemblance to Johnny Weissmuller, and it eventually dawned on me that he portrayed Big Tim Champion in the 'Circus Boy' TV series of the mid-Fifties. How he dealt with the Bat-Mask I'll never know, the protruding nose and ears might have been menacing to crooks but they seemed rather silly looking to me. Perhaps to further a connection to Batman's namesake, I thought it interesting that the script often called for him to swoop down from an elevated position with outstretched cape to simulate a flying bat.

One of the funniest things throughout the entire serial occurred when Batman needed a blow torch to cut through some wall or other, and he just so happened to have one under his cape. Throughout the story there are a myriad of credibility defying devices introduced that boggle the mind like a remote control machine that stops automotive vehicles in their tracks, invisibility rays, and a tele-viewer the Wizard is able to use to see virtually anything the script calls for.

More than anything, what blows my mind is that at one time, grown men saw fit to write, produce and act in these stories with virtually no self-conscious embarrassment over how dumb they looked. Take for example any scene in which more than one thug or henchman was involved in which they consistently crossed paths wondering what to do next. And was it my imagination or did every uniformed policeman in the picture look like he was already past retirement age?

Well look, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade here. Early serials like this were an interesting attempt to get super-heroes from the comic pages onto the big screen and were wildly and successfully accepted by young matinée fans of the day. And if you missed an episode during any fifteen chapter run it's not like it would have been the end of the world. You just picked up the story in mid stream the following week and you'd be back on track in no time.

I only saw this series once or twice as a child and thought it no longer existed, however I managed to track it down a couple of years ago on video. Though it is not as good as the 1943 series, it is still a great production. It has better visual effects (most notably The Wizard becoming invisible),which must have been amazing in 1949. There was also more intrigue than the 1943 series, the question about The wizards true identity was well written. William Fawcett was wonderful as the eccentric Profeser Hamill, my favorite character from the series. Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan were superb as Batman and Robin. Johnny Duncan was not as "in your face" as the 60's Robin, which I really admire. The ending was not greatly acted, however the series was low budget even for the 1940's so It might have been filmed quickly. I really like the car Batman Drives as well, it was just a normal car, allowing Bruce wayne to be drive it as himself and Batman. The fact that it was filmed in Black and White makes it more dramatic. It has the same effect as Tim Burtons dark films.

I think 'Batman and Robin' (1949) gets a really bad rap. In my opinion, it's really fun, fast-paced, nostalgic entertainment. There are obviously really silly bits in it, but there are very few truly cringeworthy moments in it. Most of the poor special effects and moments of deus ex machina (Batman's blowtorch magically appearing on his utility belt) just add to the fun, in my opinion.

I think Robert Lowery looked, sounded and was GREAT as Batman. Obviously at first, his costume looks a bit hokey, but you really get used to it. The cape looks amazing and it's perfectly dark and black throughout (compared to the 1943 cape which looked depressingly white on occasion). Even the 'devil-horns' (which a lot of people complain about) grew on me and reminded me of Batman's original 1939 suit. Lowery also had a physical presence as Batman that neither Lewis Wilson or even Adam West had. He LOOKED tough and athletic (although he could have been wearing a girdle, :P).

John Duncan is decent and inoffensive as Robin. He's not given a LOT to do, but what he does, he does it pretty well. People complain that he's too old and I suppose he is, but he easily passes for a 19-22 year old and is just as plausible as an older Boy Wonder as Chris O'Donnell (who I loved) was, 46 years later. Also, even though it lacks the yellow cape of the comics, I LOVE Robin's costume. It's much darker and looks great next to Batman. I like to think that the cape is a very dark green, as opposed to black.

Probably the best thing about this serial, when comparing it to the original is the plot and the villain. The 'Remote Control Machine' and 'The Wizard' are far more interesting (albeit slightly clichéd) villains than the irritatingly racist-propaganda-villain from the original. The actor playing the Wizard is again, a tough, imposing villain with an amazingly fascinating voice. He really seems like a genuine threat to Batman.

My biggest problem with this serial is that Batman and Robin lose nearly every single fight in it, so that there can be a cliffhanger. In spite of Lowery's toughness, Batman really isn't and every criminal he gets his hands on, he "hands over to the police for questioning", instead of pounding the answers out of them, himself. Not to mention, in several chapters, Batman and Robin follow the villains to the entrance of their secret hideout, only to lose track of them. It's really irritating that Batman never considers staking out the entrance. The final installment of this serial is really entertaining and my favourite chapter, probably because it highlights all of the flaws I have just mentioned. Batman finally decides to wait outside the entrance to the secret lair, follows one of the henchmen in and DEMANDS that he bring him to the Wizard. Lowery is REALLY cool in this scene.

I think that Lowery and Duncan would have been great for a 1950s Batman TV show, along the same lines as the first season of 'Adventures of Superman', which was incredibly dark and full of gangsters and murderers. Single episodes would suit the characters better than drawn-out serials, purely because they could display their power in full, rather than having it frustratingly neutered and saved for the finale, as happened in this serial.

Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this serial to all fans of Batman. Personally, in spite of its flaws, I find it to be far more enjoyable than the 1966 show, which while excellent, was just a big joke. I prefer the unintentional, kitschy humour of this serial, not to mention the performance of Lowery who is probably my favourite live-action Batman before the blockbuster movies began (and frankly, I'd rank him above George Clooney, easily).

This serial is essentially the prototype for the Adam West TV series. Robert Lowery plays a nondescript Bruce Wayne and a business like Batman who is a deputized officer of the law, and pulls some of the most unlikely things out of his cheap looking, plain belt, such as a gas mask that looks like it was made out of a drinking straw, and a full size blow torch. Ironically, Adam West, in his autobiography, said plans were made to bring Lowery on the show as Bruce's often mentioned (but never seen) uncle, but the concept never came to pass.

John Duncan's Dick Grayson and Robin are both far more mature that either Burt Ward or Douglas Croft, and he's also a lot more dull. Lyle Talbot's Commissioner Gordon is flat and one-dimensional. Jane Adams plays a very forgettable Vicki Vale, and Eric Wilton plays an Alfred who looks very much like the TV show's Alan Napier, but has little to do except wear a spare Batman costume when required to, much like a few episodes of the TV series.

The villain is a masked mystery man called the Wizard who has some outlandish scientific devices. Presumably, the plot is a mystery to figure out who the Wizard is, but the detective work leaves a lot to be desired.

The costumes and budget are worse than the 1943 serial, with Batman's cowl looking like a Halloween devil mask, but it is cool to see that huge bat across Batman's shirt a la "Batman Year One". The only advantage either serials' Robin costume has over the TV series is the longer (and in John Duncan's case, dark - presumably green) cape vs. Burt Ward's short, almost feminine cape, and the boots vs. Ward's elf shoes.

There is no Batmobile, as both Bruce and Batman drive the same plain gray Mercury convertible, and the Bat-Signal appears to be the size of a portable TV set.

The serial has some good moments, and you can really see how the TV series was a camped up version of it, but its just not nearly as fun or entertaining as the 1943 serial.