Animated 66 Batman Movie: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

[SprangFan]

The shot of the duo approaching the Batpoles is "BAT-TASTIC!"

...but it's STRANGE that the subsequent 3 shots of Batman & Robin...

... landing at the base of the poles...
...getting into the Batmobile...
...AND the Batmobile heading out of the Batcave...

...ARE ALL BACKWARDS!!!

I was inclined to write this off as a simple error (just flip it and it's fixed). Of course, if you do flip it, Batman and Robin are running from the poles going camera right to camera left, which is the reverse of how we always saw it in the 60s. But maybe, I reasoned, this was done on purpose, for the same reason they give us the new angle of Bruce and Dick running to the poles (looking back with the study behind them): Namely, we never got to see that view of the study, or that side of the cave, because in the real world they were never built (just like we could never see see the port side of the USS Enterprise...it had wires coming out of it!), and now, thanks to the miracle of animation, the old "fourth wall" is filled in for us.

BUT...then I saw this frame and realized they've actually got the cave backwards, which is harder to fix. If you flip this one, Batman will be back in the driver's seat where he belongs (unless this is the UK Batcave), but the Atomic Reactor is on the wrong side of the cave, and that would be a hard thing to move.



Notice based on the position of the poles and the exit (which we can't see, because it's behind us), the reactor would end up at camera left if the image is flipped, and that's just wrong.

On the other hand, the floor is also elevated, which we never saw before, so maybe we should just conclude that this is an "interpretation" of the '66 Batverse, and not an attempt at total faithfulness.

[TheBlueHombre]

Maybe this is the London Batcave with the British Batmobile with the steering wheel on the right? Holy United Kingdom.

[Ben Bentley]

I'm still just over the moon that this is happening after all these years and I think that for a lot of us, there is still a great deal to look forward to from this project.

As much as for my own personal tastes, I know I would have loved a direct animated interpretation of the show's aesthetic, but I also totally appreciate however that the odds of that happening were very slim given the context in which this production is happening at all (ie the DC straight to home video releases line), not to mention other production hurdles and logistics such as likenesses and standard studio concerns about making this appealing to various portions of the demographic, young and old alike.

I find the "Adam's voice" remarks that i've seen in a number of places really bizarre. As if being half a century older than you were when you did something originally isn't a tangible reason for the difference - Ha.

I'm fortunate enough to have a couple of pals who have worked on this project in different capacities and I know that the sincerity of their love for the original show will definitely shine through in moments throughout this new movie.

[njboywonder]

I didn't read the entire thread but I find West's current voice and delivery disturbing. Ghostly actually. Not sure why it couldn't have been electronically manipulated.

And the trap tells me that the writing is likely uninspired at best, extremely lazy at worst, since the cliffhanger, as iconic a part of the show (and the one most anticipated each week), which should have been wildly original and cleverly conceived, was not only pat and completely uninspired, but completely ineffective.

It's a single, concise and contained, and very important element of the series (a series not known for depth but for its iconography). If they can't get it right, what hope is there for an original, intricate, entertaining, or even commendably written plot?

[svl]

'66 Gordon with a 'stache just doesn't feel right...

[SprangFan]

I find the "Adam's voice" remarks that i've seen in a number of places really bizarre. As if being half a century older than you were when you did something originally isn't a tangible reason for the difference - Ha.

I'm sure everyone knows WHY he sounds different, but it's still jarring. I don't follow Adam's career as closely as some on this board, but I do feel like I see him fairly often and, to me, he doesn't sound this...fragile?...in other appearances.

Maybe it's because when I see the real, 2016 Adam's face, it makes sense that the voice coming out of it belongs to an 80-something guy, but when I see it coming out of a youthfully-drawn Batman, there's a degree of cognitive dissonance. I had a similar experience a few years ago when Sean Connery did voice-overs for a James Bond video game; up til then, he didn't sound old to me, he just sounded like Sean Connery. But when that voice was coming out of a 1963-looking James Bond, I thought, "Wow, he sounds old!"

More recently, I had the same reaction to Carrie Fisher in the new Star Wars movie. I know there was some backlash when fans complained about how old she seemed, but for me it wasn't so much her looks as her voice, which made her seem even older than she looked. And again, it's not like I hadn't seen "Carrie Fisher" and known what she looked and sounded like, but it was my first look at "Princess Leia" in 30+ years, and it was unsettling.

The point being, I know Adam's gotten older (and good for him; it beats the alternative!), but it happened so slowly for me as to be no big deal. But hearing his voice come out of a Batman who still looks 30-something, it's like those 50 years just all thudded down -- BOOM! -- in one swoop, and it's disorienting.

Not sure if any of that makes sense, but hey, I tried.

[Golddragon71]

I didn't get that close a look at Robins uniform mishap but the Study to Batpoles to Batcave error was the most glaring to me

of course Now that i'm looking at this pic and see the error closely i can't unsee it.

[Lou Szabo]

Keep going, Batman get's in the passenger seat and Robin drives off....

WB has both DVD and Blu Ray
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DVD
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It's back to the 1960s as Batman and Robin spring into action when Gotham City is threatened by a quartet of Batman's most fiendish foes - Penguin, The Joker, Riddler and Catwoman. This time, the four Super-Villains have combined their wicked talents to hatch a plot so nefarious that the Dynamic Duo will need to go to outer space (and back) to foil their arch enemies and restore order in Gotham City. It's a truly fantastic adventure that will pit good against evil, good against good, evil against evil . and feature two words that exponentially raise the stakes for both sides: Replicator Ray. Holy Multiplication Tables! Featuring a star-studded voice cast including Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. - See more at: http://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000 ... bnVxN.dpuf

[AndyFish]

I'm happy it's coming out, it'll be fun to watch, I'm expecting more puns, lazy death traps and some groaning moments just like if Batman had a fourth season. I'm afraid the chances of ever seeing the more serious Season 1 version of the '66 Batman exists only in those Blu Rays I have on the shelf.

Like Aussie, I'm glad Adam and Burt are getting the work (Julie too of course) but BACK TO THE BATCAVE is a fresh memory for me so while I'll be buying at least a digital copy I have low expectations that this will stand with the best of the series, or even come on par with the feature. I will however wait until I've seen it to pan it.

[BATWINGED HORNET]

I'm sure everyone knows WHY he sounds different, but it's still jarring. I don't follow Adam's career as closely as some on this board, but I do feel like I see him fairly often and, to me, he doesn't sound this...fragile?...in other appearances.

Maybe it's because when I see the real, 2016 Adam's face, it makes sense that the voice coming out of it belongs to an 80-something guy, but when I see it coming out of a youthfully-drawn Batman, there's a degree of cognitive dissonance. I had a similar experience a few years ago when Sean Connery did voice-overs for a James Bond video game; up til then, he didn't sound old to me, he just sounded like Sean Connery. But when that voice was coming out of a 1963-looking James Bond, I thought, "Wow, he sounds old!"

All valid points, but if you want the original actor, his natural changes that accompany age will need to be accepted. The last thing I wanted to hear was someone trying to ape Adam West, as its usually bad, or plays up the exaggerated misrepresentations of Batman '66 being some goofy, 100% camp series.

More recently, I had the same reaction to Carrie Fisher in the new Star Wars movie. I know there was some backlash when fans complained about how old she seemed, but for me it wasn't so much her looks as her voice, which made her seem even older than she looked. And again, it's not like I hadn't seen "Carrie Fisher" and known what she looked and sounded like, but it was my first look at "Princess Leia" in 30+ years, and it was unsettling.

Why was it unsettling? The Force Awakens takes place decades after Return of the Jedi, so every actor's voice will--and should sound aged. Additionally, Fisher (to be frank) has not always lived the healthiest lifestyle, so that affected her voice, too. But in the end, she is the expected older version of that actress from films well over 30 years old.

[SprangFan]

I think your screen caps may explain where they tripped up. On the original show, Bruce and Dick run from camera left to camera right, Bruce takes the pole on the right, Dick the pole on the left. When they arrive in the cave, Robin is still on the left pole and Batman on the right, but the camera has moved 180 degrees from its original position. Likewise, the characters, who started off facing the wall, have turned 180 degrees and are now facing away from it. So the pattern of movement is as follows:



This progression is confused for us, mentally, because we see Bruce and Dick run left to right upstairs, then left to right again in the cave, creating the impression that the pattern of movement is like this:



I believe that when they came up with the clever notion of showing us this new, animated view of Bruce and Dick face on, as if there were a camera mounted on the wall behind the poles, the animators confused themselves and lost their sense of direction. If you start with the face-on view with Bruce's face at camera left, it doesn't "make sense", mentally, to have Batman end up at the bottom of the poles on camera right.

In other words, where having that wall visible in the original show helped our brains understand that Bruce and Dick spun 180 degrees on the way down, removing that same wall so that we see their faces at both ends of the slide (and a close-up of Batman's in the middle!) confuses everything by implying they face the same direction the entire trip.

[SprangFan]

All valid points, but if you want the original actor, his natural changes that accompany age will need to be accepted. The last thing I wanted to hear was someone trying to ape Adam West, as its usually bad, or plays up the exaggerated misrepresentations of Batman '66 being some goofy, 100% camp series.

I'm not saying I'd prefer an impersonator just because he'd sound younger. Obviously, the main selling point for this product -- and the only reason I'm even considering buying it -- is because the surviving cast members are involved. I'm just saying I completely understand people who are freaked out about how old Adam sounds. I "accept" it, but in the same way I accept the face looking back at me in the mirror at my age. Sort of an "eh, what are ya gonna do?"

Why was it unsettling? The Force Awakens takes place decades after Return of the Jedi, so every actor's voice will--and should sound aged. Additionally, Fisher (to be frank) has not always lived the healthiest lifestyle, so that affected her voice, too. But in the end, she is the expected older version of that actress from films well over 30 years old.

Well, I didn't say it was logical.

The Star Wars films are decades old, but they're frozen in time; the characters in the original trilogy were still 20- and 30-something until last year, so that was our mental picture of them. It's like going back to your high school reunion to find everyone's "suddenly" gotten old. Meanwhile of course you've hardly changed at all and more to the point, your spouse who you see every day hasn't changed much, either. Of course you both have changed, but not so noticeably because you perceived it gradually.

Even though criticism (if that's what it was) of Fisher's appearance quickly and predictably devolved into charges of sexism, I think the real story here is that the generation (or three) that's totally wrapped up in various fictional realities is having a hard time adjusting to their own mortality. If Princess Leia is older, then so are we, and hey, that's not acceptable. I know for me personally it's hard to see all my childhood idols entering their 70s, 80s and 90s and deal with the effects of aging, partly because I'm attached to them and don't want them to go, but equally because I know that where they are now is where I will be soon enough, and it's starting to get scary.

[Batfanman]

"Holy Hiccup! Will the animation error be corrected in time?? Or will the Dynamic Duo be forced to exist in a Bizzaro-like world? Answer: The worst is yet to come!"

[Bat Username]

All valid points, but if you want the original actor, his natural changes that accompany age will need to be accepted.

I also don't believe it's entirely due to age, as this is still an actor being asked to reprise a role half a century later. Put any actor in a similar situation and there will undoubtedly be differences in how they approach the material.

My impression is that Adam's performance here is being influenced by decades of seeing how fans interpret his version of the character- particular over the last 20 years or so- as well as what they profess to love about it. Add in the fact that we're in a much different superhero era than the one in which the 30-something Adam West originally donned the cowl, and he may have simply felt a greater sense of freedom to have fun with it.

[Lou Szabo]

I think your screen caps may explain where they tripped up. On the original show, Bruce and Dick run from camera left to camera right, Bruce takes the pole on the right, Dick the pole on the left. When they arrive in the cave, Robin is still on the left pole and Batman on the right, but the camera has moved 180 degrees from its original position. Likewise, the characters, who started off facing the wall, have turned 180 degrees and are now facing away from it. So the pattern of movement is as follows:



This progression is confused for us, mentally, because we see Bruce and Dick run left to right upstairs, then left to right again in the cave, creating the impression that the pattern of movement is like this:



I believe that when they came up with the clever notion of showing us this new, animated view of Bruce and Dick face on, as if there were a camera mounted on the wall behind the poles, the animators confused themselves and lost their sense of direction. If you start with the face-on view with Bruce's face at camera left, it doesn't "make sense", mentally, to have Batman end up at the bottom of the poles on camera right.

In other words, where having that wall visible in the original show helped our brains understand that Bruce and Dick spun 180 degrees on the way down, removing that same wall so that we see their faces at both ends of the slide (and a close-up of Batman's in the middle!) confuses everything by implying they face the same direction the entire trip.

Love the graphic. Said another way, the cave is under the study but does not extend under the living room, rather the cave exit is opposite the bat poles, but in the study and in the cave.

Also, the Animators probably did not see anything wrong with Batman on the right side of the Batmobile, that's where the driver sits in many countries.

while it is surprising the editors did not correct it, I would bet it was too expensive to fix. Either that, or Robin got his learner's permit