(poster via http://www.66batman.com)
Kids today only know the grim and gravely-voiced Batman as played by Christian Bale in the two record-breaking hit films. A brutally realistic take on the comic book hero, the Chris Nolan trilogy is a far cry from the absurd shtick of William Dozer’s 1966 Batman TV series.
The TV series was wacky and bizarre, garnering high ratings on the small screen and even branching out as a feature film! A strange comedic version of the crime fighting hero, it left an indelible mark on the caped crusader removed only after Tim Burton’s 1989 film re-imagined Batman for a modern audience. Burton’s visually stunning nightmarish vision gave way to the multi-colored Schumacher films that challenged the malleability of the character while murdering its dignity.
When Batman returned to the big screen in 2005 it was in the form of a cinematic crime noir project. The surreal Batmobile was gone (replaced by a state of the art military armored vehicle), the quirky villains were hardcore murderers and charismatic terrorists and the hero himself a tortured soul.
All of these things considered, it’s very weird to see this modern version of Batman filtered through a 1966 lens.
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I just adore the 60s Batman TV series. Why does everything have to be so dark these days?
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We can always hold out hope that the next iteration of Batman on film is lighter than Nolan’s version. It will have to differ significantly, in any case.
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