Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Rick Morales |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | Batman by William Dozier Batman by Bill Finger and Bob Kane |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Edited by | Christopher D. Lozinski |
Music by |
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Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates | |
Running time | 78 minutes [6] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $57,343 [7] [8] |
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a 2016 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. [9] Based on the 1960s Batman TV series, [10] the film stars the voices of Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar reprising their roles of Batman, Robin, and Catwoman from the series. [11] In the film, Batman and Robin set out to defeat the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman, who have teamed up. Matters are further complicated when Batman gradually becomes more hostile.
Originally intended to be released directly on home media, the film premiered at the New York Comic Con on October 6, 2016, [12] and had a simultaneous release in theaters on October 10, [13] a digital release on October 11, and a physical home media release on DVD and Blu-ray on November 1. [14]
A sequel entitled Batman vs. Two-Face [15] was released on October 10, 2017, four months after Adam West's death. [16] [17]
At Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson watch their favorite show, Gotham Palace. During the programming, a band that was supposed to play on the show is revealed to be hidden and replaced by the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman. Bruce and Dick suit up as Batman and Robin and head to the Gotham City Police Department, where they receive a riddle from Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara.
They discover that the villains are robbing the Acme Atomic Energy Laboratory of the Replication Ray, which can duplicate anything. After a brief fight, the criminals manage to escape Batman, but leave behind a clue that leads Batman and Robin to their lair in an abandoned TV dinner factory. While discussing what to do with the Replication Ray, Catwoman reveals her plan to make Batman join their side with a scratch from a substance called "Batnip". After Batman and Robin break in, they are defeated by the criminals and trapped on a frozen food tray heading towards a large oven. Catwoman uses her Batnip on Batman, but he is seemingly unaffected by it. The two escape the trap after the villains leave the factory.
Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce starts showing signs of aggression after Harriet Cooper nearly discovers the Batcave. He blames Alfred Pennyworth for the incident and fires him, leaving the butler to wander on the streets homeless. After days of not finding Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and Catwoman, Batman deduces that the four are no longer on Earth and have hijacked a space station. He and Robin go into space with the help of their Bat-Rocket. At the space station, Joker, Penguin, and Riddler betray Catwoman, distrusting her due to her feelings for Batman. They try to throw her out into space, but she is rescued by Batman and Robin and aids them in defeating her former allies for revenge. Batman savagely beats the three men and recovers the Replication Ray, but Catwoman escapes in an escape pod in the process.
After the mission, Dick expresses concern towards Bruce's increasingly hostile behavior. Bruce ejects Dick from the manor and takes a break from being Batman, resulting in a crime spree in Gotham City. A few weeks later, Batman returns to the Gotham City Police Department and blames the police for the increase in crime. He uses the Replication Ray on himself to replace most of the jobs, citizens, and political figures in Gotham with his replicas, planning to take over the world. Dick, realizing that the Batnip had a delayed effect on Batman, goes to Catwoman's lair as Robin to request her help in curing Batman. She agrees, as the effects of the Batnip were more severe than she had planned.
The two take the Catmobile to the Batcave, where Catwoman attempts to give Batman the antidote. Having anticipated this, Batman reveals that he took the Bat Anti-Antidote, nullifying Catwoman's antidote. Batman defeats the two in a fight and leaves them to die in the Atomic Pile, but they survive thanks to Robin's Bat Anti-Isotope Spray. Knowing they cannot take on an army of Batmen by themselves, Robin and Catwoman disguise themselves as prison inspectors and break most of Batman's rogues gallery from Gotham State Penitentiary by claiming to Warden Crichton that the ball and chains and pickaxes are not in good shape, replacing them with versions that carry the villains out of the prison. While a prison guard tells Crichton that Joker, Penguin, and Riddler did not escape, the three of them mysteriously turn into a pile of dust.
The two confront Batman and his army on the Gotham Palace set, but they still lose even with the help of the criminals. Before Batman is able to kill Robin and Catwoman, a disguised Alfred arrives and gives Batman a celebratory bottle of champagne laced with a strong enough antidote to counter the Bat Anti-Antidote. Batman returns to normal, and his clones turn to dust as the Replication Ray was not strong enough to make perfect clones. Batman and Robin then realize that Joker, Penguin, and Riddler tricked them by having them arrest copies of them while the real ones have been robbing the city blind, using Batman's behavior change as a distraction from their crime spree, knowing the Batnip would work as they spiked it with Joker's Laughing Gas formula to make it more potent. After catching them robbing the Gotham Art Museum, Batman, Robin, and Catwoman (as vengeance for what they did to her at the space station) chase them to Penguin's blimp, where the villainous trio are defeated after getting knocked off the blimp and falling to a safe location to be arrested. Catwoman tries to escape with the stolen loot, but Batman stops her. Unwilling to be imprisoned, Catwoman allows herself to fall into a smokestack.
Bruce and Dick then throw Harriet a surprise birthday party, acting as if that is the secret they have been hiding from her. During the party, Bruce and Dick are called away by the Bat-Signal.
West and Ward announced at the Mad Monster Party one or two animated films based on the 1960s Batman TV series, starting with Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. [22] [23] West, Ward, and Newmar provided the voices of their characters for the series' 50th anniversary. [23] [24] [25] [26] Five decades after the original Batman series, West jokingly remarked that it took him "about twenty seconds" to get back into character.
Warner Home Video hosted the world premiere of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders during the 2016 New York Comic Con on October 6. [27] The film was later released digitally on October 11, while the deluxe edition DVD and combo pack Blu-ray of the film was released on November 1. [28] Fathom Events cinemas released the film in select theaters for one night only on October 10. [29] It also received a limited release in Australia on October 8 and 9 the same year. [30]
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia on November 28.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94%, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Adam West's groovy interpretation of The Caped Crusader returns in a new medium, popping in the realm of animation with the irascible energy of an exclamation-accented onomatopoeia". [31]
Dave Robinson of outlet Crash Landed awarded the film 3 stars out of 5, citing its success in capturing the iconic '60s television show but failing to be of the cinematic quality expected of an animated feature film. [32]
Scott Mendelson of Forbes gave the film a score of 7/10, writing: "I wish the film dove a little deeper into its subtext... but what's there is enjoyable and entertaining". [33] Michelle Jaworski of The Daily Dot wrote that the film was "not a continuation of the TV series that first brought Batman to our screens 50 years ago (nor the DC series, which occurs in the same universe), but it embodies the spirit that made the series so endearing over the years". [34] Renee Schonfeld of Common Sense Media gave the film 3/5 stars: "The campy, dynamic, and oh-so-self-aware Batman of 1960s TV has returned to delight old fans and inspire new ones with Adam West and Burt Ward along for the fast-moving ride". [35]
The film debuted at No. 17 on the NPD VideoScan First Alert sales chart and No. 11 on the Blu-ray Disc sales chart in its first week. [36] [37] As of August 2017, it has earned over $1.1 million from domestic home video sales. [38]
A sequel, titled Batman vs. Two-Face , [15] was released in 2017 with William Shatner voicing Two-Face as the main antagonist. Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprised their roles as Robin and Catwoman. [39] [40] On June 9, Batman's voice actor Adam West died from leukemia. [41] According to Bleeding Cool, West and Shatner recorded their lines separately with West finishing his lines by October 2016. [42]
After the success of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Warner Bros. had stated that their executives were also considering making an animated film based on the 1970s Wonder Woman TV series, with actress Lynda Carter reprising her role as Wonder Woman. [43] [ needs update ]
Batman is a 1966 American superhero film directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Based on the television series, and the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character of the same name, the film stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. The film hit theaters two months after the last episode of the first season of the television series. The film includes most members of the original TV cast, with the exception of Julie Newmar as Catwoman, who, in the movie, was replaced by Lee Meriwether.
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes.
Julie Newmar is an American actress, dancer, and singer known for a variety of stage, screen, and television roles. She is also a writer, lingerie designer, and real estate mogul. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Katrin Sveg in the 1958 Broadway production of The Marriage-Go-Round, and reprised the role in the 1961 film version. In the 1960s she starred for two seasons as Catwoman in the television series Batman (1966–1967). Her other stage credits include Ziegfeld Follies in 1956, Lola in Damn Yankees! in 1961, and Irma in Irma la Douce in 1965 in regional productions.
William West Anderson, known as Adam West, was an American actor. He portrayed Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in various media until 2017. Making his film debut in the 1950s, West starred opposite Chuck Connors in Geronimo (1962) and The Three Stooges in The Outlaws Is Coming (1965), and also appeared in the science fiction film Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964).
Batman is an American live-action television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin—two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City from a variety of archvillains. It is known for its camp style and upbeat theme music, as well as its intentionally humorous, simplistic morality aimed at its preteen audience. It was described by executive producer William Dozier at the time as "the only situation comedy on the air without a laugh track". The 120 episodes aired on the ABC network for three seasons from January 12, 1966, to March 14, 1968, twice weekly during the first two seasons, and weekly for the third. In 2016, television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked Batman as the 82nd greatest American television series of all time. A companion feature film was released in 1966 between the first and second seasons of the TV show.
Burt Ward is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman. He played Dick Grayson's Robin, the sidekick of Batman, in the television series Batman (1966–1968), its theatrical feature film, the Saturday morning animated series The New Adventures of Batman (1977), the two-episode pilot Legends of the Superheroes (1979), the animated reunion films Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) and Batman vs. Two-Face (2017), and the live-action television event Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).
"Batman: Hush" is an American comic book story arc published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman. It was published in monthly installments within the comic book series Batman, running from issue #608–619 in October 2002 until September 2003. The story arc was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams, and colored by Alex Sinclair, under the editorship of Bob Schreck.
The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series that aired on CBS from February 12 to May 28, 1977, featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The series was a Filmation and DC Comics production in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 American made-for-television biographical action-comedy film based on the 1966–1968 Batman television series which features the original stars Adam West and Burt Ward as themselves, with Jack Brewer and Jason Marsden portraying the young West (Batman) and Ward (Robin) in flashbacks. It was broadcast on CBS on March 9, 2003.
The DC Comics character Batman has been adapted into various media including film, radio, television, and video games, as well as numerous merchandising items. The Batman franchise has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
The Batman/Superman Hour is a Filmation animated series that was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1969. Premiering on September 14, 1968, this 60-minute program featured new adventures of the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Robin and Batgirl alongside shorts from The New Adventures of Superman and The Adventures of Superboy.
The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s: Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with the 1989 film Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of Batman Unchained.
The Joker, a supervillain in DC Comics and archenemy of the superhero Batman, has appeared in various media. WorldCat records over 250 productions featuring the Joker as a subject, including films, television series, books, and video games. Live-action films featuring the character are typically the most successful.
Catwoman is a fictional character first appearing in issue 1 of the Batman comic book. After her debut she would appear in many forms of media including live-action and animated film, radio, live-action and animated television, records, video games, web series, live performance, and podcasts. The character has made live-action appearances in the Batman television series (1966–68), its film adaptation Batman (1966), Batman Returns (1992), Catwoman (2004),The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Gotham (2014–19), and The Batman (2022). The character has also appeared in numerous animated television series and movies, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017), as well as video games such as the Batman: Arkham series.
Batman vs. Two-Face is a 2017 American animated direct-to-video superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and a direct sequel to Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. It premiered at the New York Comic Con on October 8, 2017, was released digitally on October 10, and on DVD and Blu-ray on October 17. Based on the 1960s Batman television series, the film stars Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprising their roles of Batman, Robin and Catwoman from the series. It was West's final performance as Batman and was released posthumously.
The Riddler, a supervillain in DC Comics and an adversary of the superhero Batman, has been adapted into numerous forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character has been portrayed in live-action by Frank Gorshin and John Astin in the 1960s television series Batman, Jim Carrey in the 1995 film Batman Forever, Cory Michael Smith in the 2014 Fox series Gotham, and Paul Dano in the 2022 film The Batman. Actors who have voiced the Riddler include John Glover in the DC Animated Universe, Robert Englund in The Batman, and Wally Wingert in the Batman: Arkham video games.
Batman: Hush is a 2019 American animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman and loosely based on the 2002 comic book story arc of the same name. It is the thirteenth installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe and the 37th overall film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. In the film, Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman to defeat a new villain named Hush, who knows all of Batman's secrets and targets key figures in his life.
Batman: The Audio Adventures is a comedic radio drama podcast series featuring the DC Comics character Batman. The 2021 show, DC's first scripted podcast, is produced by DC Entertainment, Blue Ribbon Content, and HBO Max. The series is meant to be an homage to the original 1966 Batman TV series as well as the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series. It is directed and written by Dennis McNicholas, a writer for Saturday Night Live, and features many of that show's performers in voice roles. Production companies involved with the series are Insurrection Media and WarnerMedia. The series is executive produced by Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, Deborah Henderson, and Jon Berg.
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