On March 30th 1939, Batman debuted in Detective Comics and has become one of the most iconic figures in entertainment. During his 80 years in pop culture there have been many different iterations of Batman on film and TV that have entertained generations of fans. Here are my top 3 favorites:
BATMAN 1966
In 1966, BATMAN debuted on ABC and changed how people saw superheroes. The show starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Batman's classic villains included Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman (played by Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, and Julie Newmar). The show's combination of comedy, satire, and action was a hit with children and adults alike. In 1989, when the Batman movie came out, WPIX began running the 1966 TV show in syndication. As a child I was too young to see the movie but I could enjoy the TV show. In the five decades since its debut, the Batman 1966 TV show remains one of the most beloved interpretations of the caped crusader.
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
In 1992, Batman: The Animated Series debuted on Fox and changed animation in the process. Based off of Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns This animated show gave interesting and compelling back stories to iconic villains such as Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and The Riddler. The show also dealt with adult issues such as Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports and Multiple Personality Disorder which was groundbreaking for an animated show targeted to kids and pre-teens. Batman: The Animated Series aired for 4 seasons and remains a milestone in animation and Batman history.
CHRISTIAN BALE IN BATMAN BEGINS
In 2005, Batman Begins debuted in theaters and started a new era in Batman history. Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming Batman was a beautiful masterpiece in my opinion. Along with Christopher Nolan's direction, Batman Begins showed Bruce Wayne's humanity and explained why Batman is needed in Gotham. I loved the use of Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul and his influence on how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. When the movie came out it was only four years after 9/11 so Nolan's vision of Batman portrayed him as a human drone battling against terrorism. Even though Nolan crafted a successful trilogy with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins remains my favorite out of all three movies.
Batman has been apart of America's consciousness for eight decades. Since his creation in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger he has entertained and inspired millions of fans all around the world.
Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR
No comments:
Post a Comment