Batman and Robin: The Complete 1949 Movie Serial Collection

Holy Vintage Cheese, Batman! This 15-part 1949 serial looks so shabby one might conceivably think that the filmmakers and cast sneaked on to the Columbia Pictures lot and shot their footage when no one was looking. Creator Bob Kane contributed to the screenplay, but this serial never matches the vibrancy or humor of his classic comic books (let alone the campy 1960s TV series or the subsequent movie franchise). Here the Caped Crusaders find themselves in constant cliffhanger situations thanks to The Wizard, a black-hooded figure who seeks to take over Gotham City with an infernal device that hijacks the controls of all vehicles. Meanwhile, ace reporter Vicky Vale--who happens to be the girlfriend of millionaire Bruce Wayne--is trying to unmask Batman. Unfortunately, the action is so painfully predictable that the entire endeavor could've easily been compressed into an hour's running time (and even then it would've been padded), while the cheap production values clearly prohibit any attempt at real action sequences or special effects thrills. B-actors Robert Lowery and John Duncan never really register either as Batman and Robin or as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (and Duncan is rather mature to be taken seriously as Wayne's youthful ward), while Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot, who pops up here as Commissioner Gordon, has relatively little to do. Batman completists might want this double-disc set (boasting a sharp transfer, but no extras); for others, however, this is not recommended. (P. Hall)