Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Adam West and Burt Ward, stars of the campy 1960s TV series Batman, are back as the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder in this direct-to-video animated feature, which channels the tongue-in-cheek approach of the vintage TV show. The pair voice the dynamic duo while Julie Newmar purrs as Catwoman in this self-aware spoof that embraces the painful puns, alliterative exclamations, and deadpan delivery of the old show and features a goofy plot. After Catwoman doses Batman with a potion to turn him into a villain, the latter becomes a one-man army, taking over Gotham with the help of a buggy replica ray (holy masked Mussolini!). Meanwhile, Robin strikes an unlikely alliance with Catwoman, whose purring flirtatiousness with the Boy Wonder is the high point of this exercise in eccentricity, which works best as a knowing tribute to a cult show, playing to fans who are already in on the joke. The animation is somewhat stiff, but it does feature dozens of blank-faced Batmans engaged in a free-for-all with classic TV villains (the ultimate call-out of animated cameos). An exercise in juvenilia that is clearly aimed at nostalgic grownups, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)