Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a 2016 American direct-to-video 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 Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprising their roles of Batman, Robin and Catwoman from the series.[11]

Batman:
Return of the Caped Crusaders
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRick Morales
Produced by
Screenplay by
  • Michael Jelenic
  • James Tucker
Based onBatman
by William Dozier
Bob Kane
and Bill Finger
Starring
Narrated byJeff Bergman
Music by
Edited byChristopher D. Lozinski
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • October 6, 2016 (2016-10-06) (NYCC)[4]
  • October 10, 2016 (2016-10-10) (United States)[5]
Running time
78 minutes[6]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$57,343[7][8]

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, 2016,[13] a digital release on October 11, 2016, and a physical home media release on DVD and Blu-ray on November 1, 2016.[14]

A sequel entitled Batman vs. Two-Face[15] was released on October 10, 2017, four months after Adam West's death.[16][17]

Plot

At stately Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward 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 four of the Dynamic Duo's greatest villains; the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman. Bruce and Dick suit up as Batman and Robin and head towards the Gotham City Police Department, where they receive a riddle from Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara.

They discover that the crooks are robbing the Acme Atomic Energy Laboratory of the Replication Ray that was invented by Dr. Nichols. The Replication Ray has the power to make a perfect duplicate out of anything. After a brief fight, the criminals manage to escape Batman, but leave behind a clue that leads the Caped Crusaders 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 supposedly unaffected by it. The two escape the trap after the villains leave the factory.

Back at stately Wayne Manor, Bruce starts showing signs of aggression after Aunt Harriet 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 figures out that the four crooks are no longer on Earth and have hijacked a space station. The two heroes go into space with the help of their Bat-Rocket.

At the space station, Joker, Penguin and Riddler betray Catwoman as they do not trust her to be on their side due to her feelings for Batman. They try to throw her out into space. She is rescued by the Dynamic Duo 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 for his behavior in the space station and at the Gotham City Police Department (where he left when Gordon was not looking without a word). Bruce kicks Dick out of the house 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 Gordon and O'Hara as police commissioner and police chief respectively.

Batman soon replaces most of the government, jobs and citizens in Gotham with his replicas and plans to take over the world. Dick realizes that the Batnip had a delayed effect on Batman and was slowly making him eviler over time. He then suits up as Robin and goes to Catwoman's lair to request her help in curing Batman which she agrees to do as she thinks 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, but Batman anticipated it and took the Bat Anti-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; Archer, Black Widow, Bookworm, Clock King, Egghead, False Face, King Tut, Louie the Lilac, Mad Hatter, Minstrel, Mr. Freeze, Sandman, Shame and Siren by claiming to Warden Crichton that the ball and chains and pickaxes are not in good shape. This resulted in the replaced versions carrying the villains out of the prison. While a prison guard tells Warden 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 kills Robin and Catwoman, a disguised Alfred arrives and gives Batman a strong enough antidote to counter the Bat Anti-Antidote. Batman returns to normal, and the rest of his clones turn to dust as the Replication Ray was not strong enough to make perfect clones.

Batman realized that his behavior change was used as a distraction by Joker, Penguin and Riddler, and that the ones they arrested were fake copies. Joker had spiked the Batnip Catwoman was using. The real ones were using the opportunity to rob the Gotham Art Museum. Joker, Penguin and Riddler just wanted to get Batman out of the way first. Batman, Robin and Catwoman (who came as vengeance for what they did at the space station) chase them to Penguin's blimp, where the villainous trio is defeated after they are knocked off the blimp to a safe location to be arrested. Catwoman tries to escape with the stolen paintings, but Batman recovers them. Unwilling to be put in a cage again, Catwoman allows herself to fall into a smokestack.

Bruce and Dick then throw Aunt 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.

Cast

Production

West and Ward announced at the Mad Monster Party that one or two Batman animated films will be released on Digital HD, starting with Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders on October 11, 2016[22] and Blu-ray on November 1, 2016.[23] West, Ward and Newmar would provide the voices of their respective characters for the series' 50th anniversary.[23][24][25] A trailer was released August 17, 2016.[26] Five decades after the original Batman series, West jokingly remarked that it took him "about twenty seconds" to get back into character.

Release

Warner Home Video hosted the world premiere of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders during the 2016 New York Comic Con on October 6, 2016.[27] The film was released digitally on October 11, 2016, while the deluxe edition DVD and combo pack Blu-ray of the film was released on November 1, 2016.[28] On September 10, 2016, Fathom Events cinemas announced they would release the film in select theaters for one night only on October 10, 2016.[29] It also received a limited release in Australia on October 8 and 9, 2016.[30]

The movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia on November 28, 2016.

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94%, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.94/10. 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]

Revenue

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.[33][34] As of August 2017, it has earned over $1.1 million from domestic home video sales.[35]

Sequels and spin-offs

Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
Main article: Batman vs. Two-Face

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.[36][37] On June 9, 2017, Batman's voice actor Adam West died from leukemia.[38] Despite this, the movie has been completed and released.[17] According to Bleeding Cool, West and Shatner recorded their lines separately with West finishing his lines by October 2016.[39]

Possible Wonder Woman spin-off

After the success of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Warner Bros. had stated that their executives are also considering making an animated film based on the classic 1970s Wonder Woman TV series, with actress Lynda Carter reprising her role as Wonder Woman.[40]

References
  1. Julia Alexander (August 17, 2016). "Original Batman TV stars Adam West, Julie Newmar return for animated film". Polygon. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  2. Schwerdtfeger, Conner (August 17, 2016). "Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar Are Returning To Batman, Here's What We Know". Cinemablend. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. Natalie Carrion (August 17, 2016). "First trailer for Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders brings back Burt Ward and Adam West". Blastr. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  4. "'Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders' to Premiere at New York Comic Con | Animation World Network". Awn.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  5. Scott, Ryan. "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Hits Theaters for 1 Day". Movieweb.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  6. "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  7. "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  8. "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders". The Numbers. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  9. Adam Rosenberg (August 17, 2016). "Adam West and Burt Ward reunite for a new 'Batman' movie". Mashable.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  10. "West, Ward & Newmar Return For Animated 'Batman' Movie". Comicsalliance.com. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  11. Kurp, Josh (August 17, 2016). "[WATCH] 'Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders' Trailer". Uproxx.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  12. Sarah Moran (August 25, 2016). "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Will Premiere at NYCC". Screenrant.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  13. AWN Staff Editor (September 15, 2016). "'Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders' in Theaters One Night Only". AWN.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  14. Brian Gallagher (August 17, 2016). "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Trailer Reunites Adam West & Burt Ward". Movieweb.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  15. "ADAM WEST and the Fate of BATMAN VS. TWO-FACE". 13thdimension.com. June 13, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  16. "William Shatner to Voice Two-Face in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Sequel". Slashfilm.com. October 10, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  17. Dan Wickline (June 11, 2017). "Adam West And William Shatner's Failed TV Pilot". Bleedingcool.com. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  18. Fitch, Adam (August 17, 2016). "Adam West returns in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders trailer". Heroes.direct. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  19. Jude Terror (August 17, 2016). "DC Animated Fans Perplexed by Bizarre "Return of the Caped Crusaders" Trailer". Theouthousers.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  20. Matthew Price (August 17, 2016). "Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar return for animated 'Batman' movie". News OK. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  21. Gallagher, Brian. "Full Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Voice Cast Announced". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  22. Perry, Spencer (August 17, 2016). "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Trailer". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  23. Slead, Evan (August 17, 2016). "Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar return for animated Batman movie". EW.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  24. Germain Lussier (March 30, 2015). "Animated Batman 1966 Movie Coming In 2016". Slashfilm.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  25. Dan Greenfield (March 31, 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: JULIE NEWMAR Will be in BATMAN '66 Animated Film | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture". 13thdimension.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  26. James Whitbrook (August 17, 2016). "The Cast of Batman '66 Returns for a New Animated Movie". Io9.gizmodo.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  27. Siegel, Lucas (August 25, 2016). "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Starring Adam West World Premiere Announced for NYCC". Comicbook.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  28. Holmes, Adam. "The Full Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders Trailer Is Zany And Nostalgic - CINEMABLEND". CinemaBlend.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
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  30. Elderkin, Beth (September 13, 2016). "Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders Comes To Theatres For Two Epic Days". Kotaku.com.au. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
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  33. "Top 20 Sellers for the Week Ended 11/06/16". Home Media Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  34. "Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs for the Week Ended 11/06/16". Home Media Magazine. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  35. "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) The Numbers Listing". The Numbers. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
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  37. Anderton, Ethan (October 10, 2016). "William Shatner to Voice Two-Face in 'Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders' Sequel". Slashfilm.com.
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  39. "Adam West Finished Batman Vs. Two-Face Voice Work Before His Death". Cbr.com. June 15, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
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