Batman vs. Two-Face

Dir: Rick Morales

2017

****

2016’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders was a pleasant surprise – it looked good on paper but it was hard to tell whether the reality would live up to the idea. Reuniting Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar was a stroke of genius, the humor, pace and style of the 1960s TV series came across brilliantly in the animation and the characters played by long-dead legends were handled tastefully and with great respect. Warner Bros animation and DC have a long ans successful partnership but their animated superhero films are extremely hit and miss – the key here was not to over cook the same idea and I’m glad to say they didn’t. All of the usual suspects make cameo appearances but it is the turn of Two-Face Harvey Dent to play Batman and Robin’s nemesis this time round. The thing is, Harvey Dent/Two-Face never appeared in the original 1960s series. It has been said that Clint Eastwood was once considered for the role but the character was eventually deemed too gruesome for a kids show and the character was never seen. With this in mind, the producers and writers of the first film could pick whomever they wanted for the voice, knowing that there was no original actor or a voice to try and match. They picked William Shatner – another genius move. Shatner was also popular at the same time in the 60s and the animators made the character resemble how he looked back then in Star Trek. He fits perfectly into the camp retrospective, not only does he totally get it, he also appeals the the fan-base who clearly hold him in the same high regard. Like the first animation, the story is contrived and complicated – just like the original series. I have to admit, as much as I loved the original television series, I did find the episodes fairly painful at times and incredibly over-complicated. However, what I loved about Batman vs. Two-Face was the inclusion of several of the lesser known villains, the ones that very few people remember. I would have liked to have seen more of Egghead (played in the 60s by Vincent Price) but I was thrilled that Hugo Strange, King Tut, Clock King and Bookworm made notable appearances. Two-Face may have been missing from the original series but he was created a good twenty years before the show aired. Harleen Quinzel however wasn’t created until twenty-five years later, so her inclusion came as something of a surprise. I’m not sure she brought anything to the film, she’s had quite a lot of appearances lately but thankfully she didn’t take over. I love the character, she just doesn’t really belong in this version of Batman. The other lovely touch in the film is the inclusion of Lee Meriwether who famously played Catwoman in the 1966 movie but was replaced by Julie Newmar for the subsequent series. The detail is great, it really feels like the original but with added nods and in-jokes. It comes with great sadness though as it was to be the last film of the great Adam West. There is a lovely little tribute at the end of the film that reads ‘Rest Well, Bright Knight’ but then again, the whole film is a wonderful tribute and working with Burt Ward and having fun as Batman for one last time is a great way of signing off.