Batman and Robin: The Complete 1949 Movie Serial Collection

The serial, in 15 chapters over two discs, is an entertaining romp into Batman's cinematic past. The fight scenes are well-staged, but some of the cliffhangers cheat. For example, in one chapter, Batman and Vicky Vale are thrown into the water which has just had gasoline tossed into it and set on fire! In the following chapter, they just swim around the fire and escape! I found the costume Batman wore kind of funny, with his pointed bunny-like ears and his poor excuse for a utility belt ( a yellow sash tied around his waist with some pockets) I also found it funny that their car becomes "The Batmobile" simply by putting the hood down while they change into their costumes, which are kept in a drawer in the Batcave! Although the Wizard has more, Batman and Robin do have some gadgets in this serial. There was a bat flashlight that Robin uses to divert one crook's attention, Batman has a sort of Air Pipe that he gives Robin to allow him to breathe fresh air when they're trapped in a smoke-filled warehouse, and the Dynamic Duo have a police siren installed in "The Batmobile" (actually a 1949 Mercury Convertible) which Robin uses to scare some crooks while rescuing Batman. Robert Lowery, the actor playing Batman, seemed to be in good enough shape and played the part well (although it did nothing to further his career). Robin's costume was much better than Batman's, but both were in tune with the comic books at the time.

The picture quality of this serial was digitally remastered in High Definition by Sony Entertainment--and it shows. The picture is clear and sharp--with very little grain and maybe one or two lines creeping across the screen-- otherwise,looking great for something made in 1949. The sound is in Dolby Digital and is clear and vibrant for the most part, although I had some problems making out some dialog from Robin. Luckily though, this serial is closed captioned in English (which you can turn on with your TV Menu) and also has Japanese subtitles (if you understand the language).

So, if you're interested in Batman's cinematic past--before Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, or Christain Bale played the role--then this is certainly worth a look, and if you're a Batman collector, it's a must-have!

I think CM was the better of the 2 serial but BM&R was enjoyable. In each episode Batman & Robin would track down the masked villan known as the Wizard. The Wizard was able to control any moving vehicle with a machine he stole. He needed diamonds to power the machine. The Wizard also attempted to steal an experimental explosive. The Wizard also had a machine that could see anywhere. He could view his hired help, follow the Batman and Robin and other such things. However, he never used it to alert his thug help that Batman & Robin were approaching or to track Batman & Robin to their hideout. The Wizard could also hypnotize people with his blinking eyes. From a childs perspective the Wizard is very deadly and powerful. From an adults perspective The Wizard is too powerful to be believed and isn't smart enough to use the power effectively.

Batman & Robin have what would be considered by modern standards as lame costumes. Robin has a descent costume but the Batman costume looks as though it were made from pajamas and a devils mask. It is obvious to all that have seen both Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson and Batman & Robin that they are are the same persons. They don't even try to mask their voices. The Batcave is very cheezy and the Wayne Manor looks less like a mansion and more like a middle class home in the Gothem suburbs. Why Batman and Robin even wear utility belts is beyond me as they seldom use them. The less said about the Batcar the better. Also there are no super villans so Batman & Robin beat up the same thugs over and over in each chapter.

Having said all this I must end it by saying the serial is highly enjoyable. No one watches this expecting to see award winning acting or a story that will be nominated for an Oscar. The viewer just enjoys the story for what it is. A way to escape for a short while. Looking for the flaws in the serial is as much fun as watching the story itself. The cliffhanger endings usually show the certain demise of the hero(s) and even though you know they survive you can't help but to look forward to the next chapter to see by what implausible means they were able to escape death.

So if your a fan of old serials or Batman & Robin this would probably be worth watching and is available on VHS. Due to the many chapters and that the entire serial takes up 2 VHS tapes it would be nice if this came out on DVD. The entire serial would fit on 1 DVD and the DVD chapters would make it easier to pick up the viewing where you last left off.