Ranking Batman - Part 3
Who did it best?
So here's Part 3 of my weekly Op-Ed counting down the best performances of Batman from the most popular films, Val Kilmer took the number 5 spot in Part 2. So which actor makes number 4 on the list? When deciding I've taken a few things into consideration;
- All aspects of the character - There are many sides to Bruce Wayne, who made him real?
- Action - Which actor could bring the smackdown on criminals and handle the Batmobile best?
- Script - Sometimes you can only be as good as the lines you are given.
- Supporting Cast - Hugely important in helping an audience believe in a world with a Batman.
- Overall Performance - Finally, just how does the actor bring of of this together within the final film?
#4 Adam West - "Batman: The Movie" 1966
Adam West's place on this list may surprise some, with the recent success of the more adult and dark Nolan films it's easy to dismiss the 60's Batman TV Series and it's spin-off movie as a camp product of it's time. I do not think it should be ignored and I'm writing this as someone who grew up on the Gothic Burton movies and super serious Batman comics of the 90's. The appeal of the show and in turn Adam West's performance is that it captures the spirit of comic books at the time and their base appeal to any 3 year old who picks up an issue. I remember being shown The Batman TV Series as a kid by my Father and whilst I never connected with it the same way as say the "Batman: The Animated Series" but I was absolutely hooked for these half an hour adventures. All the clever puns and more adult humour was completely wasted on my young mind, all I saw was my hero and his sidekick, beating down on bad-guys, driving an incredibly awesome car and escaping inescapable death traps!
Adam West most definitely had the best looking Batmobile |
Adam West excelled as Bruce Wayne |
This particular Dynamic Duo may be the most iconic |
While the success of the TV show and film was fairly brief at around 4 years all in, Adam West's Legacy lives on perhaps the best out of all the other Actors on this list. West has made no secret of the fact that he found it hard to find work after Batman and even began to dislike the character, but make no mistake he now fully embraces what he has accomplished and is a continuing advocate for the character. The most notable example I can find of West influencing Batman lore today is the animated TV Show "Batman:The Brave and the Bold". This cartoon came out around the same time "The Dark Knight" was lighting up cash registers all over the world and it was a response to how as dark as Batman is, he will always need to be fun as well. There is a Batman for every age and that's part of what makes the character so special, Adam West knew that before a lot of other people and for that deserves some major respect.
The Brave and the Bold captures the same fun spirit as the 60's show |
Adam West now |
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