I first caught this serial as a kid, when I received volume one for Christmas. After more than ten years, I was able to finally catch volume 2, when I bought the entire serial on DVD. I was even more impressed. The overall mood was quite dark, as the black & white picture worked really well here, and the score was well-done, creating a sombre atmosphere that suited the character perfectly.
For a serial, the acting was actually pretty good. William Austin did such a good job as Alfred, they modeled the comics version after him. Douglas Croft played a convincing Robin and didn't look like he was in his 20's or 30's...unlike every other Robin(who WERE in their 20's). Robin is probably the most useful he's ever been in any on-screen adaption, and shows why Batman needs him so badly, and more than just someone for Batman to trade dialogue with, as he saves Batman's ass for at least 5 consecutive chapters. Despite such a ridiculous gimmick, Dr.Daka did not come off cheesy at all, and was actually quite a good villain, thanks to the masterful performance of J.Carrol Naish. Lewis Wilson was excellent for this role. Everything from his snobbish playboy act right down to how he looked was spot on with the comics(at the time). His portrayal of Batman needed a little work, as Wilson didn't really have the right voice, but he was quite entertaining playing "Chuck White", his alter-alter-ego. Although the rest of the bat costume looked sloppy(which was the best they could do at the time), the mask looked sinister in certain scenes(such as the opening scene in the bat-cave) but didn't come across well in action scenes...I thought it was going to fall off his face whenever he got into a fight. However, the costume was certainly better than the hideous one in the '49 serial, where the ears hung over sideways and resembled Devil horns, at least these stood up. The bat on the chest looked better than the one in the '49 serial as well.
I heard many complaints about Wilson being in poor shape, but compared to Robert Lowery, who played Batman 6 years later and was so out of shape he had to wear a GIRDLE, Wilson is an olympic athelete... Honestly, he didn't look fat to me, though with his baggy costume and his tights riding up to his chest, I can see why some would make such an observation.
The story is quite fun, and has a lot of exciting sub-plots to keep you anticipating the next chapter. Though there are times where Batman survives that leave you wondering how it was even possible. Such as when he's dropped about 30 feet, face first down an elevator shaft, and not only survives but gets up and runs off without a scratch. Or when a car runs into the taxi he's in and the explanation is that he went to the doctor and got "fixed up". The action scenes are generally well done for a serial that was done on such a low-budget, and the acting is surprisingly strong. Overall, not a bad way to spend 3-4 hours. Highly recommended for any batman or serial fan. 7/10
For a serial, the acting was actually pretty good. William Austin did such a good job as Alfred, they modeled the comics version after him. Douglas Croft played a convincing Robin and didn't look like he was in his 20's or 30's...unlike every other Robin(who WERE in their 20's). Robin is probably the most useful he's ever been in any on-screen adaption, and shows why Batman needs him so badly, and more than just someone for Batman to trade dialogue with, as he saves Batman's ass for at least 5 consecutive chapters. Despite such a ridiculous gimmick, Dr.Daka did not come off cheesy at all, and was actually quite a good villain, thanks to the masterful performance of J.Carrol Naish. Lewis Wilson was excellent for this role. Everything from his snobbish playboy act right down to how he looked was spot on with the comics(at the time). His portrayal of Batman needed a little work, as Wilson didn't really have the right voice, but he was quite entertaining playing "Chuck White", his alter-alter-ego. Although the rest of the bat costume looked sloppy(which was the best they could do at the time), the mask looked sinister in certain scenes(such as the opening scene in the bat-cave) but didn't come across well in action scenes...I thought it was going to fall off his face whenever he got into a fight. However, the costume was certainly better than the hideous one in the '49 serial, where the ears hung over sideways and resembled Devil horns, at least these stood up. The bat on the chest looked better than the one in the '49 serial as well.
I heard many complaints about Wilson being in poor shape, but compared to Robert Lowery, who played Batman 6 years later and was so out of shape he had to wear a GIRDLE, Wilson is an olympic athelete... Honestly, he didn't look fat to me, though with his baggy costume and his tights riding up to his chest, I can see why some would make such an observation.
The story is quite fun, and has a lot of exciting sub-plots to keep you anticipating the next chapter. Though there are times where Batman survives that leave you wondering how it was even possible. Such as when he's dropped about 30 feet, face first down an elevator shaft, and not only survives but gets up and runs off without a scratch. Or when a car runs into the taxi he's in and the explanation is that he went to the doctor and got "fixed up". The action scenes are generally well done for a serial that was done on such a low-budget, and the acting is surprisingly strong. Overall, not a bad way to spend 3-4 hours. Highly recommended for any batman or serial fan. 7/10