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Legends of the Superheroes - The Challenge
episode 1
USA 1979
produced by Bill Carruthers, Joseph Barbera (executive) for Hanna-Barbera/NBC
directed by Bill Carruthers, Chris Darley
starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Frank Gorshin, Jeff Altman, Charlie Callas, Howard Morris, Mickey Morton, Gabriel Dell, Garrett Craig, Howard Murphy, Danuta, Bill Nuckols, Rod Haase, Barbara Joyce (II), A'leisha Brevard, William Schallert
screenplay by Mike Marmer, Peter Gallay, based on comicbook characters created by Bob Kane, C.C. Beck, Gil Kane, Bob Layton, Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, published by DC Comics, music by Fred Werner
TV-show Legends of the Superheroes, Justice League, Batman, Batman (Adam West), Robin, Riddler, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Hawkman, Flash, Huntress
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Supervillain Mordru (Gabriel Dell) has summoned earth's other
supervillains - the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), the Weather Wizard (Jeff
Altman), Sinestro (Charlie Callas), Doctor Sivana (Howard Morris), Solomon
Grundy (Mickey Morton) and Giganta (A'leisha Brevard) - to destroy the
world. Why would they want to do that? - Anybody's guess, I guess they are
just that evil that they have to try it ... Anyways, since they are
supervillains, they have to give earth's superheroes - Batman (Adam West),
Robin (Burt Ward), Captain Marvel (Garrett Craig), Green Lantern (Howard
Murphy), Black Canary (Danuta), Hawkman (Bill Nuckols), Flash (Rod Haase)
and the Huntress (Barbara Joyce) - not only an ultimatum of 50 minutes
(the length of this show) but also enough clues to find their way to the
doomsday machine. However, the supervillains try to stop our superheroes
every step along the way, like Sinestro sabotaging the Batmobile and the
Weather Wizard trying to sell Batman and Robin a useless used car, like
the Riddler trying to psychoanalyze Captain Marvel out of the picture, or
like Solomon Grundy trying to beat everyone up at a gas station. Doctor
Sivana ultimately proves the most successful of the bunch when he puts up
a lemonade stand and makes all the superheroes drink his
superpower-sucking lemonade. But when the supervillains accidently drink
the lemonade as well, the odds are evened again - and of course in the end
the good guys save the day. For some reason, and probably
propelled by the success of the first Superman movie, cartoon
studio Hanna-Barbera
saw it fit to produce a (low budget) live action two-part TV superhero
special of its own featuring an all-star cast of DC-superheroes
led by Adam West's Batman and Burt Ward's Robin from the then 11 year old
TV-series.The result is of course a campfest, and it's deplored by most
serious mainstream comicbook fans nowadays ... but you know, it's not that
bad. Of course it's simplistic and slightly silly, but it wasn't to be
taken seriously to begin with (at least not if the laughtrack accompanying
it is any indication), there are some amusing scenes (along with some bad
slapstick) in there, and at least most of the villains as well as West and
Ward show a definite talent for comedy. Basically, it's very much in
spirit of the Batman-TV series of the 1960's, definitely not
quite as ingenious though, but still passable. And that most probably is
what most serious superhero afficionados hate about this show ...
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
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Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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