Rating: - Best Batman serial on DVD
The first time I saw this serial was as a 10 year old in theaters in 1966 when the Batman TV show was all the rage. I thought it was great as a kid and still think it's the definitive Batman film. The 1949 version was released some time after in theaters as well but I did not like it as much as the first and still feel this way.
I purchased 3 bootleg DVD versions of this serial. One was the edited version and the other two the unedited original. When Sony released the 1949 version first, I thought for sure we would never see the original unedited 1943 version, it being politically incorrect for a major DVD release, so I was really surprised to see it released in it's unedited form. The artwork on the packaging was beautiful but disappointing as no stills from the actual film were present. In fact I replaced the case of my copy with one of my bootleg cases with a superior graphic representation of this serial and placed the sleeve from this new release inside as supplemental material.
The picture quality is head over heels better than my bootleg copies as well packaged as some of them are. The bootlegs have a smeary VHS look and bad sound while this official release is, in comparison, a crisp looking and sounding product even if worn in many instances.
Its interesting that the artwork on this release shows worn creases to imply the age of this print or a subtle inference to the outdated racism in the film.
The only real disappointment for me was that no supplemental material such as audio commentary or even a trailer (included in one of my bootlegs) for this serial was not included.
This film thrilled me as a boy and is one of my prize DVDs in my collection.
All in all a great DVD release. Thank you Sony!

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