The Bat Woman (1968)

Best movie ever!

As Good As It Gets

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

"The Batwoman" was mentioned in an online article that ranked 110 superhero movies (it came in 101st out of 110, behind "Rat Pfink A BooBoo" and ahead of "The Spirit"). Out of curiosity, I found a version of the movie with English subtitles on Youtube to see what merits it might have.Well, the article calls it a "spoof" (similar to "The Wild,Wild World of Batwoman", which was definitely a spoof), but I can't see it. It isn't especially "heavy" or dramatic in tone, but "The Batwoman" doesn't have nearly the energy, invention, or humor of, say, the original Adam West "Batman" movie. OK, maybe I'm not being fair comparing it to an American superhero movie. But it also isn't nearly as over-the-top (or antic) as a classic Mexican wrestler movie such as "Sampson/Santo Vs The Vampire Women".People say stuff, things happen, there's a swinging jazzy soundtrack, but none of it is particularly funny or impressive. In its favor: the actress they cast as the heroine is very nicely shaped, has pretty good muscle tone and definition for a woman of that era and is quite pretty, if not very charismatic. And watching a subtitled version instead of a dubbed and remixed version meant that I actually got to hear the actors they way they were meant to be heard instead of the fruity ESL crap film distributors try to foist on American audiences. Every one in the cast is at least decent - they hit their marks, they know what to do with their hands, they remember their lines, they are comfortable in front of the camera, etc. No one sucks the way they might in an Ed Wood or Bill Rebane movie, and the dialog doesn't make my ears bleed. Against: Well, the plot is a dashed-off, hacked-out affair with huge gaps and lapses in logic. Batwoman is said to be a crack shot, an expert wrestler, etc., but neither she or her assistant/friend Robles seem to be very smart or effective against the evil doctor, his henchmen, or his monster. (At two different points, Robles has his pistol out, but chooses to tackle the monster by hand, and all Batwoman ever seems to do against it is scream and faint). In an charming touch, Batwoman chooses to fight crime in a skimpy bikini, but puts on MORE clothing when she wrestles in the ring.(I think this was actually a stand-in.) Don't expect much from the wrestling subtext here, by the way;the scenes are shot from a long way away, and the matches are short and indistinguishable from a million other luchadore matches. I give "The Batwoman" an extra star because it's fun to see how another pop culture genre approaches something like this and it's mildly refreshing to see Mexican B movie tropes being deployed instead of American ones. And in spite of several long, draggy scenes, the movie was fairly short and didn't overstay its welcome.

Batgirl is a rich woman that fights crime disguised with a mask in order to hide her secret identity. OK, you know that story, it's the same as Batman's. Indeed, her mask, cloak and car are very similar to the ones that Adam West wears and uses in the classic TV series. Though, this Batgirl is neither Barbara Gordon, commissioner Gordon's daughter, nor any other heroine created by DC Comics. This one is a Mexican pro wrestler! You can call her "Mujer Murciélago", "Bat Woman" in Spanish. Few people knows the true identity of this marvelous crime fighter who lives in Mexico City and works as a special agent for the police. As many luchadores are being mysteriously murdered in Acapulco, local police calls a special agent who contacts her as a partner to solve the case. Off course this is not a great film and does not have an innovative plot, but it is certainly not bad either. As a matter of fact, it is not very different from the stories of Batman's adventures from the 60's, as it is intended to get a ride in its success, although it is much less campy than Batman & Robin series or feature movie from that decade. In Mexican "La Mujer Murciélago", there is an archvillain who is a mad scientist with a dire laugh who lives in a yacht called Reptilicus - very cartoonish, isn't it? Guess what is the name of his assistant: Igor, the same used in many Frankenstein films! During the movie, the mad scientist, Dr. Williams, acquires a Two-Face appearance while fighting Batgirl, but not the coin-flipping craziness. While analyzing this movie, it is unavoidable to mention that Maura Monti, the Italian actress who portrays the heroine with big breasts and long eyelashes, is extremely beautiful. Unsurprisingly, there is some exploitation in the movie, showing her in bikini very often - yes, a masked Batgirl in bikini! -, but at least there are no nude or sex scenes, which are common in sexploitation B movies. The masked heroine, besides her wrestling skills, is also a super athlete and a diver. She also has gadgets and is very clever, like Adam West's Batman, being able to find solutions unrelated to her fighting and athletic abilities. Among the movie's flaws, I may mention that soundtrack is very bad and acting is not the most inspired. Piscis, the amphibious monster created by Dr. Williams, is quite ridiculous (though, not more than the monsters from Japanese "tokusatsu" and "super sentai" TV shows), basically a red version of the Sleestak from "Land of the Lost". The stuntwoman in the wrestling scenes has a very different body from Maura Monti, not convincing that she is the same person, in spite of the face being hidden by the mask. And the last but not least: come on, it is nonsense that a super heroine screams and faints in panic when she sees the monster (who she had already known!)! The final scene is also silly and sexist, but the film is overall amusing, much better than one may initially expect.

To wrestle she uses a Bat-suit. Only to save the world she wears the smallest bikini... A mad scientist (who else?) tries to breed a mutant being between fish and wrestlers!!! To see how it works drops a Ken doll in a fish tank where a goldfish swims happily and nothing happens. Of course nothing will happen, he need to use real people in his experiments, not dolls!As more and more experiments fail, mutant dead bodies are found on the beach and this is the time for the bat-signal! Bat-woman with her statuesque body, brief bikini and lethal karate moves will take care of that crazy Doctor Frankenfish...Mr. René Cardona only wanted to take advantage of the Bat-craze during the Batman high peak, with his version of the hero in the shape of a beautiful woman, Maura Monti... and he got it.

This is one strange little movie.Happened to pick up an english subtitled version of this one.It is known as Batwoman and was released during the Batman craze.Somehow DC comics didn't sue for the use of the name. Maybe because it was never really released in the USA.Anyway a mad scientist is wanting to create a race of super gill men.He uses the glands of wrestlers because they are "perfect".I don't write them I just watch them.Wrestlers are winding up dead all over Acapulco so the call goes out for that mysterious crime fighter BATWOMAN!She has the Batman cape, cowl and boots. Only Batman doesn't wear a bikini.I kept waiting for her to pop out of it during all of the violent fight scenes.No such luck guys.The doctor succeeds in creating a gill man. Batwoman tosses acid in the scientist's face.He wants revenge and wants to make her into a gill woman.Will he accomplish the dastardly deed?Tune in tomorrow!Same bat time, same bat channel.This is an average movie.Best thing to do is just turn your brain off, enjoy the local Acapulco scenery and while away 90 minutes watching this.