Starring Adam West

source: Starring Adam West

As a child, I was utterly captivated by the 1960s Batman TV series. After a recent re-watch of some episodes as an adult, I also stumbled across this documentary of the show's leading man and decided to give it a try. What I found was a fun little doc that chronicles the life of Adam West in all its stages. "Starring Adam West" basically plays out in two formats (both comprising roughly half the 90-minute runtime): First, viewers get the typical bio information to be expected. This includes West's childhood on a farm, his decision to become an actor, the overnight success of "Batman", and his battle (to the point of bankruptcy) to avoid the stereotyping and continue carving out a career in show business. This information is very well-produced and presented, including some pictures and home videos I had certainly never seen before. Intercut between the biographical material is the "current-day" (2012-2013) campaign to get West a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I won't spoil whether or not this is successful, but either way it does provide an interesting window into West's interaction with fans and him coming to terms with his Batman characterization. Overall, "Starring Adam West" simply ends up being a fun documentary to watch. It isn't ground-breaking or overly dramatic--just a nice look at the career/life of a unique Hollywood legend.

As I'm concluding my 30-day free Showtime trial off HULU, I get around to watching this really terrific biographical documentary of TV legend, Adam West! He's the voice of the self-based "Mayor West" on TV's "Family Guy", but you may know him from a little show he did in the '60s, now long-forgotten- what was the name of that show..it's coming to me..?? ;) This film goes into his origins from Walla Walla, WA!- him making the bold move to Hollywood, and various jobs he had in showbusiness all leading up to the "Batman" TV series, which ran from '66 to '69 I believe. I had no idea the show was as big as it was- the ABC network's highest rated show of all time up to that point-?? The series then delves into the post-BM years when work dried up and the typecasting begin, with him making the rounds at various auto shows and public events, and his comeback in the '90s when he started doing the late night talk show circuit. I remember him being on these various shows in the '90s- "Politically Incorrect", "Howard Stern", "The Tonight Show" of course- again, I had no idea how important these appearances were for his career getting re-started at that point-?? I also liked how this documentary followed West around his various Comic-Con appearances, meeting the fans, and his witty, playful banter with them and his agent, who was always along for the ride. The film's climax is him finally getting his star on the Hollywood walk of fame after all these years. Like me, most in the movie are surprised he had never received one up to that point!?? Well, I would definitely recommend this doc. for comic book fans, or fans of that current show he works on..?? LOL

I hate films like "Starring Adam West" because I began watching it at 2am and planned on only seeing a few minutes and watching the rest later. Then, at 3:30am I was STILL awake...finishing this documentary! This is because for all his faults, it's hard not to like Adam West or his story. This documentary follows West's life from his childhood to today. You learn about how he got involved in acting, how he landed the role of Batman, about his nadir with acting in the 1970s and 80s as well as his more recent resurgence as a pop-culture icon. Through all this, West seems to have kept his humor and perspective and it's an engaging film from start to finish. Well worth seeing--even if you aren't a fan.

Starring Adam West