Rating: Not Rated
Starring:
Jeff Altman as The Weather Wizard
Charlie Callas as Sinestro
Gabriel Dell as Mordru (as Gabe Dell)
Frank Gorshin as The Riddler
Howard Morris as Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana
Mickey Morton as Solomon Grundy
William Schallert as Retired Man / Scarlet Cyclone
Burt Ward as Robin
Adam West as Batman
Garrett Craig as Captain Marvel
Howard Murphy as Green Lantern
Danuta Rylko Soderman as The Black Canary
Bill Nuckols as Hawkman
Rod Haase as The Flash
Barbara Joyce as The Huntress
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Dolby Digital Mono Sound
Running Time: 95 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Heroes and villains of DC Comics square off in the two-part, live-action, made-for-TV (with a laugh track!) smackdowns of ‘Legends of the Super Heroes.’
The Challenge: Batman and Robin (Adam West and Burt Ward of the live-action ‘Batman’ TV series) lead The Flash, Green Lantern and more JLA members against The Riddler (Frank Gorshin reprising his TV role), Mordru, Weather Wizard and other Doom-dealers. The Legion’s ultimate gambit: trick the heroes into downing a diabolical depowering drink!
The Roast: Poking fun beats swapping punches when celebrity host Ed McMahon emcees a rowdy rave-up. Who knew DC Super Heroes and villains packed as much verbal wit as physical grit when not locked in mortal combat? These Legends will leave you laughing.”
“Legends of the Superheroes” is not rated.
Mini-Review:
This DVD is really for three types of fans. The first is the fan of the original “Batman” TV series. “Legends of the Superheroes” features rare appearances of Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. Frank Gorshin also reprises his role as The Riddler. If you loved that TV show, then seeing them in costume again is a big treat.
The second type of fan is anyone that’s a fan of the DC Comics characters or the old Hanna Barbera “Superfriends” cartoon. This is, essentially, a live action version of that cartoon. You have the heroes including Green Lantern, Captain Marvel, Hawkman, Black Canary, The Huntress, and Flash. This show represents some of the few times these characters have been portrayed in a live action show. On the villain side are The Riddler, Solomon Grundy, Weather Wizard, Mordru, Sinestro, and Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana. Contrasting these cheesy performances with the newer movie incarnations is a lot of fun, especially in light of the impending “Green Lantern” movie.
The third type of fan that this is made for is anyone that appreciates the sheer cheesiness of the whole thing. I mean, this show is bad. Really bad. The characters tell jokes, perform skits, and do other silly things as they are accompanied by a laugh track. Green Lantern stops by a gypsy to get his fortune told. It turns out it is Sinestro in disguise as an old woman. The Riddler’s big scheme is to get the heroes to stop by a lemonade stand and drink poisoned lemonade. Batman has to stop at a gas station to get the Batmobile fixed and doesn’t realize the mechanic is Solomon Grundy until he takes his hat off. You get the idea. Showing this video to troops could be considered a violation of the Geneva Convention.
I’d really only recommend this DVD to the DC fan who is a completist or the one who needs a really good laugh. Otherwise this is way too painful to watch.
This appears to only be available directly from WB online. Considering the limited release, I’m surprised there are any bonus features in this at all, but there are. You get a few alternate scenes and outtakes. If you ever wanted to see Green Lantern waiting for a plane to pass overhead, you’re in luck.
