Alyas Batman En Robin was a film that was made in the late 1980's as a parody of Batman. The film was made in the Philippines and was going to be released in 1989, but that was the same year as Tim Burton's first Batman film. Because of this, Alyas Batman En Robin was considered to be a knockoff film that wanted to cash off the success of Tim Burton's film rather than be a parody of the 60's Batman television series. The film's release was delayed until the year 1991.
The film got a decent amount of attention in the Philippines, but remained obscure to people from other countries. However, Emer Prevost did a review of the film. That was how I found out the film existed. As a fan of Batman, particularly the campy versions of Batman, I was interested in seeing the film. I finally saw the film and it was unlike anything that I could of ever predicated. Alyas Batman En Robin is one of the weirdest films of all time. It's unlike any superhero parody that had ever been made before. Due to how bizarre the film is, it's easy to mock the film as a silly, low-budget and incomprehensible mess of a film. However, I have watched the film several times and after paying close attention to the film, I believe there's more cleverness to the film than you may think. In addition to being a great parody of Batman, it manages to do some things better than the Batman films that came after it.
Alyas Batman En Robin starts off with an opening credits sequence, while very catchy remix of the 60's theme plays. The film's first scene is introducing Kevin and his older brother, Kuya. Kevin is a high-school student that loves comics. He is a huge fan of the Batman comics and idolizes Robin. However, he's not the only student who is interested in comics. There's also Jocson who loves the Joker. While Kevin is a smart, successful student who is popular with the ladies, Jocson is laughed at by girls and is treated like a joke. Jocson's life goes through a drastic change when his uncle is released from prison. Jocson's uncle is an expert criminal who is a fan of the Penguin. He convinces Jocson to become a part of his crime business. Jocson starts dressing up as the Joker, while his uncle becomes the Penguin. The bad guys hire some goons and get some help from a mysterious woman who calls herself Catwoman. After hearing about Joker and Penguin's crime wave, Kevin thinks that he and Kuya should become Batman and Robin. Kuya is reluctant, but eventually agrees. Kevin trains hard and works hard to be a proper crimefighter, while Kuya is distracted by his feelings for Angelique Legarda, a reporter. Kuya starts becoming more interested in settling down with his crush than being Batman, so it's up to Kevin to convince his brother that Batman is needed in order to stop the Joker and Penguin.
The film's plot might sound bizarre which it is. However, it's undeniably creative. I've never seen a previous Batman story that used a plot like this. In fact, it could be argued that the Batman films that came after this one used similar ideas. For example, the 1995 film Batman Forever also has a plotline about Batman wanting to quit being Batman, so he can settle down with his girlfriend. In both Alyas and Forever, Robin is opposed to the idea of Batman quitting. Also, both films have Batman deciding to be a crimefighter again so he can save his girlfriend from the villains that captured her. I will admit that this storyline makes more sense in Forever, because the Riddler figured out Batman's secret identity which explains how he knows who Bruce Wayne's girlfriend is. Alyas doesn't really have an explanation for how the Joker knows who Batman was dating. Still, I find it interesting that this parody film used that storyline years before an official Batman used it.
Alyas Batman En Robin isn't really a parody of the Batman comics or the first Tim Burton film. Instead, it's a parody of the 60's series. I absolutely love the 60's show. Alyas parodies the show in a respectful, enjoyable way. Joey de Leon, who played Batman co-wrote the film, was a fan of Adam West. He helps make the film feel like a loving, good-natured parody of the 60's show rather than a film that mocks and insults the 60's show. Alyas is incredibly campy. I'd argue it's campier and sillier than the 60's show. That could be a good or bad thing depending on what you want Batman to be. As someone who has a soft spot in my heart for campy Batman, I loved this film.
The film's versions of Batman and Robin feel like a great parody of Adam West and Burt Ward's Dynamic Duo. In the 60's show, Burt Ward had to do a lot of his own stunts while Adam West got to take it easy. The film mimics this by having Kevin (Robin) be the hard-working one who's a good fighter, while Kuya (Batman) plays pool and attempts to impress his crush.
As for Batman himself, Joey de Leon's Batman is a hilarious parody of Adam West's Batman. Adam West's Bruce Wayne was a respectful, charming man who impressed the ladies. Joey de Leon's Batman is an older, awkward, weird man who humiliates himself a lot while trying to impress Angelique. Joey de Leon seems like a very humble man, because he had no problem with making himself the goofy, unexperienced hero, while making Robin the more responsible member of the Dynamic Duo. Robin was played by Joey de Leon's son, Keempee de Leon. I suspect the reason that Robin's treated like the better hero and fighter in the film is because Joey de Leon wanted to make a film that made his son look like a hero. If that was the case, Joey de Leon did an excellent job. It helps add a lot of heart to the film. While Batman's attempts at romance are treated like a joke, Robin has a sweet relationship with Vina, one of his classmates. The two of them sing a beautiful romance song together. While that scene feels very out of place for a parody film, it's a very touching scene.
Something that Alyas avoided was having a dull, unhelpful love interest. Some of the Batman films that came after this one, such as Forever and Batman and Robin, got mocked for having bad love interests for Batman. In Alyas, Angelique does have a crush on Batman, but she's more than just a woman who gushes over Batman. She's a smart reporter who is more mature and wise than Batman himself. Also, the film implies that she's a parody of Wonder Woman.
As for the Joker, he steals the show. Rene Requiestas was a comedic actor who starred in several films with Joey de Leon. In Alyas, Rene Requiestas plays Jocson/Joker while Panchito Alba plays the Penguin. Making Joker the nephew of the Penguin was a change that I found to be fascinating. I consider Jocson to be one of the most sympathetic versions of the Joker that there's ever been. Instead of being a pure-evil supervillain, Jocson is an unpopular student who feels unloved. He thinks highly of his uncle who constantly mocks him and is a bad influence on him. Jocson feels less like somebody who wants to do bad things and more like someone who wants to be respected and wants to have fun. Joker is genuinely hilarious in the film. He and Penguin have very good comedic chemistry. In addition to that, Rene Requiestas' performance is truly amazing. His enthusiasm, energy and playfulness make him the scene stealer of the film. While Joker and Penguin are the villains of the film, the climax of the film paints them in a different light. They want to change their ways. Batman gives Joker and Penguin a chance to redeem themselves which they don't take for granted. The thought of Joker and Penguin retiring from a life of crime and becoming friends with the Dynamic Duo sounds absurd, but it's also really sweet. If anything, this might be the most optimistic Batman film that there's ever been.
The film is very witty and clever when it comes to the comedy. There's a lot subtle set-ups and pay-offs for jokes. For example, Penguin makes a joke about vampires to Joker and later on, Batman bites Catwoman like a vampire. The Penguin/Joker vampire joke is even funnier in hindsight, because both Joker and Penguin appear in 2005's The Batman vs. Dracula animated film. Also, there's a scene where Penguin tells Joker to not say bad words even though Penguin said a curse word earlier in the film. There's also a lot of jokes surrounding Joker's lack of intelligence. He thinks single file means two-by-two rather than one-by-one. Also, Joker suggests hiring a plumber to fix Penguin's nose.
The film features a fantastic parody of the Batcave. The film's version of the Batcave is Kuya's garage. They keep the Batmobile, as well as bat-themed drinks, in the garage. The garage has a bat-like design painted on the outside which is probably bad for hiding the Dynamic Duo's secret identities, but it looks really cool.
The film also features some amazing costumes. Something I think the recent films are lacking are great costumes for Batman. Batman's classic gray costume is my favorite costume for any comic-book hero. Alyas brings back that costume. Since the film is a parody, the costume looks more loose fitting and silly than the costume normally looks, but despite that, it genuinely looks awesome. Seeing Joey de Leon's Batman run around in that classic costume was a wonderful experience for me. It's my favorite live-action Batman costume other than Adam West's costume from the 60's Batman show and movie. The Joker's costume looks very similar to the Joker's classic costume from the comics and 60's show. It's a great costume that I love looking at. In addition to that, Rene Requiestas' Joker has a mustache which gave me good memories of Cesar Romero's Joker who also had a mustache.
The film also has several music numbers. Batman and Robin get a musical number that is a Beach Boys parody, Joker and Penguin get a couple of catchy songs about their roles as criminals and Kevin and Vina have a romantic duet. The film's final song is the strangest, but in a good way. Batman and Joker sing and dance alongside Robin and Penguin. Joker sings about becoming a better person and says things you'd never expect a character like him to sing. The song also features appearances from Wonder Woman and Superman. Even Spider-Man shows up. The film's songs are incredibly memorable, catchy and fun. They're a real to watch to watch and listen to.
One of the biggest questions that people have about Alyas Batman En Robin is whether or not the film is any good. Obviously, opinions on films are objective. Most people probably wouldn't enjoy the film nearly as much as I did. I enjoyed Alyas Batman En Robin more than most of the official Batman films, but that doesn't mean that Alyas is better than those other films. As someone who prefers a more lighthearted Batman, I enjoyed this film more than 2008's critically-acclaimed Dark Knight film. Obviously, Dark Knight has better production values and was written with more effort and care. However, I personally find Alyas to be a far more enjoyable film. While I believe The Dark Knight earned the respect and attention it got, I'm against the notion that any film that isn't as serious and deep as it is a bad film. Batman and Joker have been around for over 80 years. They don't have to always be dark, depressed, violent characters. They need to have some fun every once in a while.
An important aspect of Batman is his refusal to kill any of his enemies. This important attribute of Batman's character has been ignored in a lot of the live-action films. Despite Alyas being a parody film, it stays true to Batman being someone that doesn't kill people. This Batman may be silly, but he's no killer.
The Joker is arguably the definitive example of a comedic villain. However, a lot of recent versions of the character depict him as a cold, disturbing person and an abusive boyfriend towards Harley Quinn. In Alyas Batman En Robin, the Joker is a hilarious troublemaker who is oddly sympathetic and likable. He and Penguin even go through a bit of a redemption arc which is a welcomed change. Also, the film depicts Joker at being bad at impressing women, but in a more silly way than the dark, messed-up crud from recent decades.
In conclusion, I believe Alyas Batman En Robin is more than just a superfluous parody of Batman. I believe it's a clever, creative, entertaining and sweet parody of the 60's Batman show. It's a highly enjoyable and underrated gem of a film that I can't recommend enough.
The film got a decent amount of attention in the Philippines, but remained obscure to people from other countries. However, Emer Prevost did a review of the film. That was how I found out the film existed. As a fan of Batman, particularly the campy versions of Batman, I was interested in seeing the film. I finally saw the film and it was unlike anything that I could of ever predicated. Alyas Batman En Robin is one of the weirdest films of all time. It's unlike any superhero parody that had ever been made before. Due to how bizarre the film is, it's easy to mock the film as a silly, low-budget and incomprehensible mess of a film. However, I have watched the film several times and after paying close attention to the film, I believe there's more cleverness to the film than you may think. In addition to being a great parody of Batman, it manages to do some things better than the Batman films that came after it.
Alyas Batman En Robin starts off with an opening credits sequence, while very catchy remix of the 60's theme plays. The film's first scene is introducing Kevin and his older brother, Kuya. Kevin is a high-school student that loves comics. He is a huge fan of the Batman comics and idolizes Robin. However, he's not the only student who is interested in comics. There's also Jocson who loves the Joker. While Kevin is a smart, successful student who is popular with the ladies, Jocson is laughed at by girls and is treated like a joke. Jocson's life goes through a drastic change when his uncle is released from prison. Jocson's uncle is an expert criminal who is a fan of the Penguin. He convinces Jocson to become a part of his crime business. Jocson starts dressing up as the Joker, while his uncle becomes the Penguin. The bad guys hire some goons and get some help from a mysterious woman who calls herself Catwoman. After hearing about Joker and Penguin's crime wave, Kevin thinks that he and Kuya should become Batman and Robin. Kuya is reluctant, but eventually agrees. Kevin trains hard and works hard to be a proper crimefighter, while Kuya is distracted by his feelings for Angelique Legarda, a reporter. Kuya starts becoming more interested in settling down with his crush than being Batman, so it's up to Kevin to convince his brother that Batman is needed in order to stop the Joker and Penguin.
The film's plot might sound bizarre which it is. However, it's undeniably creative. I've never seen a previous Batman story that used a plot like this. In fact, it could be argued that the Batman films that came after this one used similar ideas. For example, the 1995 film Batman Forever also has a plotline about Batman wanting to quit being Batman, so he can settle down with his girlfriend. In both Alyas and Forever, Robin is opposed to the idea of Batman quitting. Also, both films have Batman deciding to be a crimefighter again so he can save his girlfriend from the villains that captured her. I will admit that this storyline makes more sense in Forever, because the Riddler figured out Batman's secret identity which explains how he knows who Bruce Wayne's girlfriend is. Alyas doesn't really have an explanation for how the Joker knows who Batman was dating. Still, I find it interesting that this parody film used that storyline years before an official Batman used it.
Alyas Batman En Robin isn't really a parody of the Batman comics or the first Tim Burton film. Instead, it's a parody of the 60's series. I absolutely love the 60's show. Alyas parodies the show in a respectful, enjoyable way. Joey de Leon, who played Batman co-wrote the film, was a fan of Adam West. He helps make the film feel like a loving, good-natured parody of the 60's show rather than a film that mocks and insults the 60's show. Alyas is incredibly campy. I'd argue it's campier and sillier than the 60's show. That could be a good or bad thing depending on what you want Batman to be. As someone who has a soft spot in my heart for campy Batman, I loved this film.
The film's versions of Batman and Robin feel like a great parody of Adam West and Burt Ward's Dynamic Duo. In the 60's show, Burt Ward had to do a lot of his own stunts while Adam West got to take it easy. The film mimics this by having Kevin (Robin) be the hard-working one who's a good fighter, while Kuya (Batman) plays pool and attempts to impress his crush.
As for Batman himself, Joey de Leon's Batman is a hilarious parody of Adam West's Batman. Adam West's Bruce Wayne was a respectful, charming man who impressed the ladies. Joey de Leon's Batman is an older, awkward, weird man who humiliates himself a lot while trying to impress Angelique. Joey de Leon seems like a very humble man, because he had no problem with making himself the goofy, unexperienced hero, while making Robin the more responsible member of the Dynamic Duo. Robin was played by Joey de Leon's son, Keempee de Leon. I suspect the reason that Robin's treated like the better hero and fighter in the film is because Joey de Leon wanted to make a film that made his son look like a hero. If that was the case, Joey de Leon did an excellent job. It helps add a lot of heart to the film. While Batman's attempts at romance are treated like a joke, Robin has a sweet relationship with Vina, one of his classmates. The two of them sing a beautiful romance song together. While that scene feels very out of place for a parody film, it's a very touching scene.
Something that Alyas avoided was having a dull, unhelpful love interest. Some of the Batman films that came after this one, such as Forever and Batman and Robin, got mocked for having bad love interests for Batman. In Alyas, Angelique does have a crush on Batman, but she's more than just a woman who gushes over Batman. She's a smart reporter who is more mature and wise than Batman himself. Also, the film implies that she's a parody of Wonder Woman.
As for the Joker, he steals the show. Rene Requiestas was a comedic actor who starred in several films with Joey de Leon. In Alyas, Rene Requiestas plays Jocson/Joker while Panchito Alba plays the Penguin. Making Joker the nephew of the Penguin was a change that I found to be fascinating. I consider Jocson to be one of the most sympathetic versions of the Joker that there's ever been. Instead of being a pure-evil supervillain, Jocson is an unpopular student who feels unloved. He thinks highly of his uncle who constantly mocks him and is a bad influence on him. Jocson feels less like somebody who wants to do bad things and more like someone who wants to be respected and wants to have fun. Joker is genuinely hilarious in the film. He and Penguin have very good comedic chemistry. In addition to that, Rene Requiestas' performance is truly amazing. His enthusiasm, energy and playfulness make him the scene stealer of the film. While Joker and Penguin are the villains of the film, the climax of the film paints them in a different light. They want to change their ways. Batman gives Joker and Penguin a chance to redeem themselves which they don't take for granted. The thought of Joker and Penguin retiring from a life of crime and becoming friends with the Dynamic Duo sounds absurd, but it's also really sweet. If anything, this might be the most optimistic Batman film that there's ever been.
The film is very witty and clever when it comes to the comedy. There's a lot subtle set-ups and pay-offs for jokes. For example, Penguin makes a joke about vampires to Joker and later on, Batman bites Catwoman like a vampire. The Penguin/Joker vampire joke is even funnier in hindsight, because both Joker and Penguin appear in 2005's The Batman vs. Dracula animated film. Also, there's a scene where Penguin tells Joker to not say bad words even though Penguin said a curse word earlier in the film. There's also a lot of jokes surrounding Joker's lack of intelligence. He thinks single file means two-by-two rather than one-by-one. Also, Joker suggests hiring a plumber to fix Penguin's nose.
The film features a fantastic parody of the Batcave. The film's version of the Batcave is Kuya's garage. They keep the Batmobile, as well as bat-themed drinks, in the garage. The garage has a bat-like design painted on the outside which is probably bad for hiding the Dynamic Duo's secret identities, but it looks really cool.
The film also features some amazing costumes. Something I think the recent films are lacking are great costumes for Batman. Batman's classic gray costume is my favorite costume for any comic-book hero. Alyas brings back that costume. Since the film is a parody, the costume looks more loose fitting and silly than the costume normally looks, but despite that, it genuinely looks awesome. Seeing Joey de Leon's Batman run around in that classic costume was a wonderful experience for me. It's my favorite live-action Batman costume other than Adam West's costume from the 60's Batman show and movie. The Joker's costume looks very similar to the Joker's classic costume from the comics and 60's show. It's a great costume that I love looking at. In addition to that, Rene Requiestas' Joker has a mustache which gave me good memories of Cesar Romero's Joker who also had a mustache.
The film also has several music numbers. Batman and Robin get a musical number that is a Beach Boys parody, Joker and Penguin get a couple of catchy songs about their roles as criminals and Kevin and Vina have a romantic duet. The film's final song is the strangest, but in a good way. Batman and Joker sing and dance alongside Robin and Penguin. Joker sings about becoming a better person and says things you'd never expect a character like him to sing. The song also features appearances from Wonder Woman and Superman. Even Spider-Man shows up. The film's songs are incredibly memorable, catchy and fun. They're a real to watch to watch and listen to.
One of the biggest questions that people have about Alyas Batman En Robin is whether or not the film is any good. Obviously, opinions on films are objective. Most people probably wouldn't enjoy the film nearly as much as I did. I enjoyed Alyas Batman En Robin more than most of the official Batman films, but that doesn't mean that Alyas is better than those other films. As someone who prefers a more lighthearted Batman, I enjoyed this film more than 2008's critically-acclaimed Dark Knight film. Obviously, Dark Knight has better production values and was written with more effort and care. However, I personally find Alyas to be a far more enjoyable film. While I believe The Dark Knight earned the respect and attention it got, I'm against the notion that any film that isn't as serious and deep as it is a bad film. Batman and Joker have been around for over 80 years. They don't have to always be dark, depressed, violent characters. They need to have some fun every once in a while.
An important aspect of Batman is his refusal to kill any of his enemies. This important attribute of Batman's character has been ignored in a lot of the live-action films. Despite Alyas being a parody film, it stays true to Batman being someone that doesn't kill people. This Batman may be silly, but he's no killer.
The Joker is arguably the definitive example of a comedic villain. However, a lot of recent versions of the character depict him as a cold, disturbing person and an abusive boyfriend towards Harley Quinn. In Alyas Batman En Robin, the Joker is a hilarious troublemaker who is oddly sympathetic and likable. He and Penguin even go through a bit of a redemption arc which is a welcomed change. Also, the film depicts Joker at being bad at impressing women, but in a more silly way than the dark, messed-up crud from recent decades.
In conclusion, I believe Alyas Batman En Robin is more than just a superfluous parody of Batman. I believe it's a clever, creative, entertaining and sweet parody of the 60's Batman show. It's a highly enjoyable and underrated gem of a film that I can't recommend enough.
