Thursday 13 February 2020

Batman: The Curse of Tut & The Pharaoh's in a Rut

The Curse of Tut

"How many times must I tell you? Queens consume nectar and ambrosia, not hot dogs!"

For the first time ever, and really rather late on in the first season, the series gives us its first genuinely new villain, and he's magnificent- King Tut, played with truly splendid hamminess by Victor Buono. Once a respected Egyptology professor, he was hit on the head during a student riot (it's the '60's, after all) and woke under the delusion that he was the supposedly historical "King Tut" of the 14th dynasty, and that Gotham City is actually Thebes. Well then. And he's already very much a known quantity.

This two parter, elevated by a great villain and much hilarity, is utterly splendid, with Adam West getting to show a new side to his comic talents as Bruce in the museum. Every moment is entertaining, and even the captions during the fight in the park are a cut above the norm ("Qunck!") while the visuals of the mummy's eyes opening are magnificent. This episode milks its premise as much as it can, and ends on a great cliffhanger. I'm loving this.


The Pharaoh's in a Rut

"Batman? He turns me on..."

The above is said by "Nefertiti", who further desripes the Caped Crusader as "handsome, clean cut and groovy". Well then.

Things continue to be awesome in this second episode of plots and counter-plots, even if Batman is indeed taking out of his arse when he says that Alexandria is anywhere near to the Nile delta and the Egyptology throughout is decidedly dodgy. We simply don't care.

The Queen, now out of favour, are subjected to the utterly terrifying pebble torture and forced to dance for Tut's amusement. Fortunately Batman stays sane by reciting his times tables backwards. Phew. Plus Alfred chauffeurs Robin in the Batmobile and a dummy Bruce Wayne is switched to Batman through a series of highly convenient plot contrivances. I love it.

More Tut please. This has been a real season highlight.

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