La Mujer Murciélago / The Bat Woman

Dressed for the job you want.

Holy copyright infringement Batman! Today's entry will take us to the warm waters of 1960s Acapulco (Mexico) and the not so safe lands of blatantly stealing somebody else's idea.

La Mujer Murciélago, AKA The Batwoman is a 1968 Mexican wrestling superhero film directed by Rene Cardona and starred by Mexican Italian bombshell Maura Muti. Yes, you read that right "Wrestling superhero" was a popular movie genre in Mexico. In a nutshell, most of these films would have a super powered wrestler aiding the police in solving the weirdest cases: Aliens, vampires, werewolves, mummies, gangsters, imposters, you name it!

Acapulco city is no longer a safe city for wrestlers and fit people. Some madman that goes by the name of Dr. Williams has been plotting murders of the best specimens available: Luchadores! Obviously, the police are too stupid to find out who's behind these surgical precise murders. The FBI sends one of their best agents to aid detectives Mario Robles & Tony Roca: The Batwoman!

A mad scientist that looks like an early Two-Face.

A sea creature! Call Aquaman!

Set to work undercover (because she dresses casual, like everybody else does) Our Batwoman  is actually, Gloria, a rich woman who's champion of all martial art, wrestling and scuba diving. Everyone loves her, and everyone wants to befriend her or fuck her. Being so popular, no one will notice her undercover work at a local gym where the best wrestlers work out.

Why didn't DC Comics notice this movie?

Being so popular with the now classic show, Batman was the number one superhero in the late 60's. Toys, apparel, candy, records, stickers and even a movie and a strong influence over the actual comic book, guaranteed millions of dollars to the property owners. So why didn't DC Comics stopped the production of this rip-off? Perhaps they didn't think their comic books were sold south of the border. Be that as it may, we can't help but notice how shameless this rip-off is:

Like Bruce Wayne, Gloria is a rich loner, master of all martial arts. Check! She also wears a batsuit with the exact same color pattern as Bruce does! check! She has black car with red stripes that kinda looks like the magnificent Batmobile from the original show.

Fight crime with an ergonomic suit.

Look gorgeous at any situation.

So what's original in Batwoman's world?

Well, she's more like a hero wrestler. The likes of El Santo and his many imitators. Also, she fights evil scientists and sea creatures. Not that Batman didn't, but there are subtle differences here. In addition, she wears a skin tight bikini to fight crime. No nip slips, no pubes in broad daylight. On the other hand, Batgirl had a full body suit, or a skirt depending on the version. A lot less kinkier in the source material if I might add.

Another aspect that would make therapy charlatans shit in their pants, is the fact that evil Dr. Williams was ahead of its time! The reason behind murdering perfect athletes is because they can be the best pineal gland donors! Yes, the bad guy is depleting the substance to create the ultimate man-fish warrior! And yet, here you are wasting your money on scam therapies to feel happier! Wait no more and call now! Dr. Williams can turn you into a perfect creature in no time! Oh, wait, you're neither a wrestler nor living in 1968. Oh well, whatever, nevermind!

¡Arriba las manos y abajo la verga!

It's not wise to upset a lady.

Believe it or not, the film did so well in Mexico that they sold it to France & Italy where it caused a big sensation. Sadly, you can't get an official copy of it in the U.S. because, DC Comics! However, it's on YouTube.

Now, what makes this film memorable, is the fact they got away with it, and of course Maura Muti's perfect body. A shame she never posed nude or worked in dirty movies. 

Plotwise, La Mujer Murciélago isn't an original story. As a matter of fact, it plays like a standard wrestler hero movie. The bad guys don't help either. Cloned from 50's horror films Dr. Williams is cliched as fuck. Same with the sea monster which looks to be taken straight from The Creature from the Black Lagoon. On the other hand the action scenes cause a mildly better impression on the viewer. There's an excellent car chase sequence, and while there aren't a lot of fight scenes, they're well staged as well. 

Hands up! panties off!

Sometimes we feel like fucking justice, don't we?

Overall, The Batwoman can be an odd addition to those looking for some entertainment during these pandemic times. Just don't expect too much, enjoy the visual spectacle Maura Muti is.

Here's the movie trailer: