BATMAN AND ROBIN(1997)
Despite its mixed reviews from the critics and fans, Batman Forever was a financial hit and its typical that Hollywood starts casting the same money spell in creating another sequel. Joel Schumacher stayed on to direct the next Batman movie, setting the film to bigger and brighter than ever. Val Kilmer dropped out and was replaced by George Clooney as the new Caped Crusader, Batman/Bruce Wayne. The villains were Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman, who were chosen not from the source of the comics, but from the animated series. Of course, this movie is called "Batman and Robin", so you gotta have Robin in it, played again by Chris O'Donnell. But you didn't count on having Batgirl being part of the team, played by Alicia Silverstone. Gotham is filled with more giant statues and Batman has more shiny new toys including a nuclear-engine Batman. At age 11, I went in the theater and expecting to see the same result by Batman Forever. The result - literally and metaphorically the gayest Batman movie ever.
Right from the start where we see shots of nipple piece and buttocks, witness the rise of the most brightest and feminine Batmobile we ever seen and cringe at a very lame one-liner delivered by Batman, I knew it was gonna be an unpleasant ride. Before the movie, I knew about Mr. Freeze and loved how the guys from the animated series gave this character a great design and backstory. I don't know what is the reason that Joel casted Arnold, the Terminator, Conan, Douglas Quaid, Jack Slater! as the mad scientist of ice, Mr Freeze. Well considering his character holds a giant freeze gun, it may fit along his line of characters who holds giant guns. And like his line of characters, he can't help himself but give out cheesy pun-ridden one-liners at every action he does. When you cast Arnold Schwarzenegger, you get Arnold Schwarzenegger, no matter what character he plays, which is fine. What is not fine is Uma Thurman and, dear God, she was horrible in this. How can a talented actress, who just gave a brilliant performance from Pulp Fiction, give us something so annoying and eyes-popping its suicidal just to watch her? You could say its the writers' fault that they gave actors such lousy writing, but she's at least good enough to have the responsibility to deliver them well. And what she does, she come across a vain drag queen who recently sex changed into a drag queen. I mean, every time she speaks I just wanted to choke her! And if she hadn't redeem herself in Kill Bill, I would have hated her for the rest of my life.
Continuing along the Burton/Schumacher's tradition to make Batman less interesting than the villains, George Clooney was just a every lady's hunk in TV and magazine and it was that logic to make him into Batman. His Bruce Wayne looks alright if he had another day-job as a magazine model, but he was unconvincing as Batman. Even Chris and Alicia were unconvincing as Robin and Batgirl. Its very hard to laugh at the most ridiculous costumes they ever wore, not to mention riding on the most gayest and mind-numbing vehicles ever in a superhero movie. Batman is not a freakin Power Ranger! I may be young when I first saw this, but I was just completely shocked by most things in this movie. My young mind kept telling me "This is not Batman! This is not Batman!" I even gave a big "WHAT!" when Batman whips out his Bat Credit Card. What the f**k does Batman need a Bat Credit Card?! Transaction his enemies to death?! In the Batman universe, the action scenes are meant to be off-the-wall and fantastical, but doesn't mean they have to be stupid. Pat Hingle is still useless as Commissioner Gordon, while Michael Gough gave his own dramatic performance in the film, but that isn't helping much.
The Batman franchise suffered from this film and its easy to know why. It was just that bad. Other people may like it if they want a light-filled action movie, but most people have gone bat-sh*t on this movie. I would see it again if I seriously want to relive the Batman nostalgia one by one, just like what I'm doing now, but no fat chance I would see this movie ever again. And Joel Schumacher has the unfortunate title of the man who created the worst Batman movie in cinema history. It killed off Batman and buried him for many years, joining Superman after he did 3 and 4. Many scripts and plans of reviving Batman back to the big screen, but in order to do that, they have to truly understand Batman, understand his pathos and mythology and gives the audience something they would never see in a Batman film. And after eight years, one man gets the idea and finally brings Batman back from the dead....
Up on my next blog: BATMAN BEGINS(2005)
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