Released on June 20, 1997, this $140 million sci-fi action comedy mess still managed to
make a hundred million dollars in profit.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, the fourth live-action Batman film stars George Clooney in the title
role in what is perhaps the most miscast role in the history of cinema.
He does is his hammiest job taking over as the Caped Crusader, who delicately tries to
battle evil without ever killing anyone.
Alongside is Chris O’Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, and Uma Thurman, who do a half-decent job
with the terrible material but honestly there's no saving this poor scriptwriting.
This time around its top bill to Arnold Schwarzenegger features as perhaps the most cringe-worthy,
no, absolutely the most cringe-worthy and ridiculous movie villain ever portrayed.
But there's an undeniable amount of earnesty and fun behind it, which is why you’re able
to snicker and go along with it like when he introduces himself by saying: “Allow
me to break the ice.
My name is Freeze.
Learn it well for it’s the chilling sound of your doom.”
As for the convoluted plot, you have the bad guys that want to take over the city, kill
everybody, and save their dead wife.
And then you have Batman and Robin and Batgirl, who step in and try to save the day because
that's what they do.
The decently paced 125 minute picture was filled with overt homosexual innuendo.
Now I get that Joel Schumacher is gay and everything but we need so many crotch shots
and nipple suits and logos humping each other in the opening credits?
It was excessive to say the very least and disturbing to say the very most.
The film never takes itself seriously.
Bright and vibrant colors fill every scene with an almost nauseating appearance.
The visuals here resembled a Nickelodeon advert that vomited everywhere.
And almost every line of dialogue in this film ends on a pun or a joke or some sort
of eye roll.
The actors fly through the air after getting punched like they're tied to invisible string
probably because they were.
And the entire thing is campier than a Boy Scout Jamboree.
Like all Batman films though, this one suffers from having too many villains.
The film doesn't know what to do with them, instead they just hang around talk to each
other and try to come up with an evil plan to thwart Batman.
When at the end of the day, it's just kill him.
Really?
That's what you came up with?
Just kill ‘em?
I get the DC source mythos is extensive but maybe next time go easy and focus on one villain
and really develop him because Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Freeze really wasn't that great.
From the cartoon sound effects that feel totally out of place to a romantic subplot that is
entirely abandoned, this movie feels half finished and completely inconsistent with
what it’s trying to accomplish.
And aside from the nippily points, the costumes are great, the special effects are really
sharp, and the model work and music is all pretty good.
Schumacher was reportedly pressured by the studio to make this entire movie more toy
friendly and it shows.
None of the bad guys actually get killed.
There's no real consequences for anyone involved.
The entire pg-13 rated film looks like was filmed under a black light.
Cheesy as all hell and not likely something I’d likely watch again, this film has its
detractors for a reason.
But here’s a certain amount of innocents and fun to it that makes it interesting to
watch if you ignore the fact that its crapped all over the Batman franchise.
I don't hate this movie but I can understand why other people do.
Now I'm not saying this a good film by any measure but perhaps it’s not the worst ever
made.
I, for one, thought "Batman And Robin" was "Poorly directed camp, but amusing."
Now let’s see what you had to say about this picture in the YouTube comments.
Batman and Robin on the Rate-O-Matic: a TWO and a THREE.
Every single one of you hated the cheese factor and the puns and generally everything Schumacher
brought to the movie as a director.
You thought this movie was BAD.
I was a little less harsh than you but I can understand your criticisms.
But at the end of the day, I was passably entertained by it all so I can't give it the
lowest scores.
I thought it was LAME.