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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 *** suits and logos *** 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.