15 years of Batman and Robin

[Silver Nemesis]

I've got happy nostalgic memories of the summer Batman and Robin came out. I was 11 at the time, and I remember me and my best friend going straight from school to the cinema on the first day of preview screenings. It was the very first showing of the movie at any cinema in our home city. We were so stoked about seeing it. And the weird thing is I remember liking it. I could tell there was something not quite right about the movie, something different from the previous films. But I was too young to understand what that difference was. So I went back and saw it a second time a couple of weeks later. And I enjoyed it again.

I was really into all the merchandising too, as were many impressionable kids. I remember literally running through a crowd on a hot summer afternoon to buy Denny O'Neil's comic adaptation.

I had the Heroes and Villains posters up on my bedroom wall

I also collected a few of the action figures over the summer. I've just been browsing some toy galleries and I found some of the ones I owned.

Hover Attack Batman

And the Brain vs. Brawn double pack

I also got the official souvenir magazine

And I even collected tokens from breakfast cereal boxes and sent off for the pog holder from Kellogs. Of course I collected all the pogs too.

I got the movie on video for Christmas later that year. And as I sat down to watch it, I suddenly realised how terrible it was. After that I hated the movie throughout my teenage years. I threw out all the merchandise I'd collected and refused to watch it again. It wasn't until recently that I finally came to terms with the movie's faults and learned to enjoy it for what it is.

Since it's the 15th anniversary I'm going to try and list a few things I like about the film. And I'm not going to cheat by saying something like "it led to Batman Begins being made". I'm going to focus solely on the film itself and try to highlight some of its merits.

• I like the soundtrack. Both of Schumacher's movies featured some good songs.

• I thought Uma Thurman was pretty good as Poison Ivy. Her performance was ridiculously over-the-top and campy. But she looked great (except for when they made her up like a drag queen towards the end) and was clearly having a blast playing the role. And I found her a lot more memorable, comic-accurate and all round entertaining than Cotillard's Talia (yeah, I said it).

• The fight choreography was good. Shame there was no dramatic impetus behind the fights. But from a purely technical standpoint, they were well staged.

• The storyline about Alfred's sickness was handled well. Having Alfred try and hide his illness from Bruce is precisely what the Alfred in the comics would have done. And Gough's performance was excellent.

• The movie was based on the comics: http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=270.0  At the end of the day, it's no less valid an interpretation of the source material than any other Batman film. Batman: The Movie and Batman and Robin both drew largely from the same era of the comics. But while Batman: The Movie was an intelligent comedy laced with witty and ironic humour, Batman and Robin was a clumsy, ill-judged, homoerotic toy commercial. But it's still a perfectly valid Batman flick. Even if it is crap.

• It's the only modern Batman movie in which Batman actually sticks to his one golden rule and doesn't kill anyone.

I haven't watched Batman and Robin since I wrote the comic influences thread last year. But based on memory, I'd give it a 2/5 rating. I think I'll watch it again soon.

There's something special about the summer when a Batman film comes out, especially if you happen to be a kid at the time. Batmania starts to spread and its impossible not to get involved. The old Batman TV show gets rerun on television, bookshops start displaying their graphic novels more prominently, fast food joints produce tie-in merchandise, and the windows of every toy shop are filled with images of Batman and his gallery of rogues. It's a shame Warner Bros is marketing The Dark Knight Rises as a "prestige" film instead of a blockbuster, because I'm not getting as much of a Batmania vibe this year 

[The Joker]

How did it get so late so soon? It's night instead of afternoon, winter's here instead of June, my goodness how the time has flewn! how did it get so late so soon? _{Dr. Seuss}

Ah, a Dr. Seuss quote. So cuddly.




And since it's a B&R thread, and we already got a bunch of Poison Ivy images ... might as well throw one more in for good measure.

[Paul (ral)]

Doc's feature

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/7/26/in-defense-of-the-neon-knight-where-schumachers-batman-succeeded

[Silver Nemesis]

There's some interesting food for thought in that article. It makes me want a licensed alternate cut of Batman Forever with the deleted footage restored. The theatrical cut doesn't do justice to the film's promise.

I think Batman and Robin is beyond saving. But as Doc says, it's best to just enjoy it as a comedy.

[riddler]

There's some interesting food for thought in that article. It makes me want a licensed alternate cut of Batman Forever with the deleted footage restored. The theatrical cut doesn't do justice to the film's promise.

I think Batman and Robin is beyond saving. But as Doc says, it's best to just enjoy it as a comedy.

definitely, I have the special edition Batman Forever and it may be the only film where just about every deleted scene adds to the film;
-there's the alternate opening which shows two faces escape from arkham. A lot of people complain that Schumacher gave no origin or development to two face and mr. freeze until halfway through the films. The first scene is literally batman going off to fight them. Also in hindsight seems Arkham itself is becoming one of Batmans most popular sub characters
-the critical plotline being deleted over batman revisiting his parents death due to what is happening with Dick Grayson. To recap; on the night of the murder Bruce and his parents had an argument over which movie they were going to see, Bruce wanted to see Zorro, his parents a different film (at another theatre). Bruce always believed they were going to see Zorro and thus blamed himself for their death. In the deleted scene he falls into a cave (actually similar to what Nolan did put into Batman Begins) and finds his fathers journal with the last entry being "Bruces movie will have to wait until next week" thus making Bruce realize that it wasn't his fault.
The deleted plot basically gives more relevance to the title of the film as Bruce no longer realizes he has to be batman, he is now choosing to be. It also explains why he is not acting dark and tortured in the next film as he gets cured in this one.



Anyhow some positives on Batman and Robin without silly comedy attempts the wannabe comedians come up with (ie. it ends, leads to batman begins, the credits etc.)
-the partnership crisis was a good interesting plot point although probably one film too early. They basically just joined forces at the end of the last film, it's too early for Dick to start whining. But it added an interesting plot of dick going solo and Bruce realizing Dick is going through Bruces journey but taking a different path
-George Clooney was an excellent Bruce Wayne; note I said Bruce Wayne meaning he was great without the suit. He played up the millionaire philanthropist playboy. He also has the right look for Bruce Wayne and brought far more energy to that role than Kilmer. It's interesting because there's many discussions over how Bruce Wayne needs to essentially mask himself from Batman to avoid people making a connection. Clooney rightfully gets criticized for using the exact same voice in both roles but he does what Bale expands on and acts like someone you wouldn't expect to be batman outside the cowl. Everyone loves Keaton as do I but the way in which he acts socially awkward and seemingly a hermit and mystery man, it wouldnt have been a shock to many people to find out his identity (as those attempting to piece the puzzle likely realize Batman is rich or has resources). 
-the Alfred scenes aside from the opening one were all well done. It grounded Batman in the sense that he saves so many lives but has trouble coping with the fact that he couldn't fight what was killing Alfred. The scene of Alfred telling bruce that there is no defeat in death was a moving one. It's also apparent that Alfred seems to believe his time is coming and is attempting to instill the ability for Bruce to trust others. If there is anyone other than Alfred bruce should trust, it is Dick.
-Clooney finally does show a glimpse of his  acting ability IN the cowl in his final scene as batman; he finally acts serious after defeating freeze and his monologue over 'saving a life is true power'.
-

[Azrael]

That day, those succesive B&R facebook shares were a laugh riot, but I had my reasons for being totally "invisible" from FB, and that meant no comments or "likes".

I agree it's beyond saving, I LOVE it exactly for the crapfest it is. Even if you remove the sillier moments, I don't think it can work as a "serious" batfilm. Michael Gough did a great job given the script he had to work with, but his illness plot was handled poorly, even, I repeat, if you remove the silly action moments in between. If you try with clever editing and different music to make it more "serious", the result will be insufferable. Maybe Gordon's stupidity (and uniform) is one of the worst elements beyond the skysurfing and the batcard.

But as a comedy and a tribute to the 60s Batman? It rocks! As long as the campy version of Batman is kept separate from Burton, Nolan and the comics, I love it.

[The Dark Knight]

To celebrate the 15th anniversary, I'm posting this recap that I always get a big laugh out of. Take a read:

http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Batman___Robin_1997.aspx

[greggbray]

Ah, I love this recap!

I was 20 when Batman and Robin came out.  I saw it with an ex-girlfriend, and while I didn't care for it as much as the other ones, I didn't immediately hate it, though I'd like to think I did.  Part of it was I wanted more Batman films, and since this one had such poor buzz I figured that the next one would have a darker tone.

It didn't hold up for repeat viewing.

I'm less offended by it now than in the past.  With all the variations of the character available it's hard to be bitter about it still.  My little kids get a kick out of it. It's bright and colorful and fun.  Though, for balance, they also like Batman Returns.  Not the first Batman film I'd fire up in the DVD player, but I've come to the conclusion that it has the right to exist.

[thecolorsblend]

Doc's feature

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/7/26/in-defense-of-the-neon-knight-where-schumachers-batman-succeeded

For crying out loud, anybody who hasn't read this yet GO FREAKING READ IT!!

[Slash Man]

Agreed.

Also, it just dawned on me; if Batman & Robin was released in the 60's it would have been a smash hit.