Rene Russo VS Nicole Kidman

[OutRiddled]

So, Rene was originally going to be cast if Keaton was involved.  I was watching In the Line of Fire (1993) the other day and she played a similar role to Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian in that movie.  But she was not over the top like Nicole was.  She still had the sexy/sassy thing going on, but wasn't baring her breasts all over the place like a crazed hooker.

Anyone else have an opinion on this?

[johnnygobbs]

So, Rene was originally going to be cast if Keaton was involved.  I was watching In the Line of Fire (1993) the other day and she played a similar role to Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian in that movie.  But she was not over the top like Nicole was.  She still had the sexy/sassy thing going on, but wasn't baring her breasts all over the place like a crazed hooker.

Anyone else have an opinion on this?

I imagine the 'baring her breasts like a crazed hooker' thing was less to do with Nicole Kidman than Joel Schumacher and the producers.  Russo and Kidman are both beautiful women, as are Robin Wright, Alison Doody and Cindy Crawford all of whom were considered for the part of Dr Chase Meridian at one stage or another.

In some ways I wish Kidman hadn't been cast as Chase because I think she should have been spared instead for the part of Poison Ivy in the sequel, a character who is highly intelligent but crazy and seductive too, characteristics that Kidman could easily portray.  On the other hand, bearing in mind how that film was received maybe it was for the best that she appeared in the earlier and better Schumacher Batman movie.

[The Laughing Fish]

^Kidman never looked any better than she did in Forever to be fair. The producers would have shown more imagination if they had Pamela Isley in the film before she became Poison Ivy, and then have her become her alter ego into the sequel. But then again, that would have changed the plot completely (and perhaps for the best too ).

[johnnygobbs]

^Kidman never looked any better than she did in Forever to be fair. The producers would have shown more imagination if they had Pamela Isley in the film before she became Poison Ivy, and then have her become her alter ego into the sequel. But then again, that would have changed the plot completely (and perhaps for the best too ).

If there was some way of using Dr Isley's skills as a botanist in 'Batman Forever' then it might have been interesting to see the 'good' Isley as portrayed by Nicole Kidman.  However, since much was made in 'Batman Forever; about Harvey and Ed's psychology and Bruce's bad dreams not to mention the psychological theme of duality I don't see how one could easily substitute a psychiatrist like Dr Chase Meridian for a botanist.

I do agree that Kidman probably looked the best she's ever looked on film in 'Batman Forever'.

[Catwoman]

i have a love/hate relationship with nicole but she did look great and i think she did the role how they wanted her to. if they'd wanted her to be a more, um, professional dr., she would have been.

nicole as ivy though? hmmm. iiiiiiiiinteresting....lol.

[johnnygobbs]

i have a love/hate relationship with nicole but she did look great and i think she did the role how they wanted her to. if they'd wanted her to be a more, um, professional dr., she would have been.

She was clearly playing a 'comic-book' doctor.  But I like those larger than life fantasy tropes, and I'm not just being sexist.  I think the guys in comic-book movies should be ultra-fit and good-looking just as much as the women.

Although I'm not a big fan of the Schumacher Batman films I give them credit, or at least this one, for embracing the OTT, fantastical feel of a comic-book complete with glamorous 27-year-old published doctors.  Far too many comic-book movies these days seem rather dour and prosaic by contrast with all the emphasis on 'realism'.

[riddler]

Anyone seen the movie Freejack? Kind of a crappy action film but Russo does an admirable job as the leading lady, I think she would have been less of a groopie than Kidman was.

[JokerMeThis]

I'm glad Nicole Kidman was in this movie because I think she's a good actress and that this is one of the movies shes looked the best in. But I would've rather Nicole Kidman played Poison Ivy. I think she would've been very interesting in the role.

[johnnygobbs]

I'm glad Nicole Kidman was in this movie because I think she's a good actress and that this is one of the movies shes looked the best in. But I would've rather Nicole Kidman played Poison Ivy. I think she would've been very interesting in the role.

I don't dislike Uma Thurman.  In fact, in films like 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Kill Bill', and many non-Tarantino movies too especially 'Baron Munchausen' and not just because she looked absolutely stunning as Venus, she has given some great performances, but I don't think she did a remotely good job as Poison Ivy.  Even though it seems pretty clear that Schumacher was aiming for an even campier tone than 'Batman Forever' I still can't help thinking that Nicole Kidman might have given a much subtler, and by extension sexier, performance as Poison Ivy if she hadn't already played Dr. Chase Meridian.

[JokerMeThis]

Batman and Robin is like a comedy to me like the Adam West Batman TV show. In that context, what is wrong with Uma's performance in that movie? Or the perforamances of the other actors?