B&R Retrospective

[The Laughing Fish]

George Clooney has condemned B&R yet again, and claimed he never met Arnold Schwarzenegger while filming. This means all the Batman and Mr. Freeze interactions were used with stunt doubles. I'm surprised.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/heat-vision/george-clooney-says-it-physically-hurts-him-to-watch-batman-robin

[thecolorsblend]

Clooney might be right. I've skipped through the first ten or so minutes of the movie and so far, you never see Clooney or Arnold's face in the frame at the same time. In the few cases where you see Batman and Freeze, at least one of them is definitely a double.

O'Donnell has said the same thing. He and Arnold hung out on set all the time but they never shot even one scene together. Presumably, Uma Thurman did tho.

[BatmanFurst]

I'm surprised Clooney keeps getting asked about this film. He's made it pretty clear over the years that he's not a fan of how it turned out. Just goes to show that when you play Batman it's a role that sticks with you for your entire career for better or worse.

I'm surprised that Arnold didn't show up to read the lines with Chris and George. Even Nicholson did that.

[The Dark Knight]

I'm surprised that Arnold didn't show up to read the lines with Chris and George. Even Nicholson did that.

It's incredible and I never gave it any thought. Going through the movie in my mind now, it seems to be true. The skydive is all CGI, so Clooneyman jumping into Freeze's back doesn't count. I'd have to check how they handled the scenes at the observatory when the two fight. But apart from that...yeah.

[BatmanFurst]

I'm surprised Clooney keeps getting asked about this film. He's made it pretty clear over the years that he's not a fan of how it turned out. Just goes to show that when you play Batman it's a role that sticks with you for your entire career for better or worse.

I'm also surprised that Arnold didn't show up to read the lines with Chris and George. Even Nicholson did that.

[BatmanFurst]

Yeah, I can't recall one shot with both actors in it.

[The Dark Knight]

I'm surprised Clooney keeps getting asked about this film. He's made it pretty clear over the years that he's not a fan of how it turned out. Just goes to show that when you play Batman it's a role that sticks with you for your entire career for better or worse.

B&R became a running joke. I do see merit in areas of the film but on the whole I think they went too far. But with that said, I'd watch B&R any day over something like Superman III, IV or Returns. Forever was a hit, and they probably thought audiences wanted more of that but amped it up to 11. When you're in the eye of the storm, sometimes that can be difficult to judge or see.

[BatmanFurst]

I have a different perspective on Batman & Robin than most people I think. I saw the film when I was 5 and I absolutely loved it. I didn't have the experience of seeing the Batman franchise have a slow decline over the years. While I do see the bad in it now, I still have nostalgia for the film. There are some comic book films that are hard to sit through but B&R isn't one of them for me. For all its faults I still find it to be entertaining.

[thecolorsblend]

I have a different perspective on Batman & Robin than most people I think. I saw the film when I was 5 and I absolutely loved it. I didn't have the experience of seeing the Batman franchise have a slow decline over the years. While I do see the bad in it now, I still have nostalgia for the film. There are some comic book films that are hard to sit through but B&R isn't one of them for me. For all its faults I still find it to be entertaining.

Same, mostly. I've come around to B&R. I see it as Dick Sprang in live action. On that basis, I find it highly enjoyable. If someone's looking for a dark knight, this isn't the movie for them. But it's a lot of fun and I enjoy it.

[Silver Nemesis]

While I do see the bad in it now, I still have nostalgia for the film. There are some comic book films that are hard to sit through but B&R isn't one of them for me. For all its faults I still find it to be entertaining.

I've also got a soft spot for B&R. I was 11 when it came out and I have very happy memories of the summer of 1997. Later that same year I began secondary school and entered my cynical teenage phase, at which point I started to hate both of the Schumacher Batman movies and resent them for derailing the franchise. I saw B&R twice at the cinema during that summer and enjoyed it both times, but when I received the video for Christmas later that same year I had a totally different attitude towards it.

In adulthood I've come to accept the film for what it is. B&R reminds me of a more innocent time in my life. Nostalgia is a significant factor in why I'm more tolerant towards it than most. I still watch it once a year.

Same, mostly. I've come around to B&R. I see it as Dick Sprang in live action. On that basis, I find it highly enjoyable. If someone's looking for a dark knight, this isn't the movie for them. But it's a lot of fun and I enjoy it.

This is the key to enjoying it. The movie's not trying to be like the Modern Age comics, but is instead drawing most of its inspiration from the Silver Age. If you evaluate Schumacher's Batgirl based on how closely she resembles the comic book Barbara Gordon then you're going to be disappointed, but if you evaluate her based on how closely she resembles the original Betty Kane Batgirl then it's a whole different story.

My advice for fans revisiting B&R is to first read the following Silver Age comic stories, all of which were published in the sixties:

•   'Batgirl!' (Batman #139, April 1961)
•   'Beware of -- Poison Ivy!' (Batman #181, June 1966)
•   'A Touch of Poison Ivy!' (Batman #183, August 1966)
•   'Mr. Freeze's Chilling Deathtrap!' (Detective Comics #373, March 1968)
•   'Angel—or Devil?' (Batman #216, November 1969)

These should equip open-minded fans with a better appreciation of the movie. They might still hate it, as is their right, but hopefully they'll at least see where Schumacher was coming from in relation to the source material.

Comic accuracy aside, I really like the B&R version of Gotham City. As I wrote in another thread last year:

And since I've probably just lost whatever credibility I may have had by admitting that, I'll also say that this movie's version of Gotham City is one of my favourites. This Gotham feels like a fantasy city built entirely from the ground up, just like the Gotham in Batman Returns. In fact the architectural style isn't a million miles away from what we saw in BR. Just take away the colours, and many of the buildings look strikingly similar. Both cities were influenced by early 20th century fascist architecture; BR was influenced by German architects like Albert Speer, while B&R's production design takes many of its cues from Russian Constructivism.

Like the BR Gotham, this version is filled with statues. But these statues are designed to evoke a neoclassical aesthetic. This is further evidenced in Batman and Robin's cuirasses and the pediment above the portico of the museum at the start of the film. The influence of ancient Greek and Roman art adds a mythical dimension to the film's production design. This is something I would like to see more of in future Batman movies.

The B&R Gotham is also more Gothic than many people give it credit for. I've spotted a fair number of gargoyles on the rooftops, and the portrayal of Arkham Asylum is superb.