Batman and Robin...a Review?

[Paul (ral)]

then there's B&R, which is nothing but a two hour long double entendre...

Hmm.  So actually, maybe the franchise ended on a "bang" after all...

clever! 

[Azrael]

naughty

[The Dark Knight]

One of the biggest pieces of big budget cinematic trash, ever, especially because of how much it betrays the spirit of its excellent source material and the films before it. It's just a cheese-fest from beginning to end, coming across as a live-action adaptation of the Adam West series without the WHAM! animations, which was not the goal of the production.

Arnold positively BUTCHERS the role of Mr. Freeze - who is supposed to be an intelligent, brooding character who does NOT wear polar bear bathrobes or have a gang full of skate-wearing goons. He is pensive, near emotionless. The only thing that gives him any level of emotion is his wife. Here, he's spouting comic lines here and there like an idiot, and comes across as a buffoon. There's no real menace here.

Clooney just isn't dark enough to play Batman - his "Hi Freeze, I'm Batman!" is cringe inducing to the point of near-death. I mean, Batman is supposed to have 2 personalities - Bruce Wayne and Batman. For Clooney, they're one and the same. There's no dark, brutal side to Batman here - and Batman, by all means, is dark and brutal. Val Kilmer may have been wooden, but at least he couldn't be described as "goofy". Not to mention Clooney looks positively ridiculous in costume.

Chris O'Donnell, who was at least decent in Forever (even though Robin is supposed to be a KID when he starts out, darn it!), is given no help here with his dialogue, and Alicia Silverstone is atrocious as Batgirl in a totally unnecessary role that gives her character little motivation or impact.

The production design is horrid, with large naked men dotting the landscape, decorated in neon colors. Ugh. That scene with the motorbikes is definitely NOT Batman.

The ONLY, and I mean ONLY, thing that's decent about this film is the casting of Uma Thurman, and even then, she has some of the worst dialogue ever to deliver.

[Sandman]

^^Now that's a review.

[thecolorsblend]

The production design is horrid, with large naked men dotting the landscape, decorated in neon colors.

To paraphrase a wiser man than myself- "you've got men wearing anatomically correct rubber costumes and gigantic codpieces chasing each other around statues of ornately designed naked men while bathed in neon light... yessir, you simply have to wade through the symbolism in this movie."

Still, I've got it paused right now with the commentary going.  Shlockmaker's basic ambitions ("make a FUN and LIGHT Batman, one that doesn't take itself too seriously") are admirable enough.  However, B&R's problem is that it's as much making fun of Batman with all that hammy dialogue and those overly elaborate sets as much as trying to deliver a rollercoaster action flick.  By logical extension then, it's making fun of the viewer for watching it.  It's hard not feel condescended to when you see John Glover, a normally fine actor, get pushed waaaaay over the top or Poison Ivy shriek "CURSES!!" like bad 80's cartoons.

Really, given the strength of Batman's live action legacy at this point, I think I can forgive B&R.  Alas, the same cannot be said of Superman Returns (which I've accepted that I'll simply never make peace with).

[Sandman]

Lets not forget Mr.Frezze also had nipples on his suit and a metal butt-plate.

[The Dark Knight]

Lets not forget Mr.Frezze also had nipples on his suit and a metal butt-plate.

Don't remind me. That film is just dire through and through.

[Sandman]

The bit that always gets me is despite already building a room to keep Freeze in, just because he helps Batman they put him in a small cell with Poisen Ivy and let him keep his suit they needs million of dollers just to run when they already HAVE A SPECIAL  ROOM BUILD FOR HIM.....stupid movie.

[The Dark Knight]

The bit that always gets me is despite already building a room to keep Freeze in, just because he helps Batman they put him in a small cell with Poisen Ivy and let him keep his suit they needs million of dollers just to run when they already HAVE A SPECIAL  ROOM BUILD FOR HIM.....stupid movie.

Yes, nothing in the film makes sense. It is a two hour commercial and nothing else.

[Sandman]

Yes and one of those bad commercials that you just want to FF though and never see again.