Batman Forever (1995)

Directed by: Joel Schumacher | 122 minutes | action, thriller, adventure, fantasy, crime | Actors: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris ODonnell, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Drew Barrymore, Debi Mazar

One of the reasons for reviving the Batman film series by creating the series from scratch – with ‘Batman Begins’ – must undoubtedly have been the legacy director Joel Schumacher left behind with his Batman films. left. Everyone seems to agree that he single-handedly killed the franchise (temporarily). ‘Batman and Robin’ is considered by some to be the worst movie of all time, and while it is indeed a lousy piece of celluloid, the question is whether Schumacher’s Batman choices were really all that monstrous. ‘Batman Forever’, for example, is outwardly a big difference from Tim Burton’s stark, gothic depiction of the bat universe, but in content, Schumacher doesn’t do things very differently. The action and pace are smooth and mindless and the film often doesn’t take itself too seriously. Now there is enough to criticize about ‘Batman Forever’, and the film can certainly not be called good, but the film is not as bad as Schumacher’s reputation suggests.

Schumacher clearly does not like (long) introductions. He immediately kicks off ‘Batman Forever’ with action sequences featuring villain Two-Face and the batman in full regalia. Love object Chase Meridian also quickly enters the picture, leaving only Batman’s future buddy Robin and villain number two, the Riddler, to get acquainted with. And well, why not? Most viewers who are going to watch this third Batman movie are already familiar with the main character, so there’s really no reason not to jump right into the action. Like a television series, Schumacher apparently does not think he has to waste time with introductions and backgrounds. And indeed, ‘Batman Forever’ does have a few things in common with the Batman series from the sixties.

For starters, the villains are all very “cartoony” and over-the-top and each and every one of them has that typical mean smile. Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face is the most interesting villain but he is as two-dimensional as a piece of cardboard. A little more background or depth with regard to his split personality, as happens a little better in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ would have been desirable. Now he doesn’t do much more than laugh and jump, with the occasional slightly irritated reaction. Jones is also the most interesting actor in the cast, but his character is unfortunately overshadowed by Jim Carrey’s Riddler. Carrey apparently got carte blanche from the director and seems impressed that the film is called ‘The Riddler Forever’. It’s going a bit too far to say that this is Carrey’s most over-the-top performance ever – as he’s already had quite a few wild carnival rides to his name – but his performance is in no way inferior to his physical acting in ‘The Mask’, ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’, ‘Liar Liar’, or ‘Dumb and Dumber’. Those hard-core fans of Carrey’s antics will probably love this – and it’s certainly amusing on a regular basis; lively anyway – but most will agree that it could all have been a little less. If only it would have been to give Two-Face more space, which is now reduced to a jeering sidekick. They form a somewhat tiring “comic” duo, this Jut and Jul.

It is funny that the outfits and make-up are nice and exuberant, and that Carrey wears a wrong, tight suit; green, of course, and full of question marks, just like the Riddler Suit from the TV series. And he does this with flair. He dances through the image like a ballet dancer on steroids. However, the references to the TV series or original cartoon characters don’t stop there. For example, Robin is introduced wearing the same yellow-and-red outfit as in the series – which here is a circus suit – and at one point even shouts: “Holy rusted metal, Batman!” in an obvious nod to his talking style in the series. What is also very cartoony is the color palette of the film. It all looks a lot more cheerful than Burton’s drab, dark world, and purple and green neon colors shoot out at the viewer. It may take some getting used to, but not necessarily a disadvantage. It’s simply a different view.

Nevertheless, aspects of content from previous films are still largely intact. In fact, often the film even seems to be a repetition of moves. Again there is that one blond woman who makes Bruce Wayne’s heart beat faster and to whom he wants to confide his secret. Once again, Bruce’s childhood traumas are harked back to and he wants to hang up his cape due to personal struggles with his identity. The faces are just different. It’s Val Kilmer instead of Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman as psychologist Chase Meridian instead of Kim Basinger’s journalist Vicki Vale. Kilmer doesn’t do too badly as the bat man and he’s certainly a believable playboy, but he still doesn’t give his (duo) role much personality and sometimes comes across as smooth. Kidman is sensual enough and Chase, given her interest in complicated psyches, has enough reason to fall for Batman/Wayne, but it’s all a bit over the top. She says, almost literally, that the black rubber of the Batman suit makes her aroused, and the way she comes into the picture – flapping her in slow motion, wearing a tight boxing outfit, snuggled in bed, or dressed in just a sheet – make her the romantic developments hardly surprising.

‘Batman Forever’ contains spectacle, has funny nods to series and comic books, and has capable actors. It’s just a shame that the director and scriptwriter didn’t tighten the reins a bit. A better balance of attention for the villain duo, a more organized editing, and more satisfying confrontations between heroes and villains could have made a big difference. Spectators without a strong aversion to overacting might enjoy themselves with ‘Batman Forever’ and the film often performs quite well as a roller coaster ride, but the film can hardly be called a success.