Analyzing the Batman Franchise (Pt. 3 of 8): Batman Forever (1995)

Batman Forever

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

Batman/Bruce Wayne: Val Kilmer

Love Interest: Dr. Chase Meridian (Played By Nicole Kidman)

Villains: The Riddler (Jim Carrey), Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones)

Sidekick: Robin/Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell)

Score: Elliot Goldenthal, but really it's so forgettable that who gives a shit. So here is Seal!!

High Points:

• Kiss From A Rose was in the End Credits.
• Like Danny Devito before him, Jim Carrey gets credit for trying. He made a solid effort.
• Batman killed less people. (Still not good enough)
• Robin's origin was pretty close to his comic counterpart. (Expect he isn't suppose to be 30 fucking years old)
• By stopping Two-Face's bomb plot at the circus, the Grayson family did something more heroic than Batman did in either of his first two movies.
• Nicole Kidman also wasn't given much to work with and tried her best. She also provided us with the first ever nude scene in a Batman movie. (Joel, you risqué motherfucka!)
• Two-Face's origin that is shown in a news clip is spot on to his origin from Jeph Loeb's The Long Halloween. (Somebody read a comic!)
• The Riddler destroying the Batcave was fun.
• Arkham Asylum looked kinda cool.
• There were some better fight sequences than Burton's films. (That ain't saying much)

Favorite Line: "Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of the big, black bat?" - The Riddler

Favorite Scene: Robin saves Batman

Why?: Dick and Bruce have one of the longest running friendships in comics, so it was great to see the start of them being partners.

Low Points:

• Jim Carrey's Riddler was a spurned stalker fan-boy of Bruce Wayne. It was a shitty origin for any super villain character, but has for some reason it keeps being re-hashed in superhero flicks. First time it was re-used was for geeky Aldrin Killian who swore revenge on Tony Stark after Tony skipped a meeting with him. Then lameass Electro cried into birthday cake cause Spiderman wasn't his best friend. Hell the only time being a fanboy turned villain ever worked was for Syndrome in the The Incredibles.
• Tommy Lee Jones is an awful Two-Face. The character is all about duality, but Jones just tries to be a rip-off of Nicholson's Joker. Way too over the top and ridiculous. And where the hell does he buy those suits he wears?
• Robin is too goddamn old.
• Joel Schumacher left behind the beautiful art-deco sets of Anton Furst for crazy giant statues, bright colors, and dutch angles.
• I know writing riddles can be hard, but try not having riddles that Scrappy Doo could solve.
• Joel Schumacher's Legacy - The introduction of the Bat-Nipples. 
• Why the fuck wasn't Billy Dee Williams (LANDO!!), Two-Face? Answer me Joel!
• Somebody invited Val Kilmer.
• Somebody also invited Michael Gough and Pat Hingle back as Alfred and Gordon.
• Chris O'Donnell is whiny, uncool, and just a douchebag, everything Dick Grayson isn't.
• The mass production of Riddler's tech The Box could not be done in a weekend, nor could they erect an island to mass produce it in that amount of time either.
• Am I the only person who is sick of the "damsel in distress" in the climax.
• Unneeded flashbacks to parent's funeral and Thomas Wayne's red journal were unneeded.

Worst Line: "Holey rusted metal, Batman!" - Robin

Worst Scene: Two-Face teaches the Riddler how to punch.

Why?: There was a lot to choose from, but this particular scene just shows you how much these two villains suck and how this movie should not be taken seriously.

Verdict: Some people like to say the fall of the Batman film franchise started with Batman Returns. Those people have a right to their opinion (even if it's wrong), but I believe it started as soon as Joel Schumacher signed on as director for Batman Forever. The return to the campiness of Adam West's Batman occurred because of parental backlash about the darkness of Burton's films. WB was scared and reverted back to full fledge family entertainment. And it was fucking awful. Everything in this movie was a joke. Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones were some of the hottest actors around in 1995 and even they couldn't save this crap. All the characters are over the top caracitures and there is no one really to even root for. Like is there anyone out there that thinks Val Kilmer's Batman was cool? At least Michael Keaton knew what to do when a woman wanted to fuck him. Am I being too harsh to this movie? Probably. It was not nearly as bad as it's sequel. There were some enjoyable parts. Personally I enjoy the Flying Graysons' scene. And you know what Bat-Wing and the Bat-boat looked cool. So what am trying to say is Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever wasn't all bad, it was just mostly bad. Overall this foray back to the 60's gets a 4.0 out of 10. 

Fun Fact #1: Did you know both Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale were both asked to play Robin. Thank god neither of those guys ruined their careers making that mistake.

Fun Fact #2: I gave this movie a 4 out of 10, but I still have a poster from it on my wall for some reason.

Thanks for reading. Stayed tuned for an the hardest analysis of my life as I take on Batman and Robin tomorrow. Wish me luck and make sure to follow us on Twitter @Caped_Informers or follow me @cstrand73 for all your comic book and Caped Informers news and stories.

Check out the rest of our look back at Batman's film history by clicking the link below.

Batman (1989)

Batman Returns (1992)

Personally I try to forget