Favorite Franchises: Batman Forever

Batman Forever (1995)
Starring: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey
Directed by: Joel Schumacher


After Batman Returns failed to be the success that Warner Bros. was looking for, the decision was made to go forward without Tim Burton as the director. When plans for Batman Forever were underway, the studios also had a problem at hand when Michael Keaton decided to not return either. So with Joel Schumacher taking over as director, the franchise had to have a new flavor thrown into the mix. Gone were the dark shadows and in its place, bright colors and a lavish production design. Add some more memorable villains to the fray and the introduction of Batman's young sidekick, and you have the makings of another great Batman film, right? Well, no, actually. While a huge financial success at the time, Batman Forever has garnered a severe fan backlash over the years. Considered a film that is too goofy, lacking in quality compared to the Burton movies, or simply hasn't aged well over the last 20 years, it has garnered nearly as much hate as the follow up to this film. If you know you're movie history, you'll know what movie I'm referring too. But I'll never think that this movie is THAT bad. It's just a bit silly. So, riddle me this, what is so good about Batman Forever that I'll never call it a piece of crap or a disappointment?

Replacing Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman is Val Kilmer. I'm one to think that Kilmer gets a bad rap as a Batman actor. He isn't as famed as Michael Keaton or Christian Bale, but he does pretty well for a guy that only played Batman in one film. I will say, he does have a better time at playing Bruce Wayne than Batman. Suave, sophisticated, yet rugged. I actually think he draws inspiration from the Bruce Wayne of Batman: The Animated Series. If not, they're very similar in the way they present themselves and it is very distinguishable from the way Keaton or played Bruce Wayne. Val Kilmer won't go down as the greatest actor to ever play Batman, but I think his performance in Batman Forever is worth another look for fans of the Caped Crusader.

We have another double dose of villains for this film. The most memorable is Jim Carrey as The Riddler. Seriously, look at the guy. He's having an absolute blast playing Riddler and steals the whole show. Is he hamming it up? You better believe it, but it's Jim Carrey at the height of his popularity doing what he does best while playing a Batman villain. You get what you pay for. He's joined by Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face. Listen, Tommy Lee Jones is a great actor. Two-Face is a great Batman villain. Heck, even the makeup job in this film is spectacular. But this isn't a good casting decision at all. He's just too over the top. He's playing it for laughs. As someone who just reviewed the Two-Face origin in Batman: The Animated Series, I know how this character should be played. They just missed the mark with Two-Face. It doesn't help that he starts out as the main villain and gets completely upstaged by The Riddler. Thankfully, we got a much better version of Two-Face down the road in The Dark Knight.

Batman and Bruce Wayne's love interest for the film is Dr. Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman. A psychologist that is in love with Batman and also has Bruce as a recurring patient. Yeah, her behavior is completely unprofessional, but even she admits that she's like a school girl with a crush. She doesn't really add much to the movie except something nice to look at from time to time. At least female characters like Vicki Vale and Selina Kyle had a little more richness and character to enjoy. There was more to them than just looks. And just because you say that your character has a brain by calling her doctor doesn't automatically make her a smart and thought provoking character. There IS a difference.

One of the more fleshed out characters in the movie is Dick Grayson, played by Chris O'Donnell. Of course, we know that Dick Grayson becomes Robin, so this film serves as the origin and introduction of the Boy Wonder himself, with a '90s twist. Usually the butt of many jokes among comic fans, it's evident that the idea was to make Robin a teen heartthrob. Make him rebellious, put him on a motorcycle, and give him an earring. Stuff like that. I know Robin gets REALLY whiny by the next film, but here it's tolerable. He's younger, inexperienced, full of teen angst, and wants revenge for Two-Face murdering his family. You can see where he's at mentally and emotionally because you'd probably be there too. He has great chemistry in his scenes with Bruce Wayne and Alfred and makes for a welcome addition to the Batcave.

Yes, it's campy, cartoonish, and flawed, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Batman Forever. It's a guilty pleasure of the '90s and my first major experience with Batman. It's missing that dark production design that the Burton movies had, but has a number of fun highlights. I swear, you'll be seeing neon colors, particularly green, all throughout this movie, but that's where the film has some of its charm. It had to define its own tone and look with a new director at the helm, and I'd call the film, for the most part, a success. It was a bright hope that the franchise could have been in safe hands with Joel Schumacher. Unfortunately, it proved to only be the beginning of the end for the original Batman franchise, as the success of Batman Forever led to the creation of one of the biggest blunders in film history. But I can talk about that next weekend.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

While not exactly the same style as the Burton movies, Batman Forever has a flashy flavor that works for the type of film it's trying to be. It's trying to be a living comic book or cartoon series, but it never goes TOO over the top, at least not frequently. The portrayals of Riddler and Robin are done very well and there's even an underrated Batman performance in there as well. Don't set your sights too high, and you should be able to have a fun time with this one.

Batman Forever and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.