Batman and Robin [DVD] [1997]

After 3 insanely entertaining Batman movies - Two from Tim Burton, one produced by Burton and directed by Joel Schumacher, the forth film in this mildly-canonical series throws Tim Burton out of the picture altogether.

Unfortunately, it seems Tim Burton had been an important part of modern-day Batman (before Christopher Nolan came along), putting restraint on that comic book cheese factor we all love in certain doses, because Batman & Robin loses the whole sense of ironic dark humour which kept the first three movies special and unleashes a river of cheese that the Tim Burton dam was once holding back so that we wouldn't drown.

That's not to say Tim Burton's Batman films and Batman Forever were all doom and gloom - but they had a smart way of being camp, a sort of gothic-fairytale irony that only Burton can pull off, and this time around, Schumacher just didn't seem to get it, and he created a childrens' Saturday morning cartoon, a silly goofball adventure, a resurrection 60s Batman minus the satire.

What bugs me about the movie, though, is the spoiled potential. After the clever marriage of camp cartoon villains and dark vigilante storylines in Forever, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze and Uma Therman as Poison Ivy could have taken this to a whole new level, but the film turns not just the villains, but Batman and his crew as well, into pantomime characters. Freeze doesn't have a line of dialogue without some kind of cringeworthy refrence to ice, Ivy's acting has you waiting for the audience to hiss and yell "It's behind you!" and the Dark Knight and co. have become Inspector Gadget and friends.

Every cliché in the book is here - the sidekick is tired of being the sidekick, the motorbiking blonde girl finds out the truth and joins the crew (Using the suit which Alfred made for her when he predicted that she would find out and want to join.... Yeah...), the old man is terminally ill...

On top of all this, after Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer both providing decent Bruce Waynes and Bat-men, George Clooney has been cast and everything which made Batman, well, Batman, is basically out of the window.

I always have a soft spot for spoiled films with a lot of missed potential, and Batman and Robin oozes it. The visuals are something to behold. Much like the previous film, neon tube lights, UV paint and brightly coloured spotlights turn Tim Burton's previously established gothic-fairytale Gotham city into a spectacular light show. Batman's getup and arsenal take on a suitedly high-tech appearance (Makes sense, right?), and Alicia Silverstone is eye candy enough by herself. Visually, this is as "comic book" as movies are going to get this side of animation or perhaps UltraViolet.

It's just a pity that the visuals are wasted on such an embarassingly over-camp affair. Even fans of the 60s Batman will be embarassed to watch this in front of friends or relatives, and you'll even cringe seeing this movie alone.

Great for kids, but you don't sequel age-restricted movies for adults with a children's movie!

...A Bat Credit Card?

I am life long Batman fan and this film made me feel physically sick and almost brought on tears of despair. There is no redeeming features in this movie and should be deleted from existence. Thank goodness the new films have shown how to really do Batman. I feel I may have wasted my time even lowering myself to comment on this piece of trash. Just don't ever buy this film. It deserves negative stars.

WARNING!! Review May contain spoilers...

Oh dear. I'm trying to get words onto the screen about precisely how awful this film is, without dirtying it with swear words or offensive slander. Okay, here it goes. Batman & Robin is the last in the Batman series began in 1989 with the Tim Burton directed Batman. This is film is unrecognisable in comparison. After the fun-meets serious angle director Joel Schumacher took on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin takes it too far, making audiences laugh (or cry) at it, not with it.

Three heroes versus Three villains is basically all the plot you get. The heroes are led by Bruce wayne/Batman, with George Clooney replacing Val Kilmer as the third actor to play the role in this series (The other being Michael Keaton). Clooney is good as a seemingly over his pain Wayne, but terrible as the Dark Knight. Chris O'Donell reprises the role of Dick Grayson/Robin, Wayne's partner and ward. O'Donell again does the best with what he has script wise, again playing the character well. Alicia Silverstone completes the trio as Barbara Wilson/Batgirl, who goes through the film annoyingly delivering the awful lines she's been given. The villains are headed by Arnold Schawarzenegger, who plays Victor Fries/Mr Freeze, who makes the most awful one liner's immaginable. Uma Thurman plays Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy just as badly, while the third villain, strongman Bane, played by Jeep Swenson, who has no lines and no purpose other than to growl occasionally and hit things.

Also, for the love of all that is sacred who's decision was it to put Nipples and bums on the Batsuits? It just makes film look as silly as it is. If you want a Bat-Film that is camp, funny and good, look else where and get the 60's Batman film with Adam West and Burt Ward. Still an attrocity to the genre, it's perhaps best summed up by what Joel Schumacher shouted before every scene was shot: "Remember, everyone, this is a Cartoon!!!".

33/100