Review: Batman & Robin (1997, Dir.Joel Schumacher)

Here we are- Batman and Robin, one of the most universally despised and frequently slammed films of all time. Though, believe it or not I prefer it to Batman Forever. Controversial I know, but if you care to stick around for just a minute I would like to try to convince you to see eye to eye with me on this one.

Joel Schumacher returns to the directors chair for the second time here, back with Akiva Goldsman on full time scripting duties and Elliot Goldenthal composing. Val Kilmer is replaced rather oddly by George Clooney who has very little to do to show off his talents, but Chris O'Donnell is back as Robin, and Michael Gough is back to play Alfred for (sadly) the last time. Interestingly Gough and Pat Hingle who plays the rather minor role of Commissioner Gordon are the one 2 actors to star in all 4 of the Burton/Schumacher Batman films. Rounding out the cast is top billing Arnold Schwarzenegger as the puntastic Mr.Freeze, Uma Thurman as femme fatale Poison Ivy, and Alicia Silverstone as the unnecessary Batgirl.

It's easy to look at Batman Forever and Batman & Robin and simply say that the latter film is everything its predecessor is only amplified to 11 (neon EVERYWHERE, a huge array of two dimensional characters, action figure fodder left, right and centre), though it actually has something Forever doesn't have -  a sense of continuity. Where Forever's turbulent development process had resulted in an off-balance, un-commited and focusless mess of a film Batman and Robin is fully devoted to its purpose for existence - to be as over the top, tongue in cheek and campy as possible - and whilst that perhaps is something nobody back in 1997 really wanted from a Batman film, now that we have Nolan's seminal trilogy it's actually a curious oddity of a film which isn't actually too unwatchable if you put yourself in the right mindset. You can see Christian Bale play a straight up broody and serious Bruce Wayne 3 times, this film has an Oscar winning actor surfing through the air dressed as Batman - roll with it.