Batman Forever and Batman & Robin | Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

“For what is Batman…if not an effort to master the chaos that sweeps our world…”

Following Tim Burton’s departure from the Batman movie franchise, Warner Brothers turned to director Joel Schumacher to helm the next installment. Fearing its predecessor had alienated fans and audiences with its bizarre and macabre tone and sensibilities, the decision was made to energize the series with a boldness and edge executives felt was lacking.

Under Schumacher’s direction and led by an all star cast including Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman and Chris O’Donnell, BATMAN FOREVER dominated the summer 95 box office, following Batman (Kilmer) as he goes toe to toe with new villains Two-Face (Jones) and the Riddler (Carrey) with the help of newly introduced sidekick, Robin (O’Donnell).

The film was a smash success with its blockbuster appeal, stylized production and youthful, sexual undertones (and overtones, frankly) and with its blitzkrieg of merchandising and franchise tie-ins, Warner Brothers was given the confidence to strike while the iron was hot with another sequel.

Unfortunately, 1997’s BATMAN & ROBIN did not connect with audiences as favorably. With its bloated budget, A-list cast of stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney and Alicia Silverstone and the mandate by the studio to dial every aspect of BATMAN FOREVER to eleven in a blatant display of market-driven sequelitis, the film was quickly belittled, lampooned and reviled...earning an aggressive yet ridiculously disproportionate reputation as one of the worst superhero movies of all time and, for some, one of the worst films ever made period.

Personally, I don’t share that sentiment at all. I genuinely enjoy both BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN & ROBIN with as much sincerity as I did first seeing them when I was younger. I find their reputations to be blown far out of proportion and any criticism leveled at them after twenty years, to me, is just devoid of all meaning. There’s been enough of it to last a lifetime...and so there’s no need for anymore of it ever again.

That said, I now choose to openly and proudly embrace both films as well as Joel Schumacher’s intentions and motivations behind both. He’s a keen visualist and artist and as far as I’m concerned he has nothing to apologize for when it comes to his contributions to the legacy of Batman.

BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN & ROBIN are owned and copyrighted by Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. and based on characters owned by DC Comics.

“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” performed by U2 with lyrics by Bono, is owned and copyrighted by Island/Atlantic Records.

This is intended as a fan appreciation and editing exercise as a means of self-education and teaching, not for monetary gain or public purchase.

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