Batman And Robin [1997]

Poor George Clooney initially took most of the flak for this movies failure (although it still took $230million worldwide) and critical mauling on its theatrical release but has since proved what a fine screen actor he is. Blame for this awful mess lies squarely on the shoulders of two men: Joel Schumacher, the Director whose vanity project this was and Akiva Goldsman who wrote a truly truly embaressingly awful script. With lines delivered by the Austrian Oak such as "Allow me to break the ice. My name is freeze. It is the chilling sound of your doom." this really is one to avoid like the plague.


I'd swear but it wouldn't get printed   February 1, 2002
11 out of 16 found this review helpful

This is absolutely awful. I wanted to like it so much because I'm a fan of the other Batman movies (I even thought Forever was ok) and I'm a massive fan of Schwarzenegger and Clooney who has been fantastic in movies such as From Dusk Till Dawn and Out Of Sight but neither of them could save it. I can't say I really have much respect for Uma Thurman as an actress but up until this at least she had chosen great roles in the likes of Pulp Fiction and Mad Dog And Glory. Every time Uma Thruman enters the shot I want to cry. Her costume is completely awful and every other line she says is some sort of pun to do with plants. Arnold Schwarzeneggers dialogue is no better but at least he has an ok costume even if it is OTT. Introducing Batgirl into the storyline makes the film all the more unbelievable. I appreciate that they were making an effort to replicate the atmosphere of the original camp tv series but camp can be done without being completely unbearable. Films such as Escape From New York and Con Air manage to be completely over the top without causing the viewer severe pain unlike this. The plot... well I think I'll leave that well alone because it's just bad and you wouldn't believe me if I told it you anyway. Overall I would only recommend this movie to my most hated of enemies. Watching this is painful. It's just heartbreaking to see such a superb franchise going to waste like this. Batman and Robin has single handedly robbed Batman of any credibility he had. It's beyond me how this was made because the people involved have proved their worth as actors and even Joel Schumacher has made good films (8MM, Tigerland, Falling Down).
Hopefully the next installment in the series will reaffirm Batman as one of the greatest superheroes we have. Batman: Year One is due out in a couple of years and rumours are everywhere as to who will play him. George Clooney apparently signed on for 2 films before Batman And Robin and although I would welcome him back my preferred choice for Batman would be Christian Bale of American Psycho. Let's hope it's better than this anyway.


Things can only get better!   March 8, 2000
8 out of 12 found this review helpful

Part way through this disappointing film, Robin says "I want a car - chicks dig the car", in response to which Batman wisecracks "This is why Superman works alone!". This kind of pitiful 'comedy' dialogue typifies the problem with this fourth Batman film - the series has lost its identity and with it all sense of self-respect.

Several more old-school Batman characters are churned through the Joel Schumacher mangle, out of the comics and onto the silver screen: Poison Ivy, Mr Freeze and Batgirl. The producers must be worried - they're running out of premier-league Batman villains; only The Scarecrow and Clayface are left! They'll have to start recycling soon - or resurrect the Joker.

The only way to enjoy 'Batman and Robin' is to take it as a all-out camp romp - this fourth new-Batman film exhibits a return to high camp of the sixties US TV series. And George Clooney could have made such a good *serious* Batman - tall, dark and brooding as he is.

The only way for the Batman series to recover from this nadir is for the creators to return to the source: the comics. There have been some great Batman graphic novels in the last decade (The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year I, The Long Halloween) - if one of these were to become the fifth Batman film, the series would retain its place in my affections.


Such a shame   September 28, 2002
8 out of 14 found this review helpful

I thought the first two Batman films by Tim Burton were excellent. The series began to go downhill with Batman forever, but it was still an acceptable film.

Batman & Robin however, is awful. I'm usually very forgiving on films, especially films of this type (I even enjoyed Superman 4), but this is one of the worst films I've ever seen.

With such an assortment of great actors, it is horrendously wasteful. Joel Schummachers direction is actually quite good, but the script and costumes are an insult...it really is terrible. The costumes look like they were made purely with 'action figure' sales in mind. I know super heroes are pushing the believablility (is that a word?) envelope, but this one tears through it, sets it on fire and tries to push itself through the delivery detination.

To sum it up, it is a corny, campy heap of pants that is an insult to Batman and the super hero genre. Everyone involved really should bow their heads in shame.


The quality of this film on DVD is trully amazing   August 25, 2000
7 out of 20 found this review helpful

This film has a fantastic story line, which is never tiresome. The clarity on DVD is trully amazing, and the colours and music very stimulating. A dramatic film, which is sometimes too scarry in parts, for smaller children, but my 5 year old son Grant loves it.