Well... here we go. After the mixed reactions to Batman Returns, Tim Burton was removed as director of the Batman franchise and Joel Schumacher was put in his place. Schumacher was to bring a more family friendly atmosphere to the series that would bring in more merchandise. Let's see what kind of film he managed to create in Batman Forever.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler
Starring: Val Kilmer, Chris O'Donnell, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman
Released: 1995
Former District Attorney and friend to Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent, is now the villain Two-Face, bent on a crime spree to lure Batman into a string of death traps. So far, Batman has been able to avoid Two-Face's murder attempts but innocents have also suffered. A family of acrobats, the Flying Graysons, all die preventing the deaths of a circus full of people from Two-Face's attack – save the youngest member, Dick Grayson. Taken in by Bruce Wayne, who knows the pain of becoming an orphan, Dick begins to suspect that there's something more to the billionaire playboy than first appears. Chase Meridian, a psychotherapist new to Gotham, also has suspicions about Bruce Wayne, as well as a fascination with Batman. Bruce Wayne's double life has never been in more jeopardy. And when the Riddler develops a new device that is able to read minds before teaming up with Two-Face, Batman may need to learn to trust someone with his secret before it's too late and costs him his life.
THE SQUEE
- Jim Carrey. This film is completely over the top and the casting of Jim Carrey as the Riddler was inspired. In 1995, Carrey was a massive star coming off Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask. He brings a tremendous amount of energy to the role, overwhelming pretty much everyone else on screen. The sets must have been delicious because Carrey spends most of his role chewing the scenery. They may have tasted like ham. However, Carrey's personality carries each and every one of his scenes, making this film almost more his than Batman's.
- The aspects of Batman's psyche. One of the ongoing themes in this series of Batman films is why Bruce Wayne feels the need to dress in tight leather and beat the stuffing out of colourful criminals. Batman is something Bruce Wayne does, and the duality of the two identities creates much of the drama. In comparison, the Nolan trilogy is more about Bruce Wayne as a false identity, hiding Batman. Batman Returns had a similar theme, but this first series has a much greater focus on the secret identity aspect. Some villains were entirely motivated by discovering Batman's secret identity, much like in the 1966 television series.
- The soundtrack. There were two outstanding songs on the soundtrack for this film – Seal's 'Kiss from a Rose' and 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' by U2. These were massive hits and both strike perfect chords with the film. 'Kiss from a Rose' is bittersweet and aching, and 'Hold Me, Thrill Me' is a raw song with the epic sound of a U2 classic.
THE SUCK
- The camp. Camp is great in some situations. Rocky Horror Picture Show is fantastic. The 1966 Batman series was amazing at the time, as a perfect adaptation of what was going on in the comics. However, coming off the back of the dark fantasy that is anything Tim Burton touches, Batman Forever feels more like a children's cartoon. There's a return to horrendous puns that do little more than unsubtly nudge the viewer in the ribs to remind them that 'hey, this is a comic book movie!' It stops being gothic and just becomes silly. There are some great examples of Batman being silly (check out Batman: Through the Looking Glass for one), but this doesn't feel like any of those. For an audience that had become accustomed to Tim Burton's style and the dark, brooding attitudes of the post-Dark Knight Returns comics, Batman Forever is a neon-coloured nightmare.
- Plot holes are everywhere. Everywhere.
- Val Kilmer. He's a great actor (I LOVE Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) but this is not his best role. He's not the quirky Batman of Michael Keaton, nor the gruff harshness of Christian Bale. He's almost forgettable as Bruce Wayne and as Batman is all about the character.
As a highlight of Jim Carrey's career, Batman Forever is unsurpassed. However, it is pure marketing and merchandising, with only brief developments of the character with 60 years of history. The film is truly an ode to the 1960's Batman, but not necessarily that of the comics or the incredibly popular animated series that was in the middle of its 6 year run.
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