Batman & Robin (1997)

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The acting in this movie is really good.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Whoever hired Joel Schumacher and approved this film should have been banned from the film industry. George Clooney was terrible as Batman, Alicia Silverstone... please go back to wherever. Arnold was OK as Mr. Freeze, but this was a lame, hard to sit through movie. Just horrible.

As the title stays, I find the movie extremely childish. I was a kid when I saw this movie in the late 90s. I loved it back then, but watching it now, it's just... bad. Horrible story line, terrible roles, bad sets, and just... idiotic. The acting is no good. No offense to the actors/actresses who played their roles, but the directors and producers who wanted these roles played the way they were should be ashamed.It seems like the movie is going for a more comical approach, and fails at this attempt with too many one-liners and over-the-top costume/set designs. I mean, Mr. Freeze smoking a cigar in a frozen lair, and Bane being a Hulk-like ignorant behemoth, but able to drive a car? And then there's Batman and Robin being in strange public settings throughout the movie. I'm not sure how they went from the first two movies to this. If you like the comics and newer releases such as the Dark Knight trilogy, stay away from this one.

Many people would beat down those who would give Batman and Robin a 7 out of 10 stars. However, the latter proves to be worthy of an average score in this viewer's opinion. In this day and age, it is difficult to find critics who have room in their hearts for goofy movie fun, that is if the film has some form of redeeming factor. There is no denying that Batman and Robin is technically one of the worst movies ever made. From it's ice/plant puns, innuendos, bat suit nipples and buttocks, constant grappling hook saves and George Clooney playing George Clooney dressed as Batman, it is something that feels like an attempted advertisement to sell action figures. The bright and colorful aspect of the film gives it that appearance. Though if people look at it through a more positive perspective, they'll find the film accomplished setting out what it wanted to be from the start. Now that is not to be confused as giving Joel Schumacher credit for putting together this film, turning it from Batman to Power Rangers. The cast really can't be blamed entirely for the film's failing results. They were directed to acting the way they did after all and some of the performances were acceptable while others, one cannot say the same thing. Michael Keaton played the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman for the original 1989 film and Batman Returns decently until he was replaced by Val Kilmer for 1995's Batman Forever. Kilmer wasn't the most amazing Batman by any means, but he made an effort to as best he could since that film was about as campy as this one. As already mentioned, George Clooney was playing George Clooney through the whole film. Never once could an audience viewer who is a Batman fan could look at him and say "This is the Batman of my imagination!" Clooney goes around without showing even the slightest bit of emotion, the kind that the character of Bruce Wayne is supposed to be feeling constantly, especially when he is Batman. He spends most of the time looking after Robin making sure he doesn't get into trouble and while that's good, even then he does not demonstrate fear for his friend/brother. To add on to that, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze is the king of camp and ice jokes in the film. Mr. Freeze was never the Joker. He's not very complicated as a character to figure out. He was always a dark, vengeful and hateful man who wants nothing more than to revive his wife from her terminal disease at any cost. Not only does Arnold succeed at being himself as usual, but it's as if he intended to play a Joker/Two-Face knock off of Jack Nicholson and Tommy Lee Jones' performances. Additionally, Batgirl's presence in the film wasn't great either. Her character felt out of place from the start being introduced as the niece of Alfred, Wayne's butler. Her transformation into Batgilrl didn't feel legitimate as it did random and unconvincing. On the other hand, Chris O'Donnell's performance was possibly the only performance in the film that felt legit. All throughout, Robin's motivations for doing the things that he does rebelling against Batman are believable. He clearly outshines Clooney's Batman whenever the duo are on screen together. In addition to Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, as campy as she was, did surprisingly well with her role. She was a perfect choice to portray the villain Poison Ivy in this viewer's opinion, even looking great for the part. It is unfortunate that her performance was hindered as a result of being casted for the wrong film. Had she starred in a Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan, she could have excelled. The actor who played Alfred (may he rest in peace) provided the film some heart to heart moments with George Clooney's Bruce Wayne, which were some of the film's best. In conclusion, that is the cast. If we all can just take the film for what it is, as basically a cartoon in live-action, we can find it isn't as bad as the critics say it is. Check out the following youtube address for more insight on what makes the film great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXHskZCqhiI. It is clear that the film was not meant to be Christopher Nolan's the Dark Knight trilogy. Had Tim Burton, who directed the first two Batman films with Michael Keaton, directed this film, it may have turned out differently. For what it is, it is entertaining. It's one of those cases where it is so bad it's good or so good it's bad. The point being that the film doesn't fail at being the action comedy it is. While it may be a matter of persona opinion, the film contains great humor. Mr. Freeze provides humor related to ice. The character of Bane, while butchered as a villain character, gives a few laughs as Poison Ivy's oafish muscle incapable of speech. The action in the film serves as continuation for the film's camp factor, at the same time quite well done. Beneath the film's campiness is a good message about family and trusting one another, something not many would appreciate but deserves to be recognized. Finally, just because the critics say it's atrocious doesn't make it true. For Batman and Robin, this viewer does not agree that it is the worst thing to ever happen in film. Maybe for Batman but people tend to take movies way out of hand forgetting it's all fiction and not reality. Batman Forever felt like more of a fail than this film for the way it handled it's two villains who turned out obnoxious. The villains felt amusing for this film but people can always agree to disagree on anything. Credit where credit's due for the film creating inspiration to take the superhero movie genre to a whole better level that has continued to progress today.

I used to love this movie, and I were 9 years old then. In my opinion this a family movie, movie for children and actually that is what Batman is supposed to be like. There is no such thing as real Batman, and serious Batman story with some deeper meaning, that should require. BATMAN IS A KIDS FICTIONAL MOVIE!