Acting not good, dialogue not good, camera work not good. The Dark Knight is widely regarded as the best Batman film. I believe that The Dark Knight Rises is the best Batman film.
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It’s funny to watch so it has that going for it I guess.
I do genuinely think Batman Forever is good though. It gets a bad rep.
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There’s so much working against it…
First and foremost it just butchers the characters. Before anyone can get into the technical stuff like camera work, prop design, bat-nipples, or the fact everyone decided they’re going be as hammy as possible or as disinterested as possible while acting, we have to touch on the characters. OK, this is my biggest problem with this movie: BANE.
Bane in Batman & Robin is just not even remotely Bane. In any sense of the character except maybe, MAYBE, the costume. The costume is fine given all the other weird and terrible costuming in the movie. Bane in the movie, as a character, is not Bane. When he was introduced in the comics he was smart, powerful and a planner. The very fact that he looks like a dumb hulking brute was at odds with his keen mind. The fact that as a character he had an interesting backstory, a general purpose and a boatload of skills ONTOP of the venom drug to make him super-strong made him an interesting character. the movie stripped him of all that and made him the big dumb muscle. That role should have been nearly anyone who is a traditional dumb muscle like Ubu (Ra’s Al Ghul’s bodyguard), Killer Croc or Solomon Grundy (who could have be created in the same moment the movie transformed Isley into Poison Ivy).
None of the characters are particularly good or well written, but Bane is the worse of the bunch. Mr. Freeze is a jokey supervillian who is huge and Austrian, while the popular decpictions of him (at the time and now) tend to make him calculating and sort of emotionless; Poison Ivy is in the movie to sex things up, while as a character she does very little to further anything, except framing Batman for killing Nora Fries (and she didn’t even actually kill Nora); Batman seems equally bored and amused that he’s being played by George Clooney; Robin is weirdly old (he looks like he’s almost 30) to be having the childish “angry son” issues he has with Batman; Batgirl is just sort of in the movie and is only there to further the emotional connection with Alfred when it wasn’t really needed adn that she doesn’t do well; Alfred is the only character that isn’t piss-poorly written and that only because he’s basically incapacitated partway through (and no that terrible AI thing doesn’t count).
The terrible writing alone disqualifies Batman & Robin from being the OBJECTIVELY Best Batman movie. However everyone is entitled to their favorite Batman movie. Mine is either 1989’s Batman or the animated movie Batman: Assault on Arkham. The best Batman movie would have to be the best (or reasonably well off) in everythign from writing, to costume design to acting and sales. And I believe the consensus is that is The Dark Knight…
The eternal question is why nipples on Batman and Robin’s suits but not on Batgirls.
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It doesn’t even have an extra who yells “BATMAAAAN! YEEEHHHHH!”
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Well, this thread is basically asking for members to poop on Batman & Forever, you should have just watched the DC daily episode a few days ago which discussed and broke down the movie.
Batman & Robin has the best live action Poison Ivy, hard to believe that there will be a better one in any live action show or movie. Gotham had a nice Poison Ivy at one point (the 2nd Poison Ivy played by Maggie Geha)
It’s not an opinion to say that Batman & Robin also didn’t butcher Bane, that goes to The Dark Knight Rises. People shouldn’t get something so simple twisted and yet they do. Batman Forever/Batman & Robin at least respects the DC characters.
But why are you asking people to change your mind? Your enjoyment of a product/entertainment medium isn’t dependent on any one’s opinion or facts of a film but only on your own.
And yes, people so quickly point out the flaws of Batman & Robin but refuse to admit that Nolan’s films are the most flawed. Gotta love that LOL!
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Speaking of the best Poison Ivy, I posted an artist’s gorgeous Batman & Robin Ivy figure in Fan Creations! Anybody who loves her should check it out!
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The figure that biff_pow mentions is indeed gorgeous! Uma trampled all over Poison Ivy in the movie, but she makes for an excellent custom action figure.
Go watch the nostalgic critic review on YouTube that changed my mind
Go watch the nostalgic critic review on YouTube that changed my mind
Go right ahead and vote for your favorite. I could just say 1989 Batman was best almost… but Batman Begins sneak preview had everyone stand up, immediately, and cheer and clap. Batman Begins was the only standing ovation I’ve ever seen for a Batman movie. He was back…
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Batman Begins is great! Its the best live action Batman origin tale.
“He’s not on any streets! He’s flying over rooftops!”
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Also, Wally Pfister’s cinematography was fantastic. The guy knows how to lens a shot with the best of them.
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Also, props for using Scarecrow is a major villain. Proves that movies should reach beyond the obvious top tier for villains.
Don’t forget Mr. Zsasz was in Batman Begins too.
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