Batman and Robin
In my opinion, Adam West is Batman. Forget Bale, Keaton, and Kilmer, West is the man. From the infamous cheesy dialogue to the incredible fight scenes, my first ever experience of Batman was the 70s version from Batman: The Movie, on VHS. I was never able to see Tim Burton’s interpretation of Batman during my childhood, due to their ‘dark’ nature and my age. Therefore, my first cinema experience of Batman was Joel Schumacher’s film, Batman Forever. When comparing it to Nolan’s interpretation of Batman, Batman Forever is bad, but I still find it entertaining and quirky, due to its place in my childhood. However Schumacher’s sequel Batman and Robin is a different story. It tainted my whole perception of Batman as a superhero until Batman Begins. It was bad, but now looking back at it as a ‘film lover’, I have to admit that it is a guilty pleasure.
Here is my breakdown:
The Story: The dynamic duo, Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) attempt to stop Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) from taking over Gotham......then the world!!! Simple really.
The Star: Arnold Schwarzenegger: From his hilariously, unthreatening costume with glitter body paint, to his infamous dialogue which consists only of puns, what is there not to laugh at. With lines such as: ‘What killed the dinosaurs?.... The Ice Age!’ or ‘Ice to meet you’, you can’t help but just giggle. Schwarzenegger’s career is priceless. From killing millions of bad guys and the Devil (yeah believe it or not: End of Days), to being pregnant (Junior), his acting career is ‘brilliant’. Yet, it’s his deliver that is his trademark. The heavy Austrian accent, gives charm to his roles. From the ‘serious’ acting in Conan to the ‘comedic’ nature of Junior, it all creates a uniqueness to Arnold. And in Batman and Robin, its no different. Just epic, take a bow!!!
Worst Actor (Bad and not funny): George Clooney: Precisely the reason he isn’t in my list of ‘Batmen’. God, why did they cast him as Batman?. He brings nothing but dullness to the characters of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Clooney just came across as being out of place. His deliver of the dreadful script was boring and uninspiring, he seemed to moan though his lines in a mono-toned manner. Just terrible.
Worst Actress: Alicia Silverstone: Not only is she playing Batgirl , who I always thought was a useless character. Batgirl just seemed like a character that was implemented only to connect with the female demographic (if there was one). But was also there to bring another female character into the comics for geeks to drool over, along side Catwomen (ehhhh...right). She just seemed like a joke, and consequently took away the serious tragedy and pain that we felt for Bruce Wayne and Batman, in the comics. Now, in Batman and Robin, she really doesn’t add anything to the plot and the film in general. Batgirl only appears three quarters into the film, and then she does nothing ,except pose. One thing that really pissed me off with Alicia Silverstone's performance was her 'English Accent', as she is the niece of Alfred. Try and identify which part of the UK she is from. Its no British accent I’ve heard of!
Best Line: There are too many: Here are a few:
Cop: ‘Please show some mercy!’
Mr Freeze: ‘Mercy? I’m afraid my condition has left me cold to your pleas of mercy’
Mr Freeze: ‘Tonight, hell freezes over!’
Mr Freeze: ‘If revenge is a dish best served cold, then put on your Sunday finest. It’s time to feast!’
As you can see, all of them are from Schwarzenegger’s performance. But that’s why they’re great. His stern deliver, just makes the dialogue fantastically hilarious. I bet you that after you watch it, you’ll be quoting his lines endlessly.
Worst Line: The First Bloody Lines:
Robin: ‘I want a car. Chicks dig the car’
Batman: ‘That’s why Superman works alone’
A good opening to a film is one of the most important aspects of a film. From the opening, you need to convey the surroundings, the nature of the film and the characters. Batman and Robin got it terribly wrong. Not only showing costumes that had Bat Nipples and asses, but opening on an awful line. Obviously a reference to the DC Universe, but was it necessary? No! Was it funny? No! SO WHAT WAS THE POINT OF IT!
This piece of dialogue is also a great summary of Robin’s dialogue. For the vast majority of the film, he is complaining about how Batman is better, how he should have saved the day, how he should get the girl...... etc. And it’s terrible. Its like a whiny child who wants constant attention from his parents, and keeps crying and whining. They should have brought back Burt Ward!
Best Prop: BAT CREDIT CARD: The Nostalgia Critic’s rant about this particular item is hilarious, go watch his review. The technicalities of this prop in relation to BATMAN, are fascinating. Just think about it: You have to give various personal details including: NAME, ADDRESS , PHONE NUMBER, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, and would need to show some sort of I.D (PASSPORT OR DRIVING LICENCE) etc.
Bank Account Details:
Name | Batman |
Address | Bat Cave, Underneath Wayne Manor, Gotham |
Profession | Superhero |
Phone Number | The Bat Signal? |
Signature | Bruce Wa....... I mean BATMAN |
Plus, why would Batman ever need money when fighting a bad guy. And why does Batman need a credit card? Bruce Wayne is a rich businessman worth millions, why would he need to borrow money?
Conclusion
Batman and Robin, is just terrible. There isn’t a good thing about it. The dialogue is terrible, the action scenes are more camp than the 70s version (seriously) and it has GEORGE CLOONEY as Batman, what more is there to add. But, whilst in a critical perception Batman and Robin is terrible, just watching it is hilarious. All you can do is laugh. I suggest watching again with a bunch of mate, crate of beers at the end of a week. Maybe create a ‘Batman and Robin Drinking Game’, there's enough there to play with.
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