Review of Batman Forever (1995) by Marlon B — 31 Jul 2017

When I rewatched this movie, I wanted to hate it more than I did and don't get me wrong there was a lot in this movie to satiate my hatred, from the far more over the top than I ever thought possible Riddler (as if Jim Carrey was instructed to keep taking it further until he hates himself) and everything with Two Face's characterization and costume design, to the exploding windows. But what really disturbed me to my core was the realization that the good parts, though very few, were actually really, really good.

When I watched the movie as a child I was too caught up in how much I didn't like Val Kilmer's face to realize that in the midst of this nightmare of a movie, his performance as Bruce Wayne and Batman were actually excellent. And what I couldn't have known before I read The Dark Knight Returns is there's a scene in which Bruce flashes back to his childhood and falling into the bat cave that is in words and tone a perfect adaptation of the comic. Almost as if Joel Schumacher as despised as he is by all batman fans, actually did his research of the source material unlike Tim Burton. And just that three minute clip is does more justice to Frank Miller's masterpiece than the inexplicably praised cartoon adaptation did.

The rest of the movie of course was sensory assault. But it wasn't like an oboe player playing wrong notes in concert bad like the Tim Burton films. It was more like a highly trained saxophonist making atonal avant garde jazz. This movie was skilfull and deliberate, but unfortunately misguided.

And in the wake of Burton's success with Batman Returns, this is probably the most logical progression for film makers to make.