2
(nothing substantial)
6
(some mild violence and sexuality)
4
(see this one only if you have a strong interest)
The fourth of the 90’s Batman movies, "Batman & Robin," is notorious for how bad it is. Oddly, watching it on DVD again after all these years it wasn’t as bad as I remembered it, but that was probably because I knew what to expect this time and was watching for positive things I could say in my review. Listening to the commentary by director Joel confirms what I had thought: they were trying so hard to market this movie in every way possible that they killed it – marketing it to death. Joel even goes as far as apologizing for it. That's refreshing to hear in a movie commentary.
George Clooney as Batman wasn’t necessarily a bterrible choice, not the best perhaps, but not as bad as some people make him out to be. I think he does a good enough job as far as acting. He plays the tension with Robin and the tenderness with Alfred well. He sells the role about as well as an actor in such a weak movie could. He at least gets better one-liners “This is why Superman works alone” than Val’s “Chicks love the car” lines. I’ve heard some people gripe about him, but I don’t see him as a significant part of the problem with the movie.
Likewise Chris O’Donnell (Robin who, like in the previous movie, is more like Nightwing than the classic Boy Wonder which is a positive thing) and the other returning players (most notably Alfred): they all do well enough with a weak story and bad lines. I also think Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy is a good choice. She has the beauty and the ability to play the role to make the character great. Her plot of dividing the Dynamic Duo is pretty good. That’s where the praise ends. Well, not quite. I do enjoy John Glover’s short performance. That’s it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze was a phenomenally bad choice. For one, Freeze has never been, in my experience, an imposing figure. The suit makes him powerful, but he’s not someone that takes someone with Arnold’s physique to sell it. They tried to make Freeze a dramatic character. I love "Predator," "Total Recall," and other Arnold movies, but he is not one for subtle dramatic acting. He does not sell the facial expressions at all which causes the drama involving the tragedy surrounding Freeze to fall flat.
Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl is bad in so many ways. I’m not a big fan of hers in the first place. I don't know, maybe some people got excited about having her in a Batman movie but nobody that I know. The whole character is poorly done, I don’t think even the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer could have saved it. Let’s think about the Dynamic Duo. Batman is unnaturally obsessed because of a traumatic experience and has been training to fight crime for his entire life. Robin is understandably obsessed because of a traumatic experience and has been training as a professional acrobat for most if not all of his life. Maybe he isn’t to Batman’s level as a crime fighter, but he’s far from an ordinary guy.
Batgirl is a prep school girl who likes the danger of racing bikes then feels like becoming a superhero one day. Yeah, kind of pales in comparison doesn’t it? She has no formal training of any kind, no real reason to want to be a superhero, and no resources to becoming such other than a dying uncle who hangs out with heroes. Alfred gives in to her being Batgirl far too easily for one thing. He accepted Robin because it was the only way to keep him from doing something regretful. I could see him getting Batman to consider training Batgirl, but to send her into the midst of such a dangerous battle without question is not in keeping with his character. Not to mention she violates his trust shortly before being entrusted with even more. If she can’t be trusted why trust her?
Bane, wow, how bad is Bane? In the comic lore he is the one that broke Batman’s back. He was cunning and developed Venom to give him a physical edge. In the movie he’s a dumb hunk of muscle – I mean really dumb, barely human even. When I first saw him I didn’t think his body was real. It is painted up to the point that it looks like a suit. Arnold might have made a great Bane if they’d have let him have more personality. As it is he’s barely memorable except for his goofiness.
The action is way overdone. Sure, being a superhero movie it needs some dynamic action, but air surfing on doors from the upper atmosphere? Come on. I guess that fits in with everything else being so overblown. I do like the new Batmobile more than the one in "Batman Forever." Wait, what was that? Yep a positive comment, didn’t think I’d see any more of those… oh but wait, the Batmobile is still not as great as the Burton version.
This is not a movie to get excited about. For many people it’s not even watchable. While it does have a few good points they are greatly overshadowed by the bad.
Morality
Poison Ivy can be sensual and uses her powers and feminine wiles to get men focused on her in order to control them. We get some slightly gratuitous shots of Alicia in her very tight Batgirl outfit.
The violence is typical of a comic book action movie and is mostly cartoonish. It is perhaps marginally less lethal than previous Batman movies.
The strong language is about on par with what we've been hearing. It's there but mild.
Spirituality
As with the other Batman movies there is nothing spiritual or religious in Batman & Robin. We do have heroes acting selflessly for the benefits of others. We have Mr. Freeze who expresses true devotion to his wife, but he is willing to perpetrate evil in the name of helping her. Perhaps the goodness in Batman can show him another way.
Final Thoughts
If you're seeing the previous 3 movies I say go ahead and check out "Batman & Robin" as well. Just realize you're getting into something that can be laughably bad. Perhaps you'll want to see it with a group that can pep up the experience with some cleverly snide remarks. You do not want to see this on its own merits. You will be greatly disappointed.
Buying Guide
If you've been keeping up with the Batman DVD's you know that the Special Editions and Blus have been very well done. The same holds true for "Batman & Robin." As bad as it is, it has the same level of detail given to its release. My summaries of the movie collections will be the same as what you've read in my other guides.
All 4 of the 90's Batman movies have a few different solo and combo options, but they come in 2 basic varieties: an older print and newer remaster. The older one is bare-bones offered on a solo DVD and as part of a combo. The newer remaster typically comes in a 2-disc DVD Special Edition or Blu-ray. There is an Anthology box set for both formats and at least 1 combo for the Blu. While it's entirely possible that there is, or will be, a DVD combo of the remaster I have yet to see one. If you're not sure about the difference between the combo and box set distinctions the box set looks like you bought each movie then put them all in a Batman box while the combo looks more like you condensed everything into a Batman mix tape.
Read the next few paragraphs for more info on the different versions or go on to the next section to get the details of the disc contents.
The Original Print:
The older DVD is mostly bare-bones though it may offer some production notes as an extra. The video is 1.85 widescreen with 5.1 surround sound. I have read that the quality is awful. The combo DVD that offers this version is a 2 disc set and therefore probably includes double-sided DVD's (1 movie per side).
The Remaster:
The Blu-rays list everything that I will describe with the Special Edition DVD counterparts (no Blu-ray exclusive features, in other words). The main difference, of course, is the HD quality: 1.85 16x9 widescreen presentation at 1080p with 5.1 Dolby True HD sound. I have to caution you, though, several reviews have said that the actual quality is not as impressive as one might think. Even if that's true the new transfer already looks good just on DVD.
The Anthology box set would, as I'm sure you can surmise, look like you bought all 4 movies on Blu and put them in a Batman box.
The Blu combo repackages everything but appears to include the same specs and extras as the regular Blus. Assuming the info listed is correct you'll only miss out on some of the nicer original packaging but get all of the same content.
Final Recommendation:
I would have been hesitant to get this movie had it not come in the Anthology box set, but regardless of how I feel about the movie itself, the DVD extras fascinated me. I enjoyed the honest look at what made "Batman & Robin" stink up the theaters rather than everyone pretending like it was a great production. There's a lot here for your money. Avoid the bare-bones DVD at all costs. The only reason to own this movie at all is for the bonus features.
As with the previous movies the Special Edition DVD is extremely well done. It is a 2 disc set and is the same whether you get it by itself or in the 4 movie Anthology box set.
Video
1.85 widescreen:
This is a new transfer and really looks good.
Audio
5.1 Dolby and 5.1 DTS:
The sound is clean, clear, and rich. It's not HD quality, but stacked up against other DVD's it sounds quite good.
Packaging
There's a unity to the look of the Special Edition movies' art which is great although I like the Blu's cover art better.
The case itself is standard plastic.
Unfortunately, like the others, there is no insert which also means no chapters list or other printed info.
The interface isn’t particularly creative, but it does have animation and audio which is better than a plain page.
Extras
-Commentary: Joel Schumacher: The best thing about the commentary is that Joel does not attempt to defend and justify his work. He recognizes the movie was a failure and bucks up to it admirably. He even goes so far as to apologize. He gets a pat on the back for doing this commentary and being honest about it. He talks about what went wrong which makes the commentary interesting.
-Theatrical Trailer (2:27) The trailer doesn't look great, but it's not enough to see just how bad the movie will be.
-Shadows of the Bat (The series wraps up with one last part):
-Batman Unbound (26:59) This one deals a lot with the over-hyping of "Batman & Robin" and how that strangled the production from the perspective of various cast & crew.
-The Heroes (The character profiles are back, and once again the ones that were in the last movie are recreated to be unique. Here again is a play all option for the group):
-Batman (3:33) What makes him unique in different incarnations.
-Robin (3:08) The different comic Robins, what makes Dick different from but similar to Bruce, and the heroes' conflicts.
-Batgirl (2:34) Her mixed history and her attitude towards Bruce.
-The Villains (more profiles with a play all option):
-Mr. Freeze (3:23) A brief history and his villainous position.
-Poison Ivy (2:29) Where Ivy came from and her seductive nature.
-Bane (2:08) The nature of the original character and why he's important.
-Beyond Batman: (Technical behind-the-scenes clips like those for the previous movies. There is a play all option for the group):
-Bigger Bolder Brighter (9:58) Production design with an eye towards going bigger, Ivy's and Freeze's lairs, and the look of the various gadgets.
-Maximum Overdrive (9:56) Designing a new Batmobile and brief looks at the other vehicles.
-Dressed to Thrill (12:11) Redesigning the suits, the difficulties of working in the suits, swapping to new suits.
-Frozen Freaks & Femme Fatales (9:22) Getting the looks of the various villains right.
-Freeze Frame (9:01) Going bigger with the visual effects, mobile mini buildings, and creating the long fall.
-Deleted Scene (Only one deleted scene this time):
-Alfred's Lost Love (0:45) This short scene looks at Alfred’s life.
-Music Videos (4 music videos this time with a play all option):
-The End Is the Beginning Is the End - Smashing Pumpkins (5:12) There are some interesting visuals in this one. I'm not that big a fan of the song itself, though.
-Look Into My Eyes - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (4:55) The video carries a story that has nothing to do with Batman and features few Batman images.
-Gotham City – R. Kelly (5:03) This one does a better job with working in the Batman visuals. I never liked the song, though, too mellow for me I guess.
-Foolish Games – Jewel (3:59) The song and video have nothing at all to do with Batman. I don't think it fits well with a super hero action movie given that it has no connection.
-Web Info: A page with a couple of web addresses and some copyright info.
The full title of the box set is "Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997." It includes the 4 Batman movies from during that time. Each one of those is a 2 disc set.
Packaging
Each movie has its own case which all fit into a nice-looking box.
Extras
The Anthology box set does not offer any additional extras for the collection, but each release is loaded.