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Batman & Robin (film)

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For the 1949 serial Batman and Robin, see Batman serials.
Batman & Robin
Directed byJoel Schumacher
Written byAkiva Goldsman
Bob Kane (comic book)
Produced byPeter MacGregor-Scott
StarringArnold Schwarzenegger
George Clooney
Chris O'Donnell
Uma Thurman
Alicia Silverstone
Jeep Swenson
Michael Gough
Ralf Möller
CinematographyStephen Goldblatt
Edited byDennis Virkler
Mark Stevens
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dates
June 20, 1997
Running time
125 min.
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125,000,000

Batman & Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher, is the fourth installment in the comic book-inspired film series initiated by Tim Burton. Released in 1997, it starred George Clooney in his only appearance as Batman and Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin, and introduced Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), a niece of Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred (Michael Gough). The villains in this movie are Poison Ivy, played by Uma Thurman, Mr. Freeze, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (who received top billing for this film), and Bane, played by Jeep Swenson.

Cast

Actor Role
George Clooney Batman/Bruce Wayne
Chris O'Donnell Robin/Richard "Dick" Grayson
Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr. Freeze/Dr. Victor Fries
Uma Thurman Poison Ivy/Dr. Pamela Isley
Alicia Silverstone Batgirl/Barbara Wilson
Michael Gough Alfred Pennyworth
Pat Hingle Commissioner Gordon
Jeep Swenson Bane
Elle MacPherson Julie Madison

Response

The film was neither a critical [1] nor a financial success. It was mocked for the poor script[2], over-extending the campy attitude (comprised of smirky one-liners, blatantly ludicrous stunts[3], and ultra loud sound effects[4]) of its predecessor, Batman Forever, the poor casting of other "big-name" stars Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the addition of a poorly portrayed Batgirl, played by Alicia Silverstone.

In his review of the film, critic Leonard Maltin found that

the 'story' often makes no sense" and that the "action and effects are loud, gargantuan, and ultimately numbing.

Author Mark S. Reinhart added by saying

The combination of "Batman & Robin"'s terrible script, ridiculous costuming, garish sets, uninspired direction, etc. made the film into the appalling dump heap that it is.

[5] Michael J. Nelson, in Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, says

Batman & Robin is not the worst movie ever. No, indeed. It's the worst thing ever. Yes, it's the single worst thing that we as human beings have ever produced in recorded history.

Even director Joel Schumacher has admitted to not being proud of his work, despite any earlier statements to the contrary. Not only did Schumacher criticize the movie, but also Batman & Robin executive producer Michael E. Uslan, who said

In my estimation - you're not making movies, you're making two hour infomercials for toys. And that's sad. Because, if a filmmaker is allowed to just go out and make a great film, I believe you will sell toys anyway.

[6]

On the Internet Movie Database, the film received nearly universal negative user reviews [7], and in a MSN Movies article on superhero movies, the film was ranked as the worst to date.[8] In particular, criticism was heaped upon the design of the Batsuit, which, like in the previous film, features nipples, and the closeup shots of the caped crusaders while donning their costumes.

This film is often billed as the worst superhero movie of all time, although some may contend that Catwoman is. Published financial figures indicate that the movie was made on a budget of $125 million [9], but collected only $107 million domestically (despite having a opening weekend of $42 million)— less than any other Batman film — and $131 million abroad.[9] Studios usually expect summer movies — particularly those in a highly successful series — to earn more profit than that, and Warner Brothers temporarily suspended the series after four live-action films.

The film was derisively dubbed Batman on Ice by critics for a scene in which Batman and Robin inexplicably have retractable ice skates in their boots while battling Mr. Freeze's henchmen on an icy floor in the opening sequence.[10][11][12] George Clooney was himself severely embarrassed by the film, saying

I think we might have killed the franchise.

[13] Uma Thurman’s performance in the campy film received mainly mixed reviews, and critics made comparisons between her and actress Mae West. The New York Times wrote about Thurman,

like Mae West, she mixes true femininity with the winking womanliness of a drag queen.

[14] A similar comparison was made by the Houston Chronicle:

Thurman, to arrive at a ’40s femme fatale, sometimes seems to be doing Mae West by way of Jessica Rabbit.

[15]

Fans expressed disappointment at the depiction of Bane (played by the late wrestler Jeep Swenson), as a mindless bodyguard for the main villains (as opposed to the calculating and educated genius of the comics).

Characters

  • Bane - Rather than being the devious, intelligent villain of the comics, he was a mindless thug who served as the sidekick of Poison Ivy, one of the main villains of the film, barely even capable of speech. Template:SpoilerHis defeat came when his Venom tube was kicked out of his head by Robin and Batgirl as he was attempting to strangle them, Batman being presently occupied with Mr. Freeze.Template:EndspoilerThis depiction of the character was one of many aspects of the film which received harsh criticism from fans and critics alike, many considering it a waste of the character.

[17] However, within the fictional context of the film, Batman becomes engaged to his girlfriend Julie Madison, and is also tempted by Poison Ivy.

  • Mr. Freeze[19] - In this largely campy interpretation, the character spouts puns related to cold weather and temperatures (e.g., "You’re not sending me to the cooler!", "Let's... kick some ice!", "Tomorrow's forecast, a freeze is coming!") as opposed to his stoic, "cold" personality from the comics. His tragic origin is the same, however.
  • Poison Ivy[20] - This incarnation, boasting over-the-top acting from Uma Thurman, strange costumes and even stranger hair styles, is largely considered the worst version of the character, a sentiment in line with the overall derision poured upon the film from fans and critics alike.
  • Robin - Robin's costume in Batman and Robin is similar to that of Nightwing (more specifically, his "Renegade" costume), except that it has a cape and the emblazoned logo is a deep red instead of blue.

Legacy

The impact of this film was multifold. With the possible exception of Arnold Schwarzenegger, all the principal performers involved lost credibility for some time as serious actors. George Clooney has gone so far as to say that he will refund the money of any fan he meets who paid to see the movie. Joel Schumacher found his already tenuous artistic reputation all but ruined, and Warner Bros. was the focus of much derision for producing the film. Alicia Silverstone, already battered by widespread media circulation about her increased body weight, disappeared from the limelight and earned a reputation as a "has been." However, Uma Thurman's career has since rebounded, thanks to roles in Kill Bill and The Producers. Schumacher himself would return to grittier films, and eventually redeemed himself with the acclaimed Phone Booth and The Phantom of the Opera. Writer Akiva Goldsman would go on to write other flops like Lost in Space, before he rebounded with 2001's A Beautiful Mind, for which he received an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Clooney would make his major comeback in successful directing for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck, as well as starring in Three Kings, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ocean's Eleven and its sequels, and finally winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Syriana.

Fans of the successful animated television series, Batman: The Animated Series, voiced suspicions that the direct-to-video feature Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) was delayed because of the Schumacher film. They contend that this was due to the fact that the Warner Brothers management knew it was superior to the live-action film and decided to delay it to prevent unfavorable comparisons to a film with greater financial stake. Because of this allegation and the fact that the scenes generally regarded by fans as the best in the film were largely taken from the animated series (the angle of Freeze committing crimes for the sake of saving his wife is straight from Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's show), many Batman fans were convinced that the Animated Series producers should have been responsible for the live action film series.

It has since been argued that the film's dismal failure was, in the long run, a boon for comic book films, as the comedic angle taken to the source material by the makers of the film was so unpopular that other filmmakers would be encouraged to treat the source material with more reverence in their own films. This arguably ended the influence of the 1960s Batman television series' campy tone in favor of Richard Donner's more respectful approach to superheroes as with the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie. This attitude has led to successful and acclaimed film adaptations such as Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), Spider-Man (2002), and Batman Begins (2005).

Batman & Robin marked the end of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher era of movies. Likely due to the film's poor reception, no more Batman movies were made for nearly eight years. A new Batman franchise was launched in 2005, with Batman Begins, a much darker film which was both critically and financially successful ($366 million worldwide gross as of 09/04/2005), with no continuity to Burton's and Schumacher's movies or the comics. George Clooney obviously did not participate in the project and was succeeded by the much-younger Christian Bale, who was widely praised for his portrayal of both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego.

On October 18, 2005, Warner Bros. released a new deluxe DVD for the movie with commentary by Schumacher. The commentary has gotten attention for Schumacher's candid comments on how he was forced to put in gadgets for the toy companies to make, his confession that he went too far trying to make the movie kid-friendly, but none the less defended script-writer Akiva Goldsman saying: "If you don't like the film, blame the director."

Soundtrack

Despite the overwhelming negative publicity the film got, its soundtrack became very popular and was well received. The soundtrack included songs by R. Kelly, Arkarna, Jewel, Goo Goo Dolls, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and The Smashing Pumpkins, whose song The End is the Beginning is the End rolled over the movie's closing credits. Three songs from the soundtrack became top-ten hits in the United States; Jewel's contribution, a radio-mix version of Foolish Games, as well as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Look Into My Eyes and R. Kelly's Gotham City.

Track listing

  1. The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is the Beginning Is the End (5:08)
  2. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Look Into My Eyes (4:28)
  3. R. Kelly - Gotham City (4:56)
  4. Arkarna - House On Fire (3:24)
  5. R.E.M. - Revolution (3:04)
  6. Jewel - Foolish Games (4:00)
  7. Goo Goo Dolls - Lazy Eye (3:46)
  8. Lauren Christy - Breed (3:05)
  9. Soul Coughing - The Bug (3:09)
  10. Moloko - Fun For Me (5:08)
  11. Me'shell Ndegeocello - Poison Ivy (3:33)
  12. Eric Benét - True To Myself (4:41)
  13. Elliot Goldenthal - A Batman Overture (3:35)
  14. Underworld - Moaner (10:17)
  15. The Smashing Pumpkins - The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning (4:58)

Trivia

  • In the commentary Schumacher took the guilt for the movie on himself, saying, "If you don't like the movie, blame the director."
  • Patrick Stewart and Anthony Hopkins were considered for the role of Mr. Freeze until Schumacher decided to make him big and strong, lining up Sylvester Stallone and Hulk Hogan as his choices after Schwarzenegger.
  • The fictional disease "MacGregor Syndrome" was named after producer Peter MacGregor-Scott.
  • Dr. Jason Woodrue appeared in DC Comics as another plant themed super-villain, first as a mad scientist and later as Floronic Man.
  • Dr. Woodrue creates Bane with what he calls his "Super Soldier Serum." This is often believed to be a possible reference to the drug that created Captain America. However, Captain America is a Marvel Comics character, a rival of Batman's DC Comics, a completely different universe. This reference is entirely coincidental.
  • Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone, and Demi Moore were all rumored to be in the running for the part of Poison Ivy before Uma Thurman was cast.
  • In the evidence room at the prison where Mr. Freeze is held and before Bane breaks in, both The Riddler's and Two-Face's outfits can be seen.
  • Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon) and Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth) are the only actors to appear in every Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman film from Batman to Batman & Robin.
  • Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger are in this film together, along with Predator (1987) and The Running Man (1987).
  • During shooting, Clooney visited his friends on the set of ER (1994) in full costume.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger was given top billing because Joel Schumacher felt that he was a bigger name than George Clooney.
  • Filmmaker Kevin Smith referred to the film in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in which Chasing Amy character Hooper X makes a rebuttal to friend Banky by saying "They took your intellectual property and turned it into one 90-minute long gay joke. It was like watching "Batman & Robin" all over again."
  • At the end of the film just like in the previous movie, the heroes are shown running in front of the Batsignal.
  • When Batgirl sneaks off to an underground motorcycle race, one of the various costumed gangs there is dressed like the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange. Additionally, the background song playing at that point is "Fun for Me," performed by the band Moloko.

Sequel

Originally, Joel Schumacher was slated to direct the fifth Batman movie, Batman Triumphant with George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell reprising their roles as the Dynamic Duo, with The Scarecrow as the main villian. Jack Nicholson was to reprise his role as The Joker and Harley Quinn was to make her series debut as The Joker's daughter rather than his lover. When Batman & Robin failed at the box office and with critics, Warner Bros. cancelled the fifth installment.

On the 2005 special edition of Batman & Robin, Joel Schumacher stated that after two films, he didn't have it in him to make a third Batman movie.

Home Video

Batman & Robin was released on VHS and Laserdisc in October, 1997.

Batman & Robin was given a "bare bones" DVD release when the medium was introduced in 1997-98 with the Main menu featuring a background batman music and on the dvd special features it featured just Bio about the movie. However, in 2005, the newest feature film, Batman Begins, caused Warner Bros. to release a two-disc special edition set of all four Burton-Schumacher films in Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997.[21][22]

References

  1. ^ "Batman & Robin". Metacritic. Retrieved June 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Read the Script Online
  3. ^ We've already discussed the garish appearance and homoerotic overtones of the Schumacher Batman films, but there is one other element worth mentioning: the over-the-top stunts. We've always had to suspend our disbelief when it comes to Batman, but these last two movies have totally abandoned the pretense that Batman is a normal human. Witness the skyboarding of the last movie (obviously, you can survive a fall from the upper atmosphere if you have a board below your feet), Robin's hanging onto the outside of a rocket or Batman leaping from a skyscraper and making absolutely no effort to break his fall.
  4. ^ http://www.agonybooth.com/batman_robin/ the agony booth: BATMAN & ROBIN review
  5. ^ "The Burton/Schumacher Series," Part 2
  6. ^ "The Burton/Schumacher Series," Part 2
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ Movies
  9. ^ a b "Batman and Robin". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Bond, Jeff. Batman on Ice!. Film Score Monthly. June 27, 1997. Retrieved June 20, 2005.
  11. ^ Rainer, Peter. Batman on ice. Dallas Observer. June 19, 1997. Retrieved June 20, 2005.
  12. ^ "Batman & Robin". Austin Chronicle. June 20, 1997. Retrieved June 20, 2005.
  13. ^ "Batman and Robin". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Janet Maslin. New York Times review, Batman and Robin. 20 June 1997. Retrieved 7 February 2006.
  15. ^ Jeff Millar. If you like them busy, this “Batman” is for you. Houston Chronicle. 19 June 1997. Retrieved 6 April 2006
  16. ^ George Clooney's probably the best Batman/Bruce Wayne choice so far, although he has about four minutes of real screen time to prove it. Unfortunately, his time is devoted to melodramatic flashbacks about Alfred.
  17. ^ [2]
  18. ^ Bane and Woodrue are wasted. For that matter, so is Batgirl; Schumacher finds time to show Barbara in a protracted motorcycle race just to emphasize that she's not a nice girl. God forbid he should use that time for some quality insight into who she is. Her origin basically consists of breaking into the Batcave and putting on a suit that Alfred made for her. (Ever notice how no one seems to need any training in these movies?)
  19. ^ I would never have picked Arnold Schwarzenegger to play Mr. Freeze, but he does a surprisingly good job. His dialogue is laden with ice and snow puns, but that's more the fault of the writers who resorted to snappy Terminator-esque phrases (and a slew of set action pieces) in lieu of real character development. Perhaps this is just a sign of how rancid this film is, but Mr. Freeze is the deepest character in it.
  20. ^ This movie is so overwhelmingly packed that Pamela Iseley's character development is limited to maniacally dictating exposition into a tape recorder. Uma Thurman camps it up to beat the band. Basically, she tries to do a reheated version of Pfeiffer's Catwoman in only a quarter of the time, as she hurls expository dialogue, waves her arms wildly and blows dust from her palm about fifty times. Batman and Robin would have been much better if Poison Ivy had been left out completely, as she's totally unnecessary to the Mr. Freeze plotline and there really isn't any story for her.
  21. ^ Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989 - 1997
  22. ^ The Special Features of the Batman Movie Anthology

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Batman & Robin (film).
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