Verdict:
I had to lie about my age to see this movie in a German movie theater when it first came out. After seeing it, I couldn’t understand why a child would not be allowed to see something like that, and now, later in life, I understand it even less, because Batman Forever is clearly a kid’s movie.
This third Batman film was when Joel Schumacher took over from Burton and brought a flamboyant style, full of color, texture and motion. On top of that, Jim Carrey was brought on board, and gave his signature Jim Carrey performance, which is like a clown at a children’s party.
Vivid characters with wild expressionist acting in this live-action comic book are more than capable at keeping the attention of a kid. Add to it some violence, a hot Nicole Kidman, songs from Seal and U2 and I was sold.
Val Kilmer is an acceptable Batman. The thing about the character of Batman is that he is just an emotionless gruff canvas onto which the colourful villains are painted and Val Kilmer suffices for that role. The performance by Tommy Lee as Two Face is entertaining, but the problem is that he is going full throttle, as if he’s trying to outdo Jim Carrey. It would’ve been far better to have him be more grounded to act as a contrast to Carrey. As for Jim Carrey, he is just being his crazy self and no one can outdo him at his shtick. Nicole Kidman…Look, I make a conscious effort to try and assess female actresses for their acting skills first and foremost, but they put Nicole on such a sexual display in this film, that I am having a hard time seeing her as an actress. Plus this was my original childhood celebrity crush. Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin, on the other hand, is annoying. This may be a very subjective impression, but his character is snooping around, getting into trouble (despite clearly being an adult and not a teenager) and his facial expression makes me want to punch him. But at least his performance provides some contrast to the stoic Batman.
The glitzy style of Batman Forever can be seen as a positive or as a negative, depending on your preference. At the time of its release, Batman Forever caught a lot of flak for being so different from its predecessors. Burton had Burtonified the previous two Batman movies, meaning they were dark and gothic. It can be argued whether the quirky gothic direction was the right one for Batman, but those movies were well received and gained a large following. Schumacher’s version is the polar opposite of that. Both movies are quite sexual, but we go from an S&M dungeon to a gay party, and this upset some people.
However, even outside the context of the Burton movies, it is easy to see how the over-the-top act, full of dumb jokes and epileptic acting may be a little much for an adult.
One concrete example where the fun style of this film doesn’t quite mix with the subject matter is the Batmobile. Fans have grown accustomed to Batman’s mutually beneficial relationship with darkness. He is supposed to be a bat coming out of a dark cave to intimidate criminals. The Batmobile in Batman Forever has a bunch of slits with blue light coming out of them, like a pimped up PC rig, in addition to the already really large flame coming from its jet engine. The fins on this thing are huge. With other words, you can see it from far away and it’s calling attention to itself.
Still, there are quite a few good-looking scenes in Batman Forever. Say what you want about the cartoonish style, but the water bubbles, neon lights, costumes, rays of lights and the contrast between light and dark make for some nice eye candy. This movie looks especially good in the dark in a movie theater while you’re chewing on some popcorn. Elliot Goldenthal’s musical score adds to the film’s cooky atmosphere while bearing some resemblance to Danny Elfman’s theme from the previous movies.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. It’s hard for an adult to sit through, but at the same time looks interesting and has a few good actors providing an insane performance. And, as crazy as it is, this film is not nearly as cartoonish and ridiculous as Schumacher’s Batman and Robin. Batman Forever strikes a good balance.