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Batman Forever

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Batman Forever
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Produced by Tim Burton
Peter MacGregor-Scott
Written by Lee Batchler (screenwriter)
Janet Scott Batchler (screenwriter)
Akiva Goldsman (screenwriter)
Lee Batchler (story)
Janet Scott Batchler (story)
Bob Kane (comic book)
Starring Val Kilmer
Tommy Lee Jones
Jim Carrey
Nicole Kidman
Chris O'Donnell
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) June 16, 1995
Running time 122 min.
Language English
Budget $100,000,000
Preceded by Batman Returns
Followed by Batman & Robin
IMDb profile

Batman Forever (1995) is the third of the Batman movies which began with Tim Burton's 1989 version of the character, although it is a major departure from previous entries in the franchise, with dramatic changes to such things as the cast, design and Danny Elfman's theme, which was scrapped completely (the music was composed by Elliot Goldenthal). It starred Val Kilmer as Batman, in his first and only appearance as the Dark Knight, and marked the series debut of Robin (played by Chris O'Donnell).

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

On the second anniversary of the day he captured Two-Face, Batman is summoned by the police to a scene of a major bank theft led by the villain. Also summoned is the beautiful psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian. Batman manages to thwart the robbery, but Two-Face escapes in a helicopter.

The next day, at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne is accosted by an eccentric scientist named Edward Nygma. Nygma has invented a device that beams signals directly into the human brain. But as Nygma begs Bruce for a bit more funding, Bruce sees the Bat Signal through the window, and hastily departs the scene after turning Nygma down. Batman goes to the Signal, and finds Chase, who tries, unsuccessfully, to seduce Batman. Back at Wayne Enterprises, a frustrated Nygma straps his boss, Stickley, to a chair and tests his invention on him. He soon discovers that as a side effect, his invention can use the mental energy of Stickley to make himself more intelligent. Afterward, he wheels Stickley's chair out the window and falling down to a river, killing him. Nygma resigns from Wayne Enterprises and begins leaving riddles for Bruce Wayne.

The next day, Bruce pays a visit to Dr. Chase Meridian and asks her to be his date to the Charity Circus. At the circus, the Flying Graysons are interrupted by Two-Face, armed with a bomb. Chaos ensues, and The Flying Graysons try to disconnect the bomb. The youngest, Dick, successfully manages to push the bomb out of the circus tent and into the water, but finds that Two-Face has killed the rest of his family and escaped. Bruce takes a reluctant Dick in as a foster-son, despite Dick's intent to track down and kill Two-Face.

Meanwhile, Nygma visits Two-Face, introducing himself as the Riddler. They make a deal: if Two-Face helps him steal enough priceless goods to fund his project, the Riddler will use the project to learn Batman's true identity. Their deal sealed, Two-Face and the Riddler start their rampage.

The next day, on Claw Island, an offshore laboratory island, Nygma reveals his vision to many Gothamites in the form of the Nygmatech Box, planning to place it on every TV in Gotham, and in the future, the world. The Nygmatech Boxes secretly transmit the information from viewers' through the machine on the island into Nygma's brain, increasing his intelligence (but driving him insane). Later on, Bruce receives another riddle, the answer to which is chess pawns.

Dick follows Alfred and finds the Batcave, leading him to realize that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Dick explains his desire for revenge to Bruce and demands to be trained as Batman's partner, but Bruce refuses to endanger his life.

That night, Bruce, Dick and Chase attend a party where Nygma reveals his new Nygmatech Superbox, which sends holograms into the human brain. Bruce decides to take a look inside the Superbox and it begins exploring his brain. Suddenly, Two-Face and his goons break into the party. Bruce changes into Batman, chases Two-Face and falls into a trap. He is rescued by Dick, in his circus attire. In their next meeting, Riddler and Two-Face deduce from the Superbox's data that Bruce is Batman.

Back in the Batcave, Bruce declares that he is going to cease being Batman, encouraged both by Chase's claim that it's a curse and to protect Dick from harm. Angry and frustrated, Dick takes his things and runs away just as Chase arrives for dinner. Alfred is attacked by a group of thugs led by the Riddler and Two-Face. Two-Face's goons go to the living room and fight Bruce and Chase while the Riddler destroys the Batcave with a series of grenades. Two-Face shoots at Bruce, grazing his head and knocking him out.

Later, Bruce wakes up in bed, and is informed by Alfred that Chase has been abducted, Dick has run away, the cave and Batmobile have been destroyed, and that there is another riddle. Linking all the riddles' components together, deduce the riddle-sender as Edward Nygma. As Bruce is preparing to attack the villains head-on, Dick turns up in an all-new costume made by Alfred. Calling himself Robin, he offers his support, and the dynamic duo form an alliance to bring the Riddler and Two-Face to justice.

Arriving at the artificial island, they split up. As Batman escapes and climbs his way to the top, Robin encounters Two-Face. Robin manages to kick Two-Face off the high ground - but he no longer wishes to watch Two-Face die, and pulls the villain back up. Two-Face pulls a gun on him.

Meanwhile, Batman finally makes his way to the top of the pole and into a large room where he confronts the Riddler. Two-Face enters, and the Riddler reveals Chase and Robin trapped in plastic containers hanging over a chasm. Batman refuses to play by Riddler's rules, and distracts him with a riddle. Batman throws a Batarang straight into the brainwave generator, rendering him helpless. The Riddler presses the release buttons, which sends Chase and Robin falling down the chasm.

Batman drops down after them, and saves both just before they crash. Batman, Robin and Chase then make their way back to the top of the chasm, where they begin to untie Chase just as Two-Face appears, pointing a gun at them. He flips his coin - and as he does so, Batman tosses a handful of coins at him. He frantically tries to catch his own coin and, flailing, falls into the water below. The Riddler, meanwhile, is alive, but his mind is destroyed.

The film ends with the Bat Signal shining and Batman and Robin running into the night, ready to fight another crime.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Background

While the previous two films had been directed by Tim Burton, Batman Forever was directed by Joel Schumacher, whose changes to the established designs and thematics of the first two films -- Batman's costume includes latex nipples for example -- are regarded by many as being less serious than the franchise's previous two.

The villains in the movie are The Riddler, played by Jim Carrey, and Two-Face/Harvey Dent, a role played in the original 1989 movie by Billy Dee Williams, but assumed here by Tommy Lee Jones. Also in the movie is Dr. Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman; the movie proved to be Kidman's breakout role and put her on the road to superstardom.

Picking up a few years after the events of Batman Returns, this sequel follows Two-Face's alliance with The Riddler and their resulting plan to destroy Batman. It also tells the origin story of Robin, who was not seen in either of the two previous films; As in the comic books, Robin is a circus performer whose family is murdered (although, in the film, his family is killed by Two-Face, rather than an ordinary gangster) and becomes Bruce Wayne's ward and Batman's partner in crime-fighting. The Riddler, meanwhile, is portrayed as a vengeful, obsessive former engineer who once worked for Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego.

At the time the third Batman film went into production it was initially going to be directed by Burton with Michael Keaton. The film was to have Bruce Wayne enlisting the assistance of an orphan by the name of Robin, in bringing down the villainous Riddler not expecting to meet with a new love interest to complicate matters. Rumors claimed Micky Dolenz was the Riddler and that Robin Williams was offered the role, but turned it down, with a possible return of the Catwoman character (who survived the events of Batman Returns). Renee Russo was cast as Keaton's love interest. After initial casting with Marlon Wayans actually signed and costume tested for the film, Warner Bros. ultimately threw out Burton after they realised the tone of the film was to be similar to Batman Returns. When Schumacher came on board as the new director he threw out most of Burton's decisions and ideas, starting from scratch. As a result Marlon Wayans' contract was actually paid out in full by Warner Brothers and Chris O'Donnell was cast as Robin instead. Tommy Lee Jones was then cast as Two-Face to replace Burton's choice of Billy Dee Williams, although Burton never intended on using the character in the film but had left it open as a possibility in future installments. Burton's rumored choice of Micky Dolenz was replaced Schumacher's choice of Jim Carrey. Renee Russo was deemed too old to play Kilmer's love interest, and therefore was replaced by Nicole Kidman.

After some negotiating, Keaton left the film as he was unhappy with the script being lighter-in-tone and the absence of Tim Burton. Due to its huge success, Batman Forever was followed two years later by Batman and Robin (1997).

[edit] Critical reaction and box office

The film's budget was approximately $90 - $100 million and earned $184,031,112 in total domestic sales and $152.5 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo<ref>[1]</ref>), making it the most commercially successful movie of the summer of 1995 and second-best of that year (next to Toy Story). It was also the third highest grossing Batman movie as of 2005 (after the 1989 original and 2005's Batman Begins). This success came as a surprise to the filmmakers, who were constantly told by the studio that no one wanted a Batman movie and was only going to be a moderate success.

[edit] Drastic Makeover

The film obtained generally mixed reviews. Much of the negative reaction came from the drastic makeover of the franchise (most of it led by Joel Schumacher at the will of the Warner Bros. executives). Due to the fact that Batman Returns earned less than the original, Warner Bros. insisted the movie be aimed predominantly at children to improve merchandising turnover. This included deleting over 30 minutes of footage, including Two-Face escaping from Arkham Asylum, the resolution to the Red Book subplot, and a sequence in which Bruce confronts a section of the Batcave with a giant bat. Further editing rearranged the first half of the film to start it off with an action scene. This resulted making the third Batman movie with a feel that was more reminiscent to the 1960s TV show than its Burton predecessors.

[edit] Val Kilmer as Batman

Disapproval was also heaped upon Val Kilmer; some critics charged that Kilmer, while physically fit to play Batman, more so than his predecessor Michael Keaton had been, gave a wooden performance as Bruce Wayne. Other critics though, such as Roger Ebert, had kind words for Kilmer. Some fans defend Kilmer's performance, insisting that he did the best he could with frequent clashes with Schumacher about the film's direction — and some even insisting that he surpassed Keaton. Interestingly, Batman creator Bob Kane said in a Cinescape interview that of all the actors to have played Batman up to that point, he felt Kilmer had given the best interpretation. Film critic Leonard Maltin (who heavily criticized the dark tone contained in Batman Returns) complimented Kilmer's portrayal when he reviewed the film for his expanding collection of film reviews, as well as being very favorable of the film as a whole. Defenders of Batman Forever (comprised mostly of people who objected to the grotesque, macabre elements found in the Tim Burton films) praised the movie for portraying Batman as a more heroic, less ruthless, and more human character than in the Tim Burton films. One of the biggest complaints about the Burton films was their portrayal of Batman killing his adversaries (especially in Batman Returns) without showing much remorse.<ref>Superman Returns sequel in 2009</ref>

[edit] Two-Face and Riddler

Others accused Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones of giving cartoonish performances as the Riddler and Two-Face (Carrey himself even stated, though non-judgmentally, that this film "didn't take itself as seriously" as the past films had.) Many critics and audiences enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones' performance, but other fans found Jones' interpretation of the Two-Face character to be different in style from the way he is portrayed in the comics. A scene showing Two-Face repeatedly flipping his coin until achieving the desired outcome is the source of many fan complaints; in the comics Two-Face always adheres to results of a single cointoss when a decision must be reached. Reactions to Carrey's performance were generally similar, though some complained that his portrayal was too over the top, and had more in common with the Joker than with the comic book version of the Riddler. In fact, after the Riddler proclaims megalomaniacally, "For if knowledge is power, then a god am I!" he pauses, then reflects, "Was that over the top? I can never tell." Some fans have also commented that the Riddler's scheme in the film, involving mind control over the population of Gotham, would have been better suited to other Batman villains such as the Mad Hatter.

[edit] Gotham City and Bat-Gadgets

A prominent criticism of the film's atmosphere centers on the constant use of neon lights, black lights, and glow-in-the-dark elements, which seemingly reaches its peak with the street gang Robin fights halfway through the film. These effects are regarded by some fans as slightly nonsensical. Another issue some fans have had with the film are the new gadgets. While Batman's technology has always been sci-fi and fantastical, some fans thought that the Batmobile being able to be climbing walls and a cape that melts into a fire resistant shell were pushing plausibility to its limit.

See also: Batsuit#Film
See also: Batsuit#Utility_belt
See also: The Equipment of the Batmobile

[edit] Charges of Homoeroticism

Batman Forever has been regarded by some as homoerotic, especially after Gary Willis, a conservative columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, sardonically bashed the movie's campiness and perceived homoerotic motifs ("Batman Forever" is a Gay Old Time," Chicago Sun-Times, 1995). One source of this controversy is the introduction of nipples on the chest of the Batsuit worn during the majority of the film (the finale features a different, nipple-less "sonar" suit), as well as the humorous close-ups of Bruce Wayne while donning the Batman costume, including the close-up shots of the groin and buttocks. Incidentally, director Joel Schumacher is, himself, openly gay. Though not defending the film's cinematic merits, most view this analysis a groundless throwback to similar homophobic criticisms of the early years of the comic books and the 1960s TV series. Similar charges would be brought up in the sequel, Batman & Robin (1997).

[edit] Sequel

Schumacher, a big Frank Miller fan, wanted to make a prequel of the Batman series based closely on Batman: Year One. When Forever became a huge success, Warner Bros. decided to make a campier Batman movie as the sequel. This became Batman and Robin, which was a critical and box office embarrassment.

[edit] Home Video

The film was first released on VHS and Laserdisc in October, 1995.

Batman Forever was given a "bare bones" DVD release when the medium was introduced in 1997-1998. However, in 2005, the newest feature film, Batman Begins, spawned Warner Bros. to release a Two-Disc Special Edition set of all four Burton-Schumacher films in Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997. This included 14 of the 30 minutes of deleted scenes known to exist. The Region 2 DVD restores more than a minute of cut footage. The uncut version was certified 12 by the BBFC, higher than the cut version's PG.

[edit] Soundtrack

Batman Forever
Image:Batman Forever soundtrack.jpg
Soundtrack by Various

Hit singles from the soundtrack include "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2, and "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal, both of which were nominated for MTV Movie Awards. "Kiss From A Rose" (whose video was also directed by Schumacher) reached #1 in the U.S. charts as well.

The soundtrack itself, featuring additional songs by The Flaming Lips, Brandy (both songs also included in the film), Method Man, Nick Cave, Michael Hutchence (of INXS), PJ Harvey and Massive Attack, was an attempt to (in producer Peter MacGregor-Scott's words) make the film more "pop." The soundtrack was hugely successful, selling almost as many copies as Prince's soundtrack to the 1989 Batman film.

In 1996, "Kiss From a Rose" won three Grammies for best male pop vocal performance, best record and best song.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" - U2 – 4:46
  2. "One Time Too Many" - PJ Harvey – 2:52
  3. "Where Are You Now?" - Brandy – 3:57
  4. "Kiss from a Rose" - Seal – 3:38
  5. "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" - Massive Attack & Tracey Thorn – 4:06
  6. "Nobody Lives Without Love" - Eddi Reader – 5:05
  7. "Tell Me Now" - Mazzy Star – 4:17
  8. "Smash It Up" - The Offspring – 3:26
  9. "There Is a Light" - Nick Cave – 4:23
  10. "The Riddler" - Method Man – 3:30
  11. "The Passenger" - Michael Hutchence – 4:37
  12. "Crossing the River" - Devlins – 4:45
  13. "8" - Sunny Day Real Estate – 5:27
  14. "Bad Days" - The Flaming Lips – 4:39

[edit] Score album

A second album, featuring 44 minutes of Elliot Goldenthal's score, was released two weeks after the soundtrack album.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Main Titles & Fanfare" – 1:50
  2. "Perpetuum Mobile" – 0:54
  3. "The Perils of Gotham" – 3:01
  4. "Chase Noir" – 1:45
  5. "Fledermausmarschmusik" – 1:15
  6. "Nygma Variations" (An Ode to Science) – 6:02
  7. "Victoria" – 2:37
  8. "Descent" – 1:07
  9. "The Pull of Regret" – 2:50
  10. "Mouth to Mouth Nocturne" – 2:14
  11. "Gotham City Boogie" – 2:02
  12. "Under the Top" – 5:42
  13. "Mr. E's Dance Card" (Rumba, Fox-trot, Waltz & Tango) – 3:21
  14. "Two"-Face Three Step – 2:20
  15. "Chase Blanc" – 1:23
  16. "Spank Me! Overture" – 2:46
  17. "Holy Rusted Metal" – 1:51
  18. "Batterdammerung" – 1:21

[edit] References

<references/>

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Actors: Lewis Wilson • Robert Lowery • Adam West • Olan Soule • Michael Keaton • Kevin Conroy • Val Kilmer • George Clooney • Rino Romano • Christian Bale • Casts
Live-action television: Batman • Legends of the Superheroes • Birds of Prey • Return to the Batcave
Film: 1940s serials • Batman (1966) • Batman (1989) • Batman Returns • Batman Forever • Batman & Robin • Batman Begins • The Dark Knight
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