Whatever it is, this definitely a really bad film that ruins one of the most famous superheros of all-time.
Even the first line of the film gives you an indicator of what horror will be evolving in front of your very eyes.
The look of it is very similar to Batman Forever. However, it is a lot more campy and over-the-top with some of the worst one-liners imaginable. While the costumes and sets look impressive. They just don't belong in a film like this. They belong in a Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers episode or a stage musical. All the action scenes are light and silly and pretty ridiculous overall. I felt myself shaking my head fairly regularly. It does shock you how far they have come since the dark tone of the 1989 film that received a lot of positive reviews.
The whole thing is basically one big toy commercial. The amount of gadgets and costume changes is noticeable. There are even lines that even points fun of itself for selling so much merchandise. Director Joel Schumacher has admitted since that he was under a lot of pressure by the corporates involved to include certain things to expand their toy merchandise and make the film more kid friendly after complaints by parents of the darkness of Batman Forever. Things like that make me sick inside. It is supposed to have a dark tone and if parents don't like it then don't let your kids watch it. Imagine if everything was more kid friendly. Sadly, you do see that with a lot of blockbusters now.
The acting on a whole was either wooden or hammy. Some people made the most of the campy tine, but the majority of them delivered their lines as if they did not want to be there.
George Clooney was not a strong Batman. He does not add anything to the role. Chris O'Donnell probably gave the best performance out of everyone as Robin. As for Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, she was a combination of forgettable and annoying.
The amount of cringe-worthy lines Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze makes is unprecedented, even by his standards. You could make a very dangerous drinking game from just his quotes.
Uma Thurman managed to play the tone, but still managed to not be that good anyway.
One performance that really angered me was thankfully just a supporting one. Elizabeth Sanders who played Gossip Gerty managed to be even more annoying then she was in Batman Forever.
The score is pretty much the same from Batman Forever. It is good to hear it again. But in the end, it is just lazy to go for the same thing.
One thing I forgot to mention was the choosing of the villains. Their partnership seemed illogical. It was obvious that both of their plans would never work.
One positive that I would to like mention was that I was engaged with the subplot of Mr. Freeze's wife. It showed great potential. But with it being a subplot, we would not see it for that long.
In the end, it is an insult to the franchise and is plagued with shocking writing and awful acting. Over-time it has become so bad that it is funny, and you can give it credit as it does stand its ground by maintaining its high level of campness. It even uses those cartoon sound effects when someone falls down. But it still feels like a chore to watch.
This is type of thing you would normally see in a Saturday morning cartoon. Kids will probably like it, but that's as far as it will go to get its best reviews.
Despite being a financial success, it so badly received that no further films were made. However, the biggest saving grace was that it managed to spark one of the greatest trilogies of all-time in the form of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
Review: 4/10
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