The movies.

[dcace1983]

As many of you know I am still eagerly awaiting my "Year One" trade to get here. So in the meantime I have just been reading anything/everything that I can with the word "Batman" on it pretty much.

Anyhow today I am reading all the trivia from Internet Movie Database on Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin.

Surprisingly to me Bob Kane said he felt that Val Kilmer did the best Batman.

I personally remember hating the 3rd and 4th movie and Val Kilmer and George Clooney as the Dark Knight.

So I am curious. Coming from comic book fans what was the general view on these movies (all 4 even) back when they were in the theatres?

-edit- I did a search and couldn't find anything on the movies. If there is already a thread someone please point me in the right direction.

[Plex]

The one with Clooney was okay if you don't mind the camp. I thought it was more a tip of the hat to the old 60's show, but I still didn't really care for it other than Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy.

I thought Kilmner wasn't all that bad. It was over the top- at least Tommy lee Jones and Jim Carrey were that way but it is at least watchable because of them. The intro of Robin was good.

I thought the first two were great.

[RockinRobin182]

I loved the first two. I felt Burton really did a good job capturing the overall creepiness of Batman. He's supposed to kinda freak you out, and he did. I watch the second one around Christmas time, haha. The third one was good, I felt that Tommy Lee Jones was correctly cast, but poorly written as Two-Face. I liked Jim Carrey as the Riddler, even though he was more like a Cesar Romero Joker. I didn't really like Chris O'Donnell as Robin, or the whole bomb aspect. The fourth one will be terrible if you attempt to watch it seriously, but if you put your tongue in your cheek and see how campy it really is, it can provide a few good laughs, mostly at its own expense. I liked Val Kilmer as Batman and Bruce Wayne, and Clooney was okay...most of the faults lay at the feet of the writers. The constant factor of awesome was the music. Even when they changed the theme for the second two, I still thought it was good.

[Personamanx]

I kinda liked them all.

[Gabe De Los Muertos]

I loved the Burton and Val Kilmer ones. I still do.

[Mia]

I loved Batman Forever. I thought Kilmer was a great in the role. I never bothered to see Batman and Robin, I don't like George Clooney and I heard bad reviews about it. I inititially liked Batman in theatres. But when I sat down to watch it a year later I laughed my way through it. Batman Returns was just boring. Michael Keaton was completely innapropriate for the role of Batman. No gravitas. They might as well have cast Woody Allen.

[Zach J.]

I remember that, as a kid, Forever was my favorite. I liked Returns a lot too, but the Penguin always scared me. I think that's why I dislike him to this day. I've never watched Batman & Robin, but I would if given the oppurtunity. I love the 1989 Batman movie and Batman Begins. I actually just bought a copy of The Dark Knight Returns and I can't wait to watch it without all the hype that was surrounding its release in theaters.

[elbobbo]

I loved the Burton films, granted is was 99% style and only 1% substance but it looked like a comic book. Schumacher tried to make movies that were "dark" and yet campy like the 60's show and failed miserably, then again he's a horrible director.....

[Blue Blazes]

Batman and Robin was on TNT (i think) this passed weekend. I think the last time i saw it was in the theater in 97 (i just graduated HS). That movie makes no sense on so many levels, especially Arnold a Mr. Freeze. Bane was a bumbling fool. The lighting was weird on many things too, like when Barbara unlocks Alfred computer disk and the you see the batman logo reflect on her face...just weird.

Thurman was a decent/creepy poison ivy and i liked robins costume as a tribute to Nightwings costume. As others have said, dont take it serious and its kinda funny...

[Motherboy]

Most of the problems with Batman Forever definitely fall at the feet of the writers. And Joel Schumacher, who's an idiot. With a good script, I think Kilmer could have easily been the best Batman. I was not a fan of Clooney's Bruce by any means.

I thought Michael Keaton did a very good job and was pretty true to the character, he was just so physically underwhelming. Christian Bale was an excellent choice for Bruce and I'm a fan of the two most recent films. I've enjoyed all the Batman movies in some capacity, with my least favorite definitely being "Batman & Robin".

[Keehar]

Just stick to Burton's ones. Batman Forever had some good moments, but overall it was bad. And the less said about Batman and Robin the better.

[Kate Fatale]

The Burton ones, for all their kitsch and camp, are pretty good, I think. I was just a wee little thing when they came out, but I remember Batman Returns seeming like the darkest, creepiest, most exciting thing I'd ever seen. Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman wasn't bad at all, imho, and now looking back on it I think the movie did capture the physical/romantic tension between her and Batman rather well. I still watch those whenever they're on TV. The others...not so much.

I was a little disappointed by the humorous take on Two-Face. When I was young I thought Jim Carrey's Riddler was neat, but that was back when he was one of comedy's golden boys. Now that I'm older I wished they'd gone the flamboyant genius route with him instead.

I like to imagine Batman and Robin never happened.

[Cerebro]

I don't understand how anyone likes any of the old films, the Nolan movies are the for sure the best. No argument, they are.

[Sixty-Three]

lol to Cerebro. you need to take a step back. big step. nolans films really aren't that great. Im diggin Batmans body count in the Burton films. He killed no less than 12 people by my estimate. 9 (give or take in the axxis chemicles terrorist bombing) the dude he head scissored down the tower in the end of part 1, the joker (strapped him to the statue) and in Batman returns he strapped the bomb to the fat guy and detonated him. i dunno if im missing anymore, but that seems pretty awesome to me. sorry the whole film wasnt about nomex kevlar survival suits, spelunking and everything being "A PART OF THE PLAN *gay cowboy lip licking*

[RockinRobin182]

lol to Cerebro. you need to take a step back. big step. nolans films really aren't that great. Im diggin Batmans body count in the Burton films. He killed no less than 12 people by my estimate. 9 (give or take in the axxis chemicles terrorist bombing) the dude he head scissored down the tower in the end of part 1, the joker (strapped him to the statue) and in Batman returns he strapped the bomb to the fat guy and detonated him. i dunno if im missing anymore, but that seems pretty awesome to me. sorry the whole film wasnt about nomex kevlar survival suits, spelunking and everything being "A PART OF THE PLAN *gay cowboy lip licking*

I was on the "Nolan's films aren't that great" bandwagon for a little while. Then HBO started playing the Dark Knight, and I think I've watched 8 times in the past month. Gets better every time. His film's are great. And it doesn't take 8 times to get them, I'm just saying how re-watchable it is. There's a reason why his movies are hailed so much, and it's because they're about much more than the suits and the brief mention (what, one line in two movies?) about spelunking. They're about the nature of good and evil, what it takes to break someone, and, most importantly, Batman. Oh, and the cowboy comment was a bit unnecessary.

Oh, also, Batman doesn't kill. That's kind of his thing.

That all being said, I did immensely enjoy Burton's Batman movies, as I stated in my post earlier.