Is "Batman Forever" misunderstood?

[Superman_The_Man_Of_Steel]

Watching it again, it's not as bad as it is made out to be. It has a great plot and characterization. Jim Carrey's Riddler was brilliant. Riddler became my favorite villain thanks to that version. Certainly true to character. The plot, showing parallels between Bruce's parents' death and Dick's was great. I think too often it is lumped together with its sequel and that isn't giving it its proper due. I think it was a great Batman film in its own right and a misunderstood one at that. What do you think?

[Mr. Holmes]

It's not epic fail like Batman and Robin, but for what it is, it's pretty mediocre. I like Jim Carrey, but Riddler (and TwoFace too) both were basically wannabe versions of Nicholson's Joker. I thought Val Kimer was pretty decent, but that's about it.

[David Walton]

Totally agreed. It was a great way to move the franchise forward while staying true to its origins. Bruce Wayne felt like he was essentially the same character, but slightly older and wiser. If Batman & Robin had been this strong, we'd never have needed a reboot.

I will admit, though, that my dream would have been to have seen a third Burton/Keaton collaboration!

[clownprince01]

I just think to such a poorly done film that didn't at least have the decency to be so bad that it becomes funny like Batman and Robin.

It's too camp with bizarre moments of attempted seriousness, bad and unsubtle characterisations, the conversion of Gotham from Burton's gothic landscape to some neon riddled wet dream was a poor creative choice and Chris O'Donnell is an actor in name only. It's aimed at children, which isn't a bad thing, but after Burton's two great films, people expected a movie of MUCH higher quality. They didn't get it.

But the film lead to a downward spiral for the Batman franchise that eventually culminated in Batman Begins so I can't be too angry.

[Ginkasa]

I prefer it to Burton's films. The movie actually revolves around Batman and Bruce Wayne, which is nice. I thought Val Kilmer was great as both identities. Jim Carrey's Riddler was more a wannabe version of Frank Gorshin's Riddler than Jack Nicholson's Joker (which is fine by me). Two-face was wasted and the Robin bits could have been a lot better, but on the whole I think it was the best of the 90's series. At least in regards to being Batman movie. Burton's movies are decent as far as Burton movies go, but I don't think they were really great as Batman movies, if that makes sense.

[Lord Bravery]

I think it had some truly great moments, especially for Bruce. I liked him dissecting Nygma's brainwave plan at Wayne Enterprises. First and only time we've seen Bruce Wayne's genius intellect hinted at. Also he solved the riddles with ease.

The scene with him and Dick arguing over killing in the name of revenge was also very well done, as was Dick's whole arc really.

And Nicole Kidman has never looked hotter.

[fatalwish]

All I can say is that I loved it at 7 years old when it first came out, and I love it just as much now.

[Patroklos]

I really don't think it is. All the signs of what was about to come in the sequel was there already, just held together slightly better by actors who actually gave a crap about what they were doing.

[ArnoldoAAD]

it was one of those movies that kick ass when you were a kid but not so much when you are adult

Two-Face was horrible, it just didnt need to be in the film at all since the whole movie was mainly the plan of the Riddler and the arrival of Robin, which honestly i thought it was ok

but the overall movie made no sense,there is a part in the movie were Bruce decides to quit being Batman, Completely out of the blew for absolutely no reason
and then end of the movie was incredibly anticlimactic with batman just saying a very stupid riddle to the Riddler and then throwing a batarang at the main gizmo of him, the only thing that impress me was the death of two-face with the coin landing on his hand which was cheesy but kind of cool
another thing that made no sense where the girlfriends of Two-face, who the hell are they, where did they go, they just dissappear at the third act
overall, it just had a bad dirrection but i remember enjoying it and I still love the soundtrack, A kiss from a rose by Seal and Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me by U2 are 2 of my favorite songs ever

[Goggindowner]

If I were to rank all of the Batman films, this one wouldn't be at the bottom, but it would be a VERY long way from the top. Basically:

The Dark Knight
Dark Knight Rises
Batman Begins
Batman
Batman Returns
Batman Forever
Batman (Adam West)
Batman and Robin
Batman (40's movie serial)

It wasn't really GOOD, but it also wasn't so bad that I just laugh all the way through at how terrible it is. Val Kilmer, I will say, at least TRIED to get in shape to play Batman, but ultimately the whole thing is a bizarre, live action cartoon fantasy piece of neon strangeness, and can't be taken all that seriously on any level. It really is one of those films that as an eleven year old kid was pretty awesome, and I loved it at the time, but as an adult, it just doesn't hold up on any level at all. I actually would watch Batman and Robin before Batman Forever, simply because I can make fun of BnR from start to finish, while Forever sits in this weird spot that it isn't good or bad enough to warrant ever watching again.

And Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face was just f*cking AWFUL!!!

[Kensei]

I remember seeing Michael Keaton on either The Tonight Show or Letterman being asked if he was going to do a third Batman film and he kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" but finally ended with "I probably will." And then he didn't. It was a disappointment, as it is any time they make a casting change in a franchise (as happened with Rachel Dawse).

I agree with what most others have said. "Batman Forever" wasn't great and it wasn't terrible. It's always fun watching Jim Carey unleashed in pretty much anything he does. He's very similar to Robin Williams in that way. But you cannot show me Tommy Lee Jones alongside Aron Eckhart in their roles as Two-Face and seriously expect me to believe that they're supposed to be playing the same man. Plus there was no origin scene for Two-Face showing him as the D.A. getting the acid in his face, at least in the theatrical version I remember seeing. (Was this an extra on DVD?)

Kidman was good, but those first four movies always ended the same romantically. Bruce gets the girl in the end (with the exception of Selina in "Batman Returns"), and then at the begining of the next movie she is just gone.

Finally, there was Robin. That just wasn't him. He was twice as old as Robin is supposed to be when he makes his first appearance. He was easily old enough to live on his own and there would have been no plausible reason for him to go live with Bruce.

[ArnoldoAAD]

I remember seeing Michael Keaton on either The Tonight Show or Letterman being asked if he was going to do a third Batman film and he kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" but finally ended with "I probably will." And then he didn't. It was a disappointment, as it is any time they make a casting change in a franchise (as happened with Rachel Dawse).

I heard that he was ask to do it but he rejected the part, probably for the script but i dont really know

Finally, there was Robin. That just wasn't him. He was twice as old as Robin is supposed to be when he makes his first appearance. He was easily old enough to live on his own and there would have been no plausible reason for him to go live with Bruce.

It would be completely unrealistic to have a kid as Robin on any movie, to the point that even Dick was aged in the comics too

[cactusmaac]

Between Batman Returns and Batman Forever, I had become a huge Batfan and was looking forward to this movie like no other. I bought the T-shirt, the video game, the official guide to the movie and tried to read every piece of preview material out there.

It was a massive let-down.

There was potential there for a real classic movie based on Bats questioning his duality and Riddler and Two-Face were the perfect villains to have explored that. Instead, Riddler was used to service a ridiculous plot involving brainwaves and it seemed as if Schumacher and Tommy Lee Jones had never read a Two-Face comic in their lives. One of Batman's best villains was reduced to an idiot thug straight out of the 60s series.

I hated that they'd dumped Anton Furst's brilliant vision of Gotham and turned it into some day-glo mockery. His excellent Batmobile was dumped for one that looked like it was designed for Sharkman.

The jokes weren't particularly good.

Batman himself was a bore and a disappointment. He was played as a straight-up action hero and didn't intimidate or scare a single person. He seemed pretty well-adjusted and capable and it made the introduction of Robin pointless. Not that Chris O'Donnell brought much to the role.

Oh and the videogame sucked too.

[cactusmaac]

Plus there was no origin scene for Two-Face showing him as the D.A. getting the acid in his face, at least in the theatrical version I remember seeing. (Was this an extra on DVD?)

It was there in the theatrical release.

[ArnoldoAAD]

Between Batman Returns and Batman Forever, I had become a huge Batfan and was looking forward to this movie like no other. I bought the T-shirt, the video game, the official guide to the movie and tried to read every piece of preview material out there.

It was a massive let-down.

There was potential there for a real classic movie based on Bats questioning his duality and Riddler and Two-Face were the perfect villains to have explored that. Instead, Riddler was used to service a ridiculous plot involving brainwaves and it seemed as if Schumacher and Tommy Lee Jones had never read a Two-Face comic in their lives. One of Batman's best villains was reduced to an idiot thug straight out of the 60s series.

I hated that they'd dumped Anton Furst's brilliant vision of Gotham and turned it into some day-glo mockery. His excellent Batmobile was dumped for one that looked like it was designed for Sharkman.

The jokes weren't particularly good.

Batman himself was a bore and a disappointment. He was played as a straight-up action hero and didn't intimidate or scare a single person. He seemed pretty well-adjusted and capable and it made the introduction of Robin pointless. Not that Chris O'Donnell brought much to the role.

Oh and the videogame sucked too.

I remember playing the videogame
I never pass the first stage, and is sad cause i actually liked how the game look but the developers just ruin it so hard by putting the Mortal Kombat gameplay on a beat em up

I think Its still popularly known as one of the worst comic based videogames of all times

Edit: for those who havent experience the game check this video at 5:20 to see just how awful it is