Entertainment

‘Batman and Robin’ – Holy Stink Bombs!


Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin” (1997) needs no introduction.

The first thing we see (and it’s a very understandable image) is the shield of Warner Bros. transforms into the Batman logo, which is then frozen solid. It’s a perfect visual icon that represents exactly what this movie did for the franchise until, after a long thaw, Christopher Nolan stepped in with 2005’s “Batman Begins” .

Minutes later, Batman (now played by George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell returns) are battling the villain Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in a museum. Mr. Freeze eloquently asked, “What killed the dinosaurs? Ice Age! Freeze then detonates a giant dinosaur statue with his freeze beam, destroying the structure, causing it to crumble and, strangely, giving off a scream when it hits the ground (!).

Rather than ponder the curious inclusion of sound effects, I wonder if this is how Schumacher (and Warner Bros.) put the middle finger on their summer movie competition, ” The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” out in theaters a month earlier.

If that’s the case, it’s a shameless act, even though we’re talking about “Batman & Robin”.

The plot of this thing, formed and disappeared by Akiva GoldsmanBattle Clooney’s Bruce Wayne and O’Donnell’s Dick Grayson against Freeze, his army of deranged hockey players, the newly created Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), the insane Dr. Woodrue ( a John Glover), and a shapeshifting henchman named Bane (Robert Swenson).

In the middle, Alicia Silverstone’s Barbara Wilson, AKA Batgirl, also makes an appearance.

From the first scene on, the music, melodies, dialogue, sound effects, visual effects, and colorful looks are reminiscent of Adam West / Burt Ward TV series “Batman” from 1966-1968. That series, with its full run providing a primary definition of the word “camp,” is clearly what Schumacher wanted to accomplish, albeit with a hefty budget.

I don’t like this movie, but I have to credit it: this is not a copy of Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s vision but an attempt to create a lavish Batman movie that could easily be inhabited by Burgess Meredith, Julie Newmar and Frank Gorshin.

It is outspoken and naive.

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If it works, it could serve as a parody of Hollywood’s over-indulgence, rather than a prime example of a work that has gone frenzied with greed and unbridled greed. regime.

“Batman & Robin” is the opposite of itself and works best if seen as a comedy. It succeeds as both the ’60s TV show brings it to full vibrancy and also a glimpse into the alternate universe of what the Batfans feared the ’89 movie would be like before they watched. introductory paragraph. Batman can certainly work as a comedy, which the underrated and clever “The Batman Lego Movie” (2017) proves.

This is an exercise in overkill in each moment. When the shots show characters talking in dimly lit, sparsely decorated rooms (these would be quiet scenes in Wayne Manor), they’re a welcome relief and too brief. .

Schumacher even repeated the black light effect used in “Batman Forever,” a success that added comedy and a bit of drama to another installment.

The production design here resembles an over-decorated wedding cake.

There’s so much spectacle, it’s easy to forget that the movie has any heart, but it does. Michael Gough’s performance as Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne’s butler, is at its best. That’s not a winged compliment either.

This is Gough’s penultimate turn when Alfred and the veteran actor are about to move here. Gough’s scenes with Clooney are not only the best of the movie, but also the ones where Clooney is most talked about and most effective as Wayne.

Thurman’s introduction as Poison Ivy wouldn’t be out of place in “The Return to Swamp Thing” (1989). Likewise, the jungle-themed environmental prom Wayne attended was enticing, feeling like the theatrical production of “Goddess” in Paul Verhoeven’s “Showgirls” (1995).

Thurman has managed to avoid the career turmoil that has caused Elizabeth Berkley, although this represents a strange, misguided, dual attempt by the “Kill Bill” star to achieve mainstream success at Warner Brothers. , as this and “The Avengers” (1998) opened within a year of each other.

At first, Thurman’s character looks like Jim Carrey’s Edward Nygma from the previous film, but minus the brilliance Carrey brings to The Riddler. Thurman’s schtick here is similar to what Mae West did.

Poison Ivy has a noble purpose, as Wayne Enterprises is an environmental poison. However, Poison Ivy’s quest and her character’s righteousness never connect the way Selina Kyle and her righteous indignation did in “Batman Returns” (1992).

The heavy horror of Mr. Freeze is a contrast to the character’s origin story, which is sad enough to make sense, but it’s not. Schwarzenegger is nothing but jokes and his performance is just him getting dressed up, though in a costume that, like the movie itself, would be impressive if it weren’t too frills.

A scene depicting Bane’s transformation/”birth” is an ugly, intense moment in a children’s movie. Cartoons are putting it lightly, as characters are constantly being tossed, thrown, or thrown into the air, and it’s never quite the same as how gravity works.

FAST FACT: “Batman and Robin” hit the $100 million mark in 1997, but $107 million bonus marks the low point of the franchise.

O’Donnell is good, but his character is so annoying, he’s not the bright spot here the way he was in “Batman Forever.” Glover, who doesn’t do subtlety, helps captivate audiences with Schumacher’s superiority.

Silverstone seemed overwhelmed, and a cameo in a Vivica A. Fox scene was a step in the wrong direction from the Sugar and Spice nonsense of the previous installment. Even Elle MacPherson showed up for little use.

Oh, Jesse the Body Ventura and Coolio also guest-starred. There are simply too many things.

Including Bane here is a ludicrous touch – seeing him as Poison Ivy’s driver, in “camouflage” wearing a Fedora and dandy jacket, is an outrage that Tom Hardy is lucky not to be. face to face.

Finally, there’s Clooney, who plays Wayne the way Roger Moore plays James Bond near the end of his run. No problem with this Batman.

However, I have to be fair and offer a great exchange between Clooney and Gough. Alfred told Bruce, “Death and chance took your parents, but instead of being a victim, you did everything in your power to control fate. For what is Batman, if not an attempt to master the chaos sweeping our world? An attempt to control death itself”. Bruce considers this and asks, “Can’t I?” Alfred replied, “None of us can.”

Holy Great Screenwriter, Batman!

Did Goldsman have an “In” date when he wrote this adorable scene? I wish Gough had said this to Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne but still, for a film that has come this far, there are small but undeniable moments of quality buried beneath all of it. all other scenes, lit by the black lights of an indoor golf course.

For a film that became one of the most despised and famous blockbusters for its giant nipples and needles in hero costumes and countless Goldsman quips, the acts This crime is just the tip of the iceberg of Mr. Freeze.

The lack of logic, even for a comic book movie, is remarkable. What I like most is that the movie doesn’t seem to capture that, when you’re frozen in ice, you don’t hibernate. In fact, you suffocate while you freeze to death.

RELATED: Why The Dark Knight Exist

I took my mother to see “Batman & Robin” in the theater and she loved it. Why? Because she misses and is scarred by “Batman is back!. ”

The onslaught of Schumacher’s film’s visuals and words feels refreshing in contrast to the black drooling Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer being bitten by street cats, and Catwoman slashing a rapist in the face. erotic.

This gentler teen takes on Batman like my Mom’s speed.

By the end, I was so fed up and tired of it. Gough actually gets the ending line, another Goldsman specialty: “We’re going to need a bigger Batcave.” I hope one day someone makes a big budget Batman, this is a comedy on purpose and, unlike “Batman & Robin,” is genuinely funny.





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