As a fan of Tim Burton's Batman movies I naturally hold Joel Shumacher responsible for the current state of the franchise. However, I do feel that the blame falls more on Batman and Robin than on Batman Forever.
From the very start of Forever, we know that it's not going to be a Burton like outing for Bats. "Can I persuade you to take a lunch" asks Albert to Bats, as he prepares to go out for the night. "No thanks. I'll get drive thru" replies Bats.
The reason I can't bring myself to dislike Forever is the actors. Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jim Carrey are guys that I love watching, and I still follow their careers by seeing their movies. The obvious question now arises: Why did a gang of such accomplished actors give us such sub par performances. The answer is equally obvious: Joel Shumacher.
The studio wanted a lighter Batman movie after Burton's dark Batman Returns, which I feel is the best film in the series. Therefore, Shumacher set out to make Forever as a hybrid of the campy 60's tv series and Burton's dark vision. I think he accomplishes it to some degree, but I can't help but think what could have been if it was Burton who had taken on the characters, specifically Two-Face. Face is a classic Batman villain in that he's a direct mirror Batman/Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately most of the significance of this is lost because of Shumacher's direction.
I enjoy Val Kilmer therefore I like him as Batman, but he would have been a much more worthy successor to Keaton had the direction of the movie been different. I can't stress this point enough: the actors are not at fault here. Other things I enjoy about the movie are Batman's vehicles. The Batmobile is beautiful and rivals the one from the first two movies as my favorite. The Batwing, while not exactly aerodynamically sound, is still a great visual, as is the Batboat.
Here is the inevitable "but". While I tolerate Shumacher in this, the first of his Batman ventures, there are things I won't forgive him for. Forever is the movie that gave us the nipple endowed Batsuit. Ridiculous. Burton made a wise move in Batman Returns in making the Batsuit more body armor-like and less of a muscle suit. Schumacher not only reverts to the muscle suit, but gives Bats and Robin nipples. Maybe Bats is attempting a new strategy: If the criminals are doubled over in laughter before I get to them, I don't have to beat them up. Other than the nipples, Bats and sidekick to have nice suits. The radar-modified suit at the end of the movie is also cool, but Shumacher unfortunately goes overboard with the custom costumes in the next film, Batman and Robin.
I don't have any major complaint about fights or stunts in the movie, save the outrageous scene where the Batmobile is driven up the side of a building. Flat out absurd. It's no wonder the scene changes so we never find out what Bats does when he gets to the top. Gotham City itself is tolerable, but nothing of the wonder that it is in Burton's movies. The attempt is made to meld Bo Welch's socialist-influenced design from Batman Returns with a typical movie futuristic city, but it's not very effective. Just the same, one of Forever's saving graces is that Gotham is not yet the absurd caricature that Shumacher and crew create in Batman and Robin.
A Batman movie seems equally empty without Danny Elfman but Elliot Goldenthal's score is wonderful, and in it's peak moments nothing short of spectacular. His themes really become part of the movie for me-I can't imagine watching the movie without the soundtrack to accompany it. At it's best moments the word I think describes the score best is "triumphant". An excellent word to be associated with Batman.
At one point in the movie the caped crusaders find themselves on an island of steel, at which point Robin remarks "Holy, rusted metal Batman!" Confused, Batman responds "What?" Of course, this exchange is a clear nod to the 60's tv show, but the fact that Batman has no idea what he is talking about carries a second message: this ain't your daddy's Batman. No, it's not. But it's not our brother's either. It's an amalgamation of both of them. The fact that Tim Burton was involved as a producer probably kept the movie from spiraling into the rubbish that Batman and Robin became. Batman Forever is nothing like the first two, which were dark, psychological and menacing. All that aside it is still entertaining.
From the very start of Forever, we know that it's not going to be a Burton like outing for Bats. "Can I persuade you to take a lunch" asks Albert to Bats, as he prepares to go out for the night. "No thanks. I'll get drive thru" replies Bats.
The reason I can't bring myself to dislike Forever is the actors. Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jim Carrey are guys that I love watching, and I still follow their careers by seeing their movies. The obvious question now arises: Why did a gang of such accomplished actors give us such sub par performances. The answer is equally obvious: Joel Shumacher.
The studio wanted a lighter Batman movie after Burton's dark Batman Returns, which I feel is the best film in the series. Therefore, Shumacher set out to make Forever as a hybrid of the campy 60's tv series and Burton's dark vision. I think he accomplishes it to some degree, but I can't help but think what could have been if it was Burton who had taken on the characters, specifically Two-Face. Face is a classic Batman villain in that he's a direct mirror Batman/Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately most of the significance of this is lost because of Shumacher's direction.
I enjoy Val Kilmer therefore I like him as Batman, but he would have been a much more worthy successor to Keaton had the direction of the movie been different. I can't stress this point enough: the actors are not at fault here. Other things I enjoy about the movie are Batman's vehicles. The Batmobile is beautiful and rivals the one from the first two movies as my favorite. The Batwing, while not exactly aerodynamically sound, is still a great visual, as is the Batboat.
Here is the inevitable "but". While I tolerate Shumacher in this, the first of his Batman ventures, there are things I won't forgive him for. Forever is the movie that gave us the nipple endowed Batsuit. Ridiculous. Burton made a wise move in Batman Returns in making the Batsuit more body armor-like and less of a muscle suit. Schumacher not only reverts to the muscle suit, but gives Bats and Robin nipples. Maybe Bats is attempting a new strategy: If the criminals are doubled over in laughter before I get to them, I don't have to beat them up. Other than the nipples, Bats and sidekick to have nice suits. The radar-modified suit at the end of the movie is also cool, but Shumacher unfortunately goes overboard with the custom costumes in the next film, Batman and Robin.
I don't have any major complaint about fights or stunts in the movie, save the outrageous scene where the Batmobile is driven up the side of a building. Flat out absurd. It's no wonder the scene changes so we never find out what Bats does when he gets to the top. Gotham City itself is tolerable, but nothing of the wonder that it is in Burton's movies. The attempt is made to meld Bo Welch's socialist-influenced design from Batman Returns with a typical movie futuristic city, but it's not very effective. Just the same, one of Forever's saving graces is that Gotham is not yet the absurd caricature that Shumacher and crew create in Batman and Robin.
A Batman movie seems equally empty without Danny Elfman but Elliot Goldenthal's score is wonderful, and in it's peak moments nothing short of spectacular. His themes really become part of the movie for me-I can't imagine watching the movie without the soundtrack to accompany it. At it's best moments the word I think describes the score best is "triumphant". An excellent word to be associated with Batman.
At one point in the movie the caped crusaders find themselves on an island of steel, at which point Robin remarks "Holy, rusted metal Batman!" Confused, Batman responds "What?" Of course, this exchange is a clear nod to the 60's tv show, but the fact that Batman has no idea what he is talking about carries a second message: this ain't your daddy's Batman. No, it's not. But it's not our brother's either. It's an amalgamation of both of them. The fact that Tim Burton was involved as a producer probably kept the movie from spiraling into the rubbish that Batman and Robin became. Batman Forever is nothing like the first two, which were dark, psychological and menacing. All that aside it is still entertaining.