This is a film not designed to be the best piece of pop art it can possibly be, but calculated to draw the widest possible demographics in order to please WB's merchandising partners.
Batman Forever (1995)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 48
Fresh: 21
Rotten:27
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Consensus: Loud, excessively busy, and often boring, Batman Forever nonetheless has the charisma of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones to offer mild relief.
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: The third installment in the "Batman" series. Here the Caped Crusader must once again contend with two strange-looking, personality-impaired villains. First, there's maniacal ex-DA Harvey Two-Face, so named because half his... The third installment in the "Batman" series. Here the Caped Crusader must once again contend with two strange-looking, personality-impaired villains. First, there's maniacal ex-DA Harvey Two-Face, so named because half his countenance has been horribly disfigured by acid. Then there's the wise-cracking, hyperactive Riddler, whose alter-ego Edward Nygma is a nerdy, highly disgruntled ex-employee of Bruce Wayne. Together, these two masterminds plan to conquer the world with a device that not only mesmerizes users with 3-D television images, but also transports the viewer's thoughts into the Riddler's mind. Batman also has to contend with two other new people in his life. One is lovely psychiatrist Chase Meridian, who has fallen in love with Batman AND Bruce Wayne. Then there's Dick Grayson, a young, orphaned acrobat who desperately wants to become Batman's crime-fighting sidekick in order to get revenge on the man responsible for his parents' death: Harvey Two-Face. [More]
Starring: Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman
Starring: Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Drew Barrymore, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Director: Joel Schumacher
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman
DVD Info
Reviews for Batman Forever
Boring and near-unwatchable; its title sums it up with cruel accuracy.
Joel Schumacher submits to the Wagnerian bombast with an overly busy surface, and the script by Lee and Janet Scott Batchler and Akiva Goldsman basically runs through the formula as if it's a checklist.
Mildly diverting, brainless fun that feels like a long trailer for a better film.
As for Kilmer, he gamely steps into the dual Batman/Wayne role but can't get much traction, finding, as Michael Keaton had, that beyond a stern jaw there's not much to be done with it, since the suit does most of the work.
The second sequel to Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster makes its predecessors appear models of subtlety and coherence.
The film ultimately lacks genuine suspense, and Schumacher unwisely moves the film back towards the camp of the 1960s television series.
Kilmer's appeal in the role may be partially due to the fact that his actual public persona resembles Bruce Wayne more closely than that of any other Bat-thespian.
The fatuousness of that title sums up Schumacher's approach. The director allows his few scrupulous choices to be overwhelmed by garish vaudeville.
Pluses: Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as Two-Face and the Riddler, respectively; and the stunning production design.
The film recovers from that initial confusion to get stronger as it goes along, and to shape up as a free-form playground for its various masquerading stars.
Schumaker proves that someone CAN make a Batman movie even worse than Burton. Val Kilmer's portrayal of the Dark Knight is stilted and lifeless.
Latest News for Batman Forever
July 11, 2008:
Revisiting Old Batman Trailers ![]()
We've all enjoyed the long parade of trailers for The Dark Knight -- but do you remember the trailers for the earlier Batman movies? JoBlo does, and now, so can we. More...
July 09, 2007:
"Bat" Bits: Two Face AND The Riddler?
You know how superhero sequels often try to get a lot more villains into the mix? Well, recent word indicates that we'll be seeing the arrival of several colorful newcomers in... More...
February 22, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Jim Carrey Aims to Terrify Moviegoers
Following a busy holiday weekend when five new releases opened nationwide, the crowded marketplace will now face another four new films invading multiplexes everywhere. More...
February 15, 2007:
Aaron Eckhart Joining "Dark Knight" Cast as Two-Face
Heath Ledger is alone no more in wreaking havoc in Gotham City: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Eckhart is in final negotiations to play Two-Face in the upcoming... More...
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by: Allen000 5/26/03
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