Psycho's Movie Reviews #346: BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997)

Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Robin by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. It is the fourth and final instalment of Warner Bros.'s initial Batman film series, a sequel to Batman Forever and the only film in the series made without the involvement of Tim Burton in any capacity.

Directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Akiva Goldsman, it stars George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Val Kilmer, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze, and Chris O'Donnell reprising his role as Dick Grayson / Robin, alongside Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Elle Macpherson.

The film follows the titular characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together. It is also to date the only live-action film appearance of Batgirl, portrayed by Silverstone, who helps the title characters fight the villains.

Warner Bros. fast-tracked development for Batman & Robin following the box office success of Batman Forever. Schumacher and Goldsman conceived the storyline during pre-production on A Time to Kill, while Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role over scheduling conflicts with The Saint. Schumacher had a strong interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place before George Clooney won the role. Principal photography began in September 1996 and wrapped in January 1997, two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule.

Batman & Robin premiered in Los Angeles on June 12, 1997, and went into general release on June 20. Making $238.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $125–160 million, the film was a box office disappointment and received negative reviews, and is often considered to be one of the worst films ever made. It is also the lowest-grossing live-action Batman film to date. One of the songs recorded for the film, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.

Due to the film's poor reception, Warner Bros. cancelled future Batman films including Schumacher’s planned Batman Unchained, and rebooted the film series with Batman Begins in 2005.

Plot

Batman and his partner, Robin, encounter a new foe, Mr. Freeze, who has left a string of diamond robberies in his wake. During a confrontation in the natural history museum, Freeze steals a bigger diamond and flees, freezing Robin and leaving Batman unable to pursue him. Later, Batman and Robin learn that Freeze was originally Dr. Victor Fries, a scientist working to develop a cure for MacGregor's Syndrome, hoping to heal his terminally ill wife, Nora. After a lab accident, Fries was rendered unable to live at average temperatures and forced to wear a cryogenic suit powered by diamonds for survival.

At a Wayne Enterprises lab in Brazil, botanist Dr. Pamela Isley is working under the deranged Dr. Jason Woodrue, who has turned her research on plants into the supersoldier drug Venom. After witnessing Woodrue use the formula to turn serial killer Antonio Diego into the hulking "Bane", she threatens to expose Woodrue's experiments. Woodrue attempts to kill her by overturning a shelf of various toxins; instead, Isley is mutated by the toxins into "Poison Ivy". Ivy kills Woodrue, destroys the lab, and escapes to Gotham City with Bane, concocting a plan to use Wayne's money to support her research. Meanwhile, Alfred Pennyworth's niece, Barbara Wilson, makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce to stay at Wayne Manor until she goes back to school.

Wayne Enterprises presents a new telescope for Gotham Observatory at a press conference interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, which would kill millions of people. Batman and Robin decide to lure Freeze out using the Wayne Family diamonds, and present them at a Wayne Enterprises charity event. Ivy attends the event, and decides to use her abilities to seduce Batman and Robin. Freeze crashes the party, but is defeated and detained in Arkham Asylum. Ivy takes an interest in Freeze and frees him from Arkham. Dick discovers that Barbara has been participating in drag races to raise money for Alfred, who is dying of MacGregor's Syndrome; a fact he kept from Bruce and Dick.

Batman, Robin and the police arrive at Freeze's lair in response to his escape, discovering Nora preserved in a cryogenic chamber, and that Freeze has developed a cure for the early stages of MacGregor's Syndrome. Freeze, Ivy and Bane secretly arrive to recover Freeze's diamonds and Nora. Wanting Freeze for herself, Ivy unplugs Nora's chamber, steals the diamonds, and seduces Robin; escalating tensions between him and Batman. At Ivy's hideout, Ivy convinces Freeze that Batman has killed Nora. Freeze swears to freeze all of humanity in revenge, with Ivy planning to repopulate the earth using her mutant plants afterwards.

Freeze and Bane commandeer Gotham Observatory and convert the new telescope into a giant freeze ray, while Ivy uses the Bat-Signal to contact Robin. Robin attempts to go after Ivy alone, but Batman convinces him not to fall for Ivy's seduction. Barbara discovers the Batcave, where an AI version of Alfred reveals he has made Barbara her own suit. Barbara dons the suit and becomes Batgirl, arriving at Ivy's lair in time to help Batman and Robin subdue her.

Freeze begins to encase Gotham in ice, and Batman, Robin, and Batgirl head to Gotham Observatory together to stop him. Batman defeats Freeze in combat, while Batgirl and Robin incapacitate Bane and thaw the city. Freeze accuses Batman of killing Nora, only to be shown a recording of Ivy admitting to the crime. Batman reveals that Nora is still alive and offers Freeze the chance to continue his research on MacGregor's Syndrome in exchange for his cure. Freeze accepts and returns to Arkham, where he is imprisoned in the same cell as Ivy. Alfred receives the cure, and Bruce and Dick agree to let Barbara join them in fighting crime.

Production

Development

With the box office success of Batman Forever in June 1995, Warner Bros. immediately commissioned a sequel. They hired director Joel Schumacher and writer Akiva Goldsman to reprise their duties the following August, and decided it was best to fast-track production for a June 1997 target release date, which is a break from the usual 3-year gap between films. Schumacher wanted to homage both the broad camp style of the 1960s television series and the work of Dick Sprang. The storyline of Batman & Robin was conceived by Schumacher and Goldsman during pre-production on A Time to Kill. Portions of Mr. Freeze's backstory were based on the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice", written by Paul Dini. Goldsman, however, expressed concerns about the script during pre-production discussions with Schumacher.

While Chris O'Donnell reprises the role of Robin, Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role of Batman from Batman Forever. Schumacher admitted he had difficulty working with Kilmer on Forever. "He sort of quit," Schumacher said, "and we sort of fired him." Schumacher would later go on to say that Kilmer wanted to work on The Island of Dr. Moreau because Marlon Brando was cast in the film. Kilmer said he was not aware of the fast-track production and was already committed to The Saint (1997). David Duchovny claims he was considered for the role of Batman, but he joked the reason they did not cast him because his nose was too big. Schumacher originally had a strong interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place, but George Clooney was cast instead. Schumacher believed Clooney could provide a lighter interpretation of the character than Michael Keaton (in Batman and Batman Returns) and Kilmer. The shooting schedule allowed Clooney to simultaneously work on ER without any scheduling conflicts. In the documentary Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of The Dark Knight, Schumacher said he was given the mandate by the studio to make the film even more "toyetic" even when compared to Batman Forever.

Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, and Patrick Stewart were considered for the role of Mr. Freeze, before the script was rewritten to accommodate Arnold Schwarzenegger's casting. Schumacher decided that Mr. Freeze must be "big and strong like he was chiseled out of a glacier". Schwarzenegger was paid a $25 million salary for the role. Mr. Freeze's armour was made by armorer Terry English, who estimated the costume cost some $1.5 million to develop and make. To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger wore a bald cap after declining to shave his head and wore a blue LED in his mouth. His prosthetic makeup and wardrobe took six hours to apply each day. Thurman took the role of Poison Ivy because she liked the femme fatale characterization of the character. Alicia Silverstone was the only choice for the role of Batgirl.

According to Schumacher, during the scene in which the costumes of the Riddler and Two-Face are seen, he originally planned to put Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze escaping from Arkham Asylum while many other villains saw them from their cells. The scene was not included in the final film.

Filming

The original start date was August 1996, but principal photography did not begin until September 12, 1996. Batman & Robin finished filming in late January 1997, two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule. The film was mostly shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

When comparing work on Batman Forever, O'Donnell explained, "First movie, things felt much sharper and more focused, and it just felt like everything got a little softer on the second one. The first one, I felt like I was making a movie. The second one, I felt like I was making a toy commercial." He also complained about the Robin costume, saying it was more involved and less comfortable than the one he wore in Batman Forever, with a glued-on mask that caused sweat to pool on his face. According to John Glover, who played Dr. Jason Woodrue, "Joel Schumacher would sit on a crane with a megaphone and yell before each take, 'Remember, everyone, this is a cartoon'. It was hard to act because that kind of set the tone for the film." Production designer Barbara Ling admitted her influences for the Gotham City design came from "neon-ridden Tokyo and the Machine Age. Gotham is like a World's fair on ecstasy." Rhythm and Hues and Pacific Data Images created the visual effects sequences, with John Dykstra and Andrew Adamson credited as the visual effects supervisors.

O'Donnell said that despite hanging out with Schwarzenegger a lot off set and during promotion for the film, they never worked a single day together; this was achieved with stand-ins when one of the actors was not available. Stunt coordinator Alex Field taught Silverstone to ride a motorcycle so that she could play Batgirl.

Music

Like Batman Forever, the original score for the film was written by Elliot Goldenthal. The soundtrack featured a variety of genres by various bands and performers, showcasing alternative rock on the lead single "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, on the Goo Goo Dolls' contribution, "Lazy Eye" and with R.E.M.'s song "Revolution". R&B singer R. Kelly also wrote "Gotham City" for the soundtrack, which became the other song featured in the end credits, as well as one of the singles, reaching the top 10 in the United States and in the UK. Eric Benét and Meshell Ndegeocello also contributed R&B songs. Also included was the top 5-second single, "Look into My Eyes" by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Other songs featured included electronic dance elements, including those by Moloko and Arkarna. The soundtrack was released on May 27, 1997, more than two weeks before the film's American premiere. "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.

Marketing

The Batman & Robin film trailer debuted on the February 19, 1997 episode of Entertainment Tonight. Warner Bros. spent $125 million to market and promote the film, in addition to its $160 million production budget. The studio also reportedly included toy companies in pre-production meetings, including the design of concept art and character illustrations. Director Joel Schumacher criticized Warner Bros.' strategy for Batman & Robin as being overtly "toyetic".

Several Six Flags amusement parks introduced new roller coasters themed to the film. Batman & Robin: The Chiller opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 1997, and Mr. Freeze opened at both Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis in 1998. Taco Bell featured a promotional campaign including collectible cups and a contest with a replica of the film's Batmobile as a grand prize. A junior novelization of the screenplay, written by Alan Grant, was published along with the release of the film in 1997.

Release/Reception/Box Office

Batman & Robin would go down in history as one of the worst superhero films of all time. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes Batman & Robin has an approval rating of 12%, based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin, resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for." On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 28 out of 100, based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavourable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.

Schumacher and producer Peter MacGregor-Scott blamed the negative reception of Batman & Robin on Warner Bros.' decision to fast track production. "There was a lot of pressure from Warner Bros. to make Batman & Robin more family-friendly," Schumacher explained. "We decided to do a less depressing Batman movie, and less torture and more heroic. I know I have been criticized a lot for this, but I didn't see the harm in that approach at all."

Upon release, the film received near unanimous negative reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the toyetic approach and Mr. Freeze's one-liner jokes in his "thumbs down" review of the film. Ebert’s partner Gene Siskel who gave positive reviews to the previous Batman films, also gave this film a thumbs down; it was the last Batman movie he reviewed before his death in 1999. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times believed the film "killed" the Batman film series. Desson Howe of The Washington Post disapproved of Schumacher's direction and Akiva Goldsman's script, as well as the returning costume design from the first film. Mick LaSalle, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, said, "George Clooney is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series." However, Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave a more positive review, and praised Uma Thurman's performance. Andrew Johnston, writing in Time Out New York, remarked, "It's hard to tell who B&R is intended for. Anyone who knows the character from the comics or the superb animated show on Fox will be alienated. And though Schumacher treats the Adam West version as gospel, that show's campy humour is completely incompatible with these production values."

Many observers thought Schumacher added possible homoerotic innuendo in the storyline. James Berardinelli questioned the "random amount of rubber nipples and camera angle close-ups of the Dynamic Duo's butts and Bat-crotches." Similar to Batman Forever, this primarily included the decision to add nipples and enlarged codpieces to the Batman and Robin suits. Schumacher stated, "I had no idea that putting nipples on the Batsuit and Robin suit were going to spark international headlines. The bodies of the suits come from ancient Greek statues, which display perfect bodies. They are anatomically correct." Chris O'Donnell, who portrayed Robin, felt "it wasn't so much the nipples that bothered me. It was the codpiece. The press obviously played it up and made it a big deal, especially with Joel directing. I didn't think twice about the controversy, but going back and looking and seeing some of the pictures, it was very unusual."

Clooney himself has spoken critically of the film, saying in 2005, "I think we might have killed the franchise", and called it "a waste of money". In 2015, while promoting Disney's Tomorrowland at New York Comic-Con, Clooney said that he had met former Batman actor Adam West and apologized to him. Furthermore, when asked during a 2015 interview on The Graham Norton Show about whether he had ever had to apologize for Batman & Robin, Clooney responded, "I always apologize for Batman & Robin".

In his book Batman: the Complete History, Les Daniels analysed the film's relatively strong performance internationally: "nuances of languages or personality were likely to be lost in translation and admittedly eye-popping spectacle seemed sufficient."

Batman & Robin was released on June 20, 1997 in North America, earning $42,872,605 in its opening weekend, making it the third-highest opening weekend of 1997. The film declined by 63% in its second week. Batman & Robin faced early competition with Face/Off, Hercules, and Men in Black. Schumacher blamed it on yellow journalism started by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News and other film websites such as Dark Horizons. The film went on to gross $107.3 million in North America and $130.9 million internationally, coming to a worldwide total of $238.2 million. Warner Bros. acknowledged Batman & Robin's shortcomings in the domestic market but pointed out success in other markets.

Budget $125–160 million

Box office $238.2 million

My Review

Watching "Batman & Robin," the fourth cinematic outing in the Warner Brothers' franchise, is like sitting through a Broadway musical staged as a series of wrestling matches. Batman (George Clooney of "From Dusk Till Dawn") and Robin (Chris O'Donnell of "Batman Forever) are poised in one corner of the ring on the side of justice. The time around the Boy Wonder chafes at his second banana status. He wants a super hero car and his own signal light! Batman grimaces: "That's why Superman works alone." Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone of "Clueless") is the latest recruit to the Caped Crusader's clan. Uncle Alfred's bodacious niece, she loves to race motorcycles. Opposite our heroes and heroines in the other corner are Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger of "True Lies"), a human stalagmite dressed like a bug lamp, and the venomous botanical Botticelli-like Venus dubbed Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman of "Pulp Fiction") whose lips carry a toxic kiss. Audiences get to ogle these overdressed fiends as they battle Batman and Robin amid several fabled settings for two hours in far-fetched situations. The combat scenes suffer from a choreographed look that detracts from the spontaneity of the fighting. Indeed, everything about "Batman & Robin" is as staged and predictable as a wrestling match.

Nevertheless, "Batman & Robin" qualifies as ideal summer fare. This surefire formula has been served up once again with a high quota of action but relatively little violence. Nobody should leave this movie warped enough to imitate any of the stunts. While surpassing "Batman Forever," "Batman & Robin" sports few of the vicious vibes of the mean-spirited Tim Burton & Michael Keaton originals. The lively Akiva Goldsman screenplay plumbs the depths of a DC comic book. The screenplay exists as an excuse to catapult Batman into a string of battles with his larger-than-life adversaries. Like some earlier Batman fiends, these new villains are zombies that have defied death.

Mr. Freeze stomps around in a subzero cryogenic suit that resembles the RoboCop rig minus the helmet. Freeze survives on diamonds that fuel his cold suit. Meanwhile, he is cooking up a formula to cure his frozen wife of a terminal disease called McGregor's Syndrome. Interestingly, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred (Michael Gough of "Horror Hospital") succumbs to the same illness. If one villain were not enough, Goldsman whistles up a second, the felonious flora known as Poison Ivy who deploys her sire charms to incite rivalry between the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Again, the wrestling image of tag teams comes to mind for "Batman & Robin." Mind you, the villains are annoying but not odious. Although bald-headed, gimlet-eyed, and blue from head to toe, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't seem very dangerous. His dialogue mixes puns about frigidity with synonyms for the word 'cold.' "Chill!" roars Mr. Freeze as he wields an ice gun that turns the police into icicles. Despite his insane laughter and hideous plans, Mr. Freeze never really harms anybody. The heroes manage to thaw out Freeze's victims before they die so his villainy is strictly cosmetic. And Poison Ivy's is essentially no different.

"Batman & Robin" emerges more as a triumph of set design, costuming, and elaborate visual effects over narrative storytelling. The breath-taking, computer-generated baroque sets of Gotham City radiate a surreal quality that is enhanced by the cotton-candy coloured fluorescence of the cinematography. Each shot in the movie resembles a panel out of a Batman comic book. Scores of Dutch-tilted MTV-style camera angles punctuate the action to heighten the tension and suspense. The special effects are so dazzling that you will find yourself overwhelmed by them.

Making the death-defying obstacles bigger each time helps but only prolongs the certainty that they will survive. Basically, the heroes are getting out of tight spots far too easily. Batman's suit conceals more gadgets than James Bond's tuxedo. Every gadget has been ingeniously contrived to get Batman out of his predicaments. Each device works without fail every time. Our heroes don't even break a sweat, so why should we? The best way to watch "Batman & Robin" is to let the absurdities flow over you.

Nevertheless, the filmmakers are shrewd. Between the high octane action sequences, a dozen allusions are made about 'family values.' Bruce Wayne shares a tearful moment, for example, with his bed-ridden butler Alfred. Despite its knockabout tactics, "Batman & Robin" endorses the family. 'Family values' play a crucial part in the narrative. Batman & Robin quarrel and compete with each other in the film. Eventually, Alfred intervenes and resolves the tensions between our heroes. When the Dynamic Duo reciprocate the trust that solidifies them as a family, they defeat their adversaries.

The best part of "Batman & Robin" is the subplot that has Alfred ailing. Aside from paunchy Pat Hingle's Commissioner Gordon, English actor Michael Gough is the only holdover from the original Keaton "Batman." Equipped with George Burns' eyeglasses, Alfred furnishes the only genuine warmth in the film. Although the main plot concerns saving the world from Mr. Freeze's ice-capades, Alfred's imminent death weaves the path of hero and villain into a neat, slushy outcome.

Director Joel Schumacher succeeds admirably in keeping the plot from getting in the way of either the special efforts or the action. "Batman & Robin" is as calculated a summer. Schumacher provides more than enough style to get "Batman & Robin" over its alarming lack of substance. Schumacher inherited the franchise from Tim Burton who bailed after "Batman Returns." As Hollywood movie directors rank, Schumacher boasts an impressive string of successes. He helmed "Batman Forever," "A Time to Kill," "Flatliners," "The Lost Boys," "D.C. Cab," and "St. Elmo's Fire." Schumacher keeps "Batman & Robin" moving at a whirlwind pace. He has ushered Batman from the dark side and into the light. The worse thing you can say about "Batman & Robin" is that it is a rough and tumble fashion show masquerading as an action movie. Nobody really gets hurt who doesn't deserve their punishment.

I'm sorry though, this one is and forever will be my favourite of the Batman series. It was the first superhero film I watched. It started my love for the Batman universe, also for Poison Ivy specifically. Speaking of her, Poison Ivy was literally the best character in this film. The scriptwriters were trolling with this film, especially with Freeze, but Poison Ivy near enough had the better lines and deserved more screen time than she did. That and I really want to see her in a future Batman film, she's one of my favourite characters who I think deserve more attention.

This is definitely a Guilty Pleasure of mine! 10/10

{Also, something you may not know, during the auction house scene where Poison Ivy makes a big entrance and entrances everybody, the song in the background while she's dancing is inspired by a 1950s song by The Coasters, coincidentally named 'Poison Ivy'. I never knew this before. It wasn't until recently where I was watching this with my Dad I the room, was where my Dad pointed it out. Here, I'll show you the songs back to back and let's see if you can hear the similarities, because I can!}

{Skip to 2:29 to hear the main song}

{Oh, Poison Ivy is my Queeeeeen, she needs more attention real bad. She wouldn't have to puff pheremones into my face, I'd just obey willingly}.