Batman & Robin (film)

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Batman & Robin
Batman & Robin poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Based on
Produced by Peter MacGregor-Scott
Starring
Cinematography Stephen Goldblatt
Edited by
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dates
  • June 12, 1997 (1997-06-12)(Los Angeles)
  • June 20, 1997 (1997-06-20)(United States)
Running time
125 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125–160 million [2] [3] [4]
Box office$238 million [5]

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 installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series, a sequel to Batman Forever (1995), 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) and Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson / Robin, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone. The film follows the eponymous characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze (Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Thurman) from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together.

Contents

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 ; Schumacher was given a mandate to make the film more toyetic than its predecessor. After Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role of Batman, Schumacher was interested in casting William Baldwin 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. It grossed $238 million worldwide against a production budget of $125–160 million, and was considered a box office disappointment at the time. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and is considered to be one of the worst films ever made. 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 .

Plot

Batman and his partner, Robin, encounter a new villain, Mr. Freeze, who has left a string of jewel thefts in his wake. During a confrontation at the natural history museum, Freeze steals a large diamond and flees, freezing Robin and leaving Batman unable to pursue him. Later, Batman and Robin learn that Freeze was originally Doctor Victor Fries, a scientist working to develop a cure for a disease known as MacGregor's syndrome, [a] 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 Doctor Pamela Isley is working under the deranged Doctor 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, who kills Woodrue with a poisonous kiss, destroys the lab and escapes to Gotham City with Bane, concocting a plot 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 Ivy. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, knowing it could result in genocide. 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 incarcerated at Arkham Asylum. Ivy takes an interest in Freeze and helps him escape. 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, but his niece is secretly aware of his situation and is trying to find treatment for him.

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. The villains soon secretly arrive to recover Freeze's diamonds and Nora. Wanting Freeze for herself, Ivy cuts off the power to Nora's chamber, steals the diamonds, and seduces Robin, escalating tensions between him and Batman. At her hideout, Ivy convinces Freeze that Batman was responsible for her attempt at Nora's life and he then resolves to make humanity suffer for revenge, with Ivy plotting to repopulate Earth using her mutant plants afterward. 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 artificial intelligence version of Alfred reveals he has made a suit for Barbara. Barbara dons the suit and becomes Batgirl, arriving at Ivy's lair in time to help Batman and Robin subdue her.

Freeze begins to freeze Gotham over whilst 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 taking Nora's life, only to be shown a recording of Ivy admitting to the crime. Batman reveals that Nora survived 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, upon whom he plans to take revenge. Alfred is cured and Bruce and Dick agree to let Barbara join them in fighting crime.

Cast

John Glover portrays Dr. Jason Woodrue, a deranged scientist with a desire for world domination via his Venom-powered "supersoldiers", of whom Bane, portrayed by Robert Swenson, becomes Poison Ivy's bodyguard and muscle. Michael Reid MacKay plays Bane before he is injected with Venom. Vivica A. Fox and Vendela Kirsebom play Mr. Freeze's assistant and Nora Fries, Freeze's cryogenically frozen wife, respectively. Elizabeth Sanders appears as Gossip Gerty, Gotham's top gossip columnist. Michael Paul Chan and Kimberly Scott both appear as telescope scientists. Jesse Ventura and Ralf Moeller appear as Arkham Asylum guards. Coolio makes a cameo appearance, later stating that he was to reprise his role as Scarecrow in the ultimately cancelled sequel Batman Unchained . [8]

Production

Development

With the box office success of Batman Forever in June 1995, Warner Bros. immediately commissioned a sequel. [9] They hired director Joel Schumacher and writer Akiva Goldsman to reprise their duties the following August [10] and decided it was best to fast-track production for a June 1997 target release date, which is a break from the usual three-year gap between films. [9] Schumacher wanted to pay homage to the work of the classic Batman comic books of his childhood. [11] The storyline of Batman & Robin was conceived by Schumacher and Goldsman during pre-production on A Time to Kill . [12] Portions of Mr. Freeze's backstory were based on the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice", written by Paul Dini. [13] Goldsman, however, expressed concerns about the script during pre-production discussions with Schumacher. [2] Schumacher stated that he was given the mandate by the studio to make the film more toyetic, even when compared to Batman Forever. [10] The studio reportedly included toy companies in pre-production meetings; [14] Mr. Freeze's blaster was specifically designed by toy manufacturers. [15] Batman creator Bob Kane acted as an official consultant and was heavily involved in the production; he gave input on the film's script as well as on set. [16]

Batman Adventure The Ride 2 - key 06.jpg
Batman Adventure The Ride 2 - key 18.jpg
Concept art for the film.

While Chris O'Donnell reprised the role of Robin, Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role of Batman from Batman Forever. Schumacher admitted that he had difficulty working with Kilmer on Batman Forever. "He sort of quit," Schumacher said, "and we sort of fired him." [17] 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. [2] Kilmer said that he was not aware of the fast-track production and was already committed to The Saint [10] and Heat . [18] David Duchovny stated he was considered for the role of Batman, joking that the reason why he was not chosen was because his nose was too big. [19] George Clooney's casting as Batman was suggested by Warner Bros. executive Bob Daly. [2] Schumacher originally had interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place, but chose Clooney after seeing his performance in From Dusk till Dawn . Schumacher felt that Clooney "brought a real humanity and humor to the piece, an accessibility that I don't think anybody else has been able to offer" and that he strongly resembled the character from the comic books. [20] Schumacher also believed that Clooney could provide a lighter interpretation of the character than Kilmer and Michael Keaton. [21] As a consequence of time constraints, the costume department repurposed the costume worn by Val Kilmer in Batman Forever for the third act of the film. [22]

Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, and reportedly Patrick Stewart were considered for the role of Mr. Freeze, [23] [24] before the script was rewritten to accommodate Arnold Schwarzenegger's casting. [25] Schumacher later denied that Stewart was ever considered. [2] Schumacher decided that Mr. Freeze had to be "big and strong like he was chiseled out of a glacier". Mr. Freeze's armor was made by armorer Terry English, who estimated that the costume cost some $1.5 million to develop and make. [10] To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger wore a bald cap after declining to shave his head, wore a blue LED in his mouth, and had acrylic paint applied. The blue LEDs had to be wrapped in balloons after battery acid started leaking into Schwarzenegger's mouth. [2] His prosthetic makeup and wardrobe took six hours to apply each day. [26] The extensive time spent on Schwarzenegger's costume significantly restricted his shooting time as his contract was limited to 12 work hours a day. [2] Schwarzenegger was paid a $25 million salary for the role. [27] [28] Beside Uma Thurman, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, and Julia Roberts were considered for the role of Poison Ivy. [23] [24] Schumacher first became aware of Thurman through an earlier role as Venus in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen . Thurman ultimately took the role of Poison Ivy because she liked the femme fatale characterization of the character. [10] Alicia Silverstone was the only choice for the role of Batgirl. [23] Prior to filming, she was reported to have lost at least 10 pounds for the role. [29] Silverstone would later recount the body shaming she encountered during promotion of the film. [30]

Filming

A display of Arnold Schwarzenegger's costume as Mr. Freeze. Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr. Freeze costume in Batman.jpg
A display of Arnold Schwarzenegger's costume as Mr. Freeze.

Principal photography was set to commence in August 1996, [17] but did not begin until September 12, 1996. [31] Batman & Robin finished filming in late January 1997, [32] two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule. [11] The shooting schedule allowed Clooney to simultaneously work on the television series ER without any scheduling conflicts. [11] O'Donnell said that despite spending a lot of time with Schwarzenegger off of set and during promotion for the film, they did not work a single day together during production; this was achieved by using stand-ins when one of the actors was unavailable. [10] Stunt coordinator Alex Field taught Silverstone to ride a motorcycle so that she could play Batgirl. [33] Filming was temporarily halted in the fall of 1996 when Mr. Freeze's blaster prop disappeared from the film set; a police investigation was subsequently opened, culminating in the raid of a film memorabilia collector's home. [34] High public interest in the film caused security issues on set; according to producer Peter MacGregor-Scott, paparazzi regularly disrupted the set, and photographs of Schwarzenegger taken during filming sold for $10,000. [2]

When comparing work on Batman Forever, O'Donnell explained that "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." [10] He also complained about the Robin costume, saying that it was more involved and less comfortable than the one that he wore in Batman Forever, with a glued-on mask that caused sweat to pool on his face. [33] 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." [10] Several different stunt doubles were used for the roles of Batman, Robin, and Mr. Freeze, some specialized in ice skating, aerial gymnastics, and driving. [2]

The film was mostly shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. [10] The grounds of Greystone Mansion were used for scenes taking place at Wayne Manor. Part of the film was also shot in Vienna, Austria, Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. [35] [36] [37] Production designer Barbara Ling stated that her influences for the design of Gotham City came from "neon-ridden Tokyo and the Machine Age. Gotham is like a World's fair on ecstasy." [38] Although miniatures and computer-generated elements were used for some scenes, large full-scale sets were constructed, including Gotham City covered in ice. For scenes featuring people frozen by Mr. Freeze's ice-ray, life-sized mannequins covered in fake ice were created. [22] Several different materials were tested for the faux ice before settling on a combination of fiber resin. According to Ling, the ice effects alone took half a year to create. [16] Rhythm and Hues and Pacific Data Images created the visual effects sequences, with John Dykstra and Andrew Adamson credited as the visual effects supervisors. [39] Batman & Robin featured 450 individual visual effects shots, 150 more than Batman Forever. Motion capture was used to animate digital stunt doubles; for a scene featuring skysurfing, the department recorded the motion of a skyboarder in a wind tunnel at a military base in North Carolina. [16]

Music

Elliot Goldenthal returned to score Batman & Robin after collaborating with Schumacher on Batman Forever. [40] The soundtrack features 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, and with the songs "Lazy Eye" by Goo Goo Dolls and R.E.M.'s "Revolution". R&B singer R. Kelly wrote "Gotham City" for the soundtrack, which was featured in the end credits and was chosen as one of the singles, reaching the top 10 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Eric Benét and Meshell Ndegeocello also contributed R&B songs. Also included was the single, "Look into My Eyes" by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, which reached the top 5. Other songs featured included electronic dance elements, including those by Moloko and Arkarna. The soundtrack was released on May 27, 1997, two weeks and three days ahead of the film's premiere in the United States. [41] The orchestral score for the film was never commercially released. [42]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the soundtrack a "C" and called it "as incoherent as the Batman films themselves". [43] Retrospectively, Nicole Drum of ComicBook.com described the soundtrack as a "colorful sampling of popular music at the time that feels messy, complicated, and comforting all at the same time". [44] Filmtracks.com deemed the orchestral score an improvement over that of its predecessor Batman Forever, noting that, while borrowing several themes from the previous film, Goldenthal successfully "expands upon the statements of his title theme and action material so that they are fleshed out into more accessibly enjoyable music". Nevertheless, the website compared Goldenthal's work negatively to Danny Elfman's scores for Batman and Batman Returns. [42] In an interview with IGN , composer Hans Zimmer, who contributed the score to Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman films, called Goldenthal's theme "the most glorious statement of Batman I'd ever heard". [45] "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. [46]

Release

Batman & Robin had its premiere on June 12, 1997, in Westwood, Los Angeles. [47] The film marked the United Kingdom's then-"biggest and most expensive" movie premiere. The event was held at Battersea Power Station in London, with the building decorated to look like Gotham City and Wayne Manor. [48] Expected to be among the tent poles of the summer movie season, [49] the film opened in the United States on June 20, 1997, in 2,934 theaters, where it remained for an average of approximately 6.2 weeks. [50] The film was released on DVD four months later on October 22, 1997. [51] A special edition DVD was released in 2005 that included a documentary series about the production of the film series, Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight. [22] [52]

Marketing

The theatrical trailer for Batman & Robin debuted on the February 19, 1997, episode of Entertainment Tonight . [53] Warner Bros. spent $125 million to market and promote the film, [54] in addition to its $160 million production budget. [3] [4] 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 a Mr. Freeze-themed roller coaster opened at both Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis in 1998. [10] Taco Bell launched a $20 million promotional campaign for the film, selling Batman-themed cups, collector toys, and figurines. [55] Themed trading cards produced by Fleer and SkyBox International were also sold, some signed by Clooney, Schwarzenegger, Thurman, Silverstone, O'Donnell, and Schumacher. [56] An eponymous tie-in video game developed by Probe Entertainment was released for the PlayStation on August 5, 1998, to mixed reviews. [57] [58]

Reception

Box office

Batman & Robin was released on June 20, 1997, in the United States and Canada, grossing $42,872,605 in its opening weekend. [59] [5] That made it the third-highest opening weekend gross of 1997, behind Men in Black and The Lost World: Jurassic Park , [60] [61] and the seventh-highest non-holiday opening weekend of all time as of its release. [62] [63] The film would hold the record for having the highest opening weekend for an Arnold Schwarzenegger film until 2003 when it was surpassed by Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines . [64] Its opening weekend gross also remained George Clooney's highest until the release of Gravity in 2013. [65] It reached the number one spot at the box office during its opening weekend, beating out My Best Friend's Wedding and Speed 2: Cruise Control . [66] This would become Schwarzenegger's most recent film to achieve this feat for five years until Collateral Damage opened in 2002. [67] Batman & Robin declined by 63% in its second week, [68] which was credited to poor word of mouth and early competition with Face/Off , Hercules , and Men in Black. [69] In the UK, it had the second-highest opening ever behind Independence Day with a gross of £4,940,566 ($8.2 million) for the weekend. [70] [71]

The film went on to gross $107.3 million in the United States and Canada and $130.9 million internationally, coming to a worldwide total of $238.2 million. [5] It grossed substantially less than the previous film in the series, [72] and finished outside of the top ten films of 1997. [73] With a production budget of $125–160 million, [2] [3] [4] the film was considered to have under-performed at the box-office, although it was estimated to have at least broken even. [74] Schumacher criticized "prejudicial prerelease buzz" online and false news reports as a cause for the film's poor commercial performance. [75] Warner Bros. acknowledged Batman & Robin's shortcomings in the domestic market but pointed out its success in other markets. [69] In his book Batman: the Complete History, Les Daniels analyzed the film's relatively strong performance outside of the United States, speculating that "nuances of languages or personality were likely to be lost in translation and admittedly eye-popping spectacle seemed sufficient." [76]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 11% of 96 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.8/10.The website's 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." [77] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 29 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [78] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. [79]

Jay Boyar of Orlando Sentinel believed Batman & Robin to be the least distinctive chapter in the series, calling it a "bat-smorgasbord of action, camp, pathos, spectacle and whatever" and blaming its blandness on the studio's increased involvement in its production. [80] In his "thumbs down" review, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times found the film to be "wonderful to look at" although it had "nothing authentic at its core", criticizing its toyetic approach. [81] Writing for the Chicago Tribune , Gene Siskel, who gave positive reviews to the previous Batman films, also gave Batman & Robin a "thumbs down" rating, calling it a "sniggering, exhausting, overproduced extravaganza". [82] While commending the film's visuals, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called the film "indifferently acted" and "far too slick for even a toehold's worth of connection", believing that it "killed" the Batman film series. [83] Desson Howe of The Washington Post disapproved of Schumacher's direction and Akiva Goldsman's script, calling it an "emptily flashy, meandering fashion show of a summer flick" and also believing that it should mark the end to the series. [84] Andrew Johnston, writing in Time Out , 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 humor is completely incompatible with these production values." [85] James Berardinelli questioned the "random amount of rubber nipples and camera angle close-ups of the Dynamic Duo's butts and Bat-crotches". [86]

In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle , Mick LaSalle said that the film failed to "convincingly inhabit the grandeur of its art direction and special effects", criticizing George Clooney as "the big zero of the film", who "should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series". [87] While deeming Clooney "the most ideal Batman to date" in a physical sense, Todd McCarthy of Variety found the character uninteresting and Clooney "unable to compensate onscreen for the lack of dimension on paper". Conversely, he described Thurman and Schwarzenegger's performances as the villainous duo as the "highlights of the film", pointing out Thurman's "comic wit conspicuously lacking elsewhere in the picture". [88] Writing for Star Tribune , Jeff Strickler criticized its "almost embarrassingly mundane" dialogue and called Schwarzenegger "wasted" in the role of Mr. Freeze and his character "drably written". [89] Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave a more positive review and praised Thurman's performance as "perfect", comparing it to Mae West's "[mix of] true femininity with the winking womanliness of a drag queen", but criticizing Silverstone and Clooney's performances. [90] Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer found Thurman at times "amusing" and similarly described her performance as "Mae West with moss". [91]

Legacy

Batman & Robin is considered to be one of the worst superhero films [92] and among the worst films ever made. [93] [94] In 2009, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that Batman & Robin may be the most important comic book film ever made in that it was "so bad that it demanded a new way of doing things" and created the opportunity to make X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002) in a way that respected the source material to a higher degree. [95] In an interview with Vice 20 years after its release, director Joel Schumacher apologized for the film while taking full responsibility for its poor reputation, stating, "I want to apologize to every fan that was disappointed because I think I owe them that. A lot of it was my choice. No one is responsible for my mistakes but me." He added, "I was scum. It was like I had murdered a baby", recounting his initial reaction to the overwhelmingly negative public response. [96] [97] Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also apologized, saying, "we didn't mean for it to be bad. I swear, nobody was like, 'This will be bad.'" and elaborating that the film was initially intended to be darker in tone. [98]

A person cosplaying as the film's depiction of Mr. Freeze. New York Comic Con 2013 - Mr Freeze (10275480704).jpg
A person cosplaying as the film's depiction of Mr. Freeze.

Retrospectively, George Clooney has spoken critically of and apologized for his involvement in the film, saying in 2005, "I think we might have killed the franchise", [99] and calling it "a waste of money". [3] 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 for the film. [92] 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". [100] In late 2020, he told Howard Stern that it was "physically" painful to watch his work in the role: "The truth of the matter is, I was bad in it. Akiva Goldsman — who's won the Oscar for writing since then — he wrote the screenplay. And it's a terrible screenplay, he'll tell you. I'm terrible in it, I'll tell you. Joel Schumacher, who just passed away, directed it, and he'd say, 'Yeah, it didn't work.' We all whiffed on that one." [101] Conversely, in an interview with Empire in 2012, Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that, despite its poor reception, he did not regret making the film, commenting about his role as Mr. Freeze and his involvement with the studio, "I felt that the character was interesting and two movies before that one Joel Schumacher was at his height. So the decision-making process was not off. At the same time I was doing Eraser over there and Warner Bros. begged me to do the movie." [102] Similarly, 25 years after its theatrical release, Uma Thurman described her work on the film as a "fantastic experience". [103]

The nipples seen on the character's costumes, first appearing in Batman Forever and accentuated for Batman & Robin at Schumacher's request, remain among the most defining aspects of the film. [104] Recounting his involvement with the film, costume designer Jose Fernandez stated that he was opposed to "sharpening" the nipples, calling them "ridiculous". [105] In 2022, Tim Burton commented about Warner Bros.' decision to replace him as director with Schumacher after Batman Returns , "You complain about me, I'm too weird, I'm too dark, and then you put nipples on the costume? Go fuck yourself." [106] George Clooney's screen-worn suit was put up for auction by Heritage Auctions in 2022 with a starting bid of $40,000. [107] A previous owner had estimated it to be worth $100,000 in 2006 when Clooney was at the height of his career. [108] The suit would go on to sell for $57,500. [109]

In the 2009 film Watchmen , director Zack Snyder and comic book artist Dave Gibbons chose to parody the molded muscle and nipple Batsuit design from Batman & Robin for the Ozymandias costume. [110] [111] The film is referenced in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark Mite!", when Bat-Mite briefly uses his powers to transform Batman's costume into the same suit shown in Schumacher's Batman films, before declaring it "too icky". [112] 26 years after the release of Batman & Robin, Clooney made a cameo appearance as Bruce Wayne in the 2023 DC Extended Universe superhero film The Flash . Clooney was asked to reprise the role when the film was already in post-production, agreeing to join after seeing a cut of the film; filming took place in secret six months before release and lasted half a day. [113]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResultRef
Golden Raspberry Awards Worst PictureBatman & RobinNominated [114]
Worst Remake or SequelNominated
Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public PropertyNominated
Worst Director Joel Schumacher Nominated
Worst Screenplay Akiva Goldsman Nominated
Worst Supporting Actor Chris O'Donnell Nominated
Worst Supporting Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger Nominated
Worst Supporting Actress Alicia Silverstone Won
Worst Supporting Actress Uma Thurman Nominated
Worst Screen Couple George Clooney and Chris O'DonnellNominated
Worst Song for "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" Billy Corgan Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Batman & RobinNominated [115] [116]
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst PictureBatman & RobinWon [117]
Worst SequelNominated
Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More Than $100M Worldwide Using Hollywood MathWon
Worst DirectorJoel SchumacherWon
Worst Supporting ActressAlicia SilverstoneWon

Canceled sequel

During the filming of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. was impressed with the dailies, prompting them to immediately hire Joel Schumacher to return as director for a fifth film. However, writer Akiva Goldsman turned down an offer to write the script. [11] In late 1996, Warner Bros. and Schumacher hired Mark Protosevich to write the script for a fifth Batman film. A projected mid-1999 release date was announced. [118] Los Angeles Times described their film as "continuing in the same vein with multiple villains and more silliness". [14] Titled Batman Unchained, Protosevich's script featured the Scarecrow as the main villain, who, through the use of his fear toxin, resurrects the Joker as a hallucination in Batman's mind. Harley Quinn would appear as a supporting character, written as the Joker's daughter. [119] Schumacher approached Nicolas Cage to portray the Scarecrow while he was filming Face/Off and Courtney Love was considered for Harley Quinn. [120]

Clooney, O'Donnell, Silverstone, and Coolio were set to reprise the roles of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Scarecrow. It was hoped that the villains from previous films would make cameo appearances in the hallucinations caused by Scarecrow, culminating with Jack Nicholson reprising the role of the Joker. Following the poor critical and financial reception of Batman & Robin, Clooney vowed never to reprise his role, [8] [121] and Warner Bros. cancelled any future Batman films, including Schumacher's planned Batman Unchained. [122]

In a 2012 interview with Access Hollywood , Chris O'Donnell claimed that a spin-off centered around the character of Robin was planned, but eventually scrapped due to Batman & Robin's poor commercial performance. [22] [123]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A fictional disease that exists only in the DC Universe [6] [7]

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Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Batman (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 Batman series. In the film, Batman comes into conflict with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck and malformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, who seek power regardless of the cost to Gotham City. Their plans are complicated by Shreck's former secretary, Selina Kyle, who seeks revenge against him as Catwoman. The cast includes Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy.

<i>Batman Forever</i> 1995 superhero film by Joel Schumacher

Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It is the third installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series and a sequel to Batman Returns (1992). Directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton and Peter MacGregor-Scott, it stars Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Michael Keaton, alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, and Chris O'Donnell. The film follows Batman as he attempts to prevent Two-Face (Jones) and the Riddler (Carrey) from uncovering his secret identity and extracting information from the minds of Gotham City's residents, while at the same time navigating his feelings for psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian (Kidman) and adopting orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson (O'Donnell)—who becomes his partner, Robin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotham City</span> Fictional city in the DC Universe, best known as the home of Batman

Gotham City, or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the city was first identified as Batman's place of residence in Batman #4 and has since been the primary setting for stories featuring the character. In most of its incarnations, Gotham is depicted as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Val Kilmer</span> American actor (born 1959)

Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, he found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), as well as the military action film Top Gun (1986) and the fantasy film Willow (1988). Kilmer gained acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991). He was cast as a main character in films such as the western Tombstone (1993), and the crime dramas True Romance (1993) and Heat (1995). He portrayed Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995), and continued to star in films such as The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Saint (1997), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Alexander (2004), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), and The Snowman (2017). In 2022, Kilmer reprised his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison Ivy (character)</span> Comic book character

Poison Ivy is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, she debuted in Batman #181 and has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Schumacher</span> American film director (1939–2020)

Joel T. Schumacher was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. He first entered filmmaking as a production and costume designer before gaining writing credits on Car Wash, Sparkle, and The Wiz.

<i>Batman: Mask of the Phantasm</i> 1993 film by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated romantic superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), and is the first film of the DC Animated Universe and the only one to receive a theatrical release. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from Batman: The Animated Series, joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller and John P. Ryan.

<i>Batman Begins</i> 2005 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film directed by Sir Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman in supporting roles. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his journey to become Batman and his fight to stop Ra's al Ghul (Neeson) and the Scarecrow (Murphy) from plunging Gotham City into chaos.

<i>Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero</i> 1998 direct-to-video animated superhero film directed by Boyd Kirkland

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero is a 1998 American animated superhero film, the second film based on Batman: The Animated Series, taking place between the end of the show and the start of The New Batman Adventures. Kevin Conroy and Michael Ansara reprise their respective roles from the series as the two title characters. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation as a marketing tie-in with Batman & Robin and was animated overseas by Koko Enterprises and Dong Yang Animation in South Korea. The film won the Annie Award for Best Home Video Animation.

Batman, in films, may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman in film</span> Film adaptations of the DC superhero

The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with 1989's Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of a sequel titled Batman Unchained.

Mr. Freeze is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Dave Wood and artists Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, the character initially debuted in Batman #121 as Mr. Zero, a mad scientist with an unknown birth name who, after a physiology-altering mishap, becomes an ice-themed criminal typically armed with freezing weapons and an adversary of the superhero Batman forced to live in sub-zero temperatures and wear a special "cryo-suit" for survival. He was later renamed "Mr. Freeze" after the version featured in the 1966 Batman television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality in the Batman franchise</span> Gay interpretations of Batman

Gay interpretations have been part of the academic study of the Batman franchise at least since psychiatrist Fredric Wertham asserted in his 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent that "Batman stories are psychologically homosexual". Wertham, as well as parodies, fans, and other independent parties, have described Batman and his sidekick Robin as homosexual, possibly in a relationship with each other. Several characters in the Modern Age Batman comic books are expressly gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman Adventure – The Ride</span> Series of Batman-themed rides

Batman Adventure: The Ride is the name for a series of Batman-themed motion simulator rides installed at various Warner Bros.-branded parks around the world. The ride was first installed at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia in 1992, before being installed at Warner Bros. Movie World in Bottrop, Germany and Parque Warner Madrid in Madrid, Spain in 1996 and 2002, respectively. The installations in Australia and Spain later closed in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The ride is still operating today at the German park, but has been rethemed to Time Riders after the park lost its Warner Bros. licenses in 2004.

<i>Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> 2019 animated crossover superhero film

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated superhero film directed by Jake Castorena and written by Marly Halpern-Graser. Inspired by the DC Comics and IDW Publishing comic book miniseries Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II, the story focuses on Batman, Robin, and Batgirl teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in order to save Gotham City from chaos at the hands of both Shredder and Ra's al Ghul. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation in association with DC Entertainment and Nickelodeon, the film features the voices of Troy Baker, Eric Bauza, Darren Criss, Kyle Mooney, and Baron Vaughn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Wayne (1989 film series character)</span> 1989 Batman film series character

Bruce Wayne, better known by his vigilante superhero alias Batman, is a fictional character who is featured as the main protagonist in Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series (1989–1997), and later as a supporting character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Flash (2023). Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, he was portrayed by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), before being recast with Val Kilmer and George Clooney in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) respectively. Both Keaton and Clooney reprised their roles in The Flash, which retroactively incorporates versions of them into two alternate timelines of the DCEU's continuity. Keaton's portrayal of the character was critically acclaimed and influenced subsequent interpretations.

Bruce Wayne (<i>Dark Knight</i> trilogy) Fictional film character

Bruce Wayne, also known by his superhero vigilante persona Batman, is a fictional character who is the main protagonist in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of superhero films, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Portrayed by Christian Bale, this version of Batman is arguably explored more in-depth compared to that of the previous film series by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, as the Dark Knight film series provides a full arc for the character and was intended by Nolan to be more realistic than previous portrayals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Freeze in other media</span> Adaptations of DC Comics character Mr. Freeze in media

Mr. Freeze, a supervillain in DC Comics and an adversary of the superhero Batman, has been adapted in various forms of media, including films, television series, and video games. The character has been portrayed in film by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin (1997), and in television by George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach in the 1966 Batman series, and Nathan Darrow in Gotham. Michael Ansara, Clancy Brown, Maurice LaMarche, and others have provided the character's voice in animation and video games.

<i>Batwheels</i> American superhero childrens television series

Batwheels is an American animated superhero children's television series that premiered on September 17, 2022, on HBO Max. It made its linear premiere on October 17, 2022, on Cartoon Network's preschool block Cartoonito. A second season premiered on January 12, 2024. In October 2024, it was announced the series was renewed for a third season.

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