Batman Forever
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VHS Movie Reviews of Batman Forever
Movie Review: More light-hearted but still enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
Not as brooding as the first Batman and not nearly as dark and disgusting as the second (I'm thinking here of Penguin's constant sliming-at-the-mouth) but this is a pretty solid entry into the series. While the brooding Batman worked great in the first one, sequels are not required to remake their predecessors. Taken on its own merit, Batman Forever works very well as a fun (yes, a little bit campy) adventure into this comic-book-movie franchise. With this one, they wanted to distance themselves from the very dark atmosphere of the second movie and it works for them. There's nothing wrong with a little camp in a movie that is meant to be this visual. (They unfortunately went way overboard with the complete sillyness of Batman & Robin.)
Kilmer works well in the bat suit but it's not necessarily that hard since almost everyone looks the same when all you can see is their chin and the suit only allows a certain range of movement. His Bruce Wayne doesn't seem quite as charming as Keaton's, though, but that's okay.
Tommy Lee Jones obviously enjoys his role here. It's just a pitty that he doesn't get more to do since the movie favors Carey's Riddler character. Two Face, the established villain, ends up playing second fiddle to this new-comer screwball.
All in all, though, it's an enjoyable film as long as you don't expect a retread of the ground covered in the first two.
Movie Review: The Transition Piece
Summary: 3 Stars
Two Face has been terrorizing Gotham for a while and after executing a terrible sentence at Gotham Circus, he inadvertently changes the life of the Dark Knight forever by setting in motion a chain of events that lead to the birth of Batman's legendary partner, Robin.
Continuing in the "double villain" trend as established by Batman Returns, a disgruntled--and stalker-ish--employee of Wayne Industries, Edward Nigma, gets revenge on his boss by becoming the Riddler, and steals his way to the top of the technology enterprise game.
It's two-on-two in this third installment of the Batman franchise.
Riddle me this: what do you get when you cross Adam West and Michael Keaton? You get Val Kilmer's portrayal of Batman, one who is part serious and part humorous. This is the film that I've always viewed as the "transition piece" between the dark Bat flicks done by Tim Burton and the all-out camp-fest that is Batman & Robin.
Though a bit over the top, the story of Batman Forever is a good one and if you watch it just for that, you'll highly enjoy it.
It was the humor that brought this film down.
First, Batman ain't funny. He's so serious and dry he makes Al Gore look like Superman.
Second, Two Face isn't funny. Tommy Lee Jones, as much as I enjoy him as an actor, got the character wrong. Two Face is a gangster not another version of the Joker.
Third, Riddler isn't all whacky and zany, though by director Joel Schumacher's choice to cast Jim Carrey in the role, it's evident he was after Frank Gorshin's Riddler from the '60's instead of the comic book Riddler. Jim also got this part shortly after he became super famous so obviously this role was playing to his strength of being a rubber-faced whack job.
Fourth, though it was a neat thing to add Robin to the mix, Chris O'Donnell was too old, but, I suppose, having a kid running around in an anatomically correct rubber suit would have raised too many questions.
This film was 50/50 for me. Had its pluses and minuses. I'm going to leave this in the "decide for yourself" category.
Language warning: Blasphemy
Movie Review: THE ONE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST OF THE FOUR MOVIE FRANCHISE.
Summary: 3 Stars
After the Superman-like credits are shown to a theme song less exciting than Danny Elfman's original, we're treated to a taller sleeker Batman than the Burton efforts. But the action starts way too soon. If only they kept it simpler. They should have chosen either Two-face or Riddler to be Batman's adversary, not both. I found Jim Carrey's Riddler to be a little more stylish and palatable over Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face, but that's not saying much. I thought he acted a little too nutty. Jones' Two-Face was annoying, drew too much attention to itself, and almost destroyed the whole film. In a word it was just plain WRONG. Also Harvey Dent before becoming Two-face was somewhat of a good looking ladies man. Let's just say Tommy was too "weathered" for the role. Plus I think the deformed side of his face should have been a very pale bluish green instead. I enjoyed this for the most part when I saw it at the theater, because I saw no hype or promos. I just saw it listed in the paper for the local theater and went the next day. Since I had no preconceived expectations I suffered no disappointment. That doesn't mean the movie was without flaws. This had it's fair share. I didn't like the Batmobile. Two-Face murdering the Grayson family was totally inaccurate. The person responsible for that worked for a crime boss who in turn threw the acid at Harvey Dent's face in the courtroom thus causing him to become Two-Face, long after the death of the Flying Graysons. But the less you know about Batman the more you can enjoy these films. The silver batsuit looked too wierd. The ending was anticlimatic, but because the Batman's origin was gone into a little bit more indepth it edged its way into a weak 3 stars. I remember leaving the movie house and getting into my car. "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal was playing on the radio. How eerie is that? Well anyway if you liked this one a lot or just want to keep up your Batman collection, buy this 2 disc set or the 8 disc Anthology. Movie Review: What?????
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't understand why people don't like this movie. Sure it's not dark like Batman, and Batman Returns, but I think that's a good thing. Batman was a great film, and always will be. Batman Returns is BAD!!! Danny Devito CAN"T act. So go jump off a cliff Danny. Anyway, back to Batman Forever. This is the best one out of the 4 films. (I haven't seen Batman Begins yet).Val Kilmer is the best Batman, way better than Michael Keaton, and George Clooney. Jim Carrey is so funny, so he delivers his role awesomely as The Riddler. Tommy Lee Jones is equally as great as Two Face, even though he goes around shooting people the whole movie, and of course the beautiful Nicole Kidman as Dr.Chase Merridian. Buy this movie!!!!! If you've seen this movie and you like it, also check out
Batman and Robin. ( The second best in the series)
Movie Review: Batman is indeed Forever...
Summary: 4 Stars
I must tell you, for quite some time I did not like this movie. I have been a big fan of the Micheal Keaton movies, as well as the Animated Series of the 90's. This film marked Joel Schumakers first step into the Batman universe, and needless to say, it wasn't nearly as good as either of the Tim Burton films. However, as I watched this a few more times, and got past the "Its Schumaker!" I realized that even though Schumaker had made some really poor directors choices, there were not nearly as many as in his next Bat film, the one credited with single handedly ruining the franchise, Batman and Robin. Batman Forever, though riddled with campy moments, especially after the appearance of Robin, is still as a whole, a good Batman film. Val Kilmers performance as both Bruce Wayne and Batman actually surpasses Micheal Keatons, due to Val's very intense persona and tragedy stricken Bruce Wayne.
I would say that the worst part of this movie is how Schumaker portrayed the two main villians, Two-Face and the Riddler. The Riddler, who, in the comics was genius, thinking up crimes so sophisticated, he thought it only fair to leave behind riddles for the Batman to follow, was portrayed here by Jim Carrey, a lukewarm choice in my opinion. The character came off very much more like a Joker than a Riddler, and you'll see what I mean if you watch the film. Nowhere is the intelligent, calm and composed villian I expected.
Secondly (ha, a pun worthy of Schumaker) Two-Face, possibly one of the most tragic and deadly of Batman's Rogues Gallery, is portrayed marginally by Tommy Lee Jones. Now, Jones was indeed the perfect person to play this character, and it is really too bad that his performance was limited to nothing more than hired muscle for the Riddler. Schumaker made his biggest mistake there, by not only cramming two villians of large scale like these into one film, but not taking the time to really use Two Face as he should have been done.
Nonetheless, Batman still manages to pull of some very good "Bat moments" ones that you have no choice but to look at and say "Wow.", in spite of his badly portrayed nemesis's.
In short, it isn't as good as Batman(1989), but it is definitely worth the watch, because even through Schumaker's mistakes, you can still see a definite veneer of Batman, pulling through the puns and neon lights.