Although Superman first took flight in 1978, THIS was the blueprint for the modern superhero movie. When you consider how cluttered the genre has become, "Batman" has to be considered one of the most influential films of the last quarter century. From Bat-mania to Batgirl, let's talk about the biggest franchise of the '90s.
"Batman"(1989)
After quirky hits like "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and "Beetlejuice" put him on the map, then-28 year old director Tim Burton established himself as a major force in Hollywood with his third feature, the long-gestating big screen debut of the Caped Crusader(not counting the '66 Adam West film). The casting of comedic actor Michael Keaton in the title role initially caused an uproar among fans. The complaints stopped once they saw his quietly intense portrayal that immediately brought the beloved character back to his roots as a stoic vigilante stalking criminals on the city streets. It's common knowledge however, that Jack Nicholson stole the show as the maniacal, eternally grinning Joker who unleashes a massive reign of terror on all of Gotham City. When the three-time Oscar winner is doing his psycho shtick in white face paint and red lipstick, it's best to just stand off to the side. Caught in the middle of the collision is photographer Vicki Vale-she may be a damsel in distress, but Kim Basinger was unquestionably one of the era's most luscious leading ladies.
Burton's gothic sensibilities and striking originality made him the perfect fit for the material and although the action comes in small doses, it's all meaningful and impactful. It's hard to accurately describe the hysteria that this film created to somebody that wasn't there. It was simply the biggest motion picture event since "Star Wars" and a sequel was every bit as inevitable as death and taxes.
"Batman Returns"(1992)
After cranking out "Edward Scissorhands" in the interim, Burton was labeled a genius and given full creative control over this second outing(goodbye Prince, hello missile-toting penguin army!). The result was quite possibly the most wonderfully warped summer blockbuster ever, with every frame brimming with the director's trademark inventiveness. Michael Keaton was back in black, but it's the villainous double act that takes center stage. Danny DeVito was terrific as the Penguin, a hideously deformed freak with a serious grudge against the citizens of Gotham. Michelle Pfeiffer was sensational as Catwoman, a ferociously feline force of nature that quickly develops a love/hate relationship with Batman.
With Christopher Walken thrown in for good measure and Danny Elfman's epic omnipresent score, Burton fashioned a visually stunning and arguably superior sequel that nevertheless polarized viewers. The gruesomeness of the Penguin and Catwoman's S&M undertones sparked a backlash from parents that felt the film was not appropriate for their small children that ALL wanted to see it. Burton departed the franchise in 1993 after the studio insisted on a lighter, more kid-friendly third film, and Keaton soon followed. 'Burton went too dark' was the general consensus in '92. We now know that's the only way to do Batman, but Warner Bros had to learn it the hard way.
"Batman Forever"(1995)
Enter Joel Schumacher to make Batman 'fun' again. One ridiculous line lets us know right away that we're witnessing a very different interpretation of Gotham City("I'll get drive-thru"), not to mention the new sexy nippled Batsuit. I'm not even comfortable calling this part of the same series, because Michael Gough's Alfred and Pat Hingle's Gordon are the only links to Burton's films. Now they would just call it a reboot, but I don't think that word existed in 1995. To put it gently, "Forever" is a mixed bag. Val Kilmer finds some angst and torment, and is effective enough as Keaton's replacement in the cape and cowl. With his boundless energy and over-the-top persona, Jim Carrey seemed ideally suited to play the Riddler and managed a few creepy moments despite the joke-laden screenplay. But it's obvious that his partner in crime Tommy Lee Jones never picked up a comic book in his life, as he turns Harvey 'Two Face' Dent into a manic clown.
Nicole Kidman was at the peak of her hotness as a criminal psychologist fixated on the Caped Crusader and Chris O' Donnell made a respectable Robin/Dick Grayson. It's just impossible to shake the knowledge that it all could have been better. MUCH better. There's a big misconception that this film was a failure. It actually made more money than "Returns" and people seemed happy with it at the time. The good feelings wouldn't last.
"Batman & Robin"(1997)
Why are we still talking about this disaster fifteen years later? Is it really any worse than "Daredevil","Spider-Man 3", "Fantastic Four" or "Green Lantern"? The answer is yes, it is. Schumacher continues his conversion of Gotham from a modest, gloomy metropolis to a preposterously neon, hellish version of the future straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. It's George Clooney in the cockpit of the Batmobile this time around(Kilmer was a prick) and he makes no effort to disguise his voice while in costume, while Arnold Schwarzenegger was strapped into a clunky, glowing monstrosity as Mr. Freeze and handed a list of winter-related puns instead of a script. Uma Thurman stops by in a series of elaborate Halloween costumes to deliver an extraordinarily campy portrayal of Poison Ivy.
By the time the chick from "Clueless" suits up as Batgirl, it hardly matters. If you can make it to the finale to see the trio pictured above try to prevent Arnie from freezing the city, you're a stronger person than I am. After the obligatory huge opening weekend, deadly word-of-mouth put the film on ice and drove any more potential viewers into "Men in Black", which was playing down the hall. When it was all said and done, "B&R" did more damage to the Bat than his extensive rogues gallery could ever dream of.
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