Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Guilty pleasure, a lot of fun, truly a comic book hero..., March 29, 2006
Yes, I know, loving this movie isn't a popular opinion, but I'm going to go against the grain and speak out for this guilty pleasure of mine, particularly after seeing the 2-disc special edition dvd recently...
Batman Forever and its' very different tone from the first two, Tim Burton-driven films, was made to appeal to a far wider audience than those very dark films, while keeping the spirit of the Batman mythos intact. I believe the film accomplished this. There were plenty of bright lights, new bat-gizmos and bat-gadgets, exciting action-fight scenes, and even a young, edgy, heart-throb in Chris O'Donnell's Robin to appeal to kids without worrying their parents too much, and at the same time, Batman/Bruce Wayne's tortured psyche, duality and isolation was presented respectfully. Batman's darkness was still there, just shown more subltely, less graphically, yet no less tragically because we don't actually SEE people dying horribly left and right.
The story had substance and was a worthy addition to the Batman mythos. Backstories not previously touched upon were explored to my satisfaction, and the added deleted scenes in this version of the dvd flesh things out even further and make me wish that time restrictions on theatrical releases weren't quite so stringent.
Bob Kane, the creator of the Batman comic character, has said that of all the actors who have played Batman over the years, he thought blond Val Kilmer was the best and I agree. Kilmer is statuesque and stoic in the cowl and cape, using his eyes and lips to formidable effectiveness; his jaw and mouth are strong and perfectly suited for the confines of the costume. He moved well in it, even doing some of his own martial arts (such as in the opening sequence, at the bank). The stuntmen, when they took over for him, were well matched to his body type, effective and visually exciting. And Kilmer's Bruce Wayne is suave, debonair, totally believable as the lonely billionare turned Dark Knight, comfortable with his wealth but still compassionate and aware of others' plight, just as Bob Kane intended this character.
Also, I want to put to rest the insistance of some reviewers here that several of the actors involved with the project didn't want to be. That is nonsense; no one forced them to do the movie, and Kilmer very much wanted to do the sequel, Batman and Robin, but was under contractual obligation to do the movie The Saint. (This fact documented on IMBD). He may have driven the director to distraction with his attention to minute detail and insistance on getting everything just so, but there was no bad blood between them and Schumaker still maintains that he respects Kilmer as an actor and performer. Kilmer took the role seriously (as he does everything) and doesn't need to make any apologies for his performance. How I wish they could have worked something out so that Kilmer could have reprised the role again, rather than bringing in the forever-smirking, abominable Clooney...
My favorite character always, Alfred, was back, played by the delightful Michael Gough, who can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. And everyone else is well-cast too.
Director Joel Schumaker offers interesting commentary in this dvd, and made a comment at the very beginning which I wish all the fans up in arms over the nipples in the costumes would take to heart: "Those people need to get out more." He also makes another point about whose codpiece is bigger...let's not take things so seriously, hmm?
Overall, this extended version and extras are well worth the higher price for anyone who enjoyed the movie or likes to know what goes on while making a film. Great extras, including shorts on costuming, scoring, special effects, stunts, and the actors/character, added to the overall positive experience. This is a lighter but no less legitimate incarnation of these characters.
Highly recommeded.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An underrated entry to the series..., October 25, 2005
Batman Forever, the first of the films to be directed by someone other than Tim Burton, is one of those films which has since its release a decade ago come to be regarded as a poor quality film. I have never understood this myself, as I have always found it to be quite entertaining. Sure, it's not a timeless classic like the 1989 original or this year's "Begins", but it is a good film. Val Kilmer was surprisingly good as Bruce Wayne/Batman (though I'll always remember him for Top Gun). The action sequences were top notch. The effects were really good for 1995. The acting was excellent all around. I especially enjoyed O'Donnell's performance as Dick Grayson/Robin. I suggest some of the harsher critics of this film give it another viewing with fresh eyes. To people who have never seen the film, if you're looking for a film to keep you entertained for a couple of hours without getting too deep, you can certainly do worse than this as far as the Batman movies go (i.e. "Batman & Robin". *shudders*).
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A New Look For The Bat, April 8, 2004
"Batman Forever" isn't a top-tier comic-to-screen flick. What it is, however, is the best of the three subpar sequels of the "Batman" franchise so far. It's nowhere near as dark or moody as the first two movies, primarily due to the director, Joel Schumacher. It's a different type of film more akin to the cheesy TV series with Adam West. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fairly serious movie, but the mood of the film, from costumes to Gotham City, is more lighthearted than the first two films.Val Kilmer has been knocked often for playing "Batman." Honestly, I think he does a fine job. Expectations weren't as high for Michael Keaton, and when he pulled off the "Batman" character with style, audiences were blown away. Kilmer was merely considered too average. Playing Bruce Wayne wasn't considered much of a stretch for him, but he more than sufficed. The story runs along at a fairly decent pace. We're given the origins of "Robin," "Riddler," and "Two-Face." Once again, "Batman" has to fight two baddies at once, which is my largest complaint with all of the "Bat" sequels. Why do we need more than one villain in order to make a story interesting? As far as I'm concerned, there was no need for the "Two-Face" character. He was boring, out of place, and simply used to usher in the appearance of "Robin." The "Riddler" character was fun. A little over-the-top, but not annoying, Jim Carrey did a good job. I was actually worried about him going too far with the character. The rest of the cast is boring. The story is moderate, and the visuals are nice to look at, but that's all. Once again, effects have replaced the plot in order to drag in the largest demographic possible. In closing, "Batman Forever" is eye candy. It's cool to look at and fun to watch, but when all is said and done, you've witnessed a marketing tool to push toy and t-shirt sales. It's the best of the worst, so lets hope that a new sequel comes soon that will do the "Batman" franchise justice.
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