A Terrible Batman Film That Is Almost Impressive in Its Commitment to Nonsense
Nerdy Up North
The setup
Batman and Robin face Mr. Freeze, whose attempts to save his sick wife turn him into a criminal, while Poison Ivy plots to replace humanity with plant life. Their partnership is also tested when Barbara Wilson arrives and eventually joins the fight as Batgirl.
Batman & Robin is not a good Batman movie. I should probably get that out of the way. Gotham looks like a nightclub designed by somebody who has only heard Batman described over the phone, and almost every serious scene is interrupted by another pun.
George Clooney is Bruce Wayne more than he is Batman. He has the charm, but once the suit goes on he never feels dangerous. Chris O'Donnell spends most of the film complaining, and the constant Batman versus Robin arguments become exhausting very quickly.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is either the worst thing in the film or the best depending on your mood. Mr. Freeze cannot enter a room without making an ice joke, and after the tenth one you start admiring the commitment. Uma Thurman is having far more fun as Poison Ivy and seems to understand exactly what sort of film she is trapped inside.
The strange thing is that some of the design work is genuinely impressive. The sets are enormous, the costumes are incredibly detailed and the whole thing has a visual identity. It is just a completely insane visual identity.
There is also a decent emotional idea buried under all the neon with Alfred being ill and Bruce having to face losing the closest thing he has to a father. The film occasionally remembers it has something real to say and then somebody pulls out a Bat credit card.
I cannot defend Batman & Robin as a good film, but I can absolutely understand why it has become entertaining in a different way. It is a two hour monument to excess.
Positives
Uma Thurman clearly has fun, the production design is enormous, Arnold's puns become weirdly entertaining and the Alfred storyline has genuine heart.
Negatives
George Clooney never feels like Batman, the script is packed with terrible dialogue, the character conflict is repetitive and the camp overwhelms nearly everything.
Verdict
Batman & Robin is a disaster, but at least it is a memorable disaster. There are far worse things a bad film can be than completely ridiculous.
