Joel Schumacher's "Batman & Robin" -- the bane of Batman (and movie-going) fans everywhere. Lambasted upon its released, it is undoubtedly the worst Batman movie ever made and is widely considered to be one of the worst films in the comic-book/superhero genre and one of the worst films ever.
This is probably true. Objectively speaking, this is quite a silly film. I used to really love this as a kid (and this is perhaps best for *really* audiences), but now I see what it is.
Behold now the wonders of this film:
*Batman and Robin playing ice-hockey with Mr. Freeze's thugs, complete with ice skates (!) that pop out of their shoes -- talk about being prepared!
*Batman and Robin surfing (!!) out of Freeze's phallic-shaped rocket ship in a scene that defies every law of physics and gravity.
*Not only do the Batman and Robin suits come complete with rubber nipples, but there are (unnecessary) shots of the heroes' buttocks and other private areas!
*And who can forget Arnold Schwarzenegger's (spelling?) *really terrific* performance as the tormented Victor Fries, a.k.a. the villainous Mr. Freeze? He's supposed to be cold and cruel, and yet he seems to be having a ball throughout this movie, with all his countless ice/snow/winter/cold jokes, puns, one-liners, etc.
Adding to all this are the (melo)dramatic story lines of the movie: Alfred dying of a (totally fictional) illness and Batman and Robin's relationship in trouble because of their quarrels. Too bad the rest of this movie's silly. At least the Adam West was entirely goofy. It would've made more sense if the filmmakers made this film a complete comedy, but it's not.
And George Clooney is widely considered to be the worst Batman actor ever. This may be true. He's hard to take seriously at the Dark Knight. His Batman is laid-back and casual -- spouting some really cheesy one-liners and quips. Not only does he look ridiculous in the Bat-suit, he doesn't seem to be trying at all.
This movie is loud, it's over-the-top, it's bombastic, and it insults viewers' intelligence. The costumes and gadgets and gaudy and meant to sell toys, and there's a homoerotic undertone in this movie. Schumacher has a strange vision of Gotham -- neon lights, colossal statues of naked, muscular men, and the streets are littered with ridiculous neon gangs.
But is all this necessarily a bad thing?
Even if this is a bad film, I just couldn't bring myself to hate it. I saw it recently, and I still couldn't hate it. Truth is, I personally ENJOYED this movie! I loved Mr. Freeze's cheesy lines. I can both laugh at (and laugh with) him. In fact, today, I laugh at and laugh with this film! Strangely enough, this movie is enjoyable in a really weird way. Today, this remains to be my favorite guilty pleasure film.
It's for that reason that I gave this film a five out of ten and not a one.
In short, if you are with friends and you're all bored, and you're all in the mood for messing around, it might be the perfect choice to watch this film -- you'll be laughing (and groaning).
This is probably true. Objectively speaking, this is quite a silly film. I used to really love this as a kid (and this is perhaps best for *really* audiences), but now I see what it is.
Behold now the wonders of this film:
*Batman and Robin playing ice-hockey with Mr. Freeze's thugs, complete with ice skates (!) that pop out of their shoes -- talk about being prepared!
*Batman and Robin surfing (!!) out of Freeze's phallic-shaped rocket ship in a scene that defies every law of physics and gravity.
*Not only do the Batman and Robin suits come complete with rubber nipples, but there are (unnecessary) shots of the heroes' buttocks and other private areas!
*And who can forget Arnold Schwarzenegger's (spelling?) *really terrific* performance as the tormented Victor Fries, a.k.a. the villainous Mr. Freeze? He's supposed to be cold and cruel, and yet he seems to be having a ball throughout this movie, with all his countless ice/snow/winter/cold jokes, puns, one-liners, etc.
Adding to all this are the (melo)dramatic story lines of the movie: Alfred dying of a (totally fictional) illness and Batman and Robin's relationship in trouble because of their quarrels. Too bad the rest of this movie's silly. At least the Adam West was entirely goofy. It would've made more sense if the filmmakers made this film a complete comedy, but it's not.
And George Clooney is widely considered to be the worst Batman actor ever. This may be true. He's hard to take seriously at the Dark Knight. His Batman is laid-back and casual -- spouting some really cheesy one-liners and quips. Not only does he look ridiculous in the Bat-suit, he doesn't seem to be trying at all.
This movie is loud, it's over-the-top, it's bombastic, and it insults viewers' intelligence. The costumes and gadgets and gaudy and meant to sell toys, and there's a homoerotic undertone in this movie. Schumacher has a strange vision of Gotham -- neon lights, colossal statues of naked, muscular men, and the streets are littered with ridiculous neon gangs.
But is all this necessarily a bad thing?
Even if this is a bad film, I just couldn't bring myself to hate it. I saw it recently, and I still couldn't hate it. Truth is, I personally ENJOYED this movie! I loved Mr. Freeze's cheesy lines. I can both laugh at (and laugh with) him. In fact, today, I laugh at and laugh with this film! Strangely enough, this movie is enjoyable in a really weird way. Today, this remains to be my favorite guilty pleasure film.
It's for that reason that I gave this film a five out of ten and not a one.
In short, if you are with friends and you're all bored, and you're all in the mood for messing around, it might be the perfect choice to watch this film -- you'll be laughing (and groaning).