Batman: 15 greatest Batman movie villains of all time
By Mark Lynch
Photo: Batman Forever / Warner Bros. Studios Image Courtesy Fathom Events Press
10. The Riddler (Batman Forever)
Actor: Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey was still looked at as nothing but a comedic actor when cast in Batman Forever. While his bread and butter remains comedy, he’s proven that he can play drama and suspense as well. Casting him as The Riddler was a smart choice.
The Riddler may be more serious than we got in Batman Forever, but they still showed the side of Edward Nygma that was bit psychotic, but also a genius. Like Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, Carrey had a role to play, and he did it the best he could. He was the over-the-top Jim Carrey we saw in Ace Ventura and that’s what the studios wanted.
If we’re going to look back at The Riddler in this movie, he can boast something a lot of other villains on this list can’t. He found his way into the Batcave, destroyed everything he could (with style and comedy), and figured out who Batman was under the mask.
He definitely came closer to taking over Gotham than some of the people on here. It’s probable that people will scoff that I put The Riddler above Liam Neeson as Ra’s Al Ghul. That said, we shouldn’t discount that Jim Carrey did steal the movie and was incredibly entertaining and memorable. And who didn’t love all of his flamboyant costumes and his antics?
Memorable moment: Destroying the Batcave.