In our latest Throwback Thursday, we look at Batman and Robin, which was bad then but better now.
The year was 1997. Five years had passed since Michael Keaton graced the sceen with his final Batman performance (Batman Returns), and it had been two years since Val Kilmer did whatever that was in Batman Forever. Chris O’Donnell was returning to play Robin, and George Clooney was the new Bruce Wayne/Batman. On top of that, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all going to appear in this new Batman movie. This was a movie full of stars. What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot went wrong.
Batman and Robin is viewed as the worst Batman project of all time. Clooney was a terrible Batman (but a good Bruce Wayne). Robin’s interactions with Batgirl were awkward and, at times, uncomfortable to watch. Uma Thurman was good, but her performance gets lost among a bunch of cheesy lines. And as for Bane, the less said about him the better. Then there’s Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. I get that Arnold was one of the hottest action stars at the time, but this was not a role he should have been cast in. These are only the actors. We could spend hours breaking down how confusing the scenery and plot was.
Anybody who’s seen or heard of this movie knows this already. However, fast forward 22 years later. It’s 2019, and we’ve had years to find the real culprit here. The problem with this movie wasn’t the film itself. The issue was the way it was marketed. This wasn’t an action flick. This was a comedy.
Victor Freeze
For the love of Odin, Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves an award for this. Arnold had to play Dr. Victor Fries who was, wait for it, a two-time Olympic decathlete and an expert in cryogenics and engineering. Seriously? This may be petty, but come on. That’s how they explained why he was so big? Why bother? Just leave it alone. The fact that this was thrown in there was so pointless it was hilarious. Then there are the glorious cold and ice puns. “My passion thaws for my Bride alone.” And everyone’s favorite, “What killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age!” I defy anyone to watch him and not laugh. Especially when he’s gasping for air in the hot part of his prison cell.
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The dialogue
Beyond the puns, there was so much said in this movie that makes Peter Parker’s dance sequence in Spider-Man 3 look like an Oscar-worthy moment. For example, Robin asked Poison Ivy, “I need a sign that you’ve turned over a new leaf.” Ivy responded with, “How about ‘slippery when wet?'” It’s easy to foget this actually happened. It was probably so ridiculous this writer’s brain didn’t want me to remember. Awful, but entertaining. Reading the line again was hilarious. Uma Tharman played this role well. She delivered her lines and had the sensual walk you’d want her to have. However, she couldn’t escape the goofiness of the script.
The costumes
Comic book costumes are funny looking. The heroes and villains are running around in colorful tights and armor, so they can stand out in a crowd. Batman and Robin took flamboyant costumes to a whole new level. It’s one thing to have leather with Bat-Butt cheeks. What we didn’t need was Bat-Nipples. Who sat down and said, “The Batman, Robin, and Batgirl costumes look great. Although, could we add more emphasis on the nipples and butt-cheeks?” Also, who agreed with them? That alone should have been the point where the creative team said, “This is a comedy, right?”
In conclusion
Hear me out. Yes, this was a terrible movie. You’ll get no arguments in that respect. Although, we live in an era where movies like this are becoming incredibly popular. People have started to enjoy watching these cinematic trainwrecks. There’s something about the bad jokes, action, and quotes that make movies like this worth watching. And Batman and Robin has a plethora of these moments. Let’s take it a step further. This is one of the greatest bad movies of all time.
Watch this movie. Don’t go into it thinking about this as a Batman movie like Tim Burton or Christopher Nolan’s projects. This is just a bad movie that happens to star Batman. Hit play, sit back, and laugh at all of the incredibly absurd things that go on. Make a game out of all the ice puns and crazy bat-themed items (completely forgot about the Bat-Credit Card). Batman and Robin is a comedy and should be treated as such. Sit back and enjoy Batman: Mr. Freeze’s Cool Party.
What did you think of the infamous Batman and Robin? Does this movie kick ice or should we give it the cold shoulder? Let us know in the comments below.