Batman Forever

[Mr. Socko]

Because the Riddler is gay in this movie. I'm not even joking.

Spoiler

He stalks Bruce like a jilted lover throughout most of the movie, and Bruce even refers to his riddles as "love letters" when he goes to see the shrink. And she only seems to confirm that Bruce's stalker is in love with him and obsessed with him (though in a homicidal way).

I liked the gay Riddler, I thought his infatuation with Batman was done well and Carrey did an excellent job, well all except when he was wearing glitter, then Riddler was just annoying.

 

[C. Lee]

I don't really think of it as unwatchable.....but just more on par with the Adam West Batman TV series. Campy, stupid, funny, cringeworthy, and not to be taken seriously.

 

[Two-Face]

I can watch BF but B&R is just I can't seem to...

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

Indeed Two-Face, at least when I watch BF I don't have a headache in the first 10 minutes... Seriously, I can't stand B&R from start to beginning, I developped an ability to get headache to loud stupidity. I almost had a headache watching 2 minutes of Mean Girls, but B&R is the unbeatable in terms of suffering!

 

[SalaciousVC]

Bad,but not as Bad as Batman & Robin........

 

[ab38416]

edit

 

[SHADOWBAT69]

Batman Forever was the first "popcorn action movie" of the franchise. It had all the key elements of a typical summer blockbuster. Its 4th on my list of live action Batman movies because it's not my particular style of Batman. For a pure fun, action comic book movie, Forever hit it on the head.

 

[The Mighty Wind]

I would be one of the few to argue that Batman Forever is more unbearable to watch than Batman and Robin. True, Forever is easily the better film, but its the fact that it manages to so narrowly miss the "so bad its funny" mark that puts it straight in the gutter. Batman and Robin is a pretty decent way to pass time if you and your friends want to MST3K it up.

 

[greenfront]

We're doing the origin of Batman; we're doing the origin of Dick Grayson/ Robin; we're doing the origin of the Riddler. It's enough! - Joel Schumacher.

It had become a tradition in Batman films to service a wide variety of characters. In order to service a bunch of characters you have to make decisions about what you see versus what you hear. It seemed more interesting to see the Riddler's story, which drives the actual plot. - Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman

Well, they didn't do the origin of Batman in Forever. And I have to disagree with Mr. Goldsman. Two-Face's origin would've been better than the Riddler's. He has a relationship with Bruce, Batman and Gordon and it could've been so deep, so emotional, so awesome.

I bet that the Riddler's story became 100% more important to the studio and filmmakers after they cast Jim Carrey. THAT's why its "more interesting" to them.

I suspect Nolan is going to give me the Two-Face origin I wanted to see, but at this point, I'm fine with what the Animated Series did.

 

[Darkness Falls]

Batman Forever was the first "popcorn action movie" of the franchise. It had all the key elements of a typical summer blockbuster. Its 4th on my list of live action Batman movies because it's not my particular style of Batman. For a pure fun, action comic book movie, Forever hit it on the head.

you're exactly right

 

[Darkfly]

I agree with SHADOWBAT69 too.

Whenever I watch Batman Forever I don't think golly that's a bad film I think of it as Dumb Fun for all the family, not a great film but still good-ish. It never tried to be serious or dark so I just accept it for what it is or at least try.

 

[House_of_El]

Because the Riddler is gay in this movie. I'm not even joking.

Spoiler

He stalks Bruce like a jilted lover throughout most of the movie, and Bruce even refers to his riddles as "love letters" when he goes to see the shrink. And she only seems to confirm that Bruce's stalker is in love with him and obsessed with him (though in a homicidal way).

Well actually, the Batman Forever novelization explained Nygma's obsession with Bruce as seeing him as a counterpart, someone intelligent like him, hidden behind a face full of rage. It wasn't a homosexual attraction, just a cool thing to see someone similar to him and wanted to meet him. Pretty much, I think he just thought he and Bruce would become successful when putting their brilliant minds together.

Well, thats my opinion anyway

 

[StylishHokie21]

Unwatchable? Come on now...it's not that bad.

 

[I-T-B]

Hmmmm, I JUST watched Batman Forever like, five minutes agao, and I still love it just as much as I used to. It's just a fun movie, and I enjoy it for what it is. I like Batman and Robin too, just a bit less.

 

[ab38416]

Well, they didn't do the origin of Batman in Forever.

What makes you say that?

 

[Noir]

wasn't the whole Redbook plot expanding on the origin of the caped crusader?

 

[greenfront]

Batman is already established as Batman. A few flashbacks does not count as origin in my book. Every Batman movie should have Bruce recalling his roots.

People need to demand more out of their films. There are fun, light, popcorn, action movies for the whole family that are ACTUALLY good!

The phrase "good for what it is" is thrown around too much as a way to justify enjoying bad movies. We deserve better.

 

[The Shredder]

wasn't the whole Redbook plot expanding on the origin of the caped crusader?

Yeah, on the documentary of the making of the film found on the SE, I believe the original intention for the redbook was for the book to be a journal Thomas Wayne kept with one of the last things written in it to be that both he and his wife preferred to stay in that fateful night, but Bruce insisted on seeing a movie. This is why you see the redbook in flashback scenes much through the film, but unfortunately it never was made clear the significance of it in the final cut.

 

[Mr. Socko]

That's something else that I felt brought it down a bit. The redbook subplot could have worked out quite well, I enjoyed what was there, but it wasn't expanded on. That subplot just drifted away with no resolution, and ultimately no point unless you have the second disc of the special edition.

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

^Or seen the Red Book Edition (fan edit)

 

[GoogleMe94]

Also the whole Riddler infatuation with Bruce Wayne, that was just plain wierd. I liked Carey in the role, but I just don't know why he was infatutation with Bruce at the beginning.

the reason is plain obvious. look at edward and look at bruce wayne. bruce is a handsome, rich playboy millionaire and edward is a loser of life dork whos underappreciated and doesnt make alot of money at all. he admires bruce because he embodies everything that edward would ever want be. which is why he tries to copy his every move, even his look.


i am not going to say that this is a horribly horrendous batman film because even though the villians were silly and pretty dumb, still it had entertainment value and bruce wayne's story was actually pretty good. its nowhere near as good as the burton films but its certianly NOT B&R bad. its also got some pretty neat visuals. i always liked the part when batman leaps from the building and you see him falling down the side of the building and then he spreads his wings makeing the bat motif. i also liked when the batmobile went up the building with the explosion in the backround, i thought these kinda scenes were awsome.

 

[GoogleMe94]

^Or seen the Red Book Edition (fan edit)

all this talk about red books is reminding me of lord of the rings, bilbo's Red Book, lol.

 

[ab38416]

edit

 

[greenfront]

all that matters is what makes it to the screen

defending a movie based on good deleted scenes actually shows more of what the movie got wrong by cutting these scenes

if a director's cut or extended cut ever comes out officially, I'll give it a fair viewing with an open mind

the movie that exists as released to theaters and on home video at the moment, however...

 

[the_joker]

In comparison to B&R, Batman Forever was that bad. Yeah, there were alot of corny bits - but it still retained some of its darker themes. I think th major let-down was the completely unrealistic plot involving the creation of some ridiculous television device that supposedly steals the knowledge from the people of Gotham.