The Official Batman Forever Thread - Part 2

[Kevin Roegele]

I'd put it right up there with Spider-man 2.

Batman forever is a pretty darn good action flick, but not a good enough batman film to many. Just like spiderman's a pretty darn good action flick, but just not a good enough Spiderman film.

my thoughts...

And good ones they are.

One of the main reasons Forever gets so much criticism on these boards is because many fans don't think it's serious enough, and serious means quality in their eyes. Such a lowbrow conceit, but there you have it.

 

[Parker]

I would have found the film more tolerable if it weren't for the batnipples.

 

[captain_jimbo]

It's an okay film, but not a great Batman film. I recently watched it again, and it actually surprised me because it's all so campy and over the top, especially from the villains.

...And then came Batman & Robin. F**k me!

 

[Proximo]

....

 

[Bat Attack]

Batman Forever has been growing on me recentley. I've been enjoying it much more than I used to. Probably because I'm not such a tight ass about Batman being dark or anything anymore. It's just a fun and enjoyable movie that I can watch all the way through.

 

[CConn]

I think it's "decent". And sorta necessary in showing that lighter side of Batman. Obviously, B&R went way, way too far with it, but BF was sort of a happy medium between the campy, over-the-top comics, and the darker, more enjoyable version of Batman.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Batman Forever is only superficially colourful. The themes and characters are all dark, they're a bunch of tortured obsessives. I almost feel Schumacher is trying to disguise the darkness of the screenplay with lights on the surface, knowing most people will only take notice of that.

Look at the ending - Nygma wanted to be Bruce Wayne the whole time, and by the end he gets his wish (he believes he is Bruce after sucking his brain waves) - and everything that comes with it, i.e. Batman. Thus he completely loses any sanity and ends up in a shadowy cell in a straight jacket. That's as dark as anything has been in the Batman movies.

 

[Gossip Gerty]

Batman Forever is only superficially colourful. The themes and characters are all dark, they're a bunch of tortured obsessives. I almost feel Schumacher is trying to disguise the darkness of the screenplay with lights on the surface, knowing most people will only take notice of that.

Look at the ending - Nygma wanted to be Bruce Wayne the whole time, and by the end he gets his wish (he believes he is Bruce after sucking his brain waves) - and everything that comes with it, i.e. Batman. Thus he completely loses any sanity and ends up in a shadowy cell in a straight jacket. That's as dark as anything has been in the Batman movies.

I totally agree with you, 100%!

 

[Anita18]

I thought it was decently fun. It was the first Batman movie I enjoyed - both of Burton's movies scared me to death as a kid. It was like an easy appetizer to Batman fandom.

But yeah, it doesn't hold a candle to BB or even the Burton movies now that I'm older and I don't get scared of them. (As much...)

 

[The Chairman]

BF shows potential in a lot of scenes, and the basic plot elements and themes dealt within the film are really great, but the way they're executed is extremely poor. If they kept the themes and plot of the film the same but darkened the overall tone of it, it would've been awesome.

 

[Thot]

Batman Forever was great for the most part, very much a "comic book" movie. It had some over the top campiness that hurt it a bit, but overall very enjoyable. I believe there is room for the gritty, dark world of Begins and the more colorful, lighter world of Forever. When Nolan is finished, I wouldn't mind seeing another installment along the same lines, sans the camp and nipples of course!

 

[DCW]

I actually love Batman Forever. IMO, I can't stress that enough, I like it much more than Batman Returns. Sure I appreciate some parts in Returns but overall I just enjoy Forever much more. Returns is too dark and strange for me. The only thing that I really hate in Forever is the scene when Dick Grayson is doing the laundry with Alfred. That move where he drys his socks with his toes or whatever always drives me nuts. Other things do bother me a little: neon, nipples on the suits, and "I'll Get Drive Through". but not enough to detour me from enjoying the film. I love this movie and enjoy it everytime I watch it.

Oh, and Elliot Goldenthal is no Danny Elfman when it comes to Batman, but I love the score for this movie as well.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I love Forever. I've seen it more times than any other movie (not that it's my it's not my favourite).

 

[Eastwood]

Batman forever was a good film it was still kind of dark it was defintley better than batman and robin and val kilmer was a pertty good batman i liked it

 

[cryptic name]

Jeph loeb made the riddler a serious villain?

Someone never watched the 60's Tv show...

none of the villains were serious in the 60's TV show

 

[Damiean Dark]

I still think if you take BF and B&R as a big budget version of the 60s camp batman it goes down a whole lot better and they are quite enjoyable.

 

[Vile]

Or you can take them for what they are and simply accept that fact that they are horrible movies!

=)

 

[Kevin Roegele]

none of the villains were serious in the 60's TV show

Frank Gorshin's Riddler was serious enough to be in a serious movie, if that makes sense. He's on the same level as Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Unlike Looney Clooney, Kilmer looked and was overall a much better BATMAN

 

[Damiean Dark]

That suit looks better then the Batman Begins suit and much more flexible.

 

[Agentsands77]

There was a good film inside BATMAN FOREVER (the basic concepts are pretty decent), but it's buried beneath a lot of crud. Not the least of which is the absolutely dreadful visual style.

 

[Victarion]

The beginning action sequence with the bank vault is fantastic, though not something I'd attribute Two-Face with committing (The only Two-Face I'm familiar with is the TLH and Dark Victory incarnations though).

The Red Book subplot held a ton of potential and could have been fleshed out more.

Even though I find it subpar story-wise to Burton's flicks, I still enjoy watching it here and there. B&R is a different story though.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

only good thing about BF is Val Kilmer. i honestly believe that he was a much better Batman/Bruce than Keaton (don't get me wrong, i LOVE Keaton). Kilmer is my second fav Batman right after Bale.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Even though I find it subpar story-wise to Burton's flicks, I still enjoy watching it here and there. B&R is a different story though.

I have to disagree, story-wise Forever is superior to Burton's movies. THink about it; what is the story of Batman? Or Batman Returns? Not very much at all. Both simply introduce their characters into the arean of Gotham and then let them interact until the climax. I love both films, but storyline has never been Burton's strong point (as Daniel Waters, who wrote Returns says, Burton was not interested in anything to do with the plot).

Forever has a fantastic plot. Batman confronts his duality. He finds out exactly why he has two personalities, and finally makes a distinction between them. Everything in the movie ties into this. You have Dick Grayson, who Bruce must decide whether to allow to follow his path. You have Chase Meridian (whose name means 'persue a dividing line'), who helps Bruce unlock the secrets of his identity. You have Two-Face, which is self-explanatory.
And finally the Riddler....and I love this part of the movie....finally achieves his goal of becoming his idol, Bruce Wayne, at the end - and everything that comes with it. Thus he ends up in Arkham Asylum.

All this in a screenplay which doesn't waste a single scene and expertly juggles five characters, and leads to a perfect, logical and symbollic climax.

Look beyond the neon lights and the silly antics of Jones and Carrey and Forever is a great story. Better yet, read the novelisation.

 

[Bat Attack]

I love the shot in Forever when the Batmobile is roaring down the street when Batman is going to meet Chase on the GCPD rooftop. That seemed like it was right out of the comic.