Val Kilmer as Batman (IYO) - In Your Opinion . . .

[Superwoman Prime]

There's not much discussion on Batman Forever. I want to know everyone's thoughts on Val Kilmer's performance.


IMO: As Bruce Wayne he was a layed-back, intelligent, cool billionaire. As Batman, he was a badass, mysterious, unreadable being who was not unlike the Batman of Batman (1989) or Batman Returns.

IYO: ... ?

 

[DX]

IMO: Kilmer was a great Batman. And an equally great Bruce.

Not the best but still great. Just like the entire film

 

[Rockbottom]

I dont think he was a badass Batman as you said, but i think he was a very good one. I dont like the way he is instantly cast off as crap since he is branded with the name Shumacker.

 

[Man on Fire]

yeah he was a good batman not as good as keaton but still good and i think he was the best choice to follow in keatons foot steps

 

[CConn]

Val Kilmer is really one of the most gifted and, in my mind, legendary actors of his generation.

That said, I thought he sucked as Batman.

 

[fabman]

Could've been more charming as Bruce Wayne, more badass as Batman.

 

[El Payaso]

He was okay. I think it was mostly because of the script. Meaning that he could have been better. But I basically liked what he did.

 

[Dark Guardian]

I gotta say, even through the camp and general Schumakerness of Batman Forever, Val's Batman and Bruce Wayne really shone through. Even when he was in scenes with Robin, he really performed well. He really reminded me of Neal Adam's Batman work, which I thought was really great.
In short, Val did pretty good as Batman. He couldn't touch Keatons 1989 portrayal of the Bat, but he probably was just under that and above the Returns portrayal.
His Bruce Wayne outshines pretty much everybody, except just barely, Christian Bales. He was a very well rounded Bruce, tragic and dark, but at the same time compassionate.
I rate Val as the third best Batman of the live action Batmen.

 

[The Chris]

He was good. third best Batman is rihgt, behind Bale and Keaton.

 

[BareKnucklez]

I always wanted Kilmer to continue to make BATMAN movies, and was upset when I found out Clooney was replacing him!
Kilmer was as good as keaton as BATMAN, and Bruce in some ways.
Keaton is still tops as BATMAN because like Chris Reeve he really made you believe that he was BATMAN!
Bale is close to Keaton in that, and so might over take Keaton as the mental picture the public has when they think of a live action BATMAN.

 

[Two-Face]

I like Kilmer's Bruce/Batman a lot better then Clooney's. tho Clooney wasn't bad as Bruce but terrible Batman.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

Unfortunately, he just came off as a poor imitator of Michael Keaton. Not that he's particularly bad, though. I'd betting that's how he was directed.

The only time he makes the role his own is when he's yelling at Dick during the "I need a sidekick name" scene. He actually becomes different than Keaton there. And it's grand.

 

[gadgetfusion]

Well I thought he was the second best Batman (behind Christian Bale).

 

[Gotham22]

I think Kilmer was a great Bruce Wayne/Batman. He did seem a little young for Dick Grayson/Robin. He was more like a brother figure to Grayson than a father figure than he's suppostly to be.

 

[lordofthenerds]

His Batman was below Keaton's, but I'd say he made a better Bruce Wayne than Keaton did. He was far better than the craptastic Clooney.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Kilmer is my second favourite Batman. He had the perfect mix of mysterious and heroic. He wasn't a grim figure - certainly not Frank Miller's Batman - but absolutely the Neal Adams/Denny O'Neil version.

And let's not forget, he was Bob Kane's favourite (although Bob never saw Bale).

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

He certaintly had the voice and height for Batman but including Robin and the neon Gotham City killed it for me.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

Kilmer is my second favourite Batman. He had the perfect mix of mysterious and heroic. He wasn't a grim figure - certainly not Frank Miller's Batman - but absolutely the Neal Adams/Denny O'Neil version.

And let's not forget, he was Bob Kane's favourite (although Bob never saw Bale).

A friend of mine always brings up Kane's Kilmer preference, and I always retort with "He never saw Bale!"

Kilmer was pretty good; his best scenes were with Dick. But yes, he was definitely Neal Adam's Bats. His slimmed-down Batsuit resembled Adam's lean, athletic Bats. He even had the hairy chest.

 

[Dr. Fate]

I liked Val Kilmer as Batman/Bruce Wayne, regardless of what surrounded him on screen. I thought he had a nice mix of cool, seasoned celebrity billionaire and focused vigilante whose demons still haunt him.

 

[Bat Attack]

Kilmer was an awesome Batman and good Bruce Wayne, not as good as Keaton though.

 

[kooguy911]

Val Kilmer is one of the best actors of the 90s. He was able to do any role you gave him, and he did them all well, including batman.

This is the same guy that played a stoned hippie in the doors, a cowboy in tombstone, and then came off and did a fantastic batman in forever. Each role was as diverse as you can imagine, and he did them all well.

 

[Bruce_Wayne29]

He was a great Bruce Wayne and a good, decent Batman mainly because he copied Keaton's style of performance...

 

[Kevin Roegele]

He was a great Bruce Wayne and a good, decent Batman mainly because he copied Keaton's style of performance...

Nonsense. You can't be good merely by imitating someone else.

 

[screena]

i think he had the best batsuit of the four films. he is a fantastic actor, but his performance as batman was a bit weak. still he was about 100 times better than clooney.

he has to be given credit for being the only actor who actually got the physical look for batman (before bale of course). he kind of had this athletic neal adams look (at least more than the other two actors back then).

 

[Damiean Dark]

kilmer is he most versatile actor to play Batman alongside Keaton IMO.