Slick Batman sequel (Batman Forever (DVD))

Member Name: dooeyyooey

Product:	Batman Forever (DVD)
Date:	18/05/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Visually spectacular and well-acted

Disadvantages: Not as entertaining as it could have been

This Batman adventure follows Tim Burton's blockbuster Batman Returns (1989).

As Warner Bros. decided to make the Batman franchise less dark and more mainstream, Burton handed over directorial duties to Joel Shumacher and remained only as a producer. There is also a new Batman, as Val Kilmer replaces Michael Keaton who had declined to reprise the role.

This time around Batman contends with two villains who form an alliance against him, and Batman himself gains an ally to help him combat his enemies.

The film opens with Two-Face holding hostages at a bank. Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) is a former District Attorney who became physically disfigured and psychologically disturbed following an accident which he blames on Batman, and has been terrorising Gotham of late.

Outside the bank Batman meets Dr Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman), an expert on absormal psychology and multiple personality disorders who has been called to the scene to help the authorities.
Batman foils Two-Face's plan, who manages to escape.

We are then introduced to Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), a Wayne Enterprises employee who eventually becomes The Riddler after Bruce Wayne, whom he seems to idolise, rejects one of his ideas.

The last main character to be introduced is Robin (Chris O'Donnell), a young circus acrobat that Batman takes under his wing after Two-Face kills his family. He becomes Batman's partner against Two-Face and The Riddler.

The film is quite loud and busy, even by comic book superhero adaptation standards.
Despite being jam-packed with action, it is actually rather dull at times, and the plot is not as engrossing as the previous Batman film had been.

The film's strength is the production design: it is a visual feast.
As usual with the Batman franchise, the film has a highly stylised look, its dark tones and quick-moving camera work producing a rather claustrophobic atmosphere and vertiginous sensation.
Chase's fair skin and blonde hair and Robin's multicoloured spandex suit provide two of the few lighter touches of colour.

The film is well-acted.
Val Kilmer doesn't have much acting to do as Batman, but looks better in the Batman suit than any of the other actors who have worn it, and Nicole Kidman as his love interest is also the sexiest I have ever seen her.

Jim Carrey does his usual manic brand of acting, but is suitably creepy as the spiteful scientist whose admiration for Bruce Wayne turns to obssessive revengefulness when Wayne rejects one of his ideas.
Tommy Lee Jones also makes Two-Face as menacing as a Batman villain ought to be.

There are also performances by well-known actors such as Ed Begley Jr and Drew Barrymore in minor roles.

The film's weaknesses are the dullness of the plot and the number of main characters crammed in to it.

Robin is probably the most superfluous character. It had originally been included in Batman Returns' original draft, but was dropped then as producers thought the film would have too many characters, and they should have come to the same conclusion this time around.
Although to be fair, Robin does provide the funniest moment of the film, when he is asked "who are you?" by the fluorescent-coloured gangsters.

The film was an even bigger commercial success worldwide than its predecessor, becoming the second highest grossing film in the U.S. in the year of its release.

It is not great, but worth watching if you like the genre, even if you will probably forget it quickly.

Summary: Mildly entertaining Batman adventure