Batman and Robbed (Batman & Robin (DVD))

Member Name: bilbob20

Product:	Batman & Robin (DVD)
Date:	11/04/08 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its colourful enough to keep a 7 year olds attention

Disadvantages: Its a shambles from plot to acting

I wasn't going to bother reviewing this, but having already reviewed the other 4 Warner Brother releases in the franchise, I thought I might as well for the sake of being completist.

Like the previous 2 sequels, B&R doesn't bother to carry any narrative over from the previous entries, opting instead for a whole host of crazy new plot threads and even crazier villians. Mr Freeze has Gotham in terror as he sets about freezing everybody and everything that he comes into contact with, whilst trying to find a cure for an illness that his wife (and another old favourite in the series) has. Meanwhile, mad Ivy is on the loose batting her eyelids and blowing her poison into the veins of Batman and Robin in order to set them against each other. And that folks, is about the gist of it.

I dont want to slap this film down just to go with the grain. Nope, I want to slap it down because its everybit as bad as every viewer and reviewer has said it is. And somewhat worse. In fact, the only person I've ever known who actually enjoys it is my 7 year old nephew who hasn't had the fortune to witness the 4 other Batman films that are supremely better yet. So at least somebody's pleased.

Its hard to fathom exactly what is wrong with it to be honest. Is it in George Clooney's ludicrous head shaking one dimensional performance where he gets to deliver such gems as "no wonder Superman works alone" to his faithful sidekick Robin. Or is it in the casting of the notoriously awful Alicia Silverstone in a part that makes her other god-awful turns look Oscar-worthy by comparison. Perhaps its in Joel Schumacher's shocking narrative that dives all over creation making no sense or explaining anything of worth.

The one person to walk away from this sorry debacle with a small iota of dignity is Chris O'Donnell, returning to the role of Robin. His part sucks as well, but O'Donnell is youthful enough to look like he's enjoying himself and not taking the mess too seriously. Its a shame his mentor looks so uncomfortable in the Batsuit.

Arnie is Arnie with some cool gadgets and scary looking contact lenses. But his freeze suit only manages to make him look like a 60 year old trying to run a marathon. And dont even talk about Uma Thurman, a woman who only knows one expression - sarcastic. Michael Gough turns up as the ailing Alfred once again, and delivers some lines that will induce vomit quicker than any illness he may have acquired.

This film is a tragedy from the opening sequences where the actor playing the lead character doesn't even get top billing in his own film. Can you imagine the meeting with Arnie's agent. "It looks shit, but I'll do it as long as I get my name on the screen before Batman". And he'd be right. It really is. Whereas director Schumacher provided something at least colourful and vivid with Batman Forever, this film is drenched in ugly neon lights and characters so unenjoyable that you cant wait the 90 minutes til they all blow themselves and each other up.

The action sequences are deftly done as they always are in these films, but aren't enough to save Akiva Goldsman's clunky script and some of the hammiest acting I've ever seen. Tim Burton's original dark vision has been reduced to sloppy plotting and seamless set pieces that have little relevance to the actual film. The soundtrack is mixed up again, and bares little resemblence to the original score. Who'd have thought I'd be longing for the return of Jim Carrey, but I really was. Like I said already, at least my nephew enjoys it. I'll give it a generous rating for that reason alone.

Summary: One of the worst sequels ever produced, and there have been bad sequels.