Batman Forever ***½ (1995, Val Kilmer, Chris O’Donnell, Nicole Kidman, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Drew Barrymore, Debi Mazar, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle) – Classic Movie Review 523

Batman returns for an enjoyable third outing in director Joel Schumacher’s 1995 movie, with an intriguing new cast as well as director. It lacks the class of the first two Tim Burton movies, Batman and Batman Returns, but it has a great sense of fun and showmanship.

There’s a new Dark Knight in Val Kilmer, a new pal in Chris O’Donnell’s Robin and two new villains for them to battle – Tommy Lee Jones’s Two-Face (formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent) and Jim Carrey’s The Riddler (aka Dr Edward Nygma).

Kilmer takes over from Michael Keaton in what turned out to be his single shot at playing the Caped Crusader (aka millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne). He looks every inch the part and proves an okay Batman but he lacks the subtlety of his predecessor.

His family killed by Two-Face, former circus acrobat Dick Grayson becomes Wayne’s ward and Batman’s new crime-fighting partner as Robin the Boy Wonder. ‘Holy rusted metal, Batman!’ O’Donnell’s really fine and he looks just right too, while both Jones and Carrey are stupendous and couldn’t be better.

Plus there’s Nicole Kidman as a satisfactory psychologist femme fatale, Dr Chase Meridian, who comes on to Bruce Wayne. Meridian is an entirely new character who doesn’t exist in Batman or any DC Comics series. And there’s also Drew Barrymore and Debi Mazar as Two-Face’s female thugs Sugar and Spice.

Two-Face wrongly believes Batman caused the courtroom accident that’s left one side of his face disfigured, so he’s unleashed a reign of terror on the folk of Gotham. Meanwhile computer genius Edward Nygma is out to get his ex-boss and makes a device to drain everybody’s brains in Gotham, including Wayne’s knowledge of his identity as Batman.

There’s a good, busy screenplay by Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler but, as expected with such a scene-stealing, quality cast, the acting dominates. Never mind the extravagant plot, concentrate on the showy performances, the fun in the script, Schumacher’s stylish direction and the flashy, costly ($100million) production.

Michael Gough is back as butler Alfred Pennyworth, Pat Hingle is Commissioner James Gordon, and Rene Auberjonois, Joe Grifasi and Elizabeth Sanders are also in the cast. Tim Burton stays on as producer.

Elizabeth Sanders, who plays Gossip Gerty, is the widow of Bob Kane, the man who created the Batman character.

Olympic gymnast Mitchell Gaylord was stunt double for O’Donnell.

Next: Batman and Robin (1997).

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Film Review 523 derekwinnert.com