BATMAN FOREVER
A film review by Matthew Beckwith
Copyright 1995 Matthew Beckwith
BATMAN FOREVER is fabulous. It's light years better than either of the first two.
This is an intelligent person's film. Each scene contains many brain ticklers. It's the kind of film that you'll want to rent or buy on video and view over and over.
A great deal of time and energy was obviously spent on set design. The sets are quite intricate, and not as dark as those in the first two films.
A curious, and unexpected, factor in this movie was Jim Carrey's effeminate posturings. I found myself wondering whether it was that the actor is gay, or that the character is gay. At one point, The Riddler and Two Face actually embrace and kiss. Certainly the gay lobby will not be offended by this film!
The special effects of this version of Batman are comparable to those of the better science fiction films of our time. Batman's frequent flights through the air are quite convincing and awe-inspiring. When The Riddler and Two Face are sucking up the energy from the minds of the populace, it is quite spooky. And when the various bat-vehicles are on the move, it's like being in a roller coaster.
The screenplay and acting are quite good in this film. The plot lines are interesting, some of them deep. Val Kilmer's soul searchings as Bruce Wayne/Batman, with the seductive coaching of Nicole Kidman's Dr. Chase Meridian, are psychologically intriguing, and not overdone. Chris O'Donnell does an excellent job as Robin. Perhaps the only fault with the film is the lack of depth of the two villains. Jim Carrey is campy but not much else; and Tommy Lee Jones is one-dimensional (which is ironic, considering his character).
I highly recommend BATMAN FOREVER. Even if your reaction to the first two was lukewarm, you'll love this one.
-- >From the Desk of Matt Beckwith, Jacksonville, Florida, beckwith@jaxnet.com
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