Batman & Robin (1997)

reviewed by
Seth Bookey

Batman & Robin (1997)

Well, what everyone has had to say about this movie, and about all the movies that have come before this one in the series, is all true. The villains are more interesting than the heroes. Even the sets and the costumes and the gadgetry are more interesting than the actors. But, there is no stopping the moneymaking machine of the 1990s--the Batman series.

Everything you need to know about the movie are easily seen in the movie's subway posters--the heroes are Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, and the villains are Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. As in the other three installments of this series, the villains are much more interesting than the heroes. Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger, who gets top billing) is grieving for his terminally ill and cryogenically preserved wife, who has some disease he is trying to cure. Meanwhile, he is stealing diamonds to power the suit that keeps him at a requisite freezing temperature, and that power his freezing machines.

Across town, dowdy Dr. Pamela Isley falls into a pit of botanical toxins and becomes Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), who uses pheromone dust to entrance men and get them to fight over her. Both Thurman and Schwarzenegger are entertaining, and are the main show, as far as I'm concerned. The characters are written quite shallow, and spend far too much dialog on idiotic sexual innuendo than anything else.

Meanwhile, at stately Wayne Manor, there is trouble. Bruce Wayne/Batman (George Clooney) is having trouble getting ward Dick Grayson/Robin (Chris O'Donnell) to reign in his teenage hormones and stop taking so many risks. Faithful Butler Alfred (Michael Gough) is dying, and his niece Barbara Wilson/Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) has popped in for a visit by day, and borrows motorcycles at night to go hellraising and drag racing. All of this is basically a lot of noise signifying ...? Nothing.

George Clooney is the third Batman and is supposed to be a kinder, gentler Batman. Less brooding, but just as uninteresting as Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer were in the title role. The movies are quickly approaching the same level of silliness the television series displayed. (Viveca Fox plays "Ms. B. Haven"--har har.) Again, the sets are marvelous and moody and evoke silent screen classics like Fritz Lang's Metropolis. But, after spending about $40 in eight years, enough is enough already. This latest installment is just a lot of chase scenes set on a gargantuan metropolitan set with outrageous villains and uninteresting heroes. Robin's teen tantrums left me uninterested, and we don't see nearly enough of Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl. Perhaps in the next chapter, which is supposed to feature "The Joker's Wife" and actresses are lining up already to win the role...

Copyright © 1997 Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021

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