Batman Forever

Another irrelevant Bat-title. It isn't even film number 'four'. Or are they counting the 1966 one starring Adam West? I hope so.

Dropping all remaining pretensions at seriousness, this one is a brighter, sillier and more colourful romp, and even features Jim Carrey in a rare supporting role as the Riddler.

Top Secret's Val Kilmer takes over the lead, which I thought he was most successful at when wearing the Bat-costume, purely because I could believe that he was still Michael Keaton under there.

Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face is no threat at all, while Nicole Kidman does her best as the latest in a what is becoming an increasingly long line of blondes for bachelor Bruce Wayne. I wonder what her psychologist character would make of that?

The real success in this one is the introduction of Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson / Robin. He scores the only really believable part, struggling as he does with losing his family and charging out onto the streets to set the world to rights. It's not that I think the rest of the characters should have had similar substance, just that O'Donnell was lucky to find himself playing the straight component of the ensemble.

And the script, riddled with so many quotable lines.

Robin: "Holey rusted metal, Batman!"
Batman: "Huh?"
Robin: "The ground. It's all metal. It's full of holes."

Riddler: "Tell the fat lady she's on in five."

Bruce Wayne: "He [Robin] ran away?"
Alfred: "Actually, he took the car."
Bruce Wayne: "He boosted the Jag?"
Alfred: "Not the Jaguar. The other car."
Bruce Wayne: "The Bentley?"
Alfred: "No, sir, the other car."

The bottom line though just has to go Jim Carrey's Riddler.

"Was that over the top? I can never tell."

(available here)
(with thanks to Herschel)

Related reviews:
Batman (1989)
Batman Returns
Batman & Robin