In 1997, action-adventure sequel, Batman & Robin made its debut. The movie – the fourth entry in the Batman Anthology – followed the Dynamic Duo as they battled new villains, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Bane.
Meanwhile, new ally, Batgirl joined the team, and Alfred suffered from health problems. And if that wasn’t enough, Batman and Robin found themselves butting heads about who calls the shots in the Batcave.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Uma Thurman, Jeep Swenson, Alicia Silverstone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Batman & Robin was envisioned as an action-packed adventure in Gotham City. Taking on a lighter tone than the Batman movies that came before, the film attempted to capture the spirit of the 1966 Batman television show, while retaining the same design aesthetic of its predecessors.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t what audiences wanted and upon release it was labelled as one of the worse movies of all time. It became a notorious disappointment, and was regarded as a significant blot on the Bat-franchise.
But decades on from the release of Batman & Robin, is it all that bad? Well, let’s find out as I take a HUGE deep dive into the movie. You’ve been warned, this is a long one.
I will watch the film and provide my thoughts in real-time. Along the way I will also offer up some additional information about Batman & Robin, including little insights and hidden details.
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Batman & Robin
**Presses play**
1min – OK, so as the movie begins, the film opens in a similar way to its predecessor, Batman Forever. The names of all the key actors flash across the screen, then the movie cuts to a suit-up scene in the Batcave. In Batman Forever, it was just Batman suiting up, whereas now it’s Robin too.
2mins 20secs – A fun little exchange to kick things off…
Robin: “I want a car. Chicks dig the car.”
Batman: “This is why Superman works alone.”
A nice little reference to Superman, who doesn’t appear in this movie, nor is Batman & Robin part of some DC Cinematic Universe which includes Superman. So, why does the Man of Steel get a namecheck here? Because Warner Bros. Pictures had been attempting to get a Superman movie off the ground for a while in the 1990s (via director Tim Burton), and the studio was interested in creating some connection to Superman in the Batman movies. However, for the purpose of this film, this is just a throwaway line and nothing more.
3mins 30secs – As Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) leave the Batcave, in the Batmobile and the Redbird respectively, Commissioner Gordon contacts Batman to inform him the Gotham Museum is at the mercy of a new villain, Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger)!
4mins – Cut to the aforementioned museum, where Mr. Freeze is in the process of stealing a diamond. And it’s worth noting that this whole museum sequence is not only a lot of fun, but gorgeous to look at. The production design on display in Batman & Robin is excellent. This movie cost $125 million to make, some of that went on the cast (Arnie bagged a cool $25 million), but a great deal of the money went on the sets, costumes, and overall production design.
The museum set took five months to construct. Once constructed, the museum measured a whopping 60ft high, by 200ft long, and was 150ft wide. According to George Clooney in Bigger, Bolder, Brighter: The Production Design of Batman & Robin, the set cost around $2 million to create.
Speaking about the museum back in 1997, Clooney said: “I walked in and said, ‘Jesus, Joel, I’m intimidated’, and Joel’s like ‘so am I’. It’s the biggest thing I have ever seen.”
The museum set was built in Burbank, California, within Stage 16 of the Warner Bros. Lot, and included an eclectic mix of artefacts. The collection of historical pieces came from an exhibition titled The Lost World of Tufa.
Not familiar with The Lost World of Tufa? Not surprising, really – the exhibition was created solely for Batman & Robin and is what Production Designer, Barbara Ling referred to as a “fusion of cultures”.
Speaking about the Museum’s unique exhibit in the book, Batman & Robin: The Making of the Movie, Production Designer, Barbara Ling, said: “We invented something called ‘The Lost World of Tufa’, which squishes together many world cultures from different eras of history – like 20-foot-tall statues of a sphinx body with a Tibetan head, or a Mayan head on top of Mesopotamian body.”
All of the unique pieces were incorporated into the museum to add a sense of excitement, and wonder. They also created a sense of scale, with some of the pieces appearing larger-than-life.
One of the key pieces in the museum, and a significant feature of ’The Lost World of Tufa’ exhibit, is a 20ft high brachiosaurus. The dinosaur was constructed using a metal rod frame, which was then covered in foam and shaped accordingly.
A track was laid along the dinosaur’s spine, which contained a cleverly concealed wakeboard. This board was used for a stunt sequence in which Batman slides down the spine of the dinosaur.
Speaking of which…
5mins – Batman crashes through a skylight, lands on the head of the brachiosaurus and slides down its spine!
In reality, a stuntman dressed in a Batsuit uses the wakeboard, as well as some safety wires (erased in post production), to slide down the structure in dramatic fashion.
5mins 30secs – Robin’s entrance is less impressive, but also kind of fun. He smashes his bike through a wall and rides into the museum.
6mins – Cue a nicely choreographed fight sequence in which Batman and Robin take on Mr. Freeze’s goons… while wearing ice skates. Yes, it is very, very silly.
8mins – Mr. Freeze: “What killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age!”
Another big stunt sequence, as Mr. Freeze uses his freeze gun to destroy the giant dinosaur. These days, this whole sequence would be completed with CGI, but some of this is actually practical effects.
How was it achieved? By using cleverly concealed explosives. A hidden feature of the brachiosaurus is 52 exploding bolts, built into the structure. When required, the production crew activated the explosive bolts, which in turn brought the dinosaur crashing down to the ground.
Oh, and speaking of the ground, did you know the museum’s floor is not covered in ice? It might look like ice, but this is simply a piece of movie magic.
The original plan for the museum was to cover the floor with ice, to provide the right surface for Mr. Freeze’s ice hockey goons to glide across on their skates. Unfortunately, real life ice just doesn’t look that spectacular on screen, so it was switched out for a faux-flooring (a mix of Mylar and polyurethane) that only gave the appearance of ice.
Oh, and because there is no real ice on set, Mr. Freeze’s goons are actually wearing roller blades. Can you spot the roller blades? Probably not (unless you look hard enough), because the production team made sure the skating sequence was pretty fast-paced.
As for the goons themselves, did you know, that underneath all the pads and gruesome garb was a mix of roller hockey players, extreme skaters, and stuntmen. The ice skating sequence required different talents, so different people were drafted in to nail the scene.
12mins – OK, so on with the plot and after escaping the museum in a rocket (yes, a rocket), Batman and Robin follow chase. This leads to the rocket eventually exploding and Freeze and the Dynamic Duo falling/floating/surfing back down to Earth. It’s another huge sequence, which is a rather silly, but it’s so damn enjoyable to watch.
14mins – Freeze escapes, Robin is frozen and then thawed.
15mins – Cut to a new location, and the introduction of Pamela Isley (Uma Thurman). Isley is a botanist, working in a creepy, planet covered lab. Another great practical set! It’s pure comic book nonsense but it’s visually impressive. You simply wouldn’t get a set like this nowadays, because a.) it would all be CGI rubbish, and b.) comic book movies prefer ‘realism’ over comic book/cartoony aesthetics.
17mins – Another couple of DC villains are introduced here. One is Dr. Jason Woodrue, played by John Glover, while the second is Antonio Diego, who transforms into Bane (Jeep Swenson)!
Glover is a well-known actor in his own right, but DC fans will possibly know him from other DC projects including Batman: The Animated Series (the voice of the Riddler), Smallville (Lionel Luthor), and Shazam! (Mr. Sivana).
19mins – The birth of Bane is an interesting scene, as Woodrue is building a super soldier, and he is surrounded by an audience of unidentified men, as well as an unknown caller on the phone. The caller is noted as “our mystery bidder” who is bidding on the ownership of Bane.
Bane is expected to fetch a pretty penny, so Woodrue is opening up the auction to all those who can afford to purchase him, including those who can’t be present. But who is the bidder on the phone? Answer: It is never revealed.
The auction began at $10 million dollars. It’s never revealed how much Bane sold for, but if $10 million was the starting point, one can presume he sold for much more. So, fill in the identity of the mystery bidder yourself. Perhaps Lex Luthor, Maxwell Lord, Vandal Savage, or Ra’s al Ghul?
20mins – Cutting away from Bane I should mention that Woodrue attempts to bump off Pamela Isley. It won’t go well.
21mins – Back to the Batcave and as Robin recuperates from being frozen, there’s a quick rundown of Mr. Freeze’s origin. This origin borrows ideas from Batman: The Animated Series, which in 1992 revamped Freeze’s backstory to make it tragic.
Freeze’s origin story includes his wife, Nora, who has contracted a rare disease. In this movie the disease is called ‘MacGregor’s Syndrome.’
In Batman & Robin two characters contract MacGregor’s Syndrome. Both characters are incapacitated as a result of contracting the disease and both are fighting for their lives. The first is Nora Fries, while the second is Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred.
And now for the big question – Is MacGregor’s Syndrome real? And the answer is no. MacGregor’s Syndrome is not a real condition.
It was concocted entirely for use in the movie, which is why there are no specific symptoms (it’s just a vague illness). As for the name, it was titled after Peter MacGregor-Scott, the British-born producer of both Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
24mins – Back to Pamela Isley’s lab and she’s alive. She’s alive!!!!
24mins 30secs – After being bathed in toxins and chemicals, and buried in dirt, Pamela is reborn as…
25mins 30secs – …Poison Ivy!
26mins – Uma Thurman camps it up to the max as Poison Ivy. It’s a very theatrical performance which you either run with or you do not (at all).
26mins 30secs – Oh, and Bane is back and he is teaming up with Ivy.
Incidentally, you may be wondering why Bane is green in this movie, as he is not green in the comics. Well, basically Bane turns green because of the Venom that was pumped through his body. When the production team were coming up with the costume and make-up design for Bane, the idea was to use the Venom as a catalyst for the general aesthetic.
Venom was key to Bane’s transformation, so it was decided that Venom would be key to his look. The chemical became part of his body, enhancing it accordingly, so it was decided that it would also result in his greenish tinge.
In addition to the green colour, Bane also sported very visible veins, covering his arms and hands. Once again, these veins were brought on by the extreme transformation.
The veins, as well as the green skin, were airbrushed onto actor Jeep Swenson. In keeping with the tone of the movie, the colour scheme was to invoke a comic book aesthetic, so it was designed to look bold, extreme and also garish.
Initially, Swenson’s makeup took five hours to achieve, but once the process was locked down it was reduced to two-and-a-half hours. The end result was a design that looked very different from the comics, but offered something unique for the film.
29mins – Cut back to Mr. Freeze, who is now hiding out in an old ice cream factory. And it is revealed that his wife, Nora, is still alive, but being kept in suspended animation in a glass chamber.
This is yet another cool visual (no pun intended). This is a striking piece of imagery, which looks stunning on screen. From an emotional stand point, the idea that Freeze’s wife is held in a chamber, and just beyond his reach, tugs at the heart strings and adds some depth to his story.
So, a great image, but is that really actress Vendela Thommessen (aka Nora Fries) submerged in the liquid? Nope. The chamber houses a very detailed, very convincing prosthetic, designed to look like Thommessen.
Speaking in the documentary feature, Bigger, Bolder, Brighter: The Production Design of Batman & Robin, Production Designer, Barbara Ling, said: “It was an amazingly difficult feat to make that look good. We had a full prosthetic made of (Nora) that we tested endlessly, to get hair to move.”
According to Ling, the prosthetic took “months to perfect”, for what amounted to a small amount of screen time in the whole movie. However, it was totally worth it, because every scene featuring Nora in the chamber looks so good and so real.
Nora appears in the movie a few times, in the chamber, as well as via some old home video footage, but it’s not always Thommesson who appears in the scene. The rule of thumb is as follows: If a scene calls for Nora outside of the chamber, then it is Thommessen, but if the scene calls for Nora inside the chamber it is not.
29mins – Over to Wayne Manor now for the introduction of another new character in the shape of Barbara Wilson. Barbara is Alfred’s niece, and very shortly she will become Batgirl!
Now, here is where things might get a bit confusing. Why is Batgirl called Barbara Wilson and why is she Alfred’s niece? Fans of the classic Batman television show from the 1960s, as well as those who tuned into Batman: The Animated Series during the 1990s, will know that Batgirl’s secret identity is Barbara Gordon – aka Commissioner Gordon’s daughter.
Well, when screenwriter Akiva Goldsman began to script Batman & Robin, he wanted to alter the emotional angle of the movie. Previous entries in the Batman Anthology centred around the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents and Goldsman wanted to move away from this.
In Batman Forever, Bruce Wayne made a choice to be Batman, forever – not because he had to, but because he wanted to. By making this important decision, it freed future movies up from the need to reference the tragedy of Bruce Wayne’s parents.
But keen to still include an element of tragedy in the story, Goldsman decided to introduce a storyline in which Alfred is dying of MacGregor’s Syndrome. Alfred’s plight becomes a key focus of the film, and as such he becomes a central figure.
When introducing Batgirl into the movie, given Alfred’s prominence in the story, Goldsman felt it would make more sense to link the character to Alfred. As Alfred’s niece, who was also an orphan like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, she would share a connection with the entire Wayne household, which would strengthen the story and her character.
Speaking in Batman & Robin: The Making of the Movie (by Michael Singer), Goldsman said: “When you have a lot of characters, you need to create relationships so that they can be brought together. We tied Barbara to Alfred as his niece rather than retain her as Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, because Alfred is a more central character in our story. And by re-creating her as an orphan, we echo both Bruce and Dick’s plight.”
36mins – The story switches to a scene at Gotham Observatory, which involves Bruce Wayne, Pamela Isley, and Bruce’s love-interest, Julie Madison. This scene introduces a giant telescope, which will feature in the climax of the movie.
37mins 30secs – Oh, and Gossip Gerty appears in this scene. Gossip Gerty is a showbiz correspondent who rubs shoulders with Gotham’s elite. The character appears in two Batman movies, and is known for her glamourous appearance, as well her inquisitive mind.
Gossip Gerty is an original character for the Batman mythology, who did not originate in any of the Batman comics. She was created especially for the movies, and more specifically for actress, Elizabeth Sanders.
The reason Sanders is so significant to Batman fans is because she was married to Batman co-creator, Bob Kane. Sanders and Kane were married from 1987 up until Bob Kane’s death in 1998.
Sanders will look very familiar to Batman movie fans because in addition to playing the role of Gossip Gerty in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, the actress also appears in Batman Returns – albeit in a different, and smaller role. In Batman Returns, Sanders plays the part of a Gothamite, who briefly appears on screen to gossip about the Penguin.
And if you’re wondering what Bob Kane thought of Batman & Robin, he was fairly complimentary. Speaking in Batman & Robin: The Making of the Movie, Kane said: “I feel George is the best Batman of all. He’s suave, elegant, has a great profile with a strong chin, like the features of Batman in the comic books.”
He added: “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze is just incredible, and Uma Thurman is superlative as Poison Ivy, every man’s desire with her flaming red hair and beautiful costumes.
“Chris O’Donnell is back, and he’s a tremendous Robin. He’s a great personality, and he really delivers the goods. And Alicia Silverstone is such a cute Batgirl… teenagers will love her!”
Now of course, Kane’s comments were included within a ‘making of’ book, released as a tie-in to publicise the movie, and these books tend to be very complementary. But what these comments suggest is that Kane was comfortable with Schumacher’s approach to the Batman movies.
43mins – Over to a colourful scene now, involving a big ball in Gotham, where all the rich and powerful movers and shakers are in attendance. And of course, this means Poison Ivy needs to be there.
Ivy’s introduction is accompanied by an instrumental reworking of the 1959 song, ‘Poison Ivy‘, originally performed by The Coasters. An alternate version of this song was included on the official Batman & Robin CD soundtrack, where it was performed by Meshell Ndegeocello.
44mins – Classic Ivy line: “Some lucky boy’s about to hit the honey pot. I’ll include an evening of my company for the winner. I’ll bring everything you see here, plus, everything you don’t!”
45mins – Everyone begins bidding on a night with Poison Ivy, leading to the infamous scene where Batman pulls out a Bat-credit card. It’s perhaps best not to think about the logistical nightmare of Batman applying for and owning a credit card.
46mins – Mr. Freeze enters the scene and there’s another big fight sequence. Batman & Robin contains a lot of action, and a lot has happened within this first 46 minutes of the film.
Incidentally, to accommodate all the action scenes and the actors, this film has a lot of stunt players. In fact, many of the scenes featuring Mr. Freeze include stand-ins for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Because the make-up and Freeze suit took so long to apply, unless you see Arnie’s face on screen, that ain’t him in the shot.
49mins – A chase scene follows, allowing the film to include a few shots of the Batmobile (audiences love the Batmobile). This is another fun sequence, as the Batmobile and Robin’s Redbird bike chase Freeze and his goons across giant statues in Gotham. It’s completely over the top, but it is very much in keeping with some of the Batman comics of yesteryear.
50mins 30secs – Freeze is captured and is shortly off to Arkham Asylum.
55mins – This is the second time Arkham Asylum appears in a Batman movie. The first appearance was in Batman Forever.
59mins – A brief scene now with Bruce Wayne and Julie Madison as played by Elle Macpherson. This is a thankless role for Macpherson, as she largely fills a ‘love interest’ gap in the story, but Madison is an actual character from the comics, dating back to Detective Comics issue #31, a mere four issues after Batman made his debut in Detective Comics issue #27.
Taking on the role of Julie Madison was something which Macpherson relished – especially as a Bat-fan. Speaking in the book, Batman & Robin: The Making of the Movie (Michael Singer, 1997), Macpherson said: “I was raised with the comics and television show, and it’s wonderful to see how it’s evolved under (Joel Schumacher’s) direction.”
She added: “I love the sensuality and dry sense of humour of his vision, as opposed to the slapstick and camp of the TV version. Ultimately, it’s romantic, and a pleasure to be involved with.”
1hr 2mins – Moving away from Julie, who is written out of the movie from this point, and it’s over to a scene with Barbara Wilson, who is taking part in illegal street racing. Of all the scenes in the movie, this one is the dullest, with the most notable aspect being a quick cameo for the rapper, Coolio.
1hr 9mins 30secs – Back to Arkham Asylum, and Bane and Poison Ivy are attempting to break Mr. Freeze out of the slammer! This leads to a quick scene where Bane steals Freeze’s cold suit from the property office, which includes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of the Riddler’s costume and Two-Face’s outfit from Batman Forever.
1hr 16mins 45secs – Classic line from Poison Ivy: “There’s something about an anatomically correct rubber suit that puts fire in a girl’s lips.”
1hr 17mins – And another… “I’m a lover, not a fighter. That’s why every Poison Ivy action figure comes complete with him!” (Bane)
Although I should point out this isn’t actually correct. There was a collection of toys released to coincide with the release of Batman & Robin, and yes, you could pick up a Poison Ivy figure, as well as a Bane figure. Sadly, they were sold separately.
1hr 18mins – I’ve not really mentioned much about the overall tone of this movie, which is very cartoony. It’s a significant contrast to the dark tone of Batman, Batman Returns, and even Batman Forever.
It is perhaps most noticeable in the depiction of Commissioner Gordon. Pat Hingle reprises the role for a fourth time, but this time around he is essentially playing a buffoon, rather than the chief of police.
1hr 20mins – Ivy and Freeze officially team-up, via a union which makes absolutely no sense. He wants to freeze Gotham, and she wants to turn the city into a plant paradise. Erm… these things don’t really go together.
Plus, if Freeze and Ivy were triumphant with their plan, they would have made themselves bigger targets, beyond Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. The world would have been watching and someone would have taken action.
So, what is the logical conclusion? Would the Justice League have fought Mr. Freeze? Or would Freeze and Ivy have continued until they covered the planet in ice? And once the taste for revenge subsided, would Freeze have been truly happy, living in a world with Ivy, Bane, and some mutant plants? I don’t ruddy think so!
1hr 28mins – The clock is ticking and we’ve still not seen Batgirl yet, so cue a scene in which Barbara starts hacking her way into an encrypted file which leads to her discovering all of Batman’s secrets.
1hr 32mins – Heading towards the finale now, as Freeze prepares to freeze Gotham City, using the giant telescope from earlier in the movie.
1hr 33mins – Over to the Gotham Observatory, where two scientists are working on the telescope. The scientists are played by Michael Paul Chan and Kimberly Scott. Both of these actors previously appeared in Batman Forever in different roles.
1hr 36mins – Barbara has found her way into the Batcave and has suited up as Batgirl!
1hr 37mins – Meanwhile, over at the Gotham Turkish Baths, Poison Ivy has laid a trap for Robin. And also a trap for Batman.
1hr 39mins 30secs – Batgirl to the rescue.
1hr 40mins – A fight scene between Poison Ivy and Batgirl now, which leads to one of Ivy’s best (and campest) lines: “As I told Lady Freeze when I pulled her plug, this is a one woman show.”
Now, before moving on, let me take a moment to talk about something significant about Poison Ivy’s costume in Batman & Robin.
Poison Ivy sports various looks throughout Batman & Robin – different costumes, different hairstyles and different make-up. But did you notice that the character’s look continues to change throughout the movie – almost every time she appears on screen? And did you notice her appearance gets more outlandish too?
When Uma Thurman makes her debut she appears in the guise of Dr. Pamela Isley. Consumed by her work, Isley is far from fashion-conscious and is decked out in a long coat, overalls and gloves.
When Thurman next appears on screen, it is after Dr. Isley’s ‘death’, during a sequence in which Poison Ivy is born. In this scene, her costume has changed, now to something shorter, less restrictive and more earthy in its tone, to reflect her rebirth from nature.
As Ivy continues to crop up in the film, either solo or alongside her partner in crime, Mr. Freeze, her look continues to change. The colour palette of her outfits progresses, as does her make-up, working from green through to magenta.
This is perhaps most apparent during her battle with Batgirl, which is her penultimate scene in the movie. In this scene, Ivy’s eye hair is wild, her eye makeup is at its most extravagant and it’s as if she is a flower that is now in full bloom.
Ivy appears to be at her most confident during this section of the movie, where she feels as if she can not be defeated. Although, as the scene plays out, it is clear she is over confident.
And if her look in her penultimate scene showcases Ivy in ‘full bloom’, then her final scene (at the very end of the movie) is where she begins to wither. In her final appearance, Ivy is locked away in Arkham, dishevelled and a shadow of her former self – this is the end of her cycle.
Now, did you notice that? Be honest. Next time you watch Batman & Robin, keep track of Ivy’s physical appearance throughout the movie. You may not have noticed it before, but visually Ivy goes on a journey of development and one that adds a great deal of depth to the character, often overlooked at first glance.
1hr 41mins – With Ivy defeated, Batman, Robin, and Batgirl head off to the observatory to stop Mr. Freeze and Bane. Of course, they arrive a bit too late, as Freeze manages to ice up the city.
1hr 52mins – The heroes have 11 minutes to unfreeze the city, before all the Gothamites die, and they just about do it in the timeframe given. It’s rare these things actually line-up, usually movies cut corners on countdowns, but Batman & Robin does follow up on its own rules.
1hr 54mins – Mr. Freeze is defeated, but in a finale act (before he is sent to Arkham) he helps provide a cure to Alfred’s condition.
Before the movie wraps up, I should mention something about Freeze’s makeup.
Mr. Freeze’s look was brought to life by make-up artist Jeff Dawn, assistant Jim Kail, and hair stylist, Peter Tothpal. The process began with the actor’s hair – or rather, it began by covering up the actor’s hair. As Freeze is known for sporting a bald look, Schwarzenegger had to follow suit.
But the actor wasn’t keen on shaving off his hair, so Tothpal had to work around this, by covering the actor’s head with a cap. To begin, he would use a water-based resin to slick Schwarzenegger’s hair back. This was then dried with a hair dryer, to keep the hair in place.
From here, Dawn and Kail would cover Schwarzenegger’s face with a special product, which would protect it from glue, before Tothpal attached the foam latex bald cap. This was carefully glued to the actor’s head, then using putty around the sides, the edges were smoothed out.
Arnold’s eyebrows were then flattened and covered with appliances, before paint was added to his skin. The paint comprised a metallic silver base coat, followed by a mix of blue and white acrylic, splattered over the top to create texture.
To complete the transformation, additional touches of colour were added around his eyes and lips, before blue contact lens were used to cover his irises. Once the make-up was complete, Schwarzenegger would then head to wardrobe, to be fitted for his costume – a bulky 45lb Freeze Suit.
The process took multiple hours to complete, and had to be repeated on a daily basis. Had Schwarzenegger agreed to shave his head, it would have trimmed at least an hour off the process.
1hr 58mins – OK, time to wrap things up. Freeze and Ivy are in Arkham, Alfred is saved, and as the movie ends, the realisation sets in that ‘Team Batman’ is going to need a bigger Batcave!
1hr 59mins – Credits roll to the sounds of The Smashing Pumpkins with the song, ‘The End is the Beginning is the End‘, followed by R Kelly with ‘Gotham City‘. Both appear on the Batman & Robin CD soundtrack.
**Presses stop**
Despite the huge popularity of the Batman movie series, Batman & Robin was not a critical success when it arrived in cinemas. The film was met with a largely negative reaction and did not perform as well as its predecessors at the box office.
That said, it wasn’t a complete disaster. Produced on a budget of $125 million it went on to make $238,207,122 by the end of its run in 1997. It also helped to shift a lot of merchandise, including toys, games, CDs, VHS tapes, and lots of other tie-in products.
But yeah, critically it was not well received. And there were multiple reasons for this. First of all it did not meet expectations.
Batman & Robin was not a dark movie at all. It was a bright, vivid comic book movie which favoured colour over shadows, and fun over brooding, something which was very different to what had come before.
Secondly, and easily the biggest criticism of Batman & Robin were the costumes – specifically those worn by the Dynamic Duo. In particular, audiences passed comment on the ‘Bat-nipples’ which appeared on the suits worn by both Batman and Robin.
Nipples on Batsuits weren’t new, they had briefly appeared in Batman Forever, but there they had mostly gone unnoticed. The nipples were much more prominent in Batman & Robin and Bat-fans were not happy about it, referring to them as over the top and ridiculous.
Other problems included the story (too weak), the dialogue (too goofy, too many one-liners), and the characters (too daft – especially Bane).
After the film’s release, George Clooney became fairly vocal about the movie, making it clear he wasn’t a fan of the finished product and didn’t think it was a great picture. However, during a 2021 interview for Bafta: A Life in Pictures, he explained that the experience of appearing in Batman & Robin did have a positive effect – it ensured that moving forward, he only chose projects that he believed in.
Speaking to the Press Association (via Metro), Clooney said: “It had been a year, I’d gotten killed for doing Batman & Robin and I understood for the first time, because quite honestly when I got Batman & Robin I was just an actor getting an acting job and I was excited to play Batman.
“What I realised after that was that I was going to be held responsible for the movie itself, not just my performance or what I was doing. So, I knew I needed to focus on better scripts, the script was the most important thing.”
He added: “You can’t make a good film out of a bad script, it’s impossible. You can make a bad film out of a good script.”
So, is Batman & Robin the worst Batman movie ever? In my personal opinion, no, Batman & Robin is not the worst Batman movie ever.
In 1997, the movie was not what audiences expected and/or wanted – that is very true. As someone who watched the film when it opened in UK cinemas, I can honestly say I was very confused by it and I wasn’t sure why it was the way it was.
But after all these years I have now come to enjoy it. The story is simple, it’s true, but sometimes that is all I want from a movie. The dialogue is very pun-tastic, but I no longer mind this and it’s pretty much what I want from a film featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Back in ’97, Batman stories were trying to move away from the Adam West-era of Batman adventures, in favour of grittier Dark Knight tales. But over the years, the West-era has undergone a revival and in doing so it has reminded some Bat-fans that lighter Batman stories can exist.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017) and the TV series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, have also demonstrated there is room for a more colourful Caped Crusader, who can comfortably sit alongside the darker tone of films such as Batman Begins (2005) or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). As much as some people only want dark Batman tales, others are perfectly happy with the lighter stories – they don’t cancel each other out.
Batman & Robin has had the title of worst Batman movie since it opened and it will no doubt continue to keep that title for years to come, but it is looked on fondly by a whole generation who watched this movie when they were kids. Things change, and so do tastes. Some dislike this movie, others don’t. Each to their own.
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