Batman and Robin is the last in a series of ’90s Batman movies… and perhaps the most controversial from the lot. After Tim Burton moved onto other projects, director Joel Schumacher came onboard to direct Batman Forever. The movie received mixed reception, mostly do to its shift from the somber and gloomy atmosphere Burton implemented in his films to Schumacher’s flashy and raunchy moods. Nevertheless, the film was a box office success and its sequel was released in 1997.
At this point in time, so much had changed in the Batman cinematic universe that George Clooney’s casting as The Dark Knight was the least of the movie’s criticizable elements. After its release, fans and critics leaned towards dissatisfaction as an overall consensus for the movie. To this day, many fans still consider it in bad taste unworthy of labeling as a Batman film. But every movie has redeeming qualities; here is why Batman and Robin is better than you remember.
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Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze Were Ironically Trying to Fix the Planet
Warner Bros.
Sometimes, superhero movies get more acclaim for their villain portrayals than the heroes themselves. In this movie, the villains steal the show. Not only are Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger exceptional as Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze, they delivered thought-provoking performances. Poison Ivy is the embodiment of the Machiavellian philosophy “The Ends Justify the Means.” She is simply trying to save the planet. While it is at the expense of every human life, she also views humans as the enemy; their utter disregard for the ecosystem and reckless pollution are destroying mother nature. As for Mr. Freeze, a doctor turned into a frigid villain, his motives derive from love. Mr. Freeze simply needs to create a cure for his wife, Nora. By doing so, he’d be creating an antidote for a rare disease affecting people all around the world. These villains, with all their faults, have their hearts in the right place.
It is an Icon of ’90s Cheesy Comedy
Cheesy comedies are synonymous with the ’90s. From Clue, Blank Check, She’s All That, and many more, ’90s cinema is riddled with corny dialogue and laughable climaxes. From Robin and Poison Ivy’s romantic moments, Batman and Robin’s verbal standoff when auctioning Poison Ivy, to the big finale between the movie’s heroes and villains, this movie is a hilarious spectacle from beginning to end. Some iconic one-liners include “This is why Superman works alone” from Batman to Robin, “Who killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age!” as Mr. Freeze gloats about his museum invasion, “I hate to disappoint you, but my rubber lips are immune to your charm,” from Robin to Poison Ivy, during their nerve-wracking screen kiss, and the funniest of them all, “Allow me to break the ice,” as Mr. Freeze introduces himself to Batman and Robin. Regardless of its plot execution or characterizations, Batman and Robin was one of the funniest flicks released towards the end of the 20th Century.
None of its Characters Were Pure Heroes Nor Villains
Unlike Nolan’s Batman trilogy, or any DCU film where a clear hero and villain is established, Batman and Robin has flawed and morally reprehensible characters. For starters, its titular superhero, Batman/Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne runs a multimillion-dollar enterprise, Wayne Enterprises, and instead of using his money to find a cure for MacGregor Syndrome (the fictional disease both Alfred and Nora Freeze suffer from), or any other illness at that, he chooses to invest millions into a state-of-the art telescope. Then there’s his commitment issues; he’s been dating Julie Madison for a year, and when she proposes to him, he responds vaguely. It’s possible Bruce does this for her safety, considering his vigilante lifestyle, but there’s also his internalized attraction towards Poison Ivy. Regardless, he wastes Julie’s time, when she clearly wants something more than casual dating. Dick Grayson/ Robin forgets every act of kindness Bruce has extended him and turns his back on him to favor Poison Ivy.
Robin also harbors a noticeable envy over Bruce’s popularity as Batman, among Gotham citizens and law-enforcement. Barbara Wilson/ Batgirl has noble intent, but still lies to Alfred, Bruce, and Dick about her reasons for moving into Wayne Manor. Similarly to Robin, she resents Bruce for his seemingly ungrateful treatment towards Alfred. As aforementioned, the villains are complex characters; they act out in frustration and anger over their given circumstances. Mr. Freeze feels useless in curing his wife, despite being a doctor himself. Poison Ivy, with all her botanical knowledge and clear vision of what the planet needs to survive, is deemed a lunatic by everyone in Gotham. Lastly, there’s the universal conundrum of unrequited affection; Robin wants Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy wants Mr. Freeze, and Batman can’t decide who he wants; the end result is characters resorting to questionable means to satisfy their hearts desires. Despite its infamy, Batman and Robin is a layered cinematic study of desperate characters lightened with ’90s comedic culture.
