Sequel City — Batman Forever
Published by Pop Bunker, August 31, 2010
Unlike a lot of the other authors on this site, I have never been into comic books. Just never clicked with me. This extends to comic book movies—there are simply too many of them. Too many origin stories, too many troubled alter-egos, too much…cartoony stuff. You know?
I know Hollywood is out of ideas, but they need to stop parading out dudes in tights for every other action movie. I’ve avoided more comic book movies than I’ve seen lately: haven’t seen either of the Iron Men, any of the X-Men, the Fantastic Fours, either Hulk, the 2005 Superman. You name it, I’ve missed it. (I did see the first two Spiderman movies, but I rooted against what’s his name and Kirsten Dunst both times.)
But I’ve always loved Batman. I was 12 when the original came out in the summer of 1989, and I got hooked. I was amazed at The Dark Knight as everyone else seemed to be, and I’ve enjoyed the other films in between. And one that I don’t hear talked about anymore is 1995’s Batman Forever. I think that’s a shame: it’s a fun movie and a sequel which doesn’t deserve to be forgotten.
Plot: Batman (Val Kilmer) is dispatched to deal with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), the half-scarred/half-normal former D.A. who decides his victim’s fate with a flip of the coin. Two-Face is trying to heist a bank, which is oddly situated high up in a tall building. Anyway, Batman rescues a security guard and stops the holdup, but Two-Face escapes. Watching all of this along with Commissioner Gordon is Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman), eminent psychiatrist—and Meridian clearly likes what she sees. In the pants.
Meanwhile, there’s a weirdo working on brain technology at Wayne Enterprises by the name of Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey). His device is able to beam entertainment directly into people’s heads—and take stuff out as well. Bruce Wayne, responsible businessman that he is, tells Nygma that he’s not interested on ethical grounds. Nygma doesn’t take kindly to that. He kills his supervisor, makes it look like a suicide, and goes out on his own.
Then the crap really hits the fan because Two-Face pops up again. He hits the circus this time, leaving young, heroic acrobat Dick Grayson (Jerry O’Connell) an orphan. Wayne takes the kid in at stately Wayne Manor but doesn’t tell him he’s really Batman. He doesn’t tell Meridian either, who really likes Batman but seems lukewarm when he’s not wearing his cowl. And Mr. E. Nigma uses his brain device to get rich, become The Riddler, and join forces with Two-Face.
That’s a lot of plot, and there’s more I haven’t outlined. One criticism of the Batman franchise is that they cram too much into each film. I won’t dispute that—I’ve never gotten Robin and didn’t find him to be necessary here—but I found the mix to be pretty good. The second Batman movie, Batman Returns, was judged to be too boring, too dark, and too violent. Director Joel Schumaker made this one a lot brighter, faster and overall more entertaining. He also made it less realistic and full of more comic-book-movie corny dialogue. Can’t have everything!
For this film at least, the style works. (It would fail the next movie in the series, Batman and Robin, which some consider to be among the worst big-budget movies of all time.) A big reason it works here is Jim Carrey as The Riddler. In 1995, Carrey was at his zenith, riding on the success of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. His kooky brand of rapid-fire pop culture comedy fits this film perfectly. In 1995, I don’t know who else you would want playing the witty, socially awkward villain with a question mark cane.
The same couldn’t really be said for Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face. He has a ridiculous outfit, unrealistic purple scarring on half his face (compared to Aaron Eckhart’s, certainly), and seems out of place as a wacky Batman villain. Carrey delivers his silly quips and he’s being fun and ironic. Jones does the same thing and he’s just being silly.
Still, the combination of Two-Face and The Riddler works well. Carrey is the funny brains and Jones is the intense muscle. And if you think about it, the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne demands all of those things—comedy, brains, drama, and action. Val Kilmer does ok with it. He isn’t spectacular, but he is decent at the patented Bruce Wayne brooding and complicated relationships. At the very least, Kilmer doesn’t have a laughable Batman voice like Christian Bale. (Has anyone ever truly nailed every aspect of this role? Did Michael Keaton really do it? Could Robert Downey Jr. have done it? Johnny Depp with a haircut?)
I don’t know—I do know that Batman movies are more about the villains than Batman (or his cronies or lady friends). I loved The Riddler and tolerated Two-Face. Batman movies are also about sheer spectacle—entertaining visuals, incredible gadgets, sweeping music, and lots of fun action. Batman Forever delivers all of that.
Entertaining Scenes:
Batman (Val Kilmer) falls into Two-Face’s (Tommy Lee Jones) trap at the bank. Somehow, Batman and a security guard are locked into a huge flying bank vault which is incidentally filling up with acid.
Nicole Kidman, Batman/Bruce Wayne’s potential love interest, sends out the bat signal. She throws herself at Batman as cartoonishly as possible, and since it’s too early in the movie, he resists.
Jim Carrey, a lab rat who is about to become The Ridder, talks to the police about Ed Bagley Jr.’s suicide at Wayne Enterprises. Funny homicidal stuff.
The circus is in town, and so is Two-Face. His plan to blow up all of Gotham City’s rich people is thwarted but at a heavy price for acrobat Jerry O’Connell.
Unfortunately, the Batmobile drives UP a building. Entertaining but stupid.
Two-Face is chilling at his pad with his ladies—one of which is Drew Barrymore—when The Ridder shows up.
O’Connell steals the Batmobile and runs into a day-glow version of West Side Story. Rough.
Why the hell does Gotham City’s elite continue to attend ritzy parties? They all get held up by the bad guys! Batman wouldn’t have to protect these fools so much if they stopped making themselves easy targets like this.
Kidman finally gets to kiss both Batman and Bruce Wayne, and she chooses between them.
The final battle. Among other things, The Ridder throws grenade duckies while doing his patented Ace Ventura/The Mask shtick. A few good scenes in The Riddler’s lair.
The very end. Very cool, I thought.
I think Batman Forever is ranked a solid second in the original ‘90s Batman movies. But arbitrary numbers don’t matter—I recommend this forgotten sequel from a bygone era. It’s a good superhero movie for someone who doesn’t like superhero movies.