Batman Forever (1995)
Last Watch Date - February 22, 2026
Total Times Watched - Two or three
Comments
With this movie, they shift in tone from Burton-y to ... whatever this is. Schumacher-y? It's filled with saturated colors, tons of bright lights, blues, greens, purples, pinks. Speaking of pink, why is the Riddler's hair pink?
I guess we may as well go over the fact that this movie is the first one with Robin in the series. He only really becomes Robin at the end of it with his strange metallic suit. The Robin character is fine but his relationship with Batman is odd. It never feels quite right.
This movie also has the Riddler with his glorious pink hair and tight green spandex. Jim Carrey plays this character as Jim Carrey would, and if you don't like him, you're going to hate this portrayal. I do like him generally but I find myself annoyed by his representation of the Riddler compared to other portrayals. There's too much of The Mask and Ace Ventura in it to feel like the Riddler. His riddles are stupid, but not as fun as the ones from the 60s Riddler. I think part of the issue with the character is that he's just not that interesting. And the backstory on them frequently feels out of place. It's a fantastical representation of NYC, but even their stories seem too goofy. The most memorable line is "Riddle me this, riddle me that. Who is afraid of the big black bat?"
Two-Face is an interesting character at times, but speaking of pink.. WHY IS HE HALF PINK in this movie!? The color selection is bizarre. The way that Tommy Lee Jones plays him is not really well-balanced. He feels one-dimensional but the character is supposed to be into duality but he never seems to bother with the "good" side. He only flexes the "bad" side. His energy is too similar to the Riddler for one movie. They really needed some balance.
Before I get into Batman, it's worth noting there are some fun smaller parts played by Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, and Debi Mazar. They're all good in their own way, despite limited time.
Now onto Batman himself. This is the first (and only) Val Kilmer Batman. It's also the start of nipples on the suits. WHY DID THEY DO THIS? And why did they keep it for the next one!? Leaving that aside, there's also a funny butt shot of Kilmer getting into his new suit near the end that was absolutely there only for Schumacher. Kilmer is not better than Keaton as Batman. I think I would rank him last of the 80s/90s Batman actors. Something about him doesn't sell me on Bruce Wayne OR on Batman.
Tonally this movie is a bit different. While Batman Returns had a somewhat gritty or darker tone in places, This one feels more cartoonish. Partially because of the colors, but also because of the over-the-top acting of the villains. Yes, Danny Devito plays a penguin-man in Returns, but he actually feels grounded in that role somehow. The Joker was more grounded in the first too. I read that they tried to make this more kid-friendly, which would explain some of this. To be clear, it's not a BAD movie, it's just different.
The best part of it is the U2 song during the closing credits and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.
Recommended?
May as well continue the Batman series if you already started it, otherwise skip it.
