The Dark Knight Lightens Up
Batman & Robin Loses Edge

I've been a comic book collector for over twenty years, so naturally I am going to have some biases when a comic is translated into film. Part of me wants to be a stickler for details, part of me is willing to suspend disbelief beyond credibility. Either way, however, I expect the film to be true to the spirit of the comic.

Batman and Robin is the fourth installment in the Caped Crusader series, and the second one to feature the lesser half of the Dynamic Duo. In fact, the plot of this movie seems to be lifted directly from Batman Forever. It begins with Batman (and now Robin) exiting the Batcave. They fight a bad guy. Bad guy gets away. Cut to disgruntled (former) Wayne Enterprises employee who is transformed into a super-villain via their own research. New villain wants revenge on Bruce Wayne. New villain seeks out other villain for team-up. We are talking about a SERIOUS case of déjà vú.

Unlike previous installments, this film does spend more time with the heroes and their personal lives. The interaction between Bruce Wayne (George Clooney) and Alfred (Michael Gough) is touching. Unfortunately, children who come to the theater to see Batman and Robin beat up the bad guys may get antsy during these slower scenes.

For my money, I think Clooney is the strongest contender for the Batman throne. He has a solid handle on Bruce Wayne's character and makes a fine Batman. His youth is a definite plus because it allows us to see his relationship with Dick Grayson (a.k.a. Robin) as a partnership between friends without all of the "guardian" baggage.

Speaking of Robin, Chris O'Donnell does a good job of showing us a fledgling superhero who is eager to make his own mark on the world. He will never become "Robin, the Boy Hostage" who always seemed to do more harm than good in the comics. At times O'Donnell seems overeager, and that can get annoying.

Uma Thurman's portrayal of Poison Ivy was alluring, but flawed. Too often her seductive voice sounded like a poor May West imitation. Likewise, Alicia Silverstone needs to grow as an actress so she can bring some depth to her characters. Her Barbara Wilson/Batgirl is little more than a street-tough airhead who smiles too much. It would be nice if her character had been better written. Of course, I hate that Batgirl was written as Alfred's niece rather than Commissioner Gordon's daughter. Such disregard for the comics is unconscionable. The only thing more disturbing is the thought that her uncle would design her such a tight, bust-enhancing costume to wear.

Finally, Arnold Schwarzenegger co-stared as the villainous Mr. Freeze. Although Arnold has done a number of movies since his breakthrough performance in Terminator, he has taken a step backwards in his career and allowed himself to be cast as a mindless bad guy once again. It seems his only lines are "I will freeze Gotham and kill Batman." After two hours, it gets a little old. Maybe if they had allowed him to take off that ridiculous suit, Arnold could have been allowed to act. Instead, he looked like a high-tech Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

The real villain in this piece is the director, Joel Schumacher. He has taken a franchise that bloomed with life in the hands of Tim Burton and turned it into a silly parody of itself. I have seen B-movies that handle comic book heroes with more dignity than this. In short, Batman & Robin will probably only appeal to kids, and not fans of the comic. Hardcore fans of the Dark Knight will find too many flaws.

MY RATING: 3 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME:126 min.