Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Robin by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. It is the fourth and final installment of Warner Bros.'s initial Batman film series, a sequel to Batman Forever. Directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Akiva Goldsman, it stars George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Val Kilmer, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze, and Chris O'Donnell reprising his role as Dick Grayson / Robin, alongside Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Elle Macpherson. The film follows the titular characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together.
Plot[]
The film begins with Batman and Robin quickly responding to a scene of the crime, on the way down, Comissioner Gordon tells them that the criminal is Mr. Freeze who is attempting to steal a valuable diamond from the local museum. They are able to track Freeze in the museum, and after a game of ice hockey, they chase after him to a disused building. Robin attempts to stop Freeze, but is frozen in progress. Freeze takes the diamond from his grasp and escapes with it as Batman stays behind to thaw Robin back to normal. Meanwhile, In South America, Dr. Pamela Isley is working under Dr. Jason Woodrue, experimenting with the Venom drug. She then witnesses Woodrue use the formula to turn Antonio Diego, a diminutive serial convict, into a hulking monstrosity dubbed "Bane". Woodrue and Isley argue over the use of the drug and Woodrue "kills" her by pushing her backwards into a bench of various steroids and toxins.
Her remains then seemingly melt into the ground. Shortly afterwards, she rises from the wreckage and transforms into the beautiful and seductive Poison Ivy in front of Woodrue, before killing him with a poisonous kiss. She finds that Wayne Enterprises funded Woodrue. So she takes Bane with her to Gotham City, in order for him to act as her personal bodyguard. Meanwhile, Alfred's niece, Barbara Wilson, makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce Wayne to stay at Wayne Manor until she goes back to school.
Meanwhile in the abandoned frozen Ice Cream Factory, it is revealed that Mr. Freeze's wife was stricken with a mysterious disease, MacGregor's Syndrome, which he is trying to find a cure for. Alfred also becomes stricken with the first stage of MacGregor's Syndrome and is dying.
Wayne Enterprises presents a new telescope to the Gotham Observatory at a press conference, but is interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, as it would kill millions of people.
That night, a charity event is held by Wayne Enterprises (to lure Freeze out) with special guests, Batman and Robin. Ivy decides to use her abilities to seduce them. Freeze crashes the party and attempts to steal a diamond from the event. Batman and Robin give chase, Robin attempts for a second attempt to stop Freeze, but Batman - not wanting to have the similar near-death experience happening to his word - deactivates his motorcycle engine. Batman eventually succeeds of capturing Freeze and sent him to a chamber prison in Arkham Asylum. Stripped out of his sub-zero suit, Freeze is forced to stay in the frozen light beam to survive. Meanwhile, Robin confronts Batman over the act of foiling his attempt to stop Freeze where the two start to have relationship problems, due to the presence of Ivy's seductive ability with Robin.
Ivy and Bane break Freeze out of Arkham Asylum - with Freeze blasting a hole in the wall by winterizing the water pipes from his suit - and they return to his hideout where the police and Batman and Robin are investigating. Freeze goes after his freeze ray gun whilst Ivy and Bane take care of Batman and Robin - with Ivy unplugging the tank where Freeze's wife is stored in behind his back. Batman and Robin almost stopped Ivy and Bane, but Robin falls under Ivy's seductive spell and attempts to kiss him, only for Batman to intervene, causing the two heroes to fight, inadvertently letting the villains escape. Enraged, Robin ends his crime-fighting relationship with Batman and goes solo.
With Freeze taking refuge in Ivy's hideout, Ivy tells Freeze that Batman killed his wife, and revealing her necklace. Horrified and grief stricken, Freeze swears revenge on Batman and plans to freeze Gotham. As the people are visiting the observatory, Ivy disguised as Isley, succeeds of getting the keys to the bat signal from Commissioner Gordon after placing him under her spell, Bruce Wayne spots this and quietly leaves the observatory back to the batcave.
Ivy modifies the bat-signal by changing it to Robin's signal. Robin is about to respond to her call, but Bruce Wayne intervenes, revealing that Ivy has killed the airport security checkers when she arrived, and finally convinces him to trust him, restoring their friendship. Robin arrives at Ivy's lair, but she fails to kill him due to Robin wearing rubber lips to protect him from the venom. Robin becomes trapped, but rescued by Batman. Meanwhile, Batgirl arrives and fights Ivy, eventually beating her by trapping her in her own plants. In the meantime, while Freeze and Bane flee, Batgirl reveals that she is Barbara and knows the location of the Batcave.
Batman, Robin and Batgirl decide to go after Freeze and Bane together. By the time they get to the observatory where Freeze and Bane are, Gotham is completely frozen. Robin and Batgirl confront Bane and defeat him after they manage to pull out Bane's main Venom supply tube, causing him massive withdrawal and returning him back to his original state.
Meanwhile Batman and Freeze begin to fight each other, with Batman winning in a cliffhanger battle: Freeze tries to kill Batman by destroying the telescope platform but only succeeds in crushing the weakened Bane. Batgirl and Robin unfreeze Gotham and Batman shows Freeze a recording of Ivy revealing that she killed Nora, during her fight with Batgirl.
Freeze learns that Ivy has betrayed him over the death of his wife. Ivy blamed Batman for Nora's death, but she informs Batgirl that it was her idea. Freeze is angered by the betrayal and is informed by Batman that his wife is not dead: she is restored in cryogenic slumber and will be moved to Arkham waiting for him to finish his research. Batman proceeds to ask Freeze for the cure he has created for the first stage of MacGregor's Syndrome. He claims that anyone can take a life and that was not power, but to be able to preserve life was true power, power Freeze once had as a doctor. Freeze atones for his misunderstanding by giving him the experimental medicine he had developed.
Later, a depressed and disheveled Poison Ivy is shown imprisoned in the cold beam in Arkham when Freeze walks in and announces he will make her life a living hell of winter for trying to kill his wife and deceiving him. Alfred is given Freeze's cure and eventually healed and everyone agrees to let Barbara stay at the mansion. The film ends with the image of the Bat-Signal and Batman, Robin and Batgirl appearing as if running from the signal itself towards the camera.
Cast[]
- Robert "Jeep" Swenson as Bane
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze
- George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson / Robin
- Uma Thurman as Dr. Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy
- Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl / Barbara Wilson
- Michael Gough as Alfred
- Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon
- John Glover as Dr. Jason Woodrue
- Elle Macpherson as Julie Madison
- Vivica A. Fox as Ms. B. Haven
- Vendela Kirsebom as Nora Fries
- Elizabeth Sanders as Gossip Gerty
- John Fink as Aztec Museum Guard
- Michael Reid MacKay as Antonio Diego
- Eric Lloyd as Young Bruce Wayne
- Jon Simmons as Young Alfred
- Christian Boeving as Snowy Cones Thug
- Stogie Kenyatta as Snowy Cones Thug #2
- Andy LaCombe as Snowy Cones Thug #3
- Joe Sabatino as Frosty
- Michael Paul Chan as Observatory Scientist
- Kimberly Scott as Observatory Associate
- Jay Luchs as Observatory Reporter
- Roger Nehls as Observatory Reporter
- Anthony E. Cantrell as Observatory Press
- Alex Daniels as Observatory Guard
- Peter Navy Tuiasosopo as Observatory Guard
- Harry Van Gorkum as M.C.
- Sandra Taylor as Debutante
- Elizabeth Guber as Debutante
- Jack Betts as Party Guest
- Marc Glimcher as Party Guest
- Mark Leahy as Party Guest (as Mark P. Leahy)
- Jim McMullan as Party Guest
- Patrick Leahy as Himself (as Senator Patrick Leahy)
- Jesse Ventura as Arkham Asylum Guard
- Ralf Moeller as Arkham Asylum Guard
- Doug Hutchison as Golum
- Tobias Jelinek as Motorcycle Gang Member
- Greg Lauren as Motorcycle Gang Member
- Dean Cochran as Motorcycle Gang Member
- Coolio as Banker
- Nicky Katt as Spike
- Lucas Berman as Tough Boy Biker
- Uzi Gal as Cop #1
- Howard Velasco as Cop #2
- Bruce Roberts as Handsome Cop
- Jack Ingle as Doctor
- Azikiwee Anderson as Ice Thug
- Michael Bernardo as Ice Thug
- Steve Blalock as Ice Thug
- Steve Boyles as Ice Thug
- David Cardoza as Ice Thug (as Dave Cardoza)
- Christopher Caso as Ice Thug
- Mark Chadwick as Ice Thug
- Danny Costa as Ice Thug
- Simon Kim as Ice Thug
- T.G. Matthews as Ice Thug (as Todd Grossman)
- Jim Hardy as Ice Thug (as James Hardy)
- Steven Ito as Ice Thug
- Dennis Keiffer as Ice Thug
- Stephan Desjardins as Ice Thug
- James Kim as Ice Thug
- Dennis Lefevre as Ice Thug
- Jean-Luc Martin as Ice Thug (as Jean Luc Martin)
- Cory M. Miller as Ice Thug
- Chris C. Mitchell as Ice Thug (as Chris Mitchell)
- Christopher Nelson as Ice Thug
- Jim Palmer as Ice Thug
- Jeff Podgurski as Ice Thug
- Robert Powell as Ice Thug
- Chris Sayour as Ice Thug
- Don Sinnar as Ice Thug
- Paul Sklar as Ice Thug
- Takis Triggelis as Ice Thug
Uncredited[]
- Marliece Andrada as Flower Girl
- Bill Blair as Frozen Gotham City Garbage Man
- Casper Brindle as Ice Thug
- Greg Bronson as Party Guest
- Spitfire Brown as Ice Thug
- Johnathan Brownlee as Black Tie
- Neill Calabro as Telescope Gawker on Balcony
- Ryan Allen Carrillo as Ice Thug
- Kenneth David Ebling as Botanic Garden Gala Guest / Observatory Party Guest
- Eva Ford as Observatory Reporter
- Michael N. Fujimoto as Botanic Garden Gala Guest
- Corey Haim as Biker Gang Member
- Adolphus Hankins as Botanic Garden Gala Guest / Observatory Party Guest / Observatory Press Conference Guest
- Earnest Hart Jr. as Ice Thug
- Buddy Joe Hooker as Frozen Gotham PD Cop
- Matthew Hurley as Main Street Musician
- Terri Keefer as News Anchor
- Michael Kurtz as Observatory Party Reporter
- Bryson Lang as Club Juggler
- Gene LeBell as Arkham Asylum Property Locker Guard
- Valentina Marie Lomborg as Waitress
- Khristian Lupo as Ice Thug
- Mary Marshall as Botanic Garden Gala Guest
- Isaac Mayanja as Frozen Dog Walker
- Deron McBee as Hockey Thug
- Jeremy McMillan as Party Guest
- Julie Michaels as Jane
- David Novak as Senator
- Elizabeth Pengson as Botanic Garden Gala Guest
- Irving Ross as Botanic Garden Gala Guest
- Michael Satterfield as Homeless
- William Victor Skrabanek as Party Guest
- Gerard Smith as Gotham City Patron
- Tony Snegoff as Museum Guard
- Gloria Straube as Gotham City Resident
- Bobby Sussman as Frozen Man
- Gabriela Tollman as Frozen Woman
- Spice Williams-Crosby as Botanic Garden Gala Guest
- Ilona Wilson as Russian Delegate
- Bob Yerkes as Observatory Guard
Production[]
After the box office success of Batman Forever, Warner Bros. wanted a fourth and final Batman film, with Joel Schumacher and Akiva Goldsman return to their duties. Both Tim Burton and Val Kilmer had no involvement with the fourth and final one, but Burton is the one who let Schumacher to continue with the franchise he started after the backlash of Batman Returns. Schumacher chose Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy as the villains, and he and Goldsman came up with the theme of loss, and adding Batgirl into the film, making her Alfred's niece as they thought that she's too old to be Commissioner Gordon's daughter.
Music[]
- Main article: Batman & Robin (soundtrack)
Reception[]
Before being released the film was marketed as the big hit of the summer. The film however was and is still considered the worst Batman film in history by both fans and critics.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 11% of 95 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin, resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 29 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Batman & Robin is considered to be one of the worst superhero films and among the worst films ever made. In 2009, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that Batman & Robin may be the most important comic book film ever made in that it was "so bad that it demanded a new way of doing things" and created the opportunity to make X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002) in a way that respected the source material to a higher degree. In an interview with Vice 20 years after its release, director Joel Schumacherapologized for the film while taking full responsibility for its poor reputation, stating, "I want to apologize to every fan that was disappointed because I think I owe them that. A lot of it was my choice. No one is responsible for my mistakes but me."
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The 5th film was supposed to be titled Batman Unchained, the villains would have been Harley Quinn (who would have been the Joker's daughter in this movie) and Scarecrow, with Courtney Love and Nicolas Cage in the roles.
- Another sequel was going to be called Batman DarKnight, and it was going to include both Scarecrow and Man-Bat, Additionally, in the last scene, there would be a massive breakout at Arkham Asylum which would have included Killer Croc, Clayface, Mad Hatter and more villains.
- Due to the feud between Val Kilmer and Joel Schumacher, George Clooney took over as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first and only choice for Mr. Freeze.
- Even though Tim Burton had no involvement with this film, along with Val Kilmer, it is still considered to be one of his films as he was the one who started the Batman tetralogy in the first place.
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