Batman & Robin (DVD)

You will be hard-pressed to find a more vocal proponent of filmmakers having to respect a comic book's source material in order to make a creatively successful comic book film than me. When I look at a comic book film, I look at what to expect from the character and the plot and how the filmmakers and actors intend to keep to the mythology of the characters that have already been created.With Joel Schumacher's BATMAN AND ROBIN, Warner Brothers Studios basically decided that aside from the most basic of characteristics, EVERYTHING in this film is up for grabs. And in that anarchy, Schumacher, stars George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Chris O'Donnell, and Alicia Silverstone somehow ended up creating what I think is easily the most entertaining of all of the pre-Nolan Batman films.If you watch some of the special features on this disc, or listen to the commentary track, one of the first things that Schumacher admits is that they had no script, and not just before they started shooting, but WHILE they were shooting. The studio's mission was to create as many toys to sell to young boys and girls as they possibly could, hence some of the most ridiculous action set pieces ever committed to celluloid. They wanted a glowing Batmobile, a sleek Redbird (Robin's motorcycle), a bizarre tank for Mr. Freeze... and they wanted to sell toys and action figures for girls too, hence the inclusion of Batgirl and Poison Ivy. So they called Akiva Goldsman, who is inexplicably an Oscar winner (for writing A BEAUTIFUL MIND) since he's one of the biggest hacks in Hollywood, and they gave Schumacher somewhat free reign as far of the look and feel of some of the sets. It's obviously hearkening back to the Adam West/Burt Ward BATMAN television show era at points, but has some incredibly bizarre and over-the-top set design that includes seemingly dozens of statues throughout Gotham City that stand well over 100 feet. The film's budget was around $125 million, suggesting that they wanted to go VERY big, or they might as well have not even bothered. Well, Schumacher didn't seem to want any of that budget to go to waste, and of course, that included Schwarzenegger's salary for the film, which was in the $25 million range. This was pretty much the death-knell of his big-budget career aside from the final TERMINATOR film he appeared in.This film was also the death-knell of the BATMAN franchise for a few more years, so whatever your thoughts on this film might be, you should be thankful it exists merely because it ushered in the age of the Nolan DARK KNIGHT films after it seemed like nothing could revitalize this franchise.Truth be told, this is not a particularly good film, and it's an awful Batman film in terms simply of the zeitgeist of even 1997. When the soundtrack to the film is populated with songs by R.E.M. and Smashing Pumpkins, this is a sign that people weren't looking for a zany, fun comic book caper, but that's not necessarily the reason this film was a commercial failure, but to be certain, it was a big reason. And people had been whining since Tim Burton left the franchise anyway. They wanted their Batman to be not just dark, but RELENTLESSLY dark. While some of what Burton did reflected the current era of the comic in terms of design, it failed completely in character. And while Schumacher didn't exactly improve the status of the franchise, he did add enough sensibility to allow yourself to be entertained by his efforts (even if it's unintentional and/or groan-worthy like so much of the terrible dialogue in this film). The film, while still being dark (or underlit, in some cases), has an added element of pop to the picture. You're not just looking at grimy and dilapidated alleyways and ultra-gothic set design as was the case in almost every frame of Burton's directorial efforts. There's a conspicuously heavy use of neon in both this film as well as BATMAN FOREVER, which brought Schumacher to the franchise, as well as an over-use of blacklight.The performances range from decent (Michael Gough as Alfred, who, with Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon were the only two actors who stuck around for all four of the original films) to silly (Clooney, who, according to legend did actually play the character of Bruce Wayne as gay) to downright awful (Everyone else...). But they're really only awful if you look at them as three-dimensional characters. This film is a huge cartoon, and like most kids cartoons, the surface of the character is all you get. Also, if you look at the surface, there is literally no reason for this film to be rated PG-13. It has no more violence than you would see in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, it has no profanity, it has no nudity, but the reasoning for that PG-13, other than the obvious marketing ploy to get the kids and their parents in the seats, is as far as the character of Poison Ivy is concerned, as played by Uma Thurman (who obviously saw a few Mae West films in order to find her character), her dialogue is packed with obvious and totally ridiculous double entendres. There's a fairly high amount of sexuality in this film in regards to Ivy, particularly in her character's psuedo-strip tease when her character is first revealed in Gotham's Botanical Garden benefit. There also seems to be an undercurrent of homoeroticism throughout the film with the presence of Poison Ivy to create the rift in the "partnership" of Batman and Robin, as well as Bruce's fiancee Julie Madison (supermodel Elle MacPherson, whose role, while being a nice nod to Bruce's first love in the comics, was little more than a cameo) to offset the old argument of Batman and Robin being, as Dr. Fredric Wertham once put it in his 1950's cryptofacist interpretation of comic books SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT, the "ultimate homosexual fantasy relationship".And then, there's Silverstone as Barbara/Batgirl. The inclusion of the character, again, was more to sell toys and give some fan-service than to give a good reason for the character to exist in this world, but the casting of the character could not have been more moronic. Let me get this straight: Instead of being the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, she's Alfred's niece whose mother is British; she grew up in England AND went to a British boarding school, yet somehow, she's an American teenager. How does that work? But then, if someone was to actually offer a logical explanation for ANYTHING in this film, I'd be either very impressed or very suspicious.So after all this, why do I still rate this film 5 out of 5 stars? Because of everything I've just written. This film is so gloriously excessive, so delirously goofy, so amazingly awful that it seems to me that there is a microscopic element of subversiveness to the whole production. They seemed to want the franchise to die off. Really, how could anyone be expected to turn in wuality work when the whole film is being dictated by the studio suits and the merchandising people?No one involved could seriously have watched this film and said to themselves, "This is some of my best work" and still be considered sane. Schumacher and company went so far off the rails into self-parody and self-destruction that no one could really have seen themselves getting a lot of Hollywood work after this film, which also brings a level of anarchic glee for me. It'd be another few years until Clooney found his breakout role; Schwarzenegger went into politics for some reason; Thurman smartly kept her friendship with Quentin Tarantino alive and still remains a mainstay of independent cinema; O'Donnell is trying to keep some kind of career solvency alive through television and Silverstone is really nowhere to be found. Schumacher continues making films, but they're largely regarded as hacky, and that's not unfounded, but he's still in the business.BATMAN AND ROBIN is really kind of a perfect example of how not to make a Batman film, but still ends up being the most entertaining film of all of the pre-Nolan Batman films. That either speaks volumes about this film, or about its predecessors.

My childhood favorite

Good item delivered timely and in good condition.

My grandchildren loved it

Aside from some action figures I didn't fully know the story behind, this was one of my first major exposures to Batman as a kid.

When Bob Kane introduced Batman to the world in 1939, he introduced a dark, brooding vigilante who was just as likely to kill his prey as arrest them. This Dark Knight would last untill the introduction of Robin...In 1940.That's right, Batman's "dark" period lasted about eleven issues, something "purists" seem to forget. Kane and Finger may have created a dark brooding figure, but they sure seem to have enjoyed the more lighthearted Caped Crusader a lot more, seeing that this version of The Dynamic Duo would last through to the 1970's. Even then, when the wonderful Denny O'Neil took the series in a more mature, detective oriented direction, it wouldn't be untill Miller's Dark Knight Returns that the "dark" Batman would be viewed by fans as the "true" Batman.But the simple fact is, there is no "true" Batman. Batman has been interpreted many different ways over the years, each with their own pros and cons. Adam West's Batman is not The Dark Knight's Batman is not The Lego Movie's Batman, yet they are all undeniably Batman. And it must be said that Batman in the comics has spent far more time with bigger than life villans and cheesy puns and one liners than without. This movie doesn't spit on the image of Batman as so many would have you believe, it embraces one of the many views of the Batman, one perhaps sadly neglected in our cynical and jaded times.Frankly, I find the Batman of this and "Forever" to be closest to the source material. Tim Burton's Batman was fun, but also a psyco killer. Nolan's Batman tries too hard to be "realistic", something a man in a bat suit can never fully achieve. Not to mention the fact that the timeline of "Rises" seems to say Bruce was Batman maybe a year and a half total. This I find less forgivable than a Bat-Credit card. In this movie, we have a Batman who's been Gotham's protector for years. The citizens seldom see him, but know he's out there and sleep better for it. The police know they can rely on him (perhaps too much) and criminals fear him. He operates in the shadows, but will come into the limelight when it's in his city's interests. This may not be the gritty Batman of the 90's on, but it is Batman nonetheless. A lighter knight, but as entertaining in his own right despite, or even because of that lightness.It's often reported that director Joel Schumacher would remind the actors "Remember everyone, this is a cartoon." Usually this is given as a sign that the film was doomed to fail. But for most of his history, and clearly the part of Bat history this draws from, Batman WAS a cartoon. A glorious, irreverant and most of all FUN cartoon. I've read comics from the 40's, 50's and 60's, and I can easily see the museum ice skating scene, the rocket surfing escape and even the chairity ball battle taking place there. Even Bruce Wayne's girlfriend in this one is Julie Madison, harking back to the 40's Golden Age comics. Somebody did his homework!If this movie's reputation has kept you away, open your mind and give it a try. If you have not seen it in ages because it wasn't the "real" Batman, take a look at the Dark Knight Detective's long, rich history and give Batman and Robin another chance.

Bought in 2024, digital copy expired in 2021. Seems like a bait and switch. They should just not put an expiration date on these. Either that or pull it when it's expired.Anyway, this is not a great movie to begin with. My son is at the age where he thinks it's so bad it's funny, which is why I picked it up.

This is my most favorites Batman movie ever. Likely because of all of the Villains. I mean really truly I promise you no Batman fan thinks there's a bad Batman they each brought their own version of him to the movie. This one has Ice Man, Bane, and Poison Ivy plus bat girl who is Alfred's niece. It's really good, I promise

Vieram 2 discos. O blu ray convencional rodou normal, mas o disco 4k não foi reconhecido no meu player. Além disso não há dublagem/legenda para Português BR.

Arrived in excellent condition 🙂

See the movie rather than just listen to other people's negative comments. Surprisingly, it has a very good cast and the soundtrack is very fitting with the movie itself.Besides the Kill Bill Franchise, Uma Thurman makes a lovely villain in this. It is well worth watch. I was definitely not disappointed as I went back to view it again!

Pourquoi ce film est-il autant détesté ?Nous sommes en 1997, Pierce Brosnan était 007, beau gosse frimeur à l'huMoore facile et aux scénarios légers.George Clooney pouvait bien être Bruce Wayne ! L'époque n'était pas encore à la noirceur post 11 septembre ni aux héros torturés incapables de sourire sauf sous la torture. On peut regretter cette période !Batman n'est véritablement devenu un héros "dark" dans sa version comics que dans les 80's. Bruce Wayne a vécu un drame mais il sera sa motivation, pas sa malédiction comme dans les films récents et maniaco-dépressifs comme ceux de...007!On trouvera dans "Batman et Robin" beaucoup de références à Batman 66 avec Adam West notamment dans les bruitages, beaucoup de Tim Burton dans une ville de Gotham certes très colorée (fluo ?) mais oppressante par l'architecture, un peu de Batman "The animated series" dans les véhicules années 40 et des héros beaucoup dans les personnages de Ivy, Bane et Freeze.Uma Thurman est évidente pour le rôle de Poison Ivy mais Arnold Schwarzenegger l'est encore plus en tant que Victor Fries. La référence à "The animated series" est un bel hommage à cette série animée de 1992 aux multiples récompenses.Nolan a cru nécessaire d'en faire des... tonnes avec Bane alors qu'ici en homme de main de Poison Ivy, il est parfaitement adapté et suffisant.Alicia Silverstone est inutile, Robin est à mon sens aussi bon que dans le précédent. Le conflit qui couve entre le Duo dynamique et qui servira aux futurs comics est effleuré mais bien utilisé.Et enfin George Clooney...Il est agaçant avec sa tête qui gigote comme le "bobble head" du Riddler de "Batman forever" mais il apporte un classe que n'avait ni Kilmer ni Bale.Il nous offre aussi une magnifique scène très touchante avec Alfred et les flash-backs avec ce dernier et le jeune Bruce sont bien amenés.C'est en VO que ce film vous fera profiter pleinement de l'humour qui a été reproché à cet opus.Les allusions sexuelles sont nombreuses mais drôles, les jeux de mots en rapport avec le froid ne vous laisseront pas de glace. Évidemment il vous faut manier l'anglais et le double sens des expressions car le sous-titrage français en trahi le sens.La célèbre carte de crédit avec la date d'expiration "forever" après l'identité du porteur m'a beaucoup plu (oui parfois le chauve souris)...La batmobile n'est pas aussi terrifiante que celle de Keaton mais plus belle selon moi que l'édition Val Kilmer.Un opus injustement mal-aimé qui j'espère sera revu à sa juste valeur comme l'a été un autre film longtemps critiqué avant de devenir une référence, "Au service secret de sa Majesté".What else ?

Producto en buen estado pero ya desprecintado aunque venia dentro d un plástico