Batman & Robin (1997)

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers (WGA):

Bob Kane (Batman characters)
Akiva Goldsman (written by)

Release Date:

20 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Strength. Courage. Honor. And loyalty. On June 20, it ALL comes together...

Plot:

Batman & Robin try to keep their relationship together even as they must stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City.

Plot Keywords:

Buddy Comedy | Femme Fatale | Male Female Relationship | Asylum | Frozen Body

Awards:

5 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Mr. Freeze / Dr. Victor Fries
George Clooney	...	Batman / Bruce Wayne
Chris O'Donnell	...	Robin / Dick Grayson
Uma Thurman	...	Poison Ivy / Dr. Pamela Isley
Alicia Silverstone	...	Batgirl / Barbara Wilson
Michael Gough	...	Alfred Pennyworth
Pat Hingle	...	Commissioner James Gordon
John Glover	...	Dr. Jason Woodrue
Elle Macpherson	...	Julie Madison
Vivica A. Fox	...	Ms. B. Haven
Vendela Kirsebom Thomessen	...	Nora Fries (as Vendela K. Thommessen)
Elizabeth Sanders	...	Gossip Gerty
Jeep Swenson	...	Bane
John Fink	...	Aztec Museum Guard
Michael Reid MacKay	...	Antonio Diego

Also Known As:

Batman 4 (USA) (working title)
Batman and Robin (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for strong stylized action and some innuendos.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Ireland:12 | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35367) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:10 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Anthony Hopkins was also considered for the role of Mr. Freeze.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Alfred, Barbara, Bruce and Dick are walking through the garden, Dick says, "You have secrets, Al?" but his mouth never moves.

Quotes:

Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy: I am Nature's arm. Her spirit. Her will. Hell, I am Mother Nature, and the time has come for plants to take back the world so rightfully ours! 'cause it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

Movie Connections:

References Blade Runner (1982)

Soundtrack:

Lazy Eye

I've Lost Faith In Humanity

BATMAN & ROBIN will make you lose all faith in Hollywood, indeed humanity as a whole. Stunningly awful, this was a disaster from the moment George Clooney traded in his scrubs for the black rubber boots. And it's not even awful in a cute, SHOWGIRLS kind of way. You won't laugh, but you might cry over the fact you've just flushed 125 precious minutes of your life down the crapper.

While everyone involved brings shame to their families, from the uncomfortable Clooney as the lamely-interpreted hero to Governornator Arnold Schwarzenegger as the junior-high-dialog-spewing Mr. Freeze, director Joel Schumacher must be punched the hardest. Even those who thought he embarrassed the franchise with the light-hearted BATMAN FOREVER were taken aback. Schumacher treats the audience like a group of eight-year-old boys with ADD, constantly trying to impress us with unexciting action scenes like a hockey-themed opening battle reminiscent of the under-appreciated genius of MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS.

The writers only make things worse with their "witty" hero chatter ("This is why Superman works alone"... har har, where do they come up with them??) and drawn-out "human" angles, such as butler Alfred's illness and a childish romantic triangle between Batman, Robin and the sexy Poison Ivy. This isn't root-on-the-heroes entertainment. On the contrary, you'll find yourself wishing Poison Ivy would tongue kiss both masked men to put us all out of our misery.

I love Batman and superhero flicks. I'm not a movie snob by any means, as I'm willing to forgive many a gaffe. But I absolutely loathe BATMAN & ROBIN. I loathe how it disgraces the characters it depicts. I loathe how the "talent" involved is still allowed within 100 feet of a film set or writer's room. It must be said again that BATMAN & ROBIN is the kind of experience that will make you lose all faith in Hollywood -- and humanity.