Directed by Joel Schumacher
Running Time: 2:05
Let the cheese fly! From start to finish, the fourth installment of the Batman mega-series is filled with all the comic book fluff you can handle. And you know what? It still works. George Clooney steps into the batsuit, replacing the troubled Val Kilmer, and makes the role his own. In my opinion Clooney is by far the best of the Batmen. Chris O'Donnell is back as Batman's trusty sidekick Robin, and the beautiful Alicia Silverstone enters the mix as Batgirl. Once again the caped crusader is called upon to stop evil villains from taking over Gotham City. When are these bad guys (and bad women) going to learn that you can't beat the Bat? Is it some sort of ego trip? Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, are the villains-du-jour this time out. Mr. Freeze was a scientist trying to find a cure for MacGregor's disease, the disease that took the life of his wife. Sadly, he fell into some stuff that turned his blood cold and really pissed him off. Poison Ivy, the botanist with a kiss of death just wants to let plant life take over the earth. Two different people, with one goal, to rule the planet, and get rid of Batman and Robin. Without a doubt this movie does what it set out to do, entertain you. It has the same brooding atmosphere as the previous three. A gothic look that makes you wonder why people live there at all. Good guys vs. Bad guys in a battle for the planet. All the usual Batman melodrama, but the one thing that holds this film together is the true family feeling you get from watching Clooney, O'Donnell, Silverstone, and Michael Gough as Alfred. This movie is more about friendship, trust, and family. Before I saw Batman and Robin, I wondered if maybe having another actor play Batman, coupled with Robin from the beginning, and then throwing in Batgirl, would bring down the power of Batman, but it does the opposite. It does what really good movies do, it makes you want more. Instead of just comic book action, there is a feeling of a real family, fighting together as one, and that's what makes this Batman stand out from the rest. People you can feel for, not just root for. Watch out evil doers of the world, Batman and Robin (and Batgirl) are flying high, ready to take a bite out of crime.
