214. Batman & Robin; movie review

BATMAN & ROBIN
Cert 12A
120 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild fantasy violence and innuendo

I can't say I was looking forward much to a movie whose hero had long ago described his performance as sh*t.
In his defence, George Clooney said that he had to take part of the responsibility for the failure of Batman & Robin but indicated he could not turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
While this is generally considered to be the worst Batman movie of all time, I would beg to disagree - Batman vs Superman was far inferior.
That said, it is certainly not good and Clooney is just as badly cast as Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader.
Clooney's Batman is accompanied by Chris O'Donnell as Robin in fighting against the scourage of Mr Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
The latter is seeking a large diamond which he will use in re-invigaorating his dead wife.
A complication is found in Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), a botanist who has a rather radical way of reversing climate change - kill the earth's population (except herself).
Oh, and did I say that Alfred the butler (Michael Gough) is dying and his niece (Alicia Silverstone) has come to visit?
The problem is that Arnie has to deliver too many puns, Thurman's Ivy plays the same trick over and over and Clooney, as he admits himself, is no superhero.
Sure, the special effects were mighty in their day, but movies need more than that. Batman & Robin simply doesn't have the required depth.
Indeed, it leaves Batman with nowehere to go - as evidenced by the next in the series being canned by Warner Brothers and the character being given a reboot in 2005.
Audiences certainly needed a break after this.

Reasons to watch: Well, it's Batman.
Reasons to avoid: Clooney as a superhero... nah.

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? Arnold Schwarzenegger was given first billing in Batman and Robin (over both Batman and Robin), and he was paid $25 million, which is more than $1 million per minute of screentime. What did he offer in return? 27 ice puns. He was paid nearly $1 million per pun

The final word. George Clooney: "It was a difficult film to be good in. I don’t know what I could have done differently. But if I am going to be Batman in the film Batman & Robin, I can’t say it didn’t work and then not take some of the blame for that.”

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