Batman Forever

Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman. A stand-alone sequel to the 1992 film Batman Returns and the third installment of Warner Bros.'s initial Batman film series, it stars Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman, alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Michael Gough, and Pat Hingle. The plot focuses on Batman trying to stop Two-Face and the Riddler in their villainous scheme to extract confidential information from all the minds in Gotham City and use it to learn Batman's identity and bring the city under their control. In the process, he gains allegiance from a young, orphaned circus acrobat named Dick Grayson, who becomes his sidekick Robin, and meets and develops feelings for psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian, which brings him to the point to decide if he will lead a normal life or if he is destined to fight crime as Batman forever.

For other uses, see Batman Forever (disambiguation).

Batman Forever
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed byJoel Schumacher
Produced by
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Lee Batchler
  • Janet Scott Batchler
Based on
  • Characters appearing in magazines published
    by DC Comics
  • Batman characters
    by Bob Kane
Starring
Music byElliot Goldenthal
CinematographyStephen Goldblatt
Edited byDennis Virkler
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • June 9, 1995 (1995-06-09) (Mann Village Theater)
  • June 16, 1995 (1995-06-16) (United States)
Running time
129 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million[1]
Box office$336.6 million[1]

Schumacher eschewed the dark, dystopian atmosphere of Burton's films by drawing inspiration from the Batman comic books of the Dick Sprang era, as well as the 1960s television series. After Keaton chose not to reprise his role, William Baldwin and Ethan Hawke were considered as a replacement before Val Kilmer joined the cast.

The film was released on June 16, 1995. Batman Forever grossed over $336 million worldwide and became the sixth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 1995. The film received mixed reviews, with criticism directed towards the CGI, Kilmer's performance, costume designs and tonal departure from previous films, but praising the visuals and performances of Carrey and Jones. The film was followed by Batman & Robin in 1997, with Schumacher returning as the director, Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin, and George Clooney replacing Kilmer as Batman.

Plot

In the Batcave, beneath Wayne Manor, the crime fighter known as Batman suites up and selects weapons from his arsenal. Driving the new Batmobile to Gotham City, Batman responds to a hostage situation where he encounters Police Commissioner James Gordon and Dr. Chase Meridian, a psychologist who specializes in abnormal psychology and is infatuated with Batman. The hostage situation turns out to be not a robbery. The super-villain Two-Face and his thugs are holding a bank guard prisoner as bait to lure Batman into a trap. (Two-Face, formerly the city's district attorney Harvey Dent, is seeking revenge against Batman for failing to prevent his disfigurement when mobster Sal Maroni threw acid on him during Maroni's trial.) Two-Face escapes and remains at large.

While conducting an inspection of his company, Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne meets employee Edward Nygma, an eccentric researcher who greatly idolizes Wayne and seeks to impress him. Edward developed an electric device that can beam television signals directly into a person's brain and wants Wayne's approval for immediate mass production. But Bruce offers to set up a meeting through his assistant to discuss the matter.. However, after Nygma demands an answer immediately, Bruce then rejects Nygma's offer stating that mind manipulation raises ethical concerns from the untested device. After killing his supervisor and staging it as a suicide, Nygma resigns. Harboring a deep grudge, he begins plotting revenge against Wayne and begins sending him riddles as a way to retaliate against him.

Bruce meets with Dr. Chase Meridian seeking her help with the mysterious riddles he has been receiving. Bruce invites her to the circus. During a performance from the circus performers, The Flying Graysons, Two-Face arrives and threatens to kill everyone at the circus unless Batman comes forward and surrenders to him. The Flying Graysons attempt to disrupt Two-Face's plan, but are all killed except one. Only Dick Grayson, the youngest member, survives as he climbs to the roof and throws Two-Face's bomb into a river where it explodes harmlessly.

Bruce invites the orphaned Dick to stay at Wayne Manor as his ward. Dick, still troubled by the murder of his family, intends to kill Two-Face and avenge his family. Later, when he discovers that Bruce is Batman, he demands that Bruce help him find Two-Face so that he can kill him. But Bruce refuses and warns him about committing vengeance. Meanwhile, Nygma, inspired and delighted by watching Two-Face's raid at the circus, turns himself into a criminal called the Riddler and forms an alliance with Two-Face. The two super-villains commit a series of robberies in order to steal enough capital to mass-produce Nygma's brainwave device. Riddler will use it to steal all of Gotham's confidential information. In return, the Riddler promises Two-Face to discover Batman's secret identity. Nygma founds his own company, Nygmatech, as a rival to Wayne Enterprises. But the information he is downloading directly into his own brain is gradually damaging Nygma's already precarious mind.

At a NygmaTech business party, Nygma discovers Bruce's alter ego using the brainwave device. Two-Face and his thugs arrive and crash the party. Bruce changes into Batman and pursues Two-Face and his thugs into an abandoned subway station. Batman is nearly killed, but Dick arrives in time and manages to save him. Meanwhile, Chase has fallen in love with Bruce, which surpasses her obsession with Batman. Bruce decides to give up being Batman in order to have a normal life with Chase, and to prevent Dick from murdering Two-Face. Dick runs away while Bruce and Chase have dinner together in the manor, where Bruce plans to reveal his secret identity to her. The Riddler and Two-Face arrive at Wayne Manor; in the process. While Two-Face and his thugs attack Bruce and Chase, the Riddler makes his way to the Batcave and blows up the batmobile and the spare batsuits. The criminals kidnap Chase after Two-Face shoots Bruce, and the Riddler leaves him another riddle. Chase is taken to the mysterious Claw Island and imprisoned.

Using the riddles left by Nygma, Bruce and his butler, Alfred, deduce the Riddler's secret identity. Fortunitly, the Riddler had not been aware of the "cave beneath the cave" and other bat vehicles hidden in other parts of the Batcave escaped destruction. Bruce dons a new Batman costume - the Sonar Batsuit. (The Sonar Batsuit was a special high-tech Batsuit with different functions and a vastly different look from the standard suit. It allows Batman to see with more accuracy in extreme darkness or glare.) But the sonar suit had not yet been field tested yet, putting Batman at a disadvantage. However, Dick returns to become Batman's sidekick, Robin. Batman and Robin head to Claw Island, with Batman in the new Batwing and Robin in the Batboat. When the dynamic duo reach Claw Island the Riddler uses a blast of neural energy to shoot down the batwing and underwater mines to destroy the Batboat. Batman and Robin survive and make it to the island, where they become separated. Robin encounters Two-Face and nearly kills him, but chooses to spare his life. Robin is then captured. Batman makes it to the control room. The Riddler, revealing Chase and Robin bound and gagged with duct tape in containment tubes, gives Batman a chance to save only one hostage, but Batman destroys the Riddler's brainwave collecting device with a Batarang, causing the Riddler to suffer a mental breakdown and allowing Batman to rescue Robin and Chase. Two-Face corners the trio and flips a coin to determine their fate, but Batman throws a handful of identical coins in the air, causing Two-Face to stumble and fall, and Robin watches in satisfaction.

The Riddler is taken to Arkham Asylum and imprisoned, but claims he knows who Batman is. Chase is asked to consult on the case, but it is revealed that, due to his traumas, Nygma now lives in a delusion that he himself is Batman. Chase meets Bruce outside and tells him that his secret identity is safe before parting ways. Bruce resumes his crusade as Batman with Robin as his partner to protect Gotham from crime as The Dynamic Duo.

Cast
  • Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne / Batman: After coming across the journal of his father, Wayne starts questioning his act of vengeance. He struggles with his dual identity as a crime fighter, becoming romantically involved with Dr. Chase Meridian.
  • Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent / Two-Face: Formerly the good district attorney of Gotham City. Half of Harvey's face is scarred with acid during the conviction of a crime boss. Driven insane, he becomes the criminal Two-Face.
  • Jim Carrey as Edward Nygma / The Riddler: A former Wayne Enterprises employee, Edward resigns after his newest invention is personally rejected by Bruce Wayne. He becomes the villainous Riddler, leaving riddles and puzzles at scenes of crime.
  • Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian: A psychologist and love interest of Bruce Wayne. Chase is fascinated by the dual nature of Batman. She's held as a damsel in distress in the climax.
  • Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson / Robin: Once a circus acrobat, Dick is taken in by Bruce after Two-Face murders his parents and brother at a circus event. Bruce is reminded when his parents were murdered when he sees the same vengeance in Dick, and decides to take him in as his ward. He eventually discovers the Batcave and learns Bruce's secret identity. In his wake, he becomes the crime fighting partner, Robin.
  • Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth: The Wayne family's faithful butler and Bruce's confidant. Alfred also befriends the young Dick Grayson.
  • Pat Hingle as James Gordon: The police commissioner of Gotham City.
  • George Wallace as The Mayor: The mayor of Gotham City.
  • Drew Barrymore as Sugar: Two-Face's "good" blonde assistant. Wears a white corset bodysuit.
  • Debi Mazar as Spice: Two-Face's "bad" assistant. Former dominatrix. Loves the satisfaction of other peoples pain. Twisted sense of humor. Wears a black leather bodysuit with fishnet stockings on her legs and black leather heels. Wears her black hair up with red highlights. Has pale skin and a small mole.
  • Ed Begley Jr. as Fred Stickley: Edward Nygma's ill-tempered supervisor at Wayne Enterprises. After Stickley discovers the true nature of Nygma's invention, Nygma kills him and makes it look like suicide. Begley was uncredited for this role.
  • Ofer Samra as Harvey's Thug
  • Elizabeth Sanders as Gossip Gerty: Gotham's top gossip columnist.
  • René Auberjonois as Dr. Burton: Head Doctor of Arkham Asylum.
  • Joe Grifasi as Hawkins: A bank guard and Two-Face's hostage during the opening scene.

Production

Development
"I always hated those titles like Batman Forever. That sounds like a tattoo that somebody would get when they're on drugs or something. Or something some kid would write in the yearbook."

—Producer Tim Burton[2]

Batman Returns was released in 1992 with financial success and generally favorable reviews from critics, but Warner Bros. was disappointed with its box office run, having made $150 million less than the first film. For Batman Forever, Tim Burton, the director of the first two Batman films, was already working on the third Batman film, which was going to be titled Batman Continues and was going to star Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Billy Dee Williams, Robin Williams, Rene Russo and Marlon Wayans, but following the release of the previous film, McDonald's said that Batman Returns was inappropriate for children, so Warner Bros. asked Burton to step down as director in favor of another director; Sam Raimi and John McTiernan were considered, Joel Schumacher was selected by Burton. Husband-and-wife screenwriting couple Lee and Janet Scott-Batchler were brought on to write the script, and agreed with Burton that "the key element to Batman is his duality. And it's not just that Batman is Bruce Wayne".[3] Their original script introduced a psychotic Riddler with a pet rat accompanying him. The story elements and much of the dialogue still remained in the finished film, though Schumacher felt it could be "lighte[ne]d down". Keaton initially approved the selection of Schumacher as director and planned on reprising his role as Batman from the first two films.[4] Schumacher claims he originally had in mind an adaptation of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and Keaton claimed that he was enthusiastic about the idea.[4][5] Warner Bros. rejected the idea as they wanted a sequel, not a prequel, though Schumacher was able to include very brief events in Bruce Wayne's childhood with some events of the comic The Dark Knight Returns. Akiva Goldsman, who worked with Schumacher on The Client, was brought in to rewrite the script, deleting the initial idea of bringing in the Scarecrow as a villain with Riddler, and the return of Catwoman. Burton, who now was more interested in directing Ed Wood, later reflected he was taken aback by some of the focus group meetings for Batman Forever, a title which he hated. Producer Peter MacGregor-Scott represented the studio's aim in making a film for the MTV Generation with full merchandising appeal.[5]

Casting

Production went on fast track with Russo cast as Dr. Chase Meridian but Keaton decided not to reprise Batman because he did not like the new direction the film series was headed in and rejected the script.[6] Keaton also wanted to pursue "more interesting roles",[7] turning down $15 million.[8] A decision was made to go with a younger actor for Bruce Wayne, and an offer was made to Ethan Hawke, who turned it down but eventually regretted this decision.[9] Schumacher had seen Val Kilmer in Tombstone, but was also interested in Alec and William Baldwin, Dean Cain, Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Johnny Depp and Mel Gibson.[10] Cain was scrapped as he was well known for starring in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Kilmer, who as a child visited the studios where the 1960s series was recorded and shortly before had visited a bat cave in Africa, was contacted by his agent for the role. Kilmer signed on without reading the script or knowing who the new director was.[11]

With Kilmer's casting, Warner Bros. dropped Rene Russo as Chase Meridian, considering her too old to be paired with Kilmer.[6] Sandra Bullock, Robin Wright, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Linda Hamilton were all considered for the role, which was eventually recast with Nicole Kidman.[12] Billy Dee Williams took on the role of Harvey Dent in Batman on the possibility of portraying Two-Face in a sequel, but Schumacher cast Tommy Lee Jones in the role, although Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood and Martin Sheen and Nicolas Cage were considered,[13] after working with him on The Client. Jones was reluctant to accept the role,[5] but did so after his son's insistence.[14] Robin Williams was in discussions to be the Riddler at one point but eventually turned down the role, resentful he was used in 1989 as bait for Jack Nicholson to play Joker, and also because of his contractual issues with Jumanji.[15][16] In a 2003 interview, Schumacher stated Michael Jackson lobbied hard for the role, but was turned down before Jim Carrey was cast.[17] Other actors considered were John Malkovich, Brad Dourif (considered before by Burton to portray Scarecrow) Kelsey Grammer, Micky Dolenz and Steve Martin. Mark Hamill was going to get the role, but had to turn it down due to contract issues. Robin appeared in the shooting script for Batman Returns but was deleted due to the use of too many characters. Marlon Wayans had been cast in the role, and signed for a potential sequel, but when Schumacher took over, he decided to open up casting to other actors.[18] Leonardo DiCaprio was considered, but decided not to pursue the role after a meeting with Schumacher. Matt Damon, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Toby Stephens, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Christian Bale (who starred as Batman/Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight trilogy), and Scott Speedman were considered also[19] Chris O'Donnell was cast and Mitchell Gaylord served as his stunt double, and also portrayed Mitch Grayson; Dick's older brother, created for the film.[12] Schumacher attempted to create a cameo role for Bono as his MacPhisto character, but both came to agree it was not suitable for the film.[20]

Filming

Filming started in September 1994.[21] Schumacher hired Barbara Ling for production design, claiming that the film needed a "force" and good design. Ling could "advance on it". Schumacher wanted a design that was not to be in any way connected to the previous films, and instead was to be inspired by the images from the Batman comic books seen in the 1940s/early 1950s and taken from that of New York City architecture in the 1930s, with a combination of modern Tokyo. He also wanted a "city with personality," with more statues, as well as various amounts of neon.

Schumacher had problems filming with Kilmer, whom he described as "childish and impossible," reporting that he fought with various crewmen, and refused to speak to Schumacher for two weeks after the director told him to stop behaving in a rude way.[22] Schumacher also mentioned Tommy Lee Jones as a source of trouble: "Jim Carrey was a gentleman, and Tommy Lee was threatened by him. I'm tired of defending overpaid, overprivileged actors. I pray I don't work with them again."[23] Carrey later acknowledged Jones was not friendly to him, telling him once off-set during the production, "I hate you. I really don't like you ... I cannot sanction your buffoonery."[24]

Design and effects

Rick Baker designed the prosthetic makeup. John Dykstra, Andrew Adamson, and Jim Rygiel served as visual effects supervisors, with Pacific Data Images also contributing to visual effects work. PDI provided a computer-generated Batman for complicated stunts.[25] For the costume design, producer Peter MacGregor-Scott claimed that 146 workers were at one point working together. Batman's costume was redesigned along the lines of a more "MTV organic, and edgier feel" to the suit.[26] Sound editing and mixing was supervised by Bruce Stambler and John Levesque, which included trips to caves to record bat sounds.[27] A new Batmobile was designed for Batman Forever, with two cars being constructed, one for stunt purposes and one for close-ups.[28] Swiss surrealist painter H. R. Giger provided his version for the Batmobile but it was considered too sinister for the film.[29]

Deleted scenes

Batman Forever went through a few major edits before its release. Originally darker than the final product, the film's original length was closer to 2 hours and 40 minutes, according to Schumacher. There was talk of an extended cut being released to DVD for the film's 10th anniversary in 2005. While all four previous Batman films were given special-edition DVD releases on the same day as the Batman Begins DVD release, none of them were given extended cuts, although some of the following scenes were in a deleted scenes section in the special features.[30]

There was an undercurrent theme involving Bruce having repressed memories of an aspect of his parents' death that he hadn't faced. His memories involved finding his father's diary on the night of his parents' wake and reading that Bruce insisted that his parents must go to the theater, so he could watch one of the shows. Meaning the reason he became Batman was out of the guilt that he was responsible for their deaths.

Many scenes were filmed, but deleted from the film; other scenes had footage removed. These included:

  • The escape of Two-Face from Arkham Asylum. René Auberjonois had another scene filmed here in the role of Doctor Burton, but his role was reduced in the final film. He discovers Two-Face's escape, encountering his psychologist hanged in Two-Face's cell with "The Bat Must Die" written in blood on the wall. This was supposed to be the film's opening scene, but producers decided this was far too dark for a family audience. This scene appears in the comic adaptation and the novelization. Segments of the scene also appears on the U2 music video of "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me."
  • When Two-Face addresses the crowd from the helicopter in the opening action scene, the speech was truncated and several lines that appeared in the Theatrical Trailer were removed, including the line "If the Bat wants to play, we'll play!"
  • In the bank heist in the beginning of the film, after Two-Face's men shoots the elevator, Batman appeared and asks the men and Two-Face, "Going Down?" His line was cut and only appeared in the film's trailer.
  • There was a sequence that contained an extended fight scene between Two-Face and Batman, where they both struggle for control of the helicopter. In this scene, Two-Face accuses Batman of being "a killer too" (a continuity reference to the previous Burton films). Two-face then manages to escape by the parachute, after Batman realizes he has locked the steering wheel into position. This sequence is included in rough form on the special-edition DVD.
  • A scene right before Edward Nygma arrived at Wayne Manor. It featured Bruce Wayne watching a local Gotham talk show with Chase Meridian as a guest, talking about Batman.
  • One scene right before Riddler and Two-face team up featured a little conversation with Dick and Bruce in the gym of the manor. This would explain why Dick suddenly has martial arts training. This scene appears in a rough edit on the special-edition DVD.
  • The scene where the Riddler fails to punch a security guard out. The guard is then brutally beaten by the Riddler using his cane. In the theatrical trailer, this guard is punched by Two-Face.
  • One sequence came directly after the casino robbery, where Batman follows a robbery signal on a tracking device in the Batmobile. He shows up at the crime scene and finds he is at the wrong place (a beauty salon), in which a room full of girls laugh at him. The Riddler had been throwing Batman off the track by messing with the Batmobile's tracking device. This would explain why in the theatrical version Batman seems to give Riddler and Two-Face moments of free rein over the city. This scene appears in a rough edit on the special-edition DVD.
  • The construction of NygmaTech was after Batman solves the third riddle and was more in-depth. There were scenes shot that appear in publicity stills of Edward Nygma with a hard hat helping with the construction of his headquarters on Claw Island.
  • Sugar and Spice, played by Drew Barrymore and Debi Mazar, try out the Riddler's device during the montage when it goes on sale. They are seated with the Riddler and Two-Face on the couch where Chase is handcuffed later in the film. This scene appears in the comic book adaptation, but not in the final film.
  • There was originally a scene after the montage of Alfred and Bruce examining the NygmaTech "Box."
  • An extended scene established Bruce in the Batcave shortly after having discussed with Dick then that this would have saved his life after the battle with Two-Face in the subway system under construction. In this scene he is appreciated as the GNN news (Bruce watching in the Batcomputer) attacking Batman and Two-Face after the battle in the Subway and after that Bruce talking to Alfred turns into the dilemma of continuing to be Batman and try a normal life with Chase. Like the deleted Helicopter fight sequence, this scene also makes reference to Batman himself being "a killer", and in the original production screenplay, this scene was to contain footage from Batman Returns, specifically taken from the rooftop fight scene with Catwoman. This would explain why in the theatrical version Bruce turns off all the systems in the Batcave telling Dick he gives up being Batman. This scene appears in a rough form on the special-edition DVD.
  • Another scene in the Wayne Manor raid sequence was longer, featuring Bruce and Chase fighting Two-Face and his thugs.
  • The scene involving Chase Meridian on the couch originally included a longer ending where the Riddler injects her with a green sleeping agent so he can easily place her in the small tube with the trap door.
  • Another deleted scene involved Bruce waking up after being shot in the head by Two-Face, temporarily forgetting his origin and life as the Dark Knight. Alfred takes him to the Batcave, which has been destroyed by the Riddler. They stand on the platform where the Batmobile was, and Alfred says, "Funny they did not know about the cave beneath the cave." The platform then rotates downward to another level where the sonar-modification equipment is kept, from the special Batsuit to the hi-tech weaponry. Bruce then discovers the cavern where he first saw the giant bat that inspired him to become Batman. Inside he finds his father's red diary which he had dropped when he first fell into the Batcave after his parents death. He reads the entry about him insisting his parents take him to the theater to see a show the same night they were killed. He realizes he had misread it, and his father had written 'even though Bruce insists, we wanted to see Zorro so his show will have to wait until next week'. Bruce realizes his parents death was not his fault after all. The giant bat then appears and Bruce raises his arms to match the wing anatomy of the bat and the shot shows that they are one. Bruce now remembers who he is and goes with Alfred to solve the riddles left throughout the film. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman admitted the scene was very theatrical on the special-edition DVD and felt it would have made a difference to the final cut. The bat was designed and created by Rick Baker, who was in charge of the make-up of Two-Face. This scene appears in a rough form on the special-edition DVD.
  • The fight scene between Two-Face and Robin on Claw Island was originally longer.
  • The original ending was similar in style to the previous Batman films, which had involved a scene with Alfred in the limousine, the camera tracking upward through the Gotham cityscape, followed by a rooftop shot involving a silhouetted hero (Batman in the original, Catwoman in Batman Returns) facing the Bat Signal. When Alfred drives Doctor Chase Meridian back to Gotham, she asks him: "Does it ever end, Alfred?" Alfred replies: "No, Doctor Meridian, not in this lifetime..." The Bat-Signal shines on the night sky and Batman is standing on a pillar looking ahead. Robin then comes into shot and joins his new partner. They both leap off the pillar, towards the camera. A rough edit of the first half of the scene appears on the special-edition DVD, but not in its entirety.

Schumacher Cut

After Joel Schumacher died in June 2020, media outlets starting reporting the possible existence of a "Schumacher Cut." This version was believed to be darker and contain less camp than the theatrical cut. Some of the differences include Bruce facing off against a human-sized bat, the darker, more serious tone, less of an emphasis on Dick Grayson, and a focus on Bruce's psychological issues with Chase. In total, the cut uses about 40 minutes of footage. Warner Bros. confirmed the cut exists although they have no plans to release it and were unsure about whether what, if any, footage remains. Some of the aforementioned deleted scenes make up a portion of this footage. [31][32]

Music
Further information: Batman Forever (score) and Batman Forever (soundtrack)

Elliot Goldenthal was hired by Schumacher to compose the film score before the screenplay was written. In discussions with Schumacher, the director wanted Goldenthal to avoid taking inspiration from Danny Elfman, and requested an original composition.[33] The film's promotional teaser trailer used the main title theme from Elfman's score of 1989's Batman.[34]

The soundtrack was commercially successful, selling almost as many copies as Prince's soundtrack to the 1989 Batman film. Only five of the songs on the soundtrack are actually featured in the movie. Hit singles from the soundtrack include "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2 and "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, both of which were nominated for MTV Movie Awards. "Kiss from a Rose" (whose video was also directed by Joel Schumacher) reached No. 1 in the U.S. charts as well. The soundtrack itself, featuring additional songs by The Flaming Lips, Brandy (both songs also included in the film), Method Man, Nick Cave, Michael Hutchence (of INXS), PJ Harvey, and Massive Attack, was an attempt to (in producer Peter MacGregor-Scott's words) make the film more "pop".

Release

Box office

Batman Forever opened in 2,842 theaters in the United States on June 16, 1995, making $52.8 million in its opening weekend,[1] breaking Jurassic Park's record for highest opening-weekend gross of all time (it was surpassed two years later by The Lost World: Jurassic Park's $72.1 million).[35] The film went on to gross $184 million in North America, and $152.5 million in other countries, totaling $336.53 million. The film earned more money than its predecessor Batman Returns,[36] and is the highest grossing film from 1995.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 39% based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Loud, excessively busy, and often boring, Batman Forever nonetheless has the charisma of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones to offer mild relief."[37] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 51 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[38] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[39]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said "Batman Forever still gets in its licks. There's no fun machine this summer that packs more surprises." Travers criticized the film's excessive commercialism and felt that "the script misses the pain Tim Burton caught in a man tormented by the long-ago murder of his parents" seeing the Bruce Wayne of Kilmer as "inexpressive".[40] James Berardinelli of ReelViews enjoyed the film. "It's lighter, brighter, funnier, faster-paced, and a whole lot more colorful than before."[41] Scott Beatty felt "Tommy Lee Jones played Harvey Dent as a Joker knock-off rather than a multi-layered rogue."[42] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times both gave the film mixed reviews, but with the former giving it a thumbs up and the latter a thumbs down.[43] In his written review, Ebert wrote: "Is the movie better entertainment? Well, it's great bubblegum for the eyes. Younger children will be able to process it more easily; some kids were led bawling from Batman Returns where the PG-13 rating was a joke."[44] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle had a mixed reaction, concluding "a shot of Kilmer's rubber buns at one point is guaranteed to bring squeals from the audience."[45] Brian Lowry of Variety believed "One does have to question the logic behind adding nipples to the hard-rubber batsuit. Whose idea was that supposed to be anyway, Alfred's? Some of the computer-generated Gotham cityscapes appear too obviously fake. Elliot Goldenthal's score, while serviceable, also isn't as stirring as Danny Elfman's work in the first two films."[46]

Some observers thought Schumacher, a gay man, added possible homoerotic innuendo in the storyline.[47] Regarding the costume design, Schumacher stated, "I had no idea that putting nipples on the Batsuit and Robin suit were going to spark international headlines. The bodies of the suits come from Ancient Greek statues, which display perfect bodies. They are anatomically correct."[47] O'Donnell felt "it wasn't so much the nipples that bothered me. It was the codpiece. The press obviously played it up and made it a big deal, especially with Joel directing. I didn't think twice about the controversy, but going back and looking and seeing some of the pictures, it was very unusual."[47]

Accolades

At the 68th Academy Awards, Batman Forever was nominated for Cinematography (lost to Braveheart), Sound (Donald O. Mitchell, Frank A. Montaño, Michael Herbick and Petur Hliddal; lost to Apollo 13) and Sound Effects Editing (John Leveque and Bruce Stambler) (also lost to Braveheart).[48] "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2 was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song (lost to "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas), but was also nominated for the Worst Original Song Golden Raspberry Award (lost to "Walk Into the Wind" from Showgirls). At the Saturn Awards, the film was nominated for Best Fantasy Film (lost to Babe), Make-up (lost to Seven), Special Effects (lost to Jumanji) and Costume Design (lost to 12 Monkeys). Composer Elliot Goldenthal was given a Grammy Award nomination. Batman Forever received six nominations at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards, four of which were divided between two categories (Carrey and Lee Jones for Best Villain; and Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" and U2's "Hold Me" in Best Song from a Movie). However, it won in just one category—Best Song from a Movie for Seal's "Kiss from a Rose".

Home media

Batman Forever was released on DVD on February 10, 2009;[49] on Blu-ray on April 20, 2010;[49] and on Ultra HD Blu-ray on June 4, 2019.[50]

Other media and merchandising

In addition to a large line of toys, video games and action figures from Kenner, the McDonald's food chain released several collectibles and mugs to coincide with the release of the film. Peter David and Alan Grant wrote separate novelizations of the film.[51][52] Dennis O'Neil authored a comic book adaptation, with art by Michal Dutkiewicz.[53]

Six Flags Great Adventure theme park re-themed their "Axis Chemical" arena, home of the Batman stunt show, to resemble "Batman Forever", and the new show featured props from the film. Six Flags Over Texas featured a one-time fireworks show to promote the movie, and replica busts of Batman, Robin, Two-Face, and the Riddler can still be found in the Justice League store in the Looney Tunes U.S.A. section. Batman: The Ride opened at Six Flags St. Louis to promote the movie. At Six Flags Over Georgia The Mind Bender rollercoaster was redesigned to look as though it were the creation of The Riddler and some images and props were used in the design of the rollercoaster and its queue.

See also

References
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