History FilM / BatmanAndRobin

* DesignatedGirlFight: It's brought up in Website/TheAgonyBooth website's recap that Batgirl's presence may be (besides {{merchandis|eDriven}}ing) so ''somebody'' could actually fight Poison Ivy, all because of this trope. The male good guys were incapacitated in Ivy's lair.

* DesignatedGirlFight: It's brought up in the WebOriginal/AgonyBooth website's recap that Batgirl's presence may be (besides {{merchandis|eDriven}}ing) so ''somebody'' could actually fight Poison Ivy, all because of this trope. The male good guys were incapacitated in Ivy's lair.

** An odd case of Mr. Freeze being a composite of the ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' interpretation that brought the character out of obscurity and the [[Series/{{Batman}} 60s TV series]] that originally named him. Someone decided it would be a good idea to mix the [[TearJerker tragic]] backstory of the former with the cackling, pun spouting mad scientist of the latter.

->''[[AWorldwidePunomenon "Have an ice day!"]]''

To its credit -- what little there is to give it, anyway -- the film did help discredit the old stereotype that a {{superhero}} production has to be as suitable for kids as the old AdamWest ''{{Batman}}'' [[Series/{{Batman}} TV series]] (if only by ''reductio ad absurdum''); most superhero television shows created after this travesty raised themselves to at least the TV-PG rating.

The film is not to be confused with ''Serial/BatmanAndRobin'' -- the sequel to the first Batman film ever made (''Film/TheBatman'') -- or the GrantMorrison comic series of the same title, ''or'' the FrankMiller series ''AllStarBatmanAndRobin'' (which is equally as bad as this film, but for entirely different reasons).

* BreakawayPopHit: Music/TheSmashingPumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" was far better received than the movie was and even won a Grammy. It was also nominated for Worst Original Song at the Razzies, but it was likely just picked because it was the lead song on the soundtrack of one of the biggest box office bombs of the year.
*** The slowed down version "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" (featured along with the original in the soundtrack) became hugely popular after being used in the trailer for ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''
** "Foolish Games" by Jewel, the best selling single of 1997, was released as the third single from the soundtrack, months after the film had been laughed out of theaters. It wasn't written for the movie and appeared first on her 1995 megahit record ''Pieces of You'', but if it wasn't for the soundtrack, it wouldn't have been released as a single.

After the box-office success of 1995's ''BatmanForever'', a sequel was inevitable. Audiences which gave ''BatmanReturns'' [[HurricaneOfPuns the cold shoulder]] for [[DarkerAndEdgier its darker tone]] eventually warmed up to ''Forever'' for its LighterAndSofter take on the Batman mythos. What did Warner Bros. do for this sequel? It secured an AllStarCast, turned the camp UpToEleven, and threw a $125 million budget behind the film's production. They also rushed the production schedule and put most of the emphasis on toy-friendly promotional tie-ins. What came out of this situation is a film many people [[SnarkBait love to hate]] to this very day.

Director JoelSchumacher has largely been blamed for temporarily freezing the Batman franchise with this movie, though he himself blames the [[ExecutiveMeddling cold-hearted executives]] who pushed him to to get the film out as fast as possible -- pressure that resulted in a rushed script from otherwise-acclaimed screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, a script which Shumacher was unhappy with (in many cases, it [[RecycledScript duplicated entire sequences and plot points]] from the previous film). To his credit, while pointing out these problems, Schumacher also makes sure to point out his role as the director, meaning it is ''his'' film and ''he'' bears the final responsibility for how it turned out.

Mr. Freeze (ArnoldSchwarzenegger) opens the film as a diabolical [[HurricaneOfPuns pun-spouting]] madman who is stealing diamonds across Gotham; he comes across the duo of Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) for the first time during his crime spree, but manages to elude the Dynamic Duo. Meanwhile, in South America, botanist/chemist/environmentalist Pamela Isley (UmaThurman) is caught up in a MadScientist's plan to create a SuperSoldier named Bane (Jeep Swenson and Michael Reid [=MacKay=]). Isley is killed when she objects, but various chemicals spilled upon her manage to resurrect her, giving her both a KissOfDeath and a mental breakdown in the process. Taking the name Poison Ivy, Isley doesn't seem to mind about Bane being a SuperSoldier any more, and she heads off to Gotham with Bane in tow to take revenge on corporate America -- specifically, Wayne Enterprises (even though the company was funding her research to help the environment). Ivy uses a special LovePotion to make every man in Gotham, including Batman and Robin, fall for her to further her plans -- and later joins forces with Freeze to TakeOverTheWorld (even though freezing every living creature on the planet would prove deadly to the ecosystem ''and'' result in the death of plant life; you'd think a former enviromentalist would know better).

''Batman & Robin's'' [[JustForPun cold]] critical reception (which earned it the nickname ''Batman On Ice'') and weaker (but still successful) box office returns ended the Burton/Schumacher era of ''Batman'', leaving the film franchise in limbo. It would be eight years before Batman returned to the big screen in Christopher Nolan's [[{{Reboot}} resurrection]] of the franchise, ''BatmanBegins''.

The film is not to be confused with ''Serial/BatmanAndRobin'' -- the sequel to the first Batman film ever made (''Film/TheBatman'') -- or the GrantMorrison comic series of the same title ''or'' the FrankMiller series ''AllStarBatmanAndRobin'' (which is equally as bad as this film, but for entirely different reasons).

* CardCarryingVillain: Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. Batman, however, is a [[MemeticMutation Card-carrying hero.]]

* CardCarryingVillain: Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy.

The film that [[FranchiseKiller put Batman]] [[AWorldwidePunomenon on ice]], metaphorically and literally.

After the box-office success of 1995's ''BatmanForever'', a sequel was inevitable. Audiences that gave ''BatmanReturns'' [[HurricaneOfPuns the cold shoulder]] for [[DarkerAndEdgier its darker tone]] eventually warmed up to ''Forever'' for its LighterAndSofter take on the Batman mythos. What did Warner Bros. do for this sequel? It secured an AllStarCast, turned the camp UpToEleven, and threw a cool $125 million budget behind the film's production. They also rushed the production schedule and put most of the emphasis on toy-friendly promotional tie-ins. What came out of this situation is a film that many people [[SnarkBait love to hate]] to this very day.

Director JoelSchumacher has largely been blamed for temporarily freezing the Batman franchise with this movie, though he himself blames the [[ExecutiveMeddling cold-hearted executives]], who pushed him to to get the film out as fast as possible in order to capitalize on the success of the previous film -- pressure that resulted in a rushed script from otherwise-acclaimed screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, a script that Shumacher was very unhappy with (in many cases, it [[RecycledScript duplicated entire sequences and plot points]] from the previous film). To his credit, while pointing out these problems, Schumacher has also noted that as the director, it was ultimately ''his'' film and ''he'' bears the final responsibility for how it turned out.

Oh, yes, the plot. Right, we're getting to that. [[IncrediblyLamePun Chill out.]]

Mr. Freeze (ArnoldSchwarzenegger) opens the film as a diabolical [[HurricaneOfPuns pun-spouting]] madman that is stealing diamonds across Gotham; he comes across the duo of Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) for the first time during his crime spree, but manages to elude the Dynamic Duo. Meanwhile, in South America, botanist/chemist/environmentalist Pamela Isley (UmaThurman) is caught up in a MadScientist's plan to create a SuperSoldier named Bane (Jeep Swenson and Michael Reid [=MacKay=]). Isley is killed when she objects, but various chemicals spilled upon her manage to resurrect her, giving her both a KissOfDeath and a mental breakdown in the process. Taking the name Poison Ivy, Isley doesn't seem to mind about Bane being a SuperSoldier any more, and she heads off to Gotham with Bane in tow to take revenge on corporate America -- specifically, Wayne Enterprises (even though they were funding her research to help the environment). Ivy uses a special LovePotion to make every man in Gotham, including Batman and Robin, fall for her to further her plans -- and later joins forces with Freeze to TakeOverTheWorld (even though freezing every living creature on the planet would prove deadly to the ecosystem ''and'' result in the death of plant life; you'd think a former enviromentalist would know that).

Also imporant to note: Batman has a [[MemeticMutation Bat Credit Card]].

This film's [[JustForPun cold]] critical reception (earning the nickname ''Batman On Ice'' from critics) and weaker (but still ultimately successful) box office returns ended the Burton/Schumacher era of ''Batman'', leaving the franchise in limbo. It would be eight years until Christopher Nolan's ''BatmanBegins'' resurrected the Batman on the big screen.

The film is not to be confused with Serial/BatmanAndRobin, the sequel to the first Batman film ever made (Film/TheBatman), or the GrantMorrison comic series of the same title. Nor the FrankMiller series ''AllStarBatmanAndRobin'', which is equally as bad but for entirely different reasons.

----

* CampObvious: After Robin and Batman have fought for a second time they talk about Poison Ivy and Batman, the world's greatest detective gives us:

** [[FridgeBrilliance Or perhaps he could take the ransom, and ]] ''[[FridgeBrilliance then]]'' [[FridgeBrilliance dismantle it and sell the parts? Or even the whole thing to someone else with world domination plans.]]

** The metallic armor Mr. Freeze sports also counts - There were only two of them, handmade by a Tinsmith with individual working pieces and weighing in at about ''[[BeyondTheImpossible one-hundred pounds each!]]'' There were likely pragmatic reasons for casting ArnoldSchwarzenegger... ''somebody'' [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower had to wear this thing.]]

* CosmopolitanCouncil: The super serum auction, the "Un-United Nations", has one of these, each displaying their own [[NationalStereotypes national stereotype]].

* DesignatedGirlFight: It's brought up in the AgonyBooth website's recap that Batgirl's presence may be (besides {{merchandis|eDriven}}ing) so ''somebody'' could actually fight Poison Ivy, all because of this trope. The male good guys were incapacitated in Ivy's lair.

*** The Smashing Pumpkins later did a slowed down version called "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" which was hugely popular after being used in the trailer for ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''

* HoYay: Undertones of it are pretty much undeniable between the title characters. Supposedly, George Clooney retroactively claims he played Batman as gay (although it seems more of a TakeThat against said undertones than anything with truth in it).
--> '''Dick Grayson''': You're just saying that so I can't kiss her, is that it?\\
'''Bruce Wayne''': Listen, Dick, it's a poisonous kiss.\\
'''Dick Grayson''': A poisonous kiss? You don't understand. She understands how I feel.\\
'''Bruce Wayne''': She has clouded your mind and you're not thinking straight.\\
'''Dick Grayson''': I ''am'' thinking straight. For the first time in a long time.

* LargeHam: ArnoldSchwarzenegger and UmaThurman. See EvilIsHammy above.

*** The Smashing Pumpkins later did a slowed down version called "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" which was hugely popular after being used in the trailer for ''{{Watchmen}}''

* DullSurprise: Alicia Silverstone's reaction to everything. George Clooney also doesn't show a lot of variety in emotion, mostly because he seems to realize what kind of movie he's in and [[BoredOnBoard acts accordingly]].

* CosmopolitanCouncil: The super serum auction has one of these, each displaying their own [[NationalStereotypes national stereotype]].

-->'''Mr. Freeze''': "What killed de dinosaurs? [[CriticalResearchFailure DE]] [[TheAhnold EYES]] [[LargeHam EHDGE!]]!"

* TheAntiNihilist: There's actually a surprisingly deep quote in this movie
-->''Alfred'': "Death and chance stole your parents. But rather than become a victim, you have done everything in your power to control the fates. For what is Batman if not an effort to master the chaos that sweeps our world, an attempt to control death itself."

* ShoutOut: In one scene, you can see gang members who wear the same outfits as the main characters from ClockworkOrange.

* ManEatingPlant: Poison Ivy seems to have one... though the movie can't make up its mind. She enters the scene sitting in it leisurely, yet when she is later kicked into the plant, she screams as it eats her. Though she [[IGotBetter later appears unharmed in prison]]...