Honestly, I thought this movie was OK. I do have my share of complaints, but I also feel like there are quite a few positives that don't really justify the film's infamous reputation.
THE GOOD
George Clooney is pretty damn good as Batman. He doesn't blow me away, but he has a wry, sardonic charm about him and has great familial chemistry with his allies.
Arnold Schwarzenegger kills it as Mr. Freeze. I know there's been a lot of criticisms thrown his way for not taking the role seriously, but it was just so much fun watching him ham it up as a cackling, pun-spewing, diabolical mastermind. Plus, he gets a few genuine moments of pathos that show us his more human side and prove there's more to the character than just quips and murder. He's a perfect blend of Silver-Age camp with the tragedy of the modern Freeze, and I actually kinda wanted Freeze to win.
Poison Ivy is also a damn good villain. Not only is she delightfully sinister and entertainingly over-the-top, but C'mon. It's Uma Thurman in skin-tight clothes. How could I say no?
Alfred's subplot is genuinely heartfelt and sobering, and Michael Gough really puts his all into giving his long-time role a proper swan song
The visuals are very appealing — not to Burton levels, obviously, but it's got a cool neon color scheme and a LOT of creative detail went into the costumes and sets.
The soundtrack was awesome! It really captures the essence of late-90s music, and is well worth a listen for anyone who wants to return to that time period.
The Bat Credit Card. Seriously, that was just brilliant.
THE BAD
Batgirl is a rather bland and pointless character, existing only to spout off morals while pointless changes are made to the character's backstory.
Bane is perhaps the worst part of this film, having been reduced to a lumbering, monosyllabic slab of meat who just acts as a mindless henchman for Poison Ivy. Thank God for Tom Hardy or we'd never have a good cinematic Bane!
THE MEH
Robin is... mixed. On the one hand, he does get a bit self-absorbed at times, but on the other, he has a lot of great action scenes and it's clear he and Bruce really are family at this point.
The plot is more than a little cliche and isn't very memorable.
The special effects are not bad by late '90s standards and hold up pretty well, but there are a few glaring errors here and there.
I think a huge reason why people hated this movie is because it's not the one they were expecting. The original Burton movie and the Animated Series — both of which I love — set a very high bar, and a bright, colorful, deliberately cheesy camp-fest clashed greatly with the tone set for Batman media by the point. In that regard, I can't really fault the people who were disappointed by this film, but as someone with a high tolerance for camp, I really can't bring myself to hate it. I'd rate it 6.5 out of 10.
A Mixed Bag with a Lot to Appreciate
Honestly, I thought this movie was OK. I do have my share of complaints, but I also feel like there are quite a few positives that don't really justify the film's infamous reputation. THE GOOD
- George Clooney is pretty damn good as Batman. He doesn't blow me away, but he has a wry, sardonic charm about him and has great familial chemistry with his allies.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger kills it as Mr. Freeze. I know there's been a lot of criticisms thrown his way for not taking the role seriously, but it was just so much fun watching him ham it up as a cackling, pun-spewing, diabolical mastermind. Plus, he gets a few genuine moments of pathos that show us his more human side and prove there's more to the character than just quips and murder. He's a perfect blend of Silver-Age camp with the tragedy of the modern Freeze, and I actually kinda wanted Freeze to win.
- Poison Ivy is also a damn good villain. Not only is she delightfully sinister and entertainingly over-the-top, but C'mon. It's Uma Thurman in skin-tight clothes. How could I say no?
- Alfred's subplot is genuinely heartfelt and sobering, and Michael Gough really puts his all into giving his long-time role a proper swan song
- The visuals are very appealing — not to Burton levels, obviously, but it's got a cool neon color scheme and a LOT of creative detail went into the costumes and sets.
- The soundtrack was awesome! It really captures the essence of late-90s music, and is well worth a listen for anyone who wants to return to that time period.
- The Bat Credit Card. Seriously, that was just brilliant.
THE BAD- Batgirl is a rather bland and pointless character, existing only to spout off morals while pointless changes are made to the character's backstory.
- Bane is perhaps the worst part of this film, having been reduced to a lumbering, monosyllabic slab of meat who just acts as a mindless henchman for Poison Ivy. Thank God for Tom Hardy or we'd never have a good cinematic Bane!
THE MEH- Robin is... mixed. On the one hand, he does get a bit self-absorbed at times, but on the other, he has a lot of great action scenes and it's clear he and Bruce really are family at this point.
- The plot is more than a little cliche and isn't very memorable.
- The special effects are not bad by late '90s standards and hold up pretty well, but there are a few glaring errors here and there.
I think a huge reason why people hated this movie is because it's not the one they were expecting. The original Burton movie and the Animated Series — both of which I love — set a very high bar, and a bright, colorful, deliberately cheesy camp-fest clashed greatly with the tone set for Batman media by the point. In that regard, I can't really fault the people who were disappointed by this film, but as someone with a high tolerance for camp, I really can't bring myself to hate it. I'd rate it 6.5 out of 10.