Batman Forever attempted to course correct the Caped Crusader's big screen adventures after its predecessor, Tim Burton's Batman Returns, was deemed too dark.
Swapping Burton for Joel Schumacher in the director's chair, the film certainly has a different feel than Returns. It trades the dark and moody Gotham for a more campy, neon soaked one.
That change may have led to greater receipts at the box office, but it hardly equated to a quality film. Batman Forever isn't without its charms, but it is also a tonal wreck, whiplashing between introspective musings of what it means to be Batman and the Two-Face/Riddler comedy hour.
It's no wonder than that its star, Val Kilmer—who stepped in for Keaton—wanted no part of a sequel. Judging by our Batman & Robin pod, he made the right choice.
Now, sit back, find the courage to fight crime with a Shiner Black Lager from Spoetzl, and don't over kung-fu your laundry! The Thunderous Wizard, Chumpzilla, and Bling Blake are joygasming all over Gotham!
This Week’s Segments:
- Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Courage now, truth always, Batman forever!
- Lingering Questions – Were the critics and fans too hard on this one? (31:59)
- The "I'm Going Rock Climbing this Weekend" Trivia Challenge – Chumpzilla challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (1:05:57)
- Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We celebrate the summer movie season by kicking off our series dedicated to big time blockbuster flops. First up, the board game boondoggle that sunk with critics and audiences, Battleship! (1:16:38)
And, as always, hit us up on Threads, X, Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids from this week’s episode!
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