No, I haven’t seen The Dark Knight yet. But this’ll do, yes? Sort of.
Unlike the first two 1990s Batman films, which were a bit dark and "grown-up", Batman Forever doesn’t pretend to be much more than a film based on the 60s series. It’s a comedy. The baddies, The Riddler and Two-Face, are maniacal in the same way the baddies in 60s Batman were. It’s all bright colours and puns and silliness.
The plot doesn’t make much sense. There are holes all over it. The Riddler only really has one riddle, which Batman, if Batman was anything like Batman should be, would have figured out instantly. OMG! He says, The Riddler is Edward Nigma! But surely, 45 minutes eariler in the film, you knew that, Mr Batman?
And the big comedy bomb. And all the vintage cars. And why does Gotham City have its own Statue of Liberty?
But I enjoyed the references. I liked how, when Clearly Gay Robin (With Earring) was asking what his name should be: "Bat-Boy? Nightwing?". And when Nigma was coming up with his name: "The Puzzler? No!". Unfortunately, the comedy "holy" reference seemed too obviously wedged in. Batman and Robin swim to an island, and as they clamber up the shore, Robin remarks "Holy rusty metal, Batman!". His explaination "er, the metal, is rusty with holes in" makes it cringeworthy.
Overall, however, it’s a funny and watchable homage to the TV series, with just a few silly flaws.
Oh, and why was Odo from Deep Space Nine prominently featured in the opening credits, when he only has one line and appears for less than three seconds at the end of the film?
Verdict: 3/5
