Batman & Robin: One Great Bad Movie

Let me just state for the record that I am by no means a movie snob. I've never seen Citizen Kane or Breakfast at Tiffany's, I don't use the word “cinema,” and I still maintain that Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is the lost classic of 1991. But Batman & Robin goes above and beyond ridiculous. I would actually classify this movie as so bad that it was good.

You know how the plot goes: the fate of Gotham City rests on the shoulders of Batman, who must foil the bad guys, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, who, of course, in the grand tradition of comic book supervillians, are genetically-mutated fans of world domination. But unlike most of the Batman sequels, Batman has the help of Robin, who would be the most pointless sidekick ever, if not for Batgirl, closet Hell's Angel and estranged niece of Batman's butler. Yes, closet Hell's Angel; I swear I did not just make that up.

"What killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age!" -Mr. Freeze

The special effects were incredibly overblown, the costumes were amazingly out-there, and the script was unbelievably cheesy. Not one of the 125 minutes of film was actually believable, but what do you expect from a movie that's based on a comic book and the campiest TV show ever—remember how Batman would punch somebody and you'd see a giant “POW!” bubble? Batman & Robin was unintentionally hilarious and, as a result, extremely entertaining.

My favorite part was the scene in which Bruce Wayne (Batman's alter ego) hosts a charity benefit at the Gotham City Botanical Gardens. Out of nowhere, Poison Ivy, who looks like Jessica Rabbit on crack, starts stripteasing her way out of a gorilla costume. How did the giant furry gorilla get past security? Then, as she is charming Batman and Robin with her feminine wiles, Mr. Freeze busts in with a crystallized army tank and says, “Alright, everyone… chill!” It was awesome.

Another awesome aspect of Batman & Robin was the scenery. The spectacular Gotham City was actually comprised of Los Angeles, Ottawa, Vienna, and parts of the North Country, which is ironic enough, considering the region's reputation for being North America's answer to Antarctica. Locals can try picking out which scenes were filmed throughout Montreal and Barre, Vermont. Speaking of locals, I have to wonder if this movie is banned in California, because I don't understand how anyone could have elected Arnold Schwarzenegger governor after seeing him painted sky blue and trash-talking Batman with corny catchphrases like, “Time to break the ice!”

All in all, despite the cheese factor, Batman & Robin was fun. If you're the kind of person who calls movies “films,” it's not for you. However, it's a great two hours of mindless entertainment.

Do you know the exact filming locations of this movie? Tell us!

Directed by: Joel Schumacher

Starring:
George Clooney as Batman
Chris O'Donnell as Robin
Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze
Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy

Written by: Akiva Goldman and Bob Kane (Batman characters)

Produced by:
Associate producer: Mitchell Dauterive
Co-producer: William M. Elvin
Producer: Peter MacGregor-Scott
Executive Producers: Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan

Year: 1997

Length: 125 minutes

Rating: PG-13