Rampage Movie Review: Batman Forever (1995)

Batman is a well-known and beloved icon to not only DC Comics, but to the superhero franchise. With countless adaptations whether in comic books, television shows, or the big screen, he will continue to exist and expand. Many say that Batman Forever was the turning point of the Batman franchise going downhill, while others say it’s a good and underrated movie. 

Let’s start with the characters. This film does an adequate job of recapturing Batman’s persona, played by Val Kilmer. He still is serious and has a good heart, but there are some moments in the film where he acts out of character. Such as tricking his love interest, Dr. Chase Meridian, who is played by Nicole Kidman and falls for Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne. 

Then there’s Robin, who is played by Chris O’Donnell. He is portrayed as a confident yet smug child that has a strong sense of justice. Alfred, played by Michael Gough despite having a minimal amount of screen time, is still a good supporting character that helps Batman and Robin. 

The main villains are Riddler played by Jim Carrey and Two Face played by Tommy Lee Jones. Two Face is a passable villain but does not have any clear goals, except for being evil. Carrey’s Riddler manages to lift this movie’s heavy number of flaws. His motivations carry him forward to transform into the villain he becomes. 

Secondly, the choreography from the fight scenes were decent and fast paced. My favorites were the bank brawl, the alleyway fight, and the final fight with the Riddler and Two Face going against Batman. Batman’s performance was adequate to say the least. The supporting cast members also delivered a decent performance. Jim Carrey’s performance was the greatest out of all of them.

Now that we got the positives out of the way, let’s discuss the negatives. 

Some of the elements in the movie were hit-or-miss, such as the humor, writing, dialogue, and the special effects. 

The biggest flaws of the movie, in my opinion, were the inconsistencies and the lack of physics.

 For example, Two Face’s helicopter can lift a giant steel bank vault. This is followed by Batman using his grappling hook to pierce right through the concrete, lifting the safe while the hook is still lodged inside the concrete, ignoring its previous density. 

Finally, Dick Grayson, which is Robin’s other self, takes the Batmobile out for a joyride. As he arrives at a nearby neighborhood, he takes the top off, exposing that he’s the driver. People could easily figure out that Bruce Wayne is Batman because he adopted Dick Grayson. 

Overall, despite its flaws, it’s a decent movie and I personally like it. So, I give it three and a half-stars.