Since “Batman and Robin” has more sex appeal than an episode of “Baywatch,” it seems immaterial that the movie had little other merit.
With every sequel, the good guys get nicer (and more numerable), the bad guys get meaner, the explosions get bigger, and everyone becomes more attractive. And more people flock to see it.
Admittedly, though, I enjoyed it. Along with the “improvements” that come with each new addition to the series, every “Batman” gets that much closer to the original DC Comics cartoon, and it has finally gotten to the point where I just have to laugh.
The first villain in “Batman and Robin,” Mr. Freeze (played the even buffer than usual Schwarzenegger) is as completely outrageous as the rest of the film. He barely survived an accident trying to save his wife, and is stuck wearing a temperature controlled suit that keeps him as cold as necessary. His ultimate goal is to freeze the planet so everyone else suffers, but he doesn’t have to wear his suit.
The other primary villain, Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), is turned into a half-human, half-plant guy magnet in her laboratory, where she looked for a way to save endangered plant species. While she has a face to launch a thousand ships, she uses it to pit Batman and Robin against each other. Her ultimate goal is to give flora a way to fight back against the evil that is civilization.
The good guys are just the same as they always are, with a few not-very-notable twists. George Clooney is the third Batman in as many movies, and probably the most entertaining on the cartoon level of the film. He had less of a part than past Batmans have dealt with, so he didn’t get much of a chance to shine.
The newest (and in my opinion, best) addition to the crime fighting team is the semi-rebellious but good-hearted (aren’t all Bat-creatures that way) Batgirl, played by Alicia Silverstone. She’s really just a side note to the rest of the film, but a positive one.
The three saviors of Gotham City plunge even closer to death than usual as they attempt to thwart Freeze and Ivy’s plans, but the terror is at about the level of “Independence Day.” It’s fun, as always, to watch the Batpeople beat off the bad guys, but is it as frightening as, say, “Scream?” Not even close.
To put a halt to all this nonsense, maybe Batman 5 should be reminiscent of “Dangerous Minds;” MIchelle Pfiefer could return as Catwoman and work together with the Bat-contingent on crime prevention, so creatures like Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy would never become an issue, and the Bat team will never be the size of a football team.
Grade: C+