Batman and Robin is the fourth installment in the popular movie adventures of the Caped Crusader, and though not my favorite in the series, it is still a film I enjoy watching from time to time. Today my son wanted to see it, so we did together. The tone of Batman & Robin is something of a departure from the Dark Night theme of the first three movies. This time around we get a Batman a little more akin to the campy 60s TV series, with more humor and sight tricks like a slanted screen when the villains are on (a crooked picture for crooked characters.)

The vivid colors and bright lighting used in this film truly bring the comic book experience to life. That's what Batman & Robin is intended to be above all, good comic book entertainment, and when taken as just that it's great fun. As in all the Batman films, there are those nasty villains played by talented stars. Top villain status here goes to Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. He's the perfect choice for this villain, I absolutely love the scene where he freezes Robin and tells Batman "I'll kill you next time" in a deadpan voice. We get to have fun with the character, with scenes like Freeze trying to teach his henchmen to sing the Cold Miser song from "Year Without a Santa Claus".

Freeze is not a villain beyond redemption; he is in fact a former legitimate scientist pushed over the edge by his wife's incurable medical condition. He has placed her in suspended animation, and his criminal capers are means to fund his efforts to find a cure for her. He is joined by Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. She does a great job of bringing the character to life as a truly evil villain bent on replacing mammals with plants as tops on the food chain. Ivy has the power to control males with pheremone dust, and this sets up a rivalry sub-plot between Batman and Robin that really doesn't help the film.

We get a bonus villain this time around named Bane. Bane is a wimpy little psychopath pumped up with toxins and a "super soldier serum" until he's a hulking monster. He has some of the most unforgettable lines in the history of cinema (BOMB!.....BOMB!). Bane is a recent addition to the Batman litany of villains, and he's defeated far too easily in the film. In the Batman comic book series where he first appeared, he actually defeated Batman and broke his back. A lot more could have been done with this character in my opinion.

George Clooney is Ok as Wayne and Batman, but the constant change of actors in the lead role is wearing thin. I am still of the opinion that an unknown should have been chosen, as was done with Superman in the seventies. Chris O'Donnel returns for another good performance as Robin. We get a new hero in Batgirl, whom we don't see until the latter portion of the film. Alicia Silverstone provides an adequate performance as batgirl and her alto ego Barbara Pennyworth, Alfred's Niece (though in the comic books and 60s show she's Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon).

The special effects in this film are top notch. From Freeze's freeze ray to the stunning shots of Gotham City, they are convincing and seamless. The action will grab your attention, though the film does drag a little at times. The picture on DVD is crisp and clear, the sound impressive. All in all this film is good fun for a long time Batman fan and comic book buff like me. This is good family entertainment.



Recommended: Yes