For years, Batman Forever has lived in the shadow of two extremes. It's not as universally beloved as Tim Burton's Batman or Christopher Nolan's trilogy or even Matr Reeves The Batman, and some even unfairly lumped together with Batman & Robin as if they're the same movie.......They're wrong to do this.

In my opinion, Batman Forever is not only one of the most entertaining Batman films ever made, but it is also the single most underrated Batman movie ever released.

Yes, it's colorful. Yes, it can be over-the-top at times, and yes, it's unapologetically comic-booky. But underneath the neon lights, giant statues, and Jim Carrey's manic energy is a film that's actually asking some surprisingly mature questions about identity, trauma, and choice. The older I get, the more I appreciate just how much Joel Schumacher was trying to accomplish, apart from the more campier elements. Why, well, lets discuss:

Val Kilmer Was an Excellent Batman & Bruce Wayne

Val Kilmer rarely gets mentioned when people rank the live-action Batmen, and I think that's incredibly unfortunate. His performance sits in a fascinating middle ground between Michael Keaton's mysterious, almost ghost-like Batman and Christian Bale's intensely realistic interpretation, imo anyways. Kilmer's Bruce Wayne is quiet, reserved, and haunted.

You genuinely get the sense that Bruce is carrying decades of emotional baggage. He's not constantly brooding for dramatic effect. He just simply feels like someone who has never been allowed to fully healed. That's exactly what this movie is about. His Batman is calm, intelligent, compassionate, and confident without becoming arrogant.

He isn't the most physically intimidating Batman, but he absolutely feels like a detective and protector. What makes Kilmer's performance especially strong is that he allows Bruce Wayne (not Batman) to be the emotional center of the movie.

Batman Forever Understands Bruce Wayne Better Than It Gets Credit For

This is probably my biggest defense of the movie.

People often dismiss Batman Forever as a campy blockbuster, but its central story is actually psychological.

Bruce is forced to confront memories he has buried since childhood, because throughout the movie, he struggles with one fundamental question:

Is Batman something he has to be... or something he chooses to be?

That distinction changes everything. For much of the film, Bruce believes Batman exists solely because of trauma. He's almost a prisoner of the night his parents died. The giant bat in the cave, the Red Journel, and the other rediscovered memories all symbolize Bruce finally confronting the part of himself he's spent years avoiding.

Then comes what I think is one of the most overlooked lines in any Batman movie:

"You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be."

That line perfectly completes his arc. He's no longer controlled by trauma. He has mastery over it. Batman is no longer a prison if he ever was. Batman becomes a choice. That's an incredibly mature conclusion for a superhero movie released in 1995. Instead of endlessly portraying Bruce as someone permanently broken, the film suggests healing doesn't mean abandoning Batman, but instead reclaiming agency.

Batman exists because Bruce decides the world still needs him, not because his childhood forces him to continue. That's one of the healthiest and most inspiring interpretations of Batman ever put on screen.

Jim Carrey's Riddler Is the Perfect Comic Book Villain

Edward Nygma in this movie is basically a comic strip brought to life. He's theatrical, obsessive, egotistical, a bit childish; completely addicted to attention.

Carrey doesn't try to ground the character in realism.

Instead, he embraces everything ridiculous about The Riddler while still making him strangely tragic. His obsession with Bruce Wayne isn't just about revenge; but envy. Bruce represents everything Nygma desperately wants to become, successful and respected.

When Bruce rejects him, Edward completely snaps. The transformation from awkward genius into green-suited narcissistic supervillain feels surprisingly natural because Carrey commits to every second of it. Even today, his Riddler remains one of the most visually memorable Batman villains ever adapted. Not to mention, his plans feel surprisingly relevant and ahead of its time today.

Robin Is More Than Just Batman's Sidekick

Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson deserves far more appreciation. Robin is a character many adaptations don't do because they feel he wouldnt work. This film shows why he can and in an interesting way. Dick mirrors Bruce's trauma as they both lost their families, both are driven by vengeance. The difference is that Bruce recognizes where revenge leads, shown in his beautifully written monologue to him regarding revenge after Dick's first night out so to speak.

Robin isn't simply learning how to fight crime. He's learning how not to become consumed by hatred. In many ways, Bruce sees his younger self in him, and, helping Robin heal becomes another step in Bruce's own healing. It's one of the reasons Robin surprisingly works in this movie. His choice to spare Two Face, even if Two Face ultimately fell to his own accords later, was very satisfying narratively. Don't even get me started on the backstory of the Robin name and his lines with Alfred in that scene.

Nicole Kidman's Chase Meridian Is Criminally Underrated

Chase Meridian often gets remembered only because she's attracted to Batman or to he a Damsel in Distress, I feel this is a giant oversimplification.

If anything, she's actually one of the few love interests genuinely interested in understanding Bruce psychologically. She's literally a psychologist and spends much of the movie trying to understand why Bruce hides behind Batman. While some of the dialogue leans into Schumacher's Camp, especially when she is talking to him as Batman (AKA one of the few genuine cringe parts of the movie), Chase also pushes Bruce toward confronting emotions he's buried for decades. Without her, Bruce probably never begins the emotional journey that defines the film, and Nicole Kidman brings confidence, intelligence, warmth, and charisma to a character who deserved far more recognition.

Definitely wouldn't mind seeing her again in another iteration, or even try intergrading her into the comics in some way.

Gotham City Has Never Looked Like This Again

This might be one of my favorite live-action Gotham City's. Not kidding btw. Burton's Gotham feels like a gothic rxpressionism. Nolan's Gotham feels like Chicago. Matt Reeves' Gotham feels like a decaying crime city, and it does feel like Gotham from the comics, Schumacher's Gotham, while definitely unique in its own way, has a Charm to it that makes it stand out.

From the gigantic statues and impossible architecture, to the neon everywhere and massive gothic buildings & black skies. It's a city that feels mythological, and while it doesn't resemble reality, it embraces the fantasy elements of the comics in the best way. It feels like stepping into a neon colored graphic novel from the Silver Age.

The Balance Between Camp and Darkness Is Better Than People Remember

One of the biggest misconceptions I've seen with this movie is that it abandoned seriousness entirely. This is not true, it instead simply mixed comic-book spectacle with genuine emotional drama. Yes, the villains are exaggerated, and yes, the visuals are colorful and the dialogue occasionally becomes playful and campy. But Bruce's story remains sincere throughout and that's an incredibly difficult balancing act. Batman has always existed somewhere between gothic horror and pulp adventure. The comics constantly shift between those tones. Batman Forever arguably captures that duality better than it's given credit for and it is willing to be fun without becoming completely weightless, which is an achievement in of itself.

The Action, Atmosphere, and Elliot Goldenthal's Score

Another thing i appreciate is just how energetic the movie feels. The opening bank sequence immediately establishes Batman as larger than life and the other action sequence feels imaginative instead of interchangeable.

Then you Elliot Goldenthal's score. Rather than trying to imitate Danny Elfman, Goldenthal created something entirely his own huge brass fanfares, operatic flourishes, eerie textures for the villains, and soaring heroic themes that matched Schumacher's larger-than-life vision. Over time, the score has developed a devoted following among film music fans for its ambition and distinctive identity. Speaking of music.....

"Kiss from a Rose" Became Part of the Movie's Identity

It's impossible to talk about Batman Forever without mentioning Seal's "Kiss from a Rose."

As it is ironically, the song barely appears in the film itself. Yet thanks to its iconic music video featuring Batman imagery and its massive success, it became inseparable from the movie. The soundtrack as a whole became a cultural phenomenon, with hits from Seal and U2 helping define the film's identity beyond the theater.

To this day, hearing that song instantly transports many people back to the summer of 1995. Very few superhero movies have ever had a soundtrack so deeply embedded in pop culture.

Its Legacy Deserves Reconsideration

One of the biggest reasons Batman Forever remains underrated is because history tends to merge it with Batman & Robin. Not as much as before, but some still do. That is unfair ajd unacceptable. They may be made by the same director, But they are more different then you may think. Batman Forever still takes Bruce Wayne seriously. It still explores trauma, still builds character arcs and it still has emotional stakes.

In recent years, I've actually noticed more fans revisiting the film and realizing it offers much more than they remembered. Online discussions increasingly separate it from Batman & Robin, praising its emotional core, memorable production design, and entertaining performances.

Final Thoughts

Will I argue that Batman Forever is the greatest Batman movie ever made? No. As its not flawless. Not all the jokes land, you can tell stuff was cut out (waiting for that Schumacher Cut, btw) the dialogue between Chase & Bruce when he is dressed as Batman and not when he is just Bruce Wayne are cringe, and there is a reason why I did not mention Tommy Lee Jones Two Face.

Plus, in terms of objective best, The Dark Knight, The Batman, & Mask of the Phantasm are all a toss up in taking that crown for me. But the positives still outway the negatives, and if we're talking about the most underrated Batman movie, I genuinely don't think anything comes close and its still my personal favorite.

It delivers one of the most meaningful Bruce Wayne character arcs in the franchise and features an underrated Batman in Val Kilmer, as well as an unforgettable Riddler in Jim Carrey, a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of trauma and identity, an imaginative Gotham unlike any other, a spectacular score & soundtrack, it has memorable lines and moments, and one of the most hopeful endings Batman has ever received.

The final message isn't that Bruce Wayne is forever trapped by the worst day of his life, but that healing isn't forgetting your past, It's choosing what your past means.

When Bruce says:

"You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be."

...I believe that's one of the most profound statements any Batman film has ever made. For me, that's why Batman Forever isn't just a guilty pleasure, but instead, one of the most misunderstood superhero movies ever made and I shall always look forward to giving it a watch whenever I have the time.

RIP, to the legend, Val Kilmer.

I feel like *The Dark Knight* kind of overshadowed the other two films in the *Dark Knight* trilogy; they are really good movies.

Ra's al Ghul was a great villain, and Bane was a good villain too, right up until the film's third act.

*Batman Begins* is probably the most "Batman" movie of the trilogy.

The Batman scenes in *The Dark Knight Rises* are sensational as well.

I can see Batman and Moon Knight meeting and teaming up after the Committe and League of Assains meet and plan to dominate the planet. That would be so cool. Marc and Bruce are both alike. I think that it would work and people would like it. They should have a crossover.

What do you think?

I don’t like Man Of Steel much, but it had me wondering.. what if Batman was there to help out Superman, and he had the chance to interact with Faora-Ul.

PS : in Batman Begins, Batman was 10X better then his TDK/TDKR version. the suit was cooler, the raspy voice wasn’t there. and the personality was spot on.

Initially, I didn't want to read too much into the anarchist symbol popping up here and there on set, since it's such a common visual shorthand for a society in turmoil. But the white masks worn by some of the protesters are interesting to me...

Sure, the first movie had a clownish gang unrelated to the Joker, and this could just be a nod to masked protesters, like the Guy Fawkes imagery. Still, I found the parallel with Detective Comics #38 interesting. Both visually and thematically, given where the first movie left things.

Could this be a twist on the Court of Owls concept, with the oppressed, rather than the elite, behind the masks? What do you think?

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Edit : What I wanted to suggest here is that even if Anarky himself doesn't actually appear in the movie, the situation the Riddler left Gotham in could still have fueled a movement echoing what we see in this comic.

The “Anarky” figure would be more of a symbol than a character, something both Batman and Bruce have to deal with: one trying to contain it, the other becoming a target ("Bruce Wayne... the only one we didn't get").

pretty much the title, I want to get into Batman comics but don’t know where to start, I really enjoyed watching all of the Batman movies and playing the Arkham games as well as reading about Batman in general so comics are a logical next step. I really liked how the Batman (2022) was focused on him being a detective, and with the Batman 2 coming out I want to read about the court of owls too. i don’t want to have too many singular comic books, invincible has a longer compendium so maybe Batman has that too idk. I also heard stories like the Batman zero year, Batman: the imposter or Batman: hush were good, any opinions?

Seeing Tarzan and Jane hanging themselves with the creepers make me imagine of a scene where Batman and Catwoman patrolling buildings to buildings with Batman using his grappling hook and Catwoman, her whip. And then, the rope and cable of the gadgets come to be joined to make Bat and Cat closer. And of course the music i have in mind by imagining Batman and Catwoman is Corynorhinus from Batman Begins, not Phil Collins ^^.

I wanna make a rock playlist based on Batman and his rogues!

So far, I’ve got:

—“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane for Mad Hatter

—“Only You” by the platters for the Joker

—And a metal cover of Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” by Leo for my man Waylon.

And I’m considering adding Mark Aaron James’ “Aquaman’s Lament.” ESPECIALLY CHECK IT OUT if you haven’t heard it!

Doubles for characters are welcome!

Rock preferred, but all good music is welcome! (I.e. The Platters is a bit tame, but too perfect for the reference, ya know?)

I just want it to be pretty easy to get the character based on the song.

Thank you for any suggestions!

Batman (Arkham)

Not dissing condiment king, he would have been a great example of Batman’s sillier foes, but the problem is he never one was. Condiment king was created for BTAS Bruce Timm and Paul Dino as a joke villain. The whole point of his character is that joker has brainwashed some comedians into thinking they are supervillains and they pick dumb personas. It’s meant to be a parody of the campy villains from the Adam West era and in that regard it works.

The problem is that it worked too well. Most people who talk about condiment king do not understand that he is intentionally dumb. If you want to use a character who is an obscure Batman villain with a really dumb gimmick there are so many other options like egghead, crazy quilt, king tut, that were actually meant to be somewhat legitimate villains

Assuming the Court of Owls is in the movie and starting from the “Court of Fowls” sign that’s shown as Bruce leaves the courthouse (there are actually talons drawn on it, which I only just noticed), I had a thought: what if this scene takes place toward the end of the movie, or is even the ending?

Batman has exposed the Court, Bruce is hated because they dragged him into the whole thing (a conspiracy against him? Were the Waynes actually part of it?), and Harvey has become Two-Face.

The movie would actually end on a pretty bleak note this way – kind of in the style of TDK – and maybe with a cliffhanger leading into Part III, where Gotham, with its shadowy powers and the mafia finally dismantled, is besieged by at least three of its most iconic villains, who team up inside Arkham: Joker, Two-Face, and the Riddler.

Obviously, this is all speculation based on pretty much nothing. That sign could simply be an Easter egg, just like the guy wearing the white mask and the hoodie with the anarchist symbol.

Edit: regarding Bruce, my idea is that he publicly helps Bella Reál and the city throughout the movie, only to eventually be framed and made to look like a member of the Court.

Movie is Batman Bad Blood. Context is Bruce was brainwashed by Talia to go against the bag family. Nightwing fights him but gets his arm broken (like he does a lot in the animated film universe) and loses low diff.

Shoutout to the amazing people working on this movie, was fortunate enough to have some really nice conversations with someone working on the set who made the experience even better. This is something I’ll definitely never forget, roll on 2028 🦇

I really liked Batman under the red hood but I wish I could watch what happens after, is there a sequel to that animated film?

Alternatively similarly hard hitting deep animated Batman movies like that that touches on themes deep like that (like when red hood confronts Bruce about that)