In Defense Of The Neon Knight: Where Joel Schumacher Succeeded

[TMC]

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/7/26/in-defense-of-the-neon-knight-where-schumachers-batman-succeeded

Nothing golden can stay; nothing lasts forever. Or in this case,
appreciation is fleeting these days.

I remember that until the internet became what it is now, people
seemed easier to please. Either that, or people’s opinions morphed
toward hatred. Critics will be critics, but the average moviegoer just
seemed less picky.


Ghostbusters II was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone I knew. Nobody used
to have a problem with any of the Back to the Future sequels, Return
of the Jedi was very much beloved (comparisons to Empire be-damned),
and the Batman movies (sans “that last one”) were all great. Oh, how
times change. Now when you hit the net, if there aren’t complaints or
hate thrown at Tim Burton’s Batman flicks, it seems not to be a Batman
film discussion at all. One constant, however, is the hate of Joel
Schumacher’s Batman films. Nolanites and Burtonites tend to agree with
that one. “Nipples, Neon and Nincompoopery!” is what they cry.

Going back to the previous train of thought, I want those of you who
can to remember back to 1995. Uh-huh. Everyone loved Batman Forever.
But the years haven’t been so kind to its legacy, and its sequel’s
reception didn’t help things. Back in a time when a film’s
entertainment value was what mattered most, Batman Forever rose to the
top of the box office food-chain to dominate its year of release. Not
to mention the merchandising, the McDonald’s tie-ins and the hit
soundtrack album. Now, it’s a pop-culture footnote, quashed by the
drabness of Christopher Nolan’s pseudo-thriller Batman films. While
those films are to be lauded for their decision to be serious with the
material, I remember when Batman wasn’t a tool for nerds to try to
prove how sophisticated and deep they were for understanding the
character. I remember a time when, much like the comic books that
spawned him, he was a character of mystery and adventure. My personal
preference is Tim Burton’s pair, but make no mistake: Joel
Schumacher’s couple have a bum rap. And I’m going to unearth their
hidden value.

Batman Forever: The Best One?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. There are neon lights all over
Gotham. Giant, improbable statues in every corner; and between Jim
Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones, there was no scenery left undigested. But
if you’re wise enough to look beyond dismissible trappings, you may
find the richest character study of Bruce Wayne yet put to film, in a
very hip movie. How’s that for subtext? While Tim Burton explored
Batman’s psyche through the villains and how they compare to him,
Schumacher goes for the hat-trick on his first outing: he questions
Wayne’s very identity and reason for being. And he does that by
calling back to Burton’s efforts (this is a sequel, after all).

Flashback: in the first film, Batman discovers the Joker
murdered his parents, and suddenly he gets bloodthirsty (Check it; he
doesn’t start killing until he makes this realization). He kills the
bum, and everything’s right, right? Maybe not. In Batman Returns, he’s
on a rampage, killing indiscriminately anyone who opposes him. When he
sees himself reflected in the murderous vigilante Selina Kyle, he
pulls back from the abyss, fighting with morality once more (instead
of instant murder, he now warns Max Schrek “You’re going to jail”).
Attempting to redeem Catwoman (and himself) from the darkness of their
craft, Bruce is spurned by her and is left unfulfilled. Did Burton
intend this character arc? Only he knows for sure. But what we do know
is that Schumacher and his scriptwriters saw these elements and ran
with them, because Batman’s conflict is at the heart of the film (even
moreso fleshed-out in Forever’s deleted scenes). The previous two
films’ arc for Bruce is made canon in his lecture about revenge to
Dick Grayson in the film’s second act:

BRUCE
“Then, it will happen this way: you make the kill. But your pain
doesn’t die with Harvey; it grows [Murdering the Joker in the first
film]. So you run out into the night to find another face. And
another, and another. Until one terrible morning, you wake up and
realize that revenge has become your whole life [His rampage in
Returns], and you won’t know why.”

Bruce speaks from experience to Dick because he’s been there, done
that. In the film’s conclusion, Batman is finally able to make peace
with himself over his murdering history by steering Dick Grayson off
the path he himself took. He takes the temptation away from Grayson by
killing Harvey himself; his hands already aren’t clean, and if he can
save Dick from running too close to the abyss, he’ll kill one last
time.


But that’s tying up the Burton arc. What does Schumacher bring new to
the table in Forever? The central element of the film (which
admittedly is lessened by portions being deleted) is Bruce’s inability
to function properly as either Bruce Wayne or Batman. He doesn’t know
who he really is, and his worries about Dick following in his
footsteps worsen his psyche, along with his guilt over Harvey’s
condition. The Riddler tests Bruce Wayne, while Two-Face tests Batman.
To quote Batman Begins, he’s “lost inside that monster of [his].”

Brilliantly and without being overbearing, the film enriches Batman’s
origin without becoming contrived. Bruce feels responsible for his
parents’ deaths. Unfortunately deleted from the film is a scene that
finds Bruce rediscovering his father’s journal, and reading the final
entry; Bruce’s movie choice was not the one accepted that fateful
night out. They all went out to see a movie of the parents’ desire,
absolving Bruce of his guilt; he is able to become one with his
destiny as Batman. Hence in the finale, Bruce explains to a defeated
Riddler that he “had to save [Chase Meridian and Robin] both. You see,
I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now,
because I choose to be.” This coming after the excellent cliffhanger
wherein he is forced to choose whom to save; Bruce’s girlfriend Chase,
or Batman’s partner Robin. A choice between either identity. Thus, he
is now Batman “Forever.” Clever!

“Okay,” you say, “they explored Bruce well. What else you got?”
Plenty.

Although on the surface, Carrey’s Riddler and Jones’ Two-Face are
overactive, if you really think about the severity of their actions
and notice the undertones of menace, they are rather top-notch. Which
is not to claim every moment of theirs is brilliant, but hey; Pobody’s
Nerfect. Of particular note is Carrey’s Nygma, pre-Riddler. He manages
to be a truly terrifying fanatic; obsessed with Bruce Wayne. Subtly,
in the later half of the film at the Nygmatech party, he is trying to
be an exact copy of Bruce out of jealousy. A brilliant touch that I
hadn’t noticed until much later. Let’s face it, if you encountered Jim
Carrey’s Riddler in reality, you’d be terrified. The guy is downright
psychotic. So too is Two-Face.

Two-Face’s first scene is truly menacing. He’s a man of absolute
unpredictability; his calm demeanor giving way to the frightening
mania underneath. With Tommy Lee Jones, Harvey Dent and Two-Face are
two souls in the same casket. His first lines in the film to his
captive are the stuff the character is made out of:

TWO-FACE
“So you’re counting on the winged avenger to deliver you from evil,
aren’t you my friend? Are you a gambling man? Well, what’s say we flip
for it? One man is born a hero, his brother a coward. Babies starve,
politicians grow fat, holy men are martyred and junkies grow legion.
Why? LUCK! Blind, stupid, simple, clueless luck! A random toss: the
only true justice. Let’s see what justice has in store for you!”

Even though he becomes rather loud and overbearing later on, there’s a
constant undercurrent of manic intensity. Again: in reality, this guy
would have you scared stiff. Both performances are as true to the
comic book as it gets. The Riddler’s mania has been a staple since
Frank Gorshin, and Two-Face’s obsession with dichotomy is spot-on.



So much else shines in the film. Val Kilmer is darkly mysterious and
suitably fractured in his psyche. Next to Michael Keaton, he’s the
best person for the Cape and Cowl. Nicole Kidman is great, aside from
some dated pop-phychobabble. Michael Gough is solid as Alfred, as
always. The film score is suitably dark when it needs to be. Elliot
Goldenthal is no Danny Elfman, but who is? Goldenthal crafts a theme
for Batman, that while not heroic or exciting, evokes a dark mood and
an undercurrent of tragedy.


Chris O’Donnell brings an excellent sorrow to Dick Grayson, being
another of the film’s highlights. The logic in making Robin start off
in his late teens was a stroke of brilliance; not only to appeal to
the prime target audience at the time, but also because it skirts the
questions of Batman’s child endangerment. The death of Grayson’s
family is another highlight. It’s beautifully portrayed. And in the
same way as the Joker murdering Bruce’s parents in the 1989 original,
Two-Face brutally murdering Dick’s family just because his coin tells
him to just makes the package more awful; to think that their lives
were worth no more to him than a random coin toss. Deplorable!

The gravity of the film’s challenge is also of note. The stakes are a
good challenge, and are befitting of the Riddler. His plan to become
the smartest man on the planet and ruin everyone’s minds in the
interest of absolute knowledge is considerably twisted. And his
discovery of Bruce’s identity and destruction of the Batcave is a
shocker; never before has Batman been so completely vulnerable.

The action is exciting; the initial fight between Batman and Two-
Face’s goons at the beginning of the film is the closest that Batman
film action has ever come to matching the recent smash-hit “Batman:
Arkham” video games, with their intense, calculated fighting style.
And the effects still hold up without a hitch. Even the much-lambasted
production design is like nothing seen anywhere else. And it’s
definitely a good thing. Owing to the Batman design staple, the city
is gothic and overwhelming; a place of overburdened souls.

Seal’s hit song “Kiss from a Rose” covers Chase Meridian’s salvation
of Bruce’s psyche, comparing her love to a “kiss from a rose on the
grave” of Bruce’s deadened soul.

I could go on and on about how great Batman Forever truly is, but I
have to leave great things for you to discover on your own. Let’s move
on to…



Batman & Robin: The Fun One

Remember that I said “Pobody’s Nerfect.” But perfection isn’t
necessary. Thankfully, recent years have been kinder to this film.
Since the franchise got back-on-track, most people look back at Batman
& Robin and laugh. And why shouldn’t we? Most of it was intended to be
funny. That’s right. You didn’t think Arnold’s ice puns were meant to
be serious, did you?


Let’s be honest: there’s an inherent absurdity to Batman. I firmly
believe that the more overtly serious or realistic you try to make
Batman, the more you expose its silliness. Think about it. He’s a guy
in a bat costume fighting crime and ridiculously themed villains, and
this Bat-Man somehow scares criminals (no real crook would ever fear a
guy in a bat costume, I’m sorry) and doesn’t get caught. And he
seemingly can do anything. When we embrace that Batman may not be the
most believeable concept, we thus can expand our mind not to shun a
bold or fantastical idea. That’s what comic books are all about,
folks.

The emotional core of Batman & Robin is the importance of family.
How’s that for a curve-ball, eh? Mr. Freeze is trying to save his
wife. Bruce is trying to save his surrogate father Alfred, while Dick
is trying to find the acceptance of his surrogate father, Bruce.
Barbara is trying to save her Uncle Alfred’s dignity, and Poison Ivy’s
loyalty is to no human but instead her “babies;” her plants.

Not every aspect of the film is defendable, but there’s nothing that’s
really that infuriating aside from the random butt-shots when the
heroes suit-up (more comedy, I suppose). The plot with Alfred dying,
and his scenes with Bruce in particular are some of the best scenes of
any Batman film. Again, people who only notice that the film has
“Nipples, Neon and Nincompoopery” were too busy hating to slow down
and notice the film had more going on than its madcap antics.

George Clooney is greatly underrated for what he brings to this film.
As Batman, he can be a bit blasé, but Bruce Wayne is where he really
shines. And even as Batman, his protective relationship over the
headstrong Robin is excellently fleshed-out. He’s no-nonsense with his
sidekick, but not to denigrate him; he worries for him; but as Alfred
says to him: “You must learn to trust him, for that is the nature of
family.”

The film is fascinating in the fact that it actually evolves Batman
further. As a result of his newfound inner-peace in Forever, Bruce is
no longer morose. As in the Batman comics of the 1970s and early
1980s, Bruce continues his fight because it is his duty, but he has
made peace with the loss of his parents and is able to function
correctly as a human being. This is an excellent maturing of the
character, and evolution of this sort should always be welcomed.

The film even bravely points out the inherent futility of Batman’s
agenda. During a moment in which Bruce feels uneasy due to his
bickering with Robin, he converses with Alfred:

BRUCE
“Alfred, am I pig-headed? Is it always ‘my way or the highway?’”

AFLRED
“Yes, actually. Death and chance stole your parents. But rather than
become a victim, you have done everything in your power to control the
fates. For what is Batman if not an effort to master the chaos that
sweeps our world? An attempt to control death itself.”

Bruce looks away to the window and recalls putting flowers
at his parents’ gravestone.

BRUCE
“But I can’t, can I?”

ALFRED
“None of us can.”

That, my friends, is some heavy stuff. It’s not many comic book films
that are bold enough to explore the character’s weaknesses, much less
have the hero himself come to realize them. Recalling this chat, later
on in the film as Alfred lay dying, Bruce visits him for what will be
the last time, before he steps out to handle his dual
responsibilities. At this point in the film, Alfred will surely be
dead by the time he returns.

BRUCE
“I spent my entire life trying to beat back death. Everything I’ve
done, everything I’m capable of doing… but I can’t save you.”

ALFRED
“There is no defeat in death, Master Bruce. Victory comes in defending
what we know is right while we still live.”

BRUCE
“I love you, old man."

Holding back tears, Bruce moves closer and gives Alfred a kiss
goodbye. It’s a truly crushing scene, performed brilliantly by both
Clooney and Michael Gough. This film best explores the relationship
with Bruce and Alfred, even farther than many of the comic’s
storylines have done.



And when you keep this in mind, the film from then on has an
additional layer: Bruce has to go out and fight to save the city from
becoming an icy graveyard while his second father lies at home, dying.
And Bruce can’t be at his side. Heavy stuff indeed.

“All right, already!” You cry. “Family! This film’s deeper than I
thought. Anything else?”

Poison Ivy is spot-on, right down to her costume. Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze is a delight. In his serious moments, he
is actually rather good; but when he’s supposed to be funny, oh man,
Arnold goes whole instead of going home. Ice puns are nothing new to
the character. Even the beloved Animated Series episode “Heart of Ice”
features cold puns. While the film may overdo them, the fact remains
that they are a staple of the character. His make-up and costume,
also, are to be revered. Arnold looks spectacular! Also, Dick’s
quandaries with Bruce are lifted right out of the comic books.



While Alicia Silverstone’s useless Batgirl is undefendable, Bane is
craptacular! Don’t get me wrong; he’s poorly translated from the books
(almost the polar opposite), but at least his moronic behavior is
comedy gold. And he resembles the character, to-boot. Take that, Tom
Hardy!


There’s so much more to cover, but as I said, I have to leave you some
things to discover. Concluding, it’s like this: should the films have
been more overtly serious without any comedic overtones? Absolutely.
But are they devoid of any merit, artistic or adaptation-wise? Not at
all. Whereas the 1960s Batman television series was campy and without
any depth, Schumacher’s films are not that. They contain humor, but
they themselves are not comedies.

People these days seem unable to distinguish humor from camp.
Particularly in the wake of Christopher Nolan’s overbearingly drab
Batman series, people have forgotten that the comic book character
(even today) still deals with larger-than-life situations and fights
against an array of colorful, unreal enemies. Ever since the Joker
burst onto the scene in 1940, Batman has been a romanticized,
adventurous crusader in outrageous situations. Outrageous, larger-than-
life things are not inherently “silly,” like many Batman fans now
perceive. And even if they were, would they be any sillier than the
premise of Batman to begin with?

Do yourself a favor. Sit down with Schumacher’s two movies and a
bucket of popcorn. Leave your cynicism checked at the door, and
really, truly watch them. Pay attention to the performances, the
nuance, and the plot. A Batman film doesn’t have to be watered-down to
be great, nor does it have to have lengthy exposition to actually be
deep. If you can ignore your desire to obsess on the Nipples and the
Neon, you’ll find two adventures worthy of the Batman title. They may
not be perfect, but in a perfect world, Bruce Wayne would have been a
happy, well-adjusted guy.

And where would the fun be in that?

[Priyanka Kapur]

Keshav Prasad- Indian idol 4th sings "yeh jo desh hai tera"
on 66th Independence day gives a tribute to the Soldiers of India.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkwI0zjeLY8&feature=plcp


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