Batman Forever
Joel Schumacher ’s original idea for the much - malignedBatman Foreverwould have made the film not just darker but much better . After the success of Tim Burton’sBatmanin 1989 , its 1992 sequelBatman Returnswas jolly less successful . This prompted Warner Bros. to select Joel Schumacher to helm their next Batman motion-picture show , eventually leading to the exit of Michael Keaton from the nominal persona . He was replaced with Val Kilmer , andBatman Foreverwas made .
Alongside Kilmer ’s version of the Cuban sandwich , Batman Foreverintroduced other well - known Batman characters Robin ( Chris O’Donnell),The Riddler ( Jim Carrey ) , and Two - Face ( Tommy Lee Jones ) . It also deviated from the dour feeling define by Burton ’s two Batman movies , adopt a more cartoonish coming to the source material . This is ultimately what led to the picture show ’s mixed response with critics , and also ensured thatBatman Foreverwould be remembered as one of the worst live - action Batman picture ever made ( second to 1997’sBatman & Robin ) .
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However , theater director Joel Schumacher ’s original vision for the moving picture was a darker and more considered approach to its characters . Schumacher ’s purpose was to show Kilmer ’s Batman struggling with guilt over his parent ’s death and going into crisis regarding the impact of Batman on Gotham . Many such scene were shot , but never made it into the finished film - if they had , Batman Foreverwould have been a much good movie .
Schumacher Wanted To Explore The Human Side Of Batman
Reportedly , Joel Schumacheroriginally wantedBatman Foreverto more deeply search the psyche of Bruce Wayne by having him enter a crisis over his role as Batman and guilt feelings over his parent ' death . This would have shownBatman Forever ’s Batman as a much more human and vulnerable type , as well as properly established that his turning to vigilantism was actually a reception to emotional psychic trauma and not a expansive deed . sustain the character grapple with such bass existential and personal motion would have altered the film ’s tone considerably , and Schumacher ’s planned approach was in the end scrap . However , some of these musical theme made it into the finished film , and they ’re much more fleshed out inBatman Forever ’s deleted scenes , hinting at what might have been .
Batman Forever’s Failure Wasn’t Actually Schumacher’s Fault
The more serious and introverted tonus that Schumacher was interested in incorporate intoBatman Foreverwas dropped at the insistence of Warner Bros. This was largely because they were disgruntled withBatman Returns ' win , as well as criticisms that Burton ’s films were too dark . Batman Foreverproved to be an overcorrection , as it was criticized as too cartoonish and campy — something which would n’t have been an publication had Schumacher ’s original idea been entertained .
at last , Batman Foreverwas a disappointment , partially because it did have echt potential drop . However , by go out from Schumacher ’s interesting and groundbreaking ideas regarding how to stay Bruce Wayne ’s taradiddle and make Batman a more human hero sandwich , Warner Bros. effectively doomedBatman Foreverto mediocrity . Hadmovie manager Joel Schumacher ’s sight been stick to , Batman Forevermight have been a much darker - and better - film .
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