Batman Forever 1995

Hot take: I actually prefer this colorful, goofy, unapologetically comic book style over Tim Burton’s gothic Batman aesthetic. This one is simply more fun for me. I can’t even fathom Tommy Lee Jones being this goofy as Two Face. I know him more for serious, authoritative, mentor- sounding characters, so watching him scream, laugh, and behave like a complete lunatic here feels almost surreal. It is probably one of the most against-type performances I have seen from him. I know because of this movie, I wanted a chair with a hole underneath it going straight to my Batcave when I was a child. I remember watching this on a CD rented from Video City. I didn’t even know there were different Batman actors back then, even though I had already watched the one with Penguin. I first knew Val Kilmer from Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and then Heat (1995), so watching him here now gives me even more respect for him. The circus sequence with Robin is another thing I vividly remember from childhood. That whole setup used to make my heart jump with anxiety because of how helpless and dangerous the situation felt. I always thought Jim Carrey was the perfect casting for the Riddler. He already had that typecasting of crazy, OA characters, it feels like the character was designed around everything Jim Carrey naturally does best. I know the character motivations are weak, but I can forgive them for the sake of nostalgia and that very 90s filmmaking style. The giant practical sets, exaggerated production design, colorful lighting, theatrical villains, miniatures, pyrotechnics, and comic book cheesiness all have a physical charm that modern superhero movies rarely have anymore.