Unpopular Opinion: Batman & Robin is a good ‘comic book’ film

It is a truth universally acknowledged that ‘Batman & Robin’ is the worst film ever made. It’s been over 20 years since the film debuted to great revile, and people are still talking about it. Every time a new Batman property is announced, the distaste for ‘Batman & Robin’ rears its head once again. There’s no arguing that the film isn’t polished, but is it really a bad ‘comic book’ film?

The original rendition of the Caped Crusader was a technicolor marvel who went on silly adventures confronting sillier villains with Robin, Boy Wonder. Yes, Batman was borne out of Bruce Wayne’s need for justice following the murders of his parents, and Dick Grayson was adopted by Bruce because he lost his parents as well. But, the two characters were cheerful and full of life.

That kind of personality lent itself well to the 1960s’ ‘Batman’ television show. Everything about that show was larger than life and comical. The whole point of the show was to attract young viewers, and it succeeded in spades. Imagine having grown up with the Adam West show as your only reference for Batman, and then chancing upon ‘Batman & Robin’. There’s not much of a difference in aesthetic, is there? Well, unsurprisingly, that is how I was introduced to Batman in my early years, and it’s the reason why I have a soft spot for this terrible film.

As a child, my only knowledge of Batman came from watching re-runs of Adam West and Burt Ward in their gaudy outfits. My sister and I tuned in, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel, every single day to catch up with the Dynamic Duo. Not realizing that the far edgier Tim Burton films and Frank Miller graphic novels had taken over public imagination, for us, Batman and Robin equated to comic hilarity and general childishness.

We never caught another live-action property of the World’s Greatest Detective till ‘Batman & Robin’. Watching the film was like stumbling on an extension of the 60s show – except that the cast were even hotter and the subtext racier.

The film is, admittedly, not well-made. Joel Schumacher had a ton of problems behind-the-scenes, and that showed in the end product. But if you look beyond the continuity errors, and obvious attempts at selling merchandise, ‘Batman & Robin’ is a quintessential comic book romp, in the same vein as the 60s show.

There are ludicrous costumes – the famous Bat-nipples have gone down in the annals of film history. We have chaotic villains in Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze. George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne and Chris O’Donnell’s Dick Grayson have a bromantic breakup over Ivy, and Dick’s need for independence. We have a spunky Batgirl in Alice Silverstone. And everyone’s fighting to save Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough), who’s dying of the same disease that killed Nora Freeze. What’s there not to love?

If you can look beyond the tacky sets and over-the-top acting, the underlying ethos of the film is like every other Batman property. Bruce wants to continue being a hero, but he’s grappling with what he needs to sacrifice to achieve that – a happy family home. Dick has evolved into a young adult and with that comes a sense of rebelliousness and need to carve out his own niche in society, which is a similar storyline to how Dick became Nightwing in the comics. Barbara Wilson (instead of Barbara Gordon) is struggling with the loss of her parents and drowning her emotions through reckless activities. And she’s losing yet another family member in Alfred. She’s the epitome of every angsty teen, irrespective of generation.

In ‘Batman & Robin’, Barbara – perhaps for the first time in any Batman property – berates Bruce for insisting that Alfred is ‘family’. She calls out the obvious class divide that’s ensured Alfred’s existence is perennially tied to Bruce’s.

The film tries its best to subvert the femme fatale trope by making Poison Ivy a character with agency and confidence. She goes after ‘young’ Robin rather than the older Batman, to get her way. She loses because she’s the bad guy, but it’s the journey that counts. Plus, Barbara is shown to smart and resilient. She saves Robin and hacks the tech needed to defrost Gotham. There isn’t a damsel in sight.

Despite all of Arnie’s cringeworthy ice-puns (okay, some of them can be funny on first viewing), he gives Mr. Freeze a remarkable amount of pathos. Dr. Victor Fries’ devotion to curing his wife is a character trait, and it comes to the fore in this film. Freeze is terrifying in his suit, but without it, he’s helpless and vulnerable. In so many ways, Arnie’s Mr. Freeze is a sympathetic character quashed under a barrage of hammy dialogue.

‘Batman & Robin’ also has a rare instance of a battle being won through compassion rather than with fists. Mr. Freeze has Gotham encased in ice and the only way Batman can save his city is by appealing to Freeze’s morality. That, and he brings up Nora, who Batman saved from Ivy’s ministrations. Far too often, even today, when it’s a fight between (male) heroes, guns and violence are the only answers. Take a look at ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, where Tony Stark – arguably the closest person to Bruce Banner – decides to beat the Hulk out of him. This despite the fact that the film kicks off with Black Widow (the only female Avenger) using a soothing technique to bring Bruce back. As I said, Hollywood still believes men can only win with brawn, and not wits or kindness.

None of this negates the unfortunate truth that ‘Batman & Robin’ is an utter disaster of a film. When I re-watched all the Batman films, including the black and white serial films of bygone years, ‘Batman & Robin’ was a stark tonal shift from the rest. Coming on the heels of ‘Batman Forever’, which was intense and psychological despite its Jim Carrey-sized caricature, ‘Batman & Robin’ felt like a complete disappointment.

If that’s the only yardstick you’re using, then the film’s poor box office return and ratings make sense. But the film is far less problematic than some others. It tries to subvert a few tropes, so you don’t have Vicky Vale shrieking at every turn like in the first Tim Burton film, nor is there a Catwoman who is presented solely for eye candy (which is every rendition of the character). And honestly, those rubber suits with the silver relief are outstanding. Probably uncomfortable to wear, but they exude power and style for the Bat-family. And, at the end of the day, it’s entertaining! At times like the ones we live in, mindless escapism is desperately needed. In an alternate universe, ‘Batman & Robin’ was the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1’ and ‘Thor: Ragnorak’ of the DCEU. All it needed was cohesion behind-the-scenes.

We are a year away from yet another Batman adaptation, this time starring Robert Pattinson as the titular Dark Knight, and it will undoubtedly be nothing like its much-hated predecessor. From the images shared of ‘The Batman’, we’re in for a dark, gritty film in line with the Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder versions of the character. We are used to our vibrant comic book superheroes turning into brooding, dark vigilantes on screen. Batman, especially, lends himself to this kind of characterization given his history. But if you look back to how Batman was originally introduced in comics, Batman was a fun character. ‘Batman & Robin’ made him a fun character again.

Yes, ‘Batman & Robin’ is still a bad film in a lot of ways. But from a purely comic book perspective, it captures the essence of its source material. It's honestly a better reflection of comic books, than other beloved adaptations. If you’re looking for unbridled hilarity – whether at or with the film – give this most hated comic book adaptation a shot.

Is there anything redeeming ‘Batman & Robin’ for you? Let us know.