YOUR Memories of Seeing Batman & Robin (1997)

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Hello ya salty dogs.

IMHO, Batman & Robin fucking sucks. It sucks so muuuuuuuch! I could even list the reasons why it suuuuuuuuucks!

But I won't because that is not the topic of this thread. Instead I hope that you, dear reader, will give me as many details leading up to, during, and after your first (or multiple?) viewings of Batman and Robin. Rather than reflect on the film in modern times, I want to know how you, your friends, your siblings, your fellow comic book fans felt then. Allow me to provide and example.

Weekend screening and...the theater was practically empty. And I couldn't believe what I was seeing. As Batman and Robin escaped some sort of explosion, my young self was completely fucking bored. For some reason, they made Mr Freeze all goofy, none of the pathos my child brain had come to expect. And Bane was a wimp! It might be the first time I remember wanting a movie to ends ASAP. Heck, I remember thinking "thank god, it's over" and then it kept going! They killed Alfred for no reason!

Also it was the first time I can recall NOT wanting another sequel. It was just such a fucking bummer considering how much I loved the previous three films as a kid. Somehow this felt even too lowbrow for me. It was just noise and lights. I went home, everyone in my family was pretty quiet on the way back. And I'm pretty sure I just stopped thinking about Batman movies for awhile out of pure disappointment.

But hey, if you remember liking it, defend it! All our experiences are unique. But man, I really disliked this movie.

 

[SpotAnime]

I saw it, came home and watched Stargate on cable and immediately wished I would have just stayed home instead.

 

[Charcoal]

I remember asking my parents for the "sky surf board" that our heroes free-fall on after they escape from the Freeze's rocket.

 

[Wingfan19]

Saw it in theatres on release night with my parents and one of my friends, I was 15 at the time and even then I knew this was not a good movie. It was so not what I wanted from a Batman movie. My friend and I just talking all the way home on how Bane was ruined and their version of Batgirl was just totally wrong.

 

[thekonamicode]

I was at the beach in Florida for a family vacation and it was storming so we went to the closest theater to Destin to see Batman & Robin. I remember it being loud as fuck, Arnold's voice theatrically in this film is NOT the same experience as seeing it at home. Even as a kid I was thinking "this isn't very good" while watching it.

Now I'm 39 and have an odd nostalgic appreciation for it and enjoy the movie for what it is.

 

[MetalMagus]

The Hype lead up was nuts
Clooney as Batman near the height of his popularity!
A full movie with the Batman / Robin dynamic!
The debut of Batgirl!
Arnold, the biggest star in the world, was in this!
Uma as Poison Ivy in full femme fatale sex appeal!
And Bane is in this too!

And then it was campy schlock that made the Batman TV series look like The Boys in comparison.

 

[Mandos]

Watched it and '89 for the first time on a afternoon in the summer at my grandparents house with my youngest siste And enjoyed it. Tbf tho I was probably 14~

 

[Hayama Akito]

I didn't saw it in a theater but on TV because I already heard in school that the film sucks balls. I must confess that for me Batman Forever was already a weird experience after the two Burton films, I mean I like it (I was 11 in 1995) but something was... off.

Then I saw this piece of shit and I was like... what the hell happened? I fucking hated it at first, like they destroyed the Batman franchise with this campy shit (and I liked the 60's TV series at that time!), that "Bat Credit Card" joke just kill me. I was thinking no one will do another new Batman movie ever gain.

Now these days I... kinda enjoy this crap for the wrong reasons. Watching it with the commentary track by Joel Schumacher was really funny and I had some good laughs. RIP man.

I didn't have the first "NOT wanting another sequel" as the OP with this because I already had that with TMNT3...

 

[Puddington]

The first memory that comes to mind being embarrassed to have dragged my dad to that bad movie. I was just getting old enough to discern the good movies from the bad, and boy was that a clear example of a bad movie.

 

[The Unsent]

I was a kid, and it was just Schwarzenegger looking cool (sorry) and making some funny quips, and Batman and Robin in cool (sorry again) ice suits. I thought it was great lol. Was really looking forward to Batman 5 with Christopher Lloyd as Scarecrow, which I must had read somewhere.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I saw it, came home and watched Stargate on cable and immediately wished I would have just stayed home instead.

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I just wanna say, Stargate is so very fucking good.

Watched it and '89 for the first time on a afternoon in the summer at my grandparents house with my youngest siste And enjoyed it. Tbf tho I was probably 14~

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I love this. There's a texture to this post I cant quite express but it's such a pure memory. Just awesome.

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

I liked that the soundtrack had 2 Smashing Pumpkins songs....

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Saw it in theatres on release night with my parents and one of my friends, I was 15 at the time and even then I knew this was not a good movie. It was so not what I wanted from a Batman movie. My friend and I just talking all the way home on how Bane was ruined and their version of Batgirl was just totally wrong.

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Bane was far and away done the dirtiest. Here he's hardly a threat, just some goober on muscle drugs.
The best thing I can say is Mr. Freeze is so fucking bad that no one even remembers Bane is in here.
And honestly, I loved what they did with him in The Dark Knight...even if it was clearly a case a whitewashed casting.

 

[Dabanton]

Me and my brother went to a local cinema and for some reason, the film was delayed but they were playing the smashing pumpkins song that they did for the movie on repeat which was cool.

Then the film started...

Oh dear.

 

[JFunky]

The first and only Batman movie I skipped seeing in the theater. I'm a huge Batman fan and the 89 film is what got young me reading comics. I even enjoyed Batman Forever for the most part , but despite a cool cast I couldn't get excited for this movie. Looked too campy from the trailers and I had a few friends tell me it was awful.
Ended up waiting until it hit video and rented it at Blockbuster. Suffice to say all my fears were realized in that opening action sequence. From the Bat ice skates to the terrible ice puns and Freeze's dildo ship lol. I almost gave up and turned it off after that, but I powered through hoping it would get better.Shame the way they ruined Mr.Freeze especially after the awesome animated series version. One day we'll get a film that does him justice!

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Mr.Freeze especially after the awesome animated series version. One day we'll get a film that does him justice!

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God I hope so. Thankfully there's a ton of animated Freeze that gets him right.
I just watched (as in 10 minutes ago) the Batman Beyond episode Meltdown where Mr. Freeze is given a second chance at life.
Like, it's so good. It's the forgotten Mr. Freeze story. It almost makes up for this movie...almost...no.

 

[Deleted member 6173]

I saw it when I was 14. Even then I knew it was bad. I hated what they did to Bane. I did like the depiction of Gotham in the film. It was really imaginative.

 

[Oozer]

I saw it in theaters with some friends and thought it was a blast. I'm 23 years older now, and I still think it's a blast.

 

[Disco]

I saw it when i was 7 so i enjoyed the hell out of it. But the shit was so bad that on rewatch at like 11 i could already tell how dogshit was haha

But at the time in theaters i really liked arnold as freeze in particular

 

[Tace]

I was like 4 when I saw it so to me it was just a colorful romp. I remember this being the start of my crush on Alicia Silverstone though

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Just got off a long cross-country flight. Got home. My brother was like "wanna go watch this piece of shit Batman movie?", I agreed, and was in a complete daze for most of it.

The main thing I remember is Elle Macpherson was in it. That woke me up for a few seconds.

 

[RiOrius]

We rented it on satellite pay-per-view for family movie night. Rain interfered with the signal and we couldn't watch it. Dad got a refund. Never ended up seeing it. Guess the big guy upstairs was looking out for us that night.

 

[wenis]

i remember being really upset when my parents said they went to see it on their date night without me. I didnt see it till it came out on video.

 

[ThatThomas]

I was twelve or thirteen years old and rented it on VHS. I liked it. I'd loved Batman Forever and at the time it felt like more of the same.

Honestly, I still kinda like it. At the very least, I enjoy watching it more than I ever enjoy DKR.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

I honestly can't remember the actual movie experience other than enjoying it as a 6 year old, my biggest memory of its release was 2 tie-ins from Poptarts and Taco Bell.

I even remember getting

From Taco Bell the day I watched the movie

 

[Culex]

It felt like the Dick Tracy of Batman movies.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I was twelve or thirteen years old and rented it on VHS. I liked it. I'd loved Batman Forever and at the time it felt like more of the same.

Honestly, I still kinda like it. At the very least, I enjoy watching it more than I ever enjoy DKR.

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I just did a rewatch of DKR and let me tell ya, it's actually really great!
File it under "hilariously pro socialism" where all cops are clumsy losers.
And the only good cop quits the damn force! It's pretty great!

I actually had a Batman Forever poster on my wall for many years.
And even after this totally spoiled me from thinking about the franchise's future,
I still kept that poster up. So hell yes to the glory that is Batman Forever.
Maybe we all be forever kissed by a rose.

 

[Deleted member 46958]

Was ththe one with the odd scene with Chris O'Donnel playing with laundry or ironing shirts?

Orbwaa that forever? Either way, wtf was that about?

i think about that scene every now and again.

 

[Carnby]

I wanted to walk out of the theater when they were sky surfing on air plane doors. What is that 10 minutes into the movie? I stuck around and hated every minute of it.

 

[El Goom]

I remember hearing that Patrick Stewart was the front runner at one point to be Freeze. I also remember being so fucking pissed when he wasn't chosen.

Then I saw the movie and...

and holy shit did he dodge a fucking bullet

 

[JDHarbs]

I remember being more enthralled by collecting all of the cups from Taco Bell than the movie

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

Saw it when I was six.

Even then I knew it was a bad film.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

and holy shit did he dodge a fucking bullet

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but you damn well know he would have been all smiles to do it.
Hell, he'd probably still do impersonations to this day.
The man still talks glowingly about his experience on...sigh....The Emoji Movie.

 

[pauljeremiah]

The best thing to come out of the film was The Smashing Pumpkins song "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning"

 

[tata toothy]

I think big budget blockbusters are just a poor outlet for campy Batman. This kind of thing works better on a TV format where there less pressure on the project and the lower budget adds to the comedy.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I think big budget blockbusters are just a poor outlet for campy Batman. This kind of thing works better on a TV format where there less pressure on the project and the lower budget adds to the comedy.

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It's like using a 40 dollar cream pie instead of shaving cream in a crusted pie pan.
Spending more ain't gonna fix the script if it isn't funny...or whatever the fuck it was supposed it be

 

[Poppy]

i think i randomly watched it on VHS rented from blockbuster

not much memory tbh

 

[lake]

I was a teen for Forever and B&R, saw both in theaters. Hated both, don't remember which more.

The Batman Forever-related U2 and Seal music videos in heavy rotation over the summer of 1995 were fire, though.

 

[Catshade]

Alicia Silverstone became my first celebrity crush.

 

[JetmanJay]

First movie I ever walked out of a theater for.

I think it was after Bat Clooney offered to pay for the damage Ice skating pink gorillas did to a building with his bat credit card.
But I vaguely remember seeing a close up shot of bat ass cheek as he put the bat pants on? That might have done me in.

 

[Skunk]

I remember liking it, but not as much as the rest of them. Eventually I decided I hated it, but when the DVD set came out I remember re-viewing it through the lens of "a 90's xtreme version of the 60's TV show" and the movie really clicked for me. I actually really enjoy it now, as a campy, crappy movie. I do slightly pity all the quality acting talent given how the end product ended up (also worth noting that Marvel films hadn't really gotten off the ground yet, and between Donner's Superman and Burton's Batman DC films were somewhat respected at the time). George in particular clearly regrets it even though his career was relatively unscathed.

 

[Sol C. Johnson]

Nipples on the batsuits.

 

[grang]

My dad took me, age 6, and my brothers, 9 and 10, to see this opening weekend. We go to AMC Braintree. Play a few arcade games in the lobby. Epic time. We get one of the XL popcorns with a free refill to share between all of us. We go into the theater and take our seats, passing the giant popcorn tub between ourselves. Once the last trailer ends, the tub is in my hands. Batman sign shows up...Batman sign freezes.......BATMAN SIGN EXPLODES, and I jump so hard that our almost entirely full tub of popcorn just mushroom clouds everywhere, all over everyone in a 5 seat radius. Everyone laughs and I start crying. My dad takes me out to the lobby, explains to the folks behind the counter who laugh and refill the popcorn.

 

[chainlinkspiral]

Saw it opening night at midnight with a friend. The projection was off centered, so heads were at the bottom of the screen and torsos and crotches dominated the frame. It worked perfectly for the opening fifteen minutes before they fixed it. The audience was laughing at the movie for the duration.

 

[geomon]

I was horrified. I still am. Every single character in that movie was wasted and humiliated and disrespected. Every person in the audience was insulted and disrespected.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

My dad took me, age 6, and my brothers, 9 and 10, to see this opening weekend. We go to AMC Braintree. Play a few arcade games in the lobby. Epic time. We get one of the XL popcorns with a free refill to share between all of us. We go into the theater and take our seats, passing the giant popcorn tub between ourselves. Once the last trailer ends, the tub is in my hands. Batman sign shows up...Batman sign freezes.......BATMAN SIGN EXPLODES, and I jump so hard that our almost entirely full tub of popcorn just mushroom clouds everywhere, all over everyone in a 5 seat radius. Everyone laughs and I start crying. My dad takes me out to the lobby, explains to the folks behind the counter who laugh and refill the popcorn.

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Come on, that's a cliffhanger. How'd everyone like the movie?

 

[grang]

Come on, that's a cliffhanger. How'd everyone like the movie?

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lol I have no memory of actually watching the movie then, but I do unironically love this movie now so I assume my brothers and I enjoyed it

 

[lunarworks]

The best thing to come out of the film was The Smashing Pumpkins song "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning"

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Seriously. That was one of my favourite songs that band released.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Saw it at a Drive in with my parents. Had a blast

 

[NinjaDBL]

That Chris O'Donnell is hot and made me confirm my homosexuality.