This was the first attempt to rejuvenate Warner Bros.’ comic-book franchise and it turns out director Joel Schumacher and new Bruce Wayne Val Kilmer weren’t exactly what the doctor ordered. The former drowns the film in excess, while the latter is as stiff as the cowl he wears (the same could be said for love interest Nicole Kidman). Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, meanwhile, try to out-shout each other as the two villains – Two-Face and The Riddler, respectively. Only Chris O’Donnell, making his debut as Robin, breathes life into the film. He’s an avenging orphan who taps into the themes of dual identities and burning revenge that the series, at its best, is ultimately about.
