R.I.P. Joel Schumacher

[filmation batman fan]

Joel Schumacher died this morning. He was 80 and had a year long battle with cancer. While he is considered to be the man who ruined the Batman movie franchise, I still have respect for Mr. Schumacher for his efforts and he was the one who brought Robin, the Riddler and Two Face to the big screen. While I am extremely disgusted with the anatomically correct Bat Suits (Bat Nipples) and the overused Bat Crotch and Bat Butt shots of the heroes suiting up, not to mention Elliot Goldenthal's stinky music score (he's no Danny Elfman), and the outward silliness of the plots, to be truthful, I really love Batman Forever. I fondly remember in 1995 how excited I was to seeing this movie coming out. I watched episodes of Batman: The Animated Series that year that had Robin, Two Face and the Riddler in it. While Val Kilmer looked more like Azrael than he did Bruce Wayne with the blonde hair, he was fantastic as Batman. I enjoyed the campy comedy of Jim Carrey as the Riddler and I felt the way Tommy Lee Jones portrayed Two Face was how I felt Two Face would have been portrayed had he been on the Batman 1966 TV series. But what I respect Joel Schumacher for was doing what Tim Burton refused to do was the introduction of Robin. And I loved Chris O Donnell's performance. I am as big a fan of Robin (Dick Grayson as a teenager to college student in the 70's comics, Filmation cartoons, SuperFriends & the Fox episodes of Batman: The Animated Series) as I am of Batman. Sometimes, I wish Batman and Robin had been the title of the third movie and Batman Forever should have been the title to the fourth movie. While 1997 Batman and Robin sucked in so many ways, I still love Batman Forever and for that, I pay my last respects to Joel Schumacher. Farewell. R.I.P.

[enyawd72]

He will be missed....Batman & Robin remains my favorite Bat-film. I feel Schumacher had a deeper understanding of Batman than people give him credit for. Oh it's face, the concept is ridiculous. It's campy. It's bizarre. No other comic films are so blatantly four-color escapism as Batman Forever and B&R. I will always hold them dear...Ice puns and all!

[Hector]

Hate Batman & Robin. Batman Forever was a tad better, but not crazy about it either.

Having said that, Mr. Schumacher directed one of the coolest vampire films ever made, The Lost Boys...a true classic.

RIP