Warner Brothers' gamble had paid off. A new director, lead actor, and film scorer still led to yet another successful Batman film, and the edict soon came down from the WB brass for a fourth installment of the successful franchise. Joel Schumacher (director) , Eliot Goldenthal (film scorer), and Chris O'Donnell (Robin) all returned to their respective positions from Batman Forever, but new elements and changes would make this third sequel, Batman and Robin, decisively different from its predecessor.

First and foremost, yet another actor was cast to play Batman -- George Clooney. For the villians, the two-villian formula was used once again, with Arnold Schwazenegger cast as Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. Once again, though, a laundry list of characters are present in the film, including, Batman, Robin, Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Alfred (Michael Gough), Bane (Jeep Swenson), and ? (Elle McPherson). All but the last two listed play integral parts in the plot, and for this installment of the Batman franchise, viewers must stomach the origins of Batgirl, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, and a subplot involving an ailing Alfred.

The ever-present quality in this film is the silly campiness throughout it. The cheesy one-liners by Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze (and even Batman and Robin) are throwbacks to the 60's TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. This in itself might not have been as much of a problem if the whole film had been a silly take on the Batman mythos, but the shifting plot mood from silly to serious are confusing and irritating. At points, Batman and Robin seems in no danger of taking itself seriously, but the inclusion of plot elements such as Mr. Freeze's wife and the terminal illness of Alfred shed a serious tone on the film. To the film's credit, the scenes of the interaction between Bruce Wayne and an ailing Alfred are touching, but placing these in a film that is so blatantly campy is a decision that eludes me in its rationale.

In many ways, this film is essentially Batman Forever 2, but without the proper Batman villains for such a rehash. There was a certain silliness to Batman Forever, but a silliness somewhat justified by the inherent silliness of Jim Carrey's potrayal of the Riddler, a villian that was never a serious menace in the comics. In Batman and Robin, though, the same silliness prevails in a picture whose villians have no such inherent silliness about them. Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze are hardly characters fit to be played by the likes of Jim Carrey or a female counterpart, but the campy style in these character's portrayal makes this film a confusing installment in the Batman film series. In addition, the film score by Eliot Goldenthal is largely a rehash from the previous film.