Batman Forever (1995)
47%RT Audience Score: 32%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
10 wins & 26 nominations total
Loud, excessively busy, and often boring, Batman Forever nonetheless has the charisma of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones to offer mild relief
Batman Forever is like a neon explosion in your face, but in a good way. It’s not the best Batman movie out there, but it’s definitely a fun ride. Jim Carrey as the Riddler is a highlight, and the Batmobile is just plain cool. Sure, it’s a bit messy and over-the-top, but sometimes you just need some mindless entertainment. Plus, who doesn’t love a good dose of ’90s nostalgia?
Production Company(ies)
Canal+ Ciné+ El Deseo
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Corbett Hill Circle, Portland, Oregon, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for strong stylized action
Year of Release
1995
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 1m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 16, 1995 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 22, 1997
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O’Donnell, Michael Gough, directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Bob Kane, Lee Batchler, Akiva Goldsman, produced by Peter Macgregor-Scott, Tim Burton, action, adventure, fantasy, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Carol Buckland, Gene Siskel, Ian Nathan, Owen Gleiberman, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Sheila Reid, Mal Vincent, Mike Massie, Kyle Anderson, Patrick Nabarro, Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne, Batman, Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent, Two-Face, Jim Carrey as Edward, The Riddler, Nicole Kidman as Dr Chase Meridian, Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson, Robin, Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
Worldwide gross: $336,567,158
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $661,812,146
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 193
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 72,171,445
US/Canada gross: $184,069,126
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $361,946,139
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 144
US/Canada opening weekend: $52,784,433
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $103,793,190
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 79
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $100,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $196,635,985
Production budget ranking: 123
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $105,888,478
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $359,287,683
ROI to date (est.): 119%
ROI ranking: 863
Tommy Lee Jones – Harvey Dent, Two-Face
Jim Carrey – Edward, The Riddler
Nicole Kidman – Dr. Chase Meridian
Chris O’Donnell – Dick Grayson, Robin
Michael Gough – Alfred Pennyworth
Director(s)
Joel Schumacher
Writer(s)
Bob Kane, Lee Batchler, Akiva Goldsman
Producer(s)
Peter Macgregor-Scott, Tim Burton
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
10 wins & 26 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (69) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (42)
The whole thing is just that little bit wackier, perhaps closer to the 60s TV version – although Two-Face’s burns are nastier than that show would have permitted.
May 17, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Batman Forever is a visual tour de force, a knock-your-eyes-out effort. But it overdoes, overkills. And what starts out exhilarating ends up…exhausting.
January 5, 2018
Carol Buckland
CNN.com
TOP CRITIC
It doesn’t add up to much, but it’s certainly entertaining.
August 16, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Schumacher’s spin on the black-suited vigilante is as flawed as it is brilliant, as messy as it is impressive. A bit of a two-face really.
July 16, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
By now, Jim Carrey is doing sarcastic takes on his own sarcasm, and there’s something funny and a little scary in that.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: B
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Joel Schumacher submits to the Wagnerian bombast with an overly busy surface, and the script by Lee and Janet Scott Batchler and Akiva Goldsman basically runs through the formula as if it’s a checklist.
April 16, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Also known as Batman Whatever, the third installment in what a appears to be an neverending series.
May 13, 2022
Sheila Reid
Women in the Life
The Batmobile simply rolls over us.
March 10, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
Everything that Burton established with the first two Batman films has been tossed out the window to make room for colorful neon lights and grossly comical character designs.
September 9, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Nobody here is arguing that Batman Forever is the best version of the character, but it’s always delivered with a knowing nod and a careful hand.
September 2, 2020
Kyle Anderson
Nerdist
Even if it all devolves into a nonsensical confection by its final act, it is, as Roger Ebert brilliantly tagged it, “great bubblegum for the eyes”. Worth a nostalgic re-tread
March 8, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
I defy you to find any DC movie that has as much fun existing as BATMAN FOREVER does. I wish we had seen Kilmer return to don the mantle of the Bat at least one more time, but I will enjoy the one we got.
October 17, 2019
Alex Maidy
JoBlo’s Movie Network…
Plot
The Dark Knight of Gotham City confronts a dastardly duo: Two-Face and the Riddler. Formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent, Two-Face incorrectly believes Batman caused the courtroom accident which left him disfigured on one side; he has unleashed a reign of terror on the good people of Gotham. Edward Nygma, computer-genius and former employee of millionaire Bruce Wayne, is out to get the philanthropist; as The Riddler he perfects a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham, including Bruce Wayne’s knowledge of his other identity. Batman/Wayne is/are the love focus of Dr. Chase Meridan. Former circus acrobat Dick Grayson, his family killed by Two-Face, becomes Wayne’s ward and Batman’s new partner Robin the Boy Wonder.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Jim Carrey’s performance as The Riddler is a highlight of the film, offering some much-needed comic relief.
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