Movie Thursday #2

I have taken the comments on the first blog into consideration and decided to take a "double feature" format for these blogs from now on. This will give homage to the old-fashioned format used much of the 20th Century, and still often used at many drive-in theaters in the United States. 

Typically the first feature was shorter or of lesser quality, so I will present the better of the two films last.

In this Batman movie, the fourth and final in the Burton/Schumacher series, we see Batman with his new sidekick Robin (who meet in the previous film Batman Forever). The duo, with the help of Batgirl, must to stop both Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy from their evil plot to take over the world.

Unfortunately, this movie wasn't much of a success, with a 12% rating by Rotten Tomatoes. Its Metacritic score is 28 out of 100.

Sorry, but this movie is an absolute flop. From the fighting choreography to the dialogue, this one's pretty cringy. No offense to Clooney as an actor, but he just isn't cut out as Batman. In my opinion, this is by far the worst of the Batman movies that I have seen. To be fair, watching this after having seen all 3 movies in the "Dark Knight Trilogy," maybe I was expecting too much, but even compared to the previous Tim Burton Batman films from earlier in the decade, it seemed too sloppy and carelessly thrown together.

I give it a 2 out of 5 star rating.

This film is narrated and read like a children's story, though it can be appreciated by all ages. As the narrator points out, it tells a tale of "fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, [and] miracles," where the captured Princess Buttercup must be saved from outlaws, criminals, and a repulsive Prince Humperdinck.

Though it didn't make as much money at the box office, this movie has received numerous nominations and recognition for being a classic comedy and for being "eminently quotable." The film's Rotten Tomatoes approval rate is 97% and its Metacritic score is 77 out of 100.

Instead of gaining its fame in the box office, it became popular after its release on VHS. I find the themes and witty remarks to be mildly entertaining at worst. I regrettably did not see this film until I was in college, missing out on its cultural impact throughout my childhood. As I mentioned, this film is famously quotable, to the point to being used in a Maid-of-Honor speech at a wedding reception (if you've seen the film, you'll understand).

I give it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.

Have any of you seen either of these films? 

If so, what would you rate it/them? 

If not, do you have any desire to see it/them?