Batman & Robin was regarded as such a catastrophic failure upon its release back in 1997 that it sent the entire franchise into a hibernation that lasted for almost a decade. Christopher Nolan managed to resurrect Batman with the serious and mature tone of Batman Begins. But what if he’d been around eight years earlier to get his hands on Batman & Robin? Well, the below video takes this theory and runs with it. And it does it so well that it feels as though its been ripped from a parallel universe where Batman & Robin was actually directed by Christopher Nolan.
Kudos to YouTube’s The Unusual Suspect for creating this video, which he has entitled, Batman & Robin [Modern Trailer] (The Dark Knight Style!). And while he was able to shave away some of the most ostentatiously cheesy moments from Joel Schumacher’s rightly lambasted Batman & Robin, some of it still seeps thorugh. It's unavoidable.
Most of this is because of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s outrageous and heinous performance as Mr. Freeze. Unfortunately, whenever the bulbous headed Freeze is on screen in the trailer you’re instantly reminded of just how awful and horrendous Batman & Robin actually was.
Don’t remember? Well then just try and see how long you can sit through this clip of Freeze’s puns from Batman & Robin. If you get beyond the 30 second mark without digging your nails into your hands for a sweet distraction you’re a better, stronger person than me.
But back to The Unusual Suspect’s video, which uses a Han Zimmer style score to try and distract viewers from Joel Schumacher’s garish visuals and set-designs. It also deploys an ominous voice-over from Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze that makes you briefly think that Batman & Robin could have been good after all.
In the end though, Batman & Robin’s awfulness still shines through. How could it not? Let’s not forget that this was the film that almost ruined George Clooney’s movie career before it had even truly got started. And it managed to do just that through the addition of Bat-nipples. Thankfully, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins helped to restore the iconic character to his rightful place. We’ll see if Ben Affleck can continue on this legacy when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally released on March 25. Which, as you’ve probably already noticed, is right around the corner.
