John Dodge is an MTV Writer for CBR who specializes in movies, television, comics, and pop culture. He has a deep knowledge of franchises like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and DC Comics, along with a passion for indie and horror titles. An expert on obscure productions from the ’80s and ’90s, John is known for his encyclopedic recall of cult classics like Beetleborgs.
The stars of Batman & Robin open up about the overwhelming negativity that the film was met with upon its release.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Batman & Robin stars Chris O'Donnell and Alicia Silverstone looked back on their experience working on the film, as well as the overtly negative response it received from both critics and audiences at the time of its release. "All of a sudden, you were starting to get the feedback, and you realize it was just going sideways," O'Donnell stated. "There was so much hatred of the film when it came out. It was like, 'Oh my God.' And you want to do your job and promote the movie."
"I remember at one point [director] Joel Schumacher just threw up the flag. He's like, 'I'm out. I can't do it anymore.' He was so heartbroken and kind of bummed out about it," O'Donnell continued. "It was a tough one for us to all digest... We were lucky to be in the movie, and it was fun to be a part of it. It is what it is. Some work out and some don't."
"Batgirl had a revival!" Silverstone added. "When it came out, I don't think people liked it very much. But later on people told me it's their favorite movie. [At least] all my gay friends. It's very camp."
Directed by Joel Schumacher from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, 1997's Batman & Robin followed hot on the heels of Schumacher's previous Gotham City outing, Batman Forever, which drew middling reviews yet made over $336 million at the box office. Batman & Robin brought Chris O'Donnell back as Dick Grayson, aka Robin, and saw George Clooney step into the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, for his one and only appearance as The Dark Knight. Batman & Robin also marked the debut of Alicia Silverstone as Barbara Wilson, the niece of Michael Gough's Alfred Pennyworth, who takes on the role of Batgirl moving to Gotham in the wake of her parents' deaths.
The Legacy of Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, Explained
Image via Warner Bros.Although Batman & Robin was still a moderate financial success, grossing nearly $240 million against a $160 million budget during its original theatrical run, the film was widely lambasted at the time of its release. As of the time of writing, Batman & Robin holds an abysmal 11% "Fresh" rating via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across almost 100 verified critical reviews. The film also holds a 16% "Popcornmeter" rating on the platform, as averaged across more than 250,000 user-submitted reviews. While Batman & Robin is still widely regarded as the worst Batman film to date, it has been met with far kinder retrospective reviews than those it was met with in 1997, particularly in regard to its cartoonish, often campy designs and over-the-top set pieces.
Batman & Robin is streaming on HBO Max.
Runtime 125minutes
Director Joel Schumacher
Writers Peter Tomasi
English (US) · 