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TMC-4 (20304)
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It's addressed a bit in this video that reviews 1997's Steel with Shaquille O'Neal:
[url]https://youtu.be/18wNwEIjsns?t=1119[/url]
Basically, Warner Bros. at the time, seemed to have this twisted philosophy that they needed a big star to save a movie. With Batman & Robin, it felt like Warner Bros. believed that George Clooney wasn't a big enough of a name at the time to draw money, hence why they brought Arnold Schwarzenegger in as Mr. Freeze.
I don't think that it was so much that Batman & Robin was campy. I mean, Tim Burton's movies (especially Batman Returns) had in their own way, campy, fantastical, larger-than-life elements. I mean, Burton after-all, was initially an animated for Disney and his films often times, feel like live-action cartoons.
The problem with Batman & Robin is that the campiness wasn't played "straight". What I mean is that the film doesn't seem to have an internal logic if that makes sense. There's for example, no reason for Batman to pull out a credit card other than for the sake of a cheap sight gag. There are way too many non-sequiturs like that in the movie, that don't really do anything to further the plot or make sense within the context of the scenes.
I think that Roger Ebert in his review of Batman Returns, even argued that the Max Shrek character as a third villain was unnecessary.
Batman Returns is a very schizophrenic and incoherent movie. And I like to chalk if up to nobody wanting to reign Tim Burton in and tell him to dial back on his indulgences and more ludicrous ideas. It's basically, the ultimate case of a superhero movie that emphasis style over actual substance.
And please tell them then, what would you have done instead of what was suggested?
Had Tim Burton and Michael Keaton actually made a third Batman movie instead of what we ultimately got with Batman Forever, then maybe, I couldn't seen (of course, depending on the story they wanted to tell) Kim Basinger back as Vicki Vale. It's kind of like how the ill-fated Superman IV brought Margot Kidder back as Lois Lane after mostly sidelining her in favor of Lana Lang in Superman III.
As it is, I really don't know how the character would've fit in Batman Returns. Having Catwoman as the female lead does admittedly, fit in better with the whole animal motif or aesthetic ("The Cat, the Bat, and the Penguin") that they were going for. Plus, I'm guessing that having Catwoman along with Penguin (who was considered the second most famous or recognizable male Batman villain after The Joker) was better from a marketability standpoint. I believe that Vicki Vale actually is in an earlier draft from Sam Hamm, when it was a more explicit direct sequel to Batman 1989.
Of course, I always wondered how Annette Bening would've portrayed Catwoman since she was originally suppose to play the character prior to her becoming pregnant. I believe that Tim Burton saw her in this movie called The Grifters (which funny enough, features Pat Hingle AKA Commissioner Gordon in a supporting role) that landed her first Academy Award nomination.
Also, if you look closely at Ella's profile on the side, she does favor her mother (particularly, the way that she seems to smirk):
[url]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSO3U5Fxkc7Ghv5Urqhi5fQeyHWvDZx9YsdKg&s[/url]
[url]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gb3-Of2W0AAid8Z.jpg:large[/url]
[url]https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/rwGIHmSKYFPBwjoPke36Mw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/19115e22d624fcefe0218ada6eba0d83[/url]
And here's Kelly Preston:
[url]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3kzt1Z8QkhuAmuOf5h7r-vwUMscw5kbjbMA&s[/url]
[url]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Kelly_Preston_Navy_2005_%28cropped%29.jpg/150px-Kelly_Preston_Navy_2005_%28cropped%29.jpg[/url]
[url]https://media2.nekropole.info/2020/07/Kelli-Preston_5f0cb9039aac4.jpg[/url]
Why You Don't See Meg Ryan In Movies That Much Anymore
[url]https://www.looper.com/1756246/dont-see-meg-ryan-movies-anymore/[/url]
From the late 1980s to the turn of the millennium, Meg Ryan was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Where has she been and what has she been doing since?
[url]https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/comments/1bmwoif/what_happened_to_meg_ryans_career/?rdt=48122[/url]
[url]https://web.archive.org/web/20240324151522/http://lebeauleblog.com/2011/06/12/what-the-hell-happened-to-meg-ryan/[/url]
10 Things About X-Men: The Animated Series That Have Aged Poorly
[url]https://screenrant.com/x-men-the-animated-series-aged-poorly-list/[/url]
X-Men: The Animated Series may be iconic and quintessential, but certain aspects do not hold up to modern scrutiny and highlight the show’s age.
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