As Batman is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, his appearances in movie adaptations are often subject to some intense scrutiny. Arguably, his most recent appearances (in the 21st Century at least) are heavily scrutinized due to the terrible reception of the Joel Schumacher movies from the 1990s.
That being said, while the films are understandably lambasted by hardcore comic book fans of the Dark Knight, there is also a certain charm to them. This charm contains elements from both the 'so bad it's good' idea of certain movies, as well as some genuinely brilliant moments from these movies.
10 Underrated: Batman's Psychology
While Batman Forever certainly didn't go into the same painful detail as the Nolan movies with regard to Batman's state of mind, it did attempt to do so. Talk of a 'Schumacher cut' of Batman Forever shows that Schumacher actually intended for the film to be much darker, exploring even more depths within Wayne's mind.
That being said, even if the final cut of the movie didn't go into too much detail with regard to Batman's psyche, it should still be celebrated for attempting to do so.
9 Not: Almost Killed The Comic Book Genre
Tim Burton helped resurrect the Batman character with his 1989 movie, showing that Batman is a dark, brooding vigilante who's still traumatized by the murder of his parents. However, by the time of Batman and Robin, the Dark Knight is fighting cartoon villains and wielding a Bat-branded credit card.
Actions like these, in addition to the poor box office performance and critical reviews, almost helped to kill off the comic book movie genre. Fortunately, Sam Raimi helped to rescue it with his hugely successful Spider-Man movie.
8 Underrated: Stylized Gotham
The Schumacher movies certainly carried on from Tim Burton's own idea to create a Gotham that was stylized to the extent that the city is almost a character itself. The city is filled with giant, homoerotic statues and buildings being supported by huge, musclebound statues.
While Schumacher's neon version of Gotham certainly doesn't have that gothic feel that Burton's sprawling metropolis had, it was still a unique and memorable vision that fit the theme and style of the movies well.
7 Not: Two Face
It's difficult to blame Tommy Lee Jones for how the character of Two Face turned out in Batman Forever. The character of Two Face really ought to be a tragic character, but in Forever the villain is almost as cartoonish as the likes of the Riddler and Joker.
Schumacher had a habit of changing the villains for the worse in his movies, while Mr. Freeze kept his tragic backstory, he was also cracking far too many puns for a man supposedly hellbent on curing his wife's disease.
6 Underrated: Camp Humor
The idea that the film should be dismissed as awful due to the ridiculous tone of the movie is slightly overstated. While the film is obviously camp in nature, this simply leans into the era of Batman from the 1960s, showing a sillier side to the Caped Crusader.
While some may argue whether or not this was intentional on the part of Schumacher, the benefit of the doubt ought to be given here. Even if it isn't an accurate version of Batman as the character existed then (or today) it was certainly enjoyable in its own way.
5 Not: Bane
Bane is one of the most dangerous and memorable Batman villains of the past few decades. Debuting in the 1990s, Bane stormed his way into the Batman mythology by psychologically and physically breaking Batman, with the image of Bane holding Batman over his knee becoming one of the most iconic images in comic book history.
However, despite the fact that Bane was a fresh and popular character, with brains and brawn, Batman and Robin transformed the villain into a mindless henchman who is easily dispatched by the Dynamic Duo.
4 Underrated: Batmobiles
While the Batmobile in Tim Burton's Batman will always remain as, arguably, the most iconic Batmobile of all time; the Batmobiles of the Schumacher era aren't to be overlooked either. While they're not as 'realistic' as the Nolan or DCEU vehicles, they're very imaginative and incredibly designed.
Sure, all the Batmobiles from the '90s require a grappling hook to turn a corner, but they just scream Batman to any viewer in a way that some of the modern Batmobiles haven't been able to do.
3 Not: Robin Feuds
In Batman Forever, there is understandably a feud between Batman and Robin. The future Boy Wonder wishes to get revenge for his parents' death and Batman doesn't want him to succumb to vengeance and so on and so forth. While this is understandable, their feud in Batman and Robin becomes tiresome.
While obviously Poison Ivy has some influence over peoples' minds, it shouldn't have been as huge and perpetual an issue as it was throughout the movie.
2 Underrated: Music
The music in superhero movies are some of the most important and also overlooked elements. For instance, without the iconic John Williams score, would Christopher Reeve's Superman have been as successful? The same also applies to Danny Elfman's iconic score on Burton's Batman movies.
The incredible, atmospheric score, particularly of Batman and Robin is genuinely underrated and for many, especially those who grew up with the movies, this music instantly makes one think of the Caped Crusader.
1 Not: Batsuits
One of the most infamous and visible issues with the Schumacher Batman movies was the ridiculous costumes that Batman was forced to wear in the films. While the Batsuits typically have some kind of musculature carved into the suit, the inclusion of the nipples was a step too far.
The suit is certainly fun to look back on, but it was also one of the contributing factors to the comic book movie genre almost dying completely at the end of the 1990s.