When it comes to Batman flicks, there is one that stands out as a notorious flop: Batman & Robin, starring George Clooney as the caped crusader. The 1997 film currently has a dismal 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is often considered the most disappointing Batman flick ever made.
Not everyone, though, concurs with this evaluation. Enter Josh Brolin, whose affinity for the superhero genre isn’t exactly a secret, and of course, his portrayal of Thanos is something that will never be forgotten. The actor, 56, did defend Clooney’s portrayal of the caped crusader.
But is Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin, played by Clooney, truly the worst Batman in live-action?
Though Clooney’s breakout role on NBC’s ER was much deeper than that, his portrayal of Bruce Wayne in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin is akin to the TV heartthrob cliché. Despite his confident and audacious demeanor, Dr. Doug Ross disobeys authorities, challenges their authority, and has an affair. Considering that, the actor would have made a great Batman.
But regrettably, he never got the depth he so richly deserved from his Bruce Wayne.
Was George Clooney’s Dark Knight Bomb Really That Bad?
It was a holy letdown! For more than 30 years, Batman films have been box office successes; however, how do all of the feature films stack up at the box office? Detective Comics #27, released in March 1939, featured Batman’s first appearance in a comic book.
He has grown to become one of the most recognizable figures in entertainment history ever since. Really, that is not even hyperbole; even people who have never seen a single movie, TV show, or comic book are aware of who Batman is.
Since the 1960s, Batman has starred as the lead character in multiple live-action and animated incarnations. In addition to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Christopher Nolan is best known for his work on the Dark Knight Trilogy. But what level of success did each of these releases achieve?
Batman & Robin, starring George Clooney, was somewhat of a critical letdown due to its extremely negative reviews. Despite having a production budget of between $125 and $160 million, it brought in $238 million worldwide (Box Office Mozo).
The movie scored 12 percent, followed by a bunch of unfavorable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. It is still largely considered to be among the worst films ever made, if not the worst Batman film.
Josh Brolin Disagreed with Critics on Batman & Robin
Josh Brolin also addressed the criticism leveled at Batman & Robin, specifically focusing on George Clooney’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne. The former, who played the villainous role of Thanos in the MCU, defended Clooney’s performance and argued that the film shouldn’t be written off as a failure.
As Brolin noted in an interview with Happy Sad Confused, director Joel Schumacher purposefully gave Batman a more whimsical, lighter interpretation by casting Clooney in the role. The Goonies star admitted:
“By the way, who I didn’t think was bad, but you know, you talk to Clooney and he’s still joking about it. It wasn’t his fault. He loves the nipple jokes and that was all Joel. But, you know, he didn’t do anything wrong.”
Anyway, opinions on Batman & Robin may vary, but it is clear that some appreciate the film on its own. Even though it might not be a crowd favorite, we can’t deny that each Batman film has a distinct interpretation of the legendary figure, so George Clooney’s performance should not be disregarded merely because of negative reviews.
At the end of the day, Batman & Robin may not be the greatest Batman film ever made, but it certainly has its defenders.
You can stream Batman & Robin on Max.
