1995 superhero film by Joel Schumacher
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. It is the third installment of the Batman film series, acting as a standalone sequel to Batman Returns. Directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton and Peter MacGregor-Scott, it stars Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Michael Keaton, alongside Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, and Chris O'Donnell. The film follows Batman as he attempts to prevent the Riddler (Carrey) and Two-Face (Jones) from uncovering his secret identity and extracting information from the minds of Gotham City's residents, while at the same time navigating his feelings for psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian (Kidman) and adopting orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson (O'Donnell)—who becomes his partner and best friend, Robin.
Schumacher mostly eschewed the dark, dystopian atmosphere of Burton's films by drawing inspiration from the Batman comic books of the Dick Sprang era, as well as the 1960s television series. After Keaton chose not to reprise his role, William Baldwin and Ethan Hawke were considered as replacements, before Kilmer joined the cast.
Batman Forever was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 16, 1995, to mixed reviews from critics, who praised the visuals, action sequences, and soundtrack, but criticized the screenplay and tonal departure from the previous two films. The film was a box office success, grossing over $336 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1995. It was followed by Batman & Robin in 1997, with Schumacher returning as the director, O'Donnell returning as Robin, and George Clooney replacing Kilmer as Batman.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.