“I Know All About You 007”

After being captured in North Korea because of a high-profile traitor and inadvertently killing Colonel Tan-Sun Moon (Will Yun Lee) James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is released but has his 007 status revoked. Undeterred Bond decides to find out who betrayed him. To do this he begins chasing Colonel Moon’s henchman, Zao (Rick Yune) with help from NSA agent “Jinx” (Halle Berry). Eventually, they discover Zao is linked to British millionaire Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). Who has been developing a satellite to harness the Sun’s power. What secrets is Graves hiding and how will he use that satellite?

“Such Hospitality”

Some gems are scattered throughout Bond’s 20^th outing. Pierce Brosnan is still effortlessly cool as Bond. His unflappable exterior gives the impression of someone hardened by betrayals and near-death experiences. And while he doesn’t get any standout dramatic moments Brosnan’s charisma still makes him fun to watch.

There are also some great performances among the supporting cast. Halle Berry’s Jinx often receives unfair derision, but her cheery attitude and chemistry with Brosnan make her a welcome addition in my book. John Cleese is a hilarious curmudgeonly Q. Judi Dench is always fantastic. But the MVPs are Will Yun Lee and Kenneth Tsang (General Moon). Lee has a commanding presence thanks to his confidence and how he acquits himself with the opening scene’s fight choreography. Meanwhile, Tsang’s world-weary demeanour gives General Moon real depth. His reunion with his son is the film’s emotional highlight with Tsang’s performance naturally capturing a range of reserved emotions.

And the film has some great action sequences. The opening hovercraft fight is over the top but well-staged and thrilling to watch. Bond and Graves’ sword fight has great choreography and the car chase on the ice is a fantastic vehicular stunt segment.

“You’ve Always Found It Difficult To Accept Me”

Unfortunately, these positives pale next to the pictures’ pervasive problems. Undoubtedly, the biggest issue is the narrative. The story is simple, but the plotting is dull and confusing. A lot of key information gets glossed over in boring dialogue exchanges. And because the audience barely knows the main villains in the early scenes we cannot invest in the danger of the situation. Not helping are the whiplash-inducing tonal shifts. With torture and conflict diamonds sitting alongside cringe-worthy sexual innuendos and cheesy sci-fi gadgets.

Of course, there are some production aspects that make the film hard to watch. These include the awful techno soundtrack which is grating to listen to. We also have gimmicky and overdone editing tricks that feel entirely out of place. Additionally, the awful CGI and green screen work will instantly break any modern viewer’s immersion.

Finally, Die Another Day’s villains are complete duds. Zao is an ok heavy, but he doesn’t leave much of an impression personality-wise. Rosamund Pike is wasted as Miranda Frost who is too blandly written for her betrayal to mean anything. And Toby Stephens is awful as Gustav Graves. He has no gravitas, menace, or entertainment value, he is just annoying. The worst offence though is that Graves is later revealed to be Colonel Moon having gone through gene therapy. Meaning we were robbed of Will Yun Lee’s good performance in the part. Along with the despicable issue of Hollywood whitewashing, it all adds up to leave a bad taste in the viewers’ mouths.

Was It Really That Bad? Yes

Despite Brosnan’s good Bond performance, a few standouts amongst the supporting cast and some admittedly exciting action Die Another Day is a trainwreck. The story is confusing and jarringly inconsistent tonally. The lead villain team is entirely underwhelming. With Toby Stephens’ Gustav Graves, possibly being the worst Bond villain ever. Various production elements have also aged horribly. Particularly the CGI and the gimmicky editing techniques. And the infuriatingly racist whitewashing of the main villain means Die Another Day deserves its status as the series’ nadir.

Also Read: Who Will Be The Next James Bond?

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“Tonight’s Forecast, A Freeze Is Coming”

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) face two new challenging villains. They are Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is building a weapon to ransom Gotham for money to find a cure for his terminally ill wife, and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) who seeks to punish humanity for its environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Robin feels like Batman doesn’t trust him. Their faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) is slowly dying. And Alfred’s niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) is poking around Wayne Manor. Will the Bat-family survive?

“If I Must Suffer, Humanity Will Suffer With Me”

One of Batman and Robin’s biggest problems is that the film has numerous plotlines competing for screentime and many of their tones clash greatly. One minute we are indulging in silly slapstick action and ice puns, then we are suddenly dealing with a long-time Bat-family member gradually losing their life. Furthermore, because of the bloated story, several plotlines feel underdeveloped (Batgirl’s subplot) or pointless (Bane’s inclusion).

As well as this some of the film’s components feel very slapdash and can take you out of the experience. This includes the writing plot holes. For example, Mr. Freeze using a machine powered by huge diamonds to ransom Gotham rather than selling the diamonds on the black market. Which would probably be just as profitable. Along with this some of the CGI has aged incredibly poorly. The human figures move very unnaturally and a few sequences look barely finished.

And of course, there is the grating cheesy dialogue and the performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O’Donnell, and Alicia Silverstone which range from bland to irritating to hilariously misjudged.

“You Lie”

Unfortunately, a lot of good-faith criticism of Batman and Robin is lost among complaints about its deviation from the darkness of Tim Burton’s Batman films and Batman and Robin’s suits having nipples and rubber bums. You can prefer the Tim Burton films over Batman and Robin. But, a lighter tone doesn’t necessarily make a film bad. And complaining about something as harmless as Bat-bums/nipples feels petty and slightly homophobic through its ridicule of something potentially appealing to a gay audience. It’s therefore regrettable that these complaints are what largely stuck with the film.

“That Is The Nature Of Family”

However, Batman and Robin does have genuinely praiseworthy elements. Firstly, there is Elliot Goldenthal’s music. Full of bombastic epic sweeps and sultry seduction. It makes the film feel exciting throughout and is a fine listen.

Then there are the undervalued performances by George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Michael Gough. Clooney perfectly fits the role of playboy Bruce Wayne. He also adds a sly self-awareness to his Batman which makes him an enjoyable presence. Additionally, this allows him to get away with his cheeky humour more than other cast members. Uma Thurman is an absolute blast as Poison Ivy. She really embodies Ivy’s seductive and bold nature and every time she appears her energy makes it impossible to look away. That said Michael Gough is the film’s true star. Effortlessly humorous and heartfelt, his interactions with the Bat-family, particularly Clooney, add real dramatic weight to proceedings. Truthfully his storyline is worth the watch alone.

Finally, the cheesy dialogue, flimsy plot, varying acting quality, tonally mismatched story elements, loud colours, wild theatrical costumes, and other elements combine well to create a fun, campy atmosphere that helps excuse some of the film’s worst excesses. Making the film genuinely entertaining to watch despite itself.

Was It Really That Bad? No

Regrettably, most audiences only view Batman and Robin as a punching bag. Yes, the film has a story, CG, and minor acting problems but it also has many aspects to appreciate and enjoy. Including its infectious atmosphere, its music, and some underappreciated performances. After years of dour, joyless Batman films, we need something as unapologetically bright and fun as Batman and Robin.

Also Read: The Batman: Snyderverse and the DCEU

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