While Batman is one of the superheroes who has had some of the best adaptations, it's clear that some also offer their share of scenes that are painful to read or watch. So, here's a quick look back at some of the most awkward moments in the history of the Batman universe.
#9 Batman Remakes Pacific Rim
Released in 2016, Batman Unlimited: Machines vs. Mutants is a Proust madeleine for many fans who grew up cherishing their precious DVD. However, once nostalgia is put aside, it must be acknowledged that this animated film repeatedly crosses the line into the ridiculous. Here, Batman must foil a strange plan by the Penguin and Mr. Freeze. The two villains have discovered a way to transform Killer Croc and Bane into giants, who decide to attack Gotham as if they were King Kong and Godzilla. But luckily, Batman and Green Arrow had anticipated that this kind of event could happen and both secretly built enormous mechas that allow them to take on the giant mutants. It's very funny, it generated great toy sales at the late Toys “R” Us, but these are not exactly the hero's most glorious moments. Bros. decides to take a more family-friendly approach for Batman Forever. Out goes Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, in comes Joel Schumacher as director and the late Val Kilmer as masked swashbuckler. To mark this lighter turn, the studio chooses an introduction that is as surprising as it is relatively genial for its new Batman.
After some classic shots of the Batcave and the reveal of the new Batmobile (the previous one having been partially destroyed in the previous film), Alfred interrupts the hero to offer him... a sandwich. Already strange, the moment becomes downright absurd when Batman, sure of his punchline, replies: "I'll get drive-thru" (in other words, "I prefer to go to McDrive"). If the goal was to desacralize the tortured hero of Burton's films, it's successful, but perhaps a little too radical, no?
#7 Batman Goes Monster Truck Racing
The Bat-Monster Truck is a vehicle that appeared in the comic book Batman: The Cult. Even if this version of the Batmobile is undoubtedly one of the most ridiculous of the famous vehicle, it is only one of the many crazy things that have punctuated a saga more than 85 years old. The truly embarrassing moment in the exploitation of the Batman franchise is rather when a real Bat-Monster Truck arrived in official competitions in the United States. Indeed, in 2006, an official Batman-themed Monster Truck, supported by DC, appeared in these very popular competitions in the land of spray cheese.
#6 Robin hides his secret identity behind his real identity
Today, it is difficult to justify Robin's pseudonym in a contemporary adaptation of the Batman universe. Originally, Robin was a character who appeared for a young audience, in comics that were often much more naive and first-degree than those that appeared after the 1980s. As a cheerful mirror of Batman, Robin contrasted with Bruce Wayne's dark bat. While the latter identified with a potentially frightening animal to fight crime, Dick Grayson chose the robin (Robin in English), a luminous bird, allowing him to bring a little lightness.
However, over the years,some authors have sought to reinvent this pseudonym. In Batman Forever, for example, Robin claims to be a fan of Robin Hood. On the other hand, others, like Christopher Nolan, get a bit tangled up with a character like John Robin Blake, who decides to use his first name as a pseudonym in The Dark Knight Rises. The original comics are not exempt from this kind of nonsense, such as when Tim Drake (the third Robin) adopts the name "Drake" as his hero's identity while wearing a mask, a choice so unconvincing that he quickly returns to his original Robin pseudonym.
#5 Batman Overwhelms Nicole Kidman
In Batman Returns, Michelle Pfeiffer delivered a memorable performance as Catwoman, brilliantly blending sensuality and madness. Warner wanted to replicate this effect in Batman Forever, but by retaining only the soft-erotic aspect. The result: a clumsy attempt to apply the codes of 1990s erotic thrillers to a family blockbuster. Nicole Kidman plays Dr. Chase Meridian, a psychiatrist fascinated by Batman. But the character is seriously lacking in depth, and Kidman strings together kitsch scenes. The worst is undoubtedly the Bat-Signal scene. Here, Meridian turns on the projector to attract Batman and perform a rather grotesque seduction act. She confesses her attraction to "bad boys" and black jackets before caressing the costume's famous plastic bat-nipples (which we already talked about here). It is then that, dressed in a simple black nightie and stiletto heels, Dr. Meridian lets out a sigh close to orgasm, greatly amplified in the editing. The scene, of absolute kitsch, is barely worthy of a novel from the Danielle Steel collection, but reflects well the excesses of the Schumacher style.
#4 The Joker becomes Iran's representative at the UN
Yes, just the title of this paragraph seems to come straight out of a sketch from Kad and Olivier's Kamolox. However, this event did indeed happen in the comics. Worse, this ridiculous and embarrassing incident occurs during one of the most tragic events in the history of the Gotham Knight: the Death in the Family saga. Indeed, despite all the drama surrounding the untimely and brutal death of Jason Todd, aka the second Robin, the writers thought it wise to have it happen in a plot even crazier than any episode of the already very crazy Batman 1966 TV series.
So, after killing Batman's young sidekick, the Joker is approached by Ayatollah Khomeini (Iran's leader in the 1980s) and offered the role of Iran's representative to the United Nations, a position the Joker obviously accepts with enthusiasm. By accepting this position at the UN, the Joker has ensured that Batman's presence in Iran (where he came to retrieve Robin's body) causes an international incident. In addition to being profoundly stupid, this plot destroys all the emotion in his story. Here, neither Batman nor the fans have had time to digest Robin's murder, which is then cut straight to a completely irrelevant farce.
#3 Mister Freeze, King of Stand-Up
Let's be honest: Mister Freeze's scenes in Batman & Robin are an absolute guilty pleasure. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a neon jumpsuit and polar furs, turns every line into a disastrous pun festival. His Freeze doesn't just fight Batman, he's also a cabaret comedian specializing in dubious jokes: "I think I threw a cold one," "I'm still frozen," and the unforgettable "You know what killed the dinosaurs? Ice Age!" punctuate each of his appearances.
The problem is that by wanting to make Mister Freeze a clumsy clown, the film annihilates all the tragedy of the character. His story, that of a broken man trying to save his wife, takes second place behind a series of uncle jokes and a scene where his henchmen sing "I'm Mr. White Christmas". The advantage is that taken tenfold, this Mister Freeze contributes largely to making this film a dud as fascinating as it is unintentionally hilarious.
#2 Batman fights against rock and punk
Let's be clear, there is not just one Batman, but a multitude of variations of the character depending on the writers who take him on. While it is understandable that everyone takes a more or less serious approach depending on their sensitivity, it is difficult to validate the Batman censoring the comic Batman: Fortunate Son. In this episode, Batman is ready to punish Robin if he listens to rock or, even worse, punk.
We learn that the last long conversation between Bruce Wayne and his father was about the evils of rock music. Since then, Batman has dreamed of extending his war on crime to the music world. According to him, listening to punk prevents Robin from progressing, concentrating, and becoming as effective a vigilante as he is. We now understand better why Bat-Boomer so happily beats up legions of punks in Frank Miller's legendary The Dark Knight Returns.
#1 Batman and Superman are Mom's Buddies
No matter what you think of Zack Snyder's work on the DC universe, it's hard to defend the famous "Martha!" scene in Batman v Superman. After spending most of the film building a fierce hatred between Batman and Superman, the major turning point occurs when a struggling Superman shouts "You let Martha be killed!" Martha, of course, being his mother, captured by Lex Luthor. However, Batman also has a mother named Martha, which triggers an unexpected reaction in him.
Rather than continue his mission of revenge, he starts yelling, "Why did you say that name?!" That's when Lois Lane steps in to explain that both mothers have the same first name. Moments later, Batman and Superman are friends, and Batman introduces himself to Martha Kent as "a friend of your son." Although Snyder later explained that he wanted to emphasize the human connection between the two heroes, the result is still extremely awkward and awkward, with our two muscular heroes who end up being friends, just (!), because their respective mothers have the same name. And if Bat-catastrophes amuse you, you can also discover our Batman file: 6 awkward moments we would like to forget, parts 1 and 2 or 8 ridiculous Batmobiles we would like to forget.
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