Gotham gloom not found in new, improved Batman

Batman Forever-- **** (of 4):

You can usually tell a lot about a movie by the previews you have to sit through before it starts. This traditional gauntlet of advertising can be either a promise or a warning of things to come. So as a long time fan of the Batman character, I was a little frightened by the trailers preceding this third installment in the Batman plan.

The first contender: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers-- The Movie (Danger! Danger!). Then, from out of nowhere: Ace Ventura 2-- When Nature Calls. The scenario? Jim Carrey's eccentric detective goofs it up with an African tribe. Hilarity ensues. Here was a preview for a sequel, and the feature was a sequel. It didn't bode well for the caped crusader.

To add insult to injury, the last preview was Free Willy 2. I don't remember what the nifty subtitle was, but it should have been Free Willy With a Vengeance. From the looks of it, Willy was kicking ass and taking names.

Still, my anticipation was intact enough to stay for the main event. As it turns out, Batman Forever leaves the first two films eating Batmobile dust. Director Joel Schumacher injects a vital new sense of style, direction and humor into the series. The action is faster, flashier and a heck of a lot more fun. Don't get me wrong, now. Tim Burton's "vision" is fine and dandy. But Schumacher raises Batman from the fairy tale murk and puts him back where he belongs-- in a comic book.

The "goth" in Gotham is a bit brighter than in the past. There's a lot of futuristic, Blade Runner-type neon amidst the monolithic statuary, and they actually show the daylight sky a time or two. This, along with flourescent-painted street gangs, add a nice "cyberpunk" look to the movie.

It's the same plot, of course: a bunch of freaks are trying to kill Batman. What more do you want?

Val Kilmer's brooding-but-suave take on Bruce Wayne puts Michael Keaton's performance right out of mind. It's not that great a challenge to play a revenge-obsessed millionaire (look at Ross Perot), but it's a heck of a lot easier to buy it from Kilmer than from "Mr. Mom."

As for Kilmer's Batman, come on-- the bat-suit is the role. It's also greatly improved-- Kilmer can actually move in it. The bat-cape has been redone in leather. It just hangs there, but it hangs there with a dramatic new flair. Selective computer animation gives it a life of its own in some of the "swooping-out-of-the-sky" scenes.

Jim Carrey, as the Riddler, steals the movie at every turn. He rattles off multiple one-liners with the speed of an auctioneer. His ad-libs generate a fresh sense of humor into the predominantly gloomy Batman movie schtick. As if he was born to play the Riddler, just looking at Carrey causes involuntary chuckling.

As the split-personality homicidal maniac Two-Face, Tommy Lee Jones continues the "hairdo-as-character" experiment he began in Natural Born Killers. It's a walk-thru part for him, as is Nicole Kidman's Chase Meridian. Her biggest challenge is hiding her Australian accent. To be fair, she does this amazingly well.

Chris O'Donnell brings Robin into the real world, playing him as the embittered tough guy whose just seen his family murdered. The Robin suit is souped-up, too. He's a far cry from the foppish, panty-hose wearing TV Robin.

The biggest shock to me was remembering that Batman Forever is a sequel, and a secondary sequel at that. Not since the Star Wars series has a sequel been as good as the original, and here's one that's better. Who'd have thought such a dead horse would get up and gallop at third flogging?

So now I'm thinking I'll check out that Power Rangers flick.