Batman & Robin

Starring: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Released: Warner Brothers, 1997

This, the fourth Batman film since the 1989 original, pits five of Hollywood's finest against themselves in another step down from the series' high point in 1992's Batman Returns. George Clooney becomes the third actor in five years to don the mantle of the bat, and aside from Chris O'Donnell's return as the Bat's faithful sidekick, all of the other players are new as well. Not that it matters -- director Joel Schumacher and writer Akiva Goldsman seem bent on turning their story into a prepubescent romp through the lesser parts of mediocrity. And with Chris O'Donnell's Robin spewing lines like, "I want a car! Chicks dig the car," they'll be sure to achieve their goal. Film fans who remember the series' better days will find themselves significantly disappointed.