Batman Forever was an utter disappointment of epic proportions. But it was not because of the Director Joel Schumacher. Like with Zack Snyder, the Studio meddled with the Schumacher Cut and he had to bend over to allow for the Studios whims and fancies. Here are some reasons to change your views on whether Batman Forever deserves another chance.
Has a Giant-Bat
Joel Schumacher is a fan of the Batman Villain the Man-Bat. That is why he also included a giant bat in the Schumacher Cut. The Director’s Version had Batman facing and wrestling with a giant bat. Some claim that it is the Man-Bat aka Doctor Langstrom. Others claim it is just a symbolic fight happening within Batman’s mind. The strange video is already available in the internet. You can watch it and decide for yourself.
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The Theatrical Cut Has a Few Deleted Scenes
Some scenes from the rumored Schumacher Cut were deleted but then were later added as deleted scenes to the Theatrical Cut. These scenes are available as bonus features in the Batman Forever movie. There are several such rumored cut scenes that were not shown to the public. This in no way would have made up for a full-fledged Schumacher Cut but the few good scenes that are available as deleted scenes show just what Joel Schumacher had in store for the fans had the Studio allowed him to have his way with Batman Forever.
Does not need any Post Production Touch Up
The Snydercut was not being released by the Studio partly because of the backlash. The other reason was that it required post production on a massive scale. The Schumacher Cut on the other hand is up and ready. It does not require Post Production. Joel Schumacher had personally seen to it that the Schumacher Cut goes all dressed up into the vault. If the Schumacher cut is ever released, it can be a straight to platform release. There would be no additional costs to the Studio.
The Riddler Invades Bat Cave
Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Riddler was one of the saving graces of the movie. In one of the scenes in Batman Forever, the Riddler infiltrates the Bat Cave and starts destroying the entire facility. In the Schumacher cut, there is more to the scene that what meets the eye. The Riddler has a purpose. There is a hidden motif why he invades the Bat Cave. He acts more maniacally than usual and uses his signature hat and cane in the fight too. The scene would have been a good way to see Jim Carrey in all his glory as the Batman Villain. Warner Brothers really did a number on the movie.
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It is 3 Hours Long
Since the Schumacher Cut is a Director’s Version of the movie, it will naturally be longer and more detailed than the theatrical cut. The cut has many scenes that were deleted and shelved to make way for the theatrical release. The additional scenes are at least of 40 minutes or longer. This means that the original run time of Batman Forever, which was 130 minutes, will become 170 minutes. That would put the movie with a run time of 270 minutes or roughly 3 hours.
Its Existence was a secret for a reason
Joel Schumacher wanted his cut of Batman Forever to be released instead of the one the studio wanted him to. It is because even Schumacher knew that the theatrical version was flawed and did not reflect the vision he had when he started making the movie. Schumacher lobbied hard for the Studio to understand why his version made more sense. The Studio did not listen and released the heavily modified version anyway. When the movie tanked, the Studio executives hid the Schumacher Cut because of the almost certain backlash the fans would have inflicted upon them if they knew they went against the Director. Schumacher has actually gone on record to claim that the Studio meddled way too much.
It Might Never Be Released
The Snydercut was released probably because of the massive backlash and demands by DCEU fans to make it public. The Studio probably agreed because the wounds were still fresh. The Schumacher Cut will not get the same treatment if you are thinking otherwise. It is a very old movie and there are not many fans of Batman Forever around to want to watch the Schumacher Cut. There is also the fact that we stated above. Releasing the Schumacher Cut would prove that Warner Brothers Studios’ incompetency ran back to decades.
It is Way Darker
The primary information about the Schumacher Cut of Batman forever is that it does not have that sleazy comic tone that the theatrical run of the movie did. It was of a much darker tone. The movie was supposed to explore Bruce Wayne’s trauma and his mental condition after being Gotham’s Dark Knight for years. The movie was supposed to show us the toll of being the Batman more than Batman’s fight with Two Face and the Riddler. The scenes that were removed from the Director’s Version were what could have added to that dark theme. It was unfortunately never revealed to the fans.
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The Opening Sequence
The Opening Sequence in the Theatrical Version had Two Face holding some innocents hostage in a bank. Batman comes in and saves the day. This is also the point where we are introduced to Doctor Chase Meridian, a prominent character in the Batman Forever movie. But the Schumacher Cut had a different and rather intriguing ending. It showed Two Face escaping the Arkham Asylum and making his way into Gotham City. That would surely have been a good opening scene than the generic hostage sequence. We never got to see the Arkham Asylum in all its glory in the Theatrical Cut.
Dives Deep into Batman’s Psyche
Joel Schumacher wanted to do Batman Forever not because he wanted to show Batman fighting the bad guys of Gotham City. He had a radical approach to the genre. His movie was supposed to show how Batman has mentally developed over the years. After playing Cat and Mouse with Gotham’s Evil, Batman had changed. He had become something darker and broken. Bruce Wayne’s past with Doctor Chase Meridian (played by Nicole Kidman) was also supposed to be explored further as part of Schumacher’s approach. The Schumacher Cut, that is still deep within the vaults of Warner Brothers, still has those scenes.
