Nostalgia Nights: Batman Forever & Space Jam
To try something different, I actually asked my boyfriend to join me in a version of this experiment. Our movies are far from being off the beaten path, but we both had a similar reaction when we found out the other hadn’t seen the other’s movie that was a huge part of our younger years. Since we both have a deep love of so-bad-they’re-good films, this will be a great test to see how nostalgia can play into that and how it affects our take on these movies decades after they’ve been released. So our cinematic masterpieces of choice: Batman Forever (1995) and Space Jam (1996).
I love Space Jam. Unapologetically. I was mortified by the sequel, and as a millennial, I bristled at the idea that an army of people thought it could and should be done. You know what? Despite me constantly glancing over and asking him if he was enjoying it, I had no hesitation or shame over calling this one of the best films of my childhood. It was more about me hoping he would find the joy that I did in this more so than worrying about being judged for loving it. Thankfully, despite that lack of history, he was entertained. That’s all I feel like I can ask for in these experiments: for a movie to be viewed and seen as an enjoyable way to spend time.
This cinematic masterpiece is ridiculous, brightly colored and truly insane. I love it, and when you think about the fact that roughly two-thirds of production must have been Michael Jordan talking to no one in front of a green screen, I think the film community missed out an opportunity to honor such a feat of acting. All jokes aside, if I have children, they will grow up with this movie. I look back at dancing, singing, quoting this movie with my stepsister as one of my favorite memories. I can’t wait to pass that on, and even if all the jokes didn’t age well, there are a lot of timeless aspects that’ll entertain future generations of little ones.
While Batman Forever isn’t quite as kid-friendly as Space Jam, I can see how any male under twenty would have been engrossed in the world that it creates. The bright colors and over-the-top portrayal of heroes and villains are ripped right out of a comic book. As we currently live in the world of gritty superhero films, it was both startling and welcome to see such gaiety and slapstick comedy in a story about the caped crusader. I did cringe at a handful of the jokes, but it’d be weirder if a movie that’s more than twenty years old didn’t have that reaction at this point.
I had such a good time watching this movie. It felt like the perfect thing to watch after Space Jam. We inadvertently matched the tone perfectly with our picks, and just got to laugh and roll our eyes through the whole evening. While it was definitely not the best Batman flick I’ve seen, it did make me want to watch the other earlier films, especially the ones with even lower Rotten Tomatoes scores than this. I now also want to deep dive into the fashion that Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman wear in this. Their wardrobes are on exact opposite ends of the spectrum and I’m beyond fascinated. And somehow, the best part still wasn’t that. It was that I’m pretty sure Tommy Lee Jones had more fun in this movie than anyone ever could have imagined. It made it incredibly fun to watch.
The real question: do I seek out a Christmas version of this challenge for December or use it as an opportunity to have a break from all the holiday cheer?