Batman & Robin (1997)

Batman and Robin try to keep their relationship together even as they must stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City. (IMDb)

So, opening scene, Batman & Robin engage the ice skates built into their suits and start playing hockey with a diamond puck against a blue-faced Arnold and his robot army and I’m thinking, “This is almost ridiculous enough to be good.” Alas, it was not to be: cheesiness aside, there’s too much going on in the script (for the second time Schumacher, two villains is too many), the action scenes are awkwardly staged (very stage-y), and the performances are poor (Thurman’s overacting in particular).

5/10 (Poor)

 

Pulp Fiction (1994)

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. (IMDb)

It’s dark and bloody yet ridiculous and hilarious, and subtly clever too, as drugs, guns, and endless expletives are laced with the randomly mundane–the toaster strudels, the cheeseburgers, the radio-friendly soundtrack-and a melodramatic short-term plot takes intriguing deja vu turns. With plenty of outrageous dialogue (Jackson and Travolta are gold), black comedy (see the Wolf’s cover-up), and off-kilter characters (Willis is another gem), Pulp Fiction has no trouble living up to its name.

8.5/10 (Amazing)