MovieChat Forums > Batman Forever (1995) Discussion > Riddler just a stock Jim Carrey performa...

Riddler just a stock Jim Carrey performance?


Through people say the Schumacher films are inspired by the 60's Batman but were only like a comedy with the villains being like Joker knock offs, other theory because they cast Jim Carrey Tommy Lee tried to be over the top like him because he was afraid of being overshadowed by Carrey. Like many actors in Forever and B&R Carrey was just playing himself with a stock Jim Carrey performance as you would expect him to be over the top.

reply

I wonder if in 1995, if they didn't go to Jim Carrey would somebody like Crispin Glover would've made a good Edward Nygma?
The one issue is that even with Back to the Future, was never really a "name" actor. I'm sure that producers were at the time, didn't think that he was too reliable after all of the stunts that he pulled on the first BTTF sequel.

reply

In the mid 90's they seem to wanna go with name actors like Stallone as Judge Dredd. Imagine if Carrey was cast as the Riddler today, comic book movies now would never go with such big name actors they would try to make the hero the star.

reply

True which is lame.

I like big name actors in roles like Robert Downey Iron Man, Heath Ledger joker, Tom Hardy Bane.

Dont know about you But I like Stallone's Dredd a lot.

reply

I don't think Heath Ledger was as big of a name at the time he did the Joker as he became posthumously.

I wouldn't consider Tom Hardy a big name at all.

reply

Beileve it or not a lot of teeny bopper girls dont even know ledger as the joker but from his other roles. He started out as heartthrob and lasted that way through and through. This was one of his true dark performances.

Tom Hardy has come out smashing. Dont know if your big into films but he has made a lot of big work as of late. Bronson is one, reverant, he has quite a bit. I consider him A-Lister. He is coming out with Venom which I'm sure is going to smash.

If you like series, I highly recommend Taboo. Watch that and then tell me he's not big time.

reply

Except that his Ed Nygma wasn't a stock Jim Carrey performance. His Riddler is, but Nygna the man was all sorts of clever and angry and and insecure evil and ordinary (and very, very gay). He was the revenge of the nerds turned dark and twisted!

Carrey can be an excellent dramatic actor, but of course he was too far over the top to be called dramatic here. More like high camp.

reply

Ive heard this a lot and I dont buy it.

Because its Jim you can recognize such antics as a Carrey Performance but so much of it was so Riddler and in twist in its own way and rightly well done. For starters many of the jokes were so far out that it wasnt very Jim. A lot of them were rated- R but so hilarious and it went with how far out the character was. Though he was comedic you can feel his hatred towards batman/ bruce wayne. His costume made him stand out and was very unique. I dont get the Gay theory as he sort of had the hots for Meridian and went with the very hot drew barrymore. Not once did we actually see him hit on anyone including two-face. Nowadays every friendship or alliance even if its in a fun immature one gets misconstrued as someone who's gay. I still cant get over how many people in the last samurai say that Tom Cruise character is gay. Because of this act it is associated with Jim but I dont think he created it more like he is credited it with. He gave Riddles, He acted like a freak brain washing masses and killing co-workers, he was self-obsessed with intelligence, vengeance and a streaking hate for the bats. Lets not forget the chillin' words Then a god... am... I!

reply

No, he came across as very, very, gay - including borrowing one of Two Face's girlfriend's because he doesn't have anyone else to ask as his eacort and snapping "You're here to work" when she talks. She certainly didn't think of it as a real date, she practically jumped Bruce Wayne when they were introduced! And when he was dancing with Chase, he was actually looking at Bruce, not to mention he set a new world record for campiness.

He was obsessed with Bruce Wayne, an unrequited crush turned into bitterness and envy. And burning hatred.

reply

Yea he was too nerdy to have a gf but adding two's face light girl was probably to give drew barrymore more air time and when he said your here to work probably meant he wasnt attracted to her and didnt want her messing around with other guys. Her flirting with Wayne didnt indicate he was gay or that she was actually into him. Couldve been a status thing or a job thing.

He flirted with Kidman and mentioned she wouldve been a good Bride squashing any gay indicators. If he was gay why didnt he come on to Bruce or rape him when he couldve like when he was shot or whenever. He just wanted to best him. Any indications couldve came across his campy flair outfits which couldve come off as repressive and a gimmick for kids to buy toys.

Campiness doesnt make you gay.

He was obsessed with his experiment and having Bruce the power to green light it or turn him down. Having him turn him down turned into an obsession to destroy Bruce in everyway possible.

reply

How shall I put this...

The only thing subtle about Jim Carrey's performance was that he didn't actually grab another guy on camera and settle any debate. He played Nygma as very, very gay, but didn't go so far that it couldn't be denied by those who don't want to think of the character as gay for whatever reason.

reply

Tired of people sexualizing character in films when in reality most of the time it has nothing to do with that.

If by gay you mean happy, could be.

By homosexual. Why didnt he hit on two-face which was the easiest or bruce? or one of his goons? Hell he couldve had Robin if he wanted to. He was after all captured. We never see him directly hit on any guy. The only person we ever see him hit on is Chase. Though he clearly felt he was out of his league, obviously and out of realm as she was there with Bruce and obviously into him. Never giving him the slightest chance. He not only only danced with her closely tango. He flirted with her and kissed her hand. No faggot does that. If they wanted to make Riddler right out gay they had a million ways to do that. Including a kiss or a straight out come on. Perphaps you might not get the dynamic but they did try to sort of copy the 60's batman and if you see that the joker which is similar to the riddler and now that i remember the riddler itself looks and acts the same way. Now are you going to say both the joker and the riddler were gay too? Accordingly then the whole batman's 60s mustve been as well. The character as the movie was intentionally meant to be campy, nerdy, corny, and queer. If you we go by this type of thinking you might forget that this is also how Jim Carrey mostly acts one could say he wasnt acting at all. So are you saying that every character Jim has played is gay too???

reply

Yeah, well I'm tired of people who assume that everyone is heterosexual.

If you don't want to see what's right in front of your face then fine, go on believing that Carrey's Ed Nygma is straight. It's obvious that I'm not going to change your mind.

reply

HE HIT ON CHASE!

How the fuck is that an assumption? YOU have no basis on why he's gay. You obviously are close minded and gay inclining.

reply

He flirted with Chase, while keeping his attention focused on Bruce Wayne. Only one person mattered to him in that room, and it wasn't one of the pretty ladies.

reply

He only hit on Chase because he wanted to get under Bruce's skin, the main piece of evidence that points to him being gay is this: At one point during the movie he had a perfect opportunity to rape her and no one would be there to stop him and he didn't do it.

reply

wtf??!!!

reply

Dude the guy is a violent psychopath criminal and he just kidnapped a drop dead gorgeous Nicole Kidman, are you seriously trying to tell me that neither Riddler, Two-Face or any of his thugs wouldn't even have considered raping her? I'm just being realistic here, those people have no morals.

reply

violent psychopath and rapist are two different things. and just because one is violent doesnt mean he doesnt have morals. Hence they couldve easily killed Bruce when they shot him in the head but they both came to realization that wasnt the way to end Batman.

Neither Riddler nor 2 face rape the hot black and white babes or the tons of babes at their disposal. If Riddler wanted at the top of his fame he couldve had any guy he wanted but he didnt.

This is a batman movie and not completely realistic you cant go on complete realistic grounds.

reply

Did he flirt with Bruce?

He's attention was on Bruce because he was there to con him because he hated since he fired him!

reply

[deleted]

He wasn't gay. If anything we was an asexual psychopath.

I think you are being trolled by the pro-homos. If you are not being trolled then they are wishing for something that wasn't there.

reply

Am being trolled.

Thanks for pointing that out.

reply

I was 12 when the movie came out. Any movie with Tommy Lee Jones or Jim Carey was a must see for kids my age. My friends and I weren't going to miss that. Plus the updated Basuit and Robin suit were cool (we were 12).

reply

Oh you suck

reply

Jim Carrey was perfectly cast in this movie.

It would be better if the movie just focused on Batman vs a villain, with a dash of side characters, just like the previous Batman movies. Batman vs Joker, then Batman vs Penguin. This one should be just Batman vs Riddler (and bring back Catwoman as a side plot, or maybe the death of Alfred for an added melodrama).

No need for Two Face, Robin and Batgirl.

reply

The Riddler was better in the Animated Series. Here he was just a Joker knockoff.

reply