Same with Jim Carrey as The Riddler Clooney was just playing himself in a batsuit and Schwarzenegger was just himself in Mr Freeze make up and costume, one of those actors whose instantly recognizable in whatever role they're given.
https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/66rrpp/what_casting_choice_still_annoys_you/dglgcfd/
I think Arnold played well the role he was told to play. In other words, I don't think it was his fault the way Freeze ended up because that's what they were going for. That's not to say I think he would've been right for a better-quality attempt at Mr. Freeze, but I just don't think he's to blame for that because he played that awful role well.share
Personally I've always liked the idea of Ralph Fiennes as Mr. Freeze. He can be super-intimidating while simultaneously tragically sympathetic.
Arnold was too big name and too recognizable for it, all you see is Arnold in Mr Freeze make and costume. Unlike the first two films nobody seemed to be dealt with appropriately, it felt like one of those films like they used only the first choices.
shareIt was Mr Freeze as a stock Schwarzenegger character with stock Schwarzenegger one liners.
shareThey had no idea how to handle Mr. Freeze. He is three different characters through the movie:
*The cold emotionless tragic figure that just wanted to save his wife like in the animated series.
*A wacky punster crime-lord that sings Christmas tunes like something right out of the '60s show.
*And a straight up monster that openly murders people making it real hard to have sympathy for him.
All three of those contradict the other.
The actors aren't totally miscast but don't seem quite right, Clooney even through he has the chin at most angles in the suit he doesn't look quite right maybe he doesn't have Keaton's eyes.
shareIt just occurred to me what was wrong with George Clooney in Batman & Robin. He when you get right down to it, just comes off as too much of a smug, smirking prick. I'm not saying that movie heroes who can be pricks can't work. Take for instance, Han Solo, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters, John McClaine in Die Hard, James Bond, or Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China. The point is that in those cases, there was at least something inherently charming, charismatic, likable, and multi-faceted.
With Clooney, there are times where he just comes off like a cold, rich douche (like the part when he tells Pamela Isley off in front of everybody regarding her dangerous eco-plans) just for the sake of it. Part of that is Clooney's fault because he sometimes has inherently this pretentious aura about him. Part of that is the direction that the filmmakers chose to make. Clooney as Bruce Wayne/Batman is I suppose meant to be the straight man but it just adds to the inherent cynicism to the finished product.