Fans and audiences were hoping they would've gone a little more serious than Forever, fans of 89 and Returns were also hoping they would've returned the franchise back to it's darker roots, which they didn't do they went the way it is.
Since Forever was such a big hit they assumed it was what fans and audiences wanted, and they went into production so soon after Forever.
I do wonder what the speculation was for the plot of the film before the movie was released back in 1997. Like just from the trailer alone, what would audiences expect?
shareI saw them all in the cinema. Really liked B89, loved BR, liked BF. I'd have been happy if B&R had hit the same level as BF. As it is, it was garbage. Nowadays I still feel the same about all four.
shareWould've been better if it was on the same level as Forever, it looks cheap compared to Forever since it was rushed. If it was a Forever like success there's wouldn't have been The Dark Knight trilogy because a fifth film would've been made around 1999 or 2000, five films is a lot and another toyetic Batman film probably would've killed the franchise without anymore films for a long while.
shareWell i've seen every Batfilm in the theater. I was 12 when 89 dropped and it was mind blowing. That whole year was just freakin' bananas really. I saw Returns at the premiere midnight showing and eh... did not love it. (it's dumb as hell, always has been). Was a massive Val Kilmer fan and despite all my excitement, Forever was a power turd. So things were trending down! The trailers for B&R were trash (and I used to hate Robin in general) and casting Batman with the cheeseball from ER which my family watched every night was certainly a choice. Arnold was also a joke by this point, become full comedian. So I knew that would suck but honestly, fun movie. Didn't take itself seriously and still makes me laugh.
Then that godawful Nolan trilogy which just got worse with each installment.
Then whatever the fuck Snyder was doing which I hated until the "director's cut" of Justice League dropped.
Now with the abomination of the Twilight kid moping around to suicide music.
A cute little scene in Suicide Squad. That utter joke of a Flash movie. And long story short.
Still only been one good god damn Batman movie. (and having read 10,000 Batman comics since, that was pretty super shit too.)