10 Overlooked Positives Of Batman Forever

3. Michael Gough's Alfred

Warner Bros. Pictures

If there's one constant in the Batman universe as established and maintained by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, it's Alfred Pennyworth. Batmen may come and go, but Gough's trusty, trusted butler is always there, on hand to dispense with cold soup, advice or a sandwich. Pat Hingle's Commissioner Gordon is there in every outing too, but he's even more useless than the Gordon of the sixties.

Here it's down to Alfred to advise his Master Bruce on matters of the heart, as well as cooking and cleaning for adopted *cough* youth Dick Grayson. Outshining everyone else in the cast with his class and gravitas, we get genuine comic relief and even a little heart as he helps young Master Grayson come to terms with his family's death and Batman's inability to save them. Just imagine how good it could have been if this Master Grayson hadn't been in his early twenties and played by someone other than Chris O' Donnell. Hell, he even gives Batman And Robin its most tolerable moments, even if he does overplay the illness bit.

Plus, Gough gets Batman Foreverits biggest laugh in a great exchange between Alfred and Bruce after Dick steals the batmobile. "He boosted the jag?" "No sir, theothercar."

Contributor
Contributor

A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.