10 Underrated Sci-Fi Sequels (That Deserve Way More Love)

Almost all of the negativity surrounding Joel Schumacher's installments in the original quadrilogy of Batman films is down to the notoriously campy and infamous spectacle Batman & Robin. A film so reviled by fans and critics, it killed the legendary franchise and sentenced the Dark Knight to nearly a decade of development hell, it also resulted in a ton of unwarranted hate being directed towards its predecessor Batman Forever.

Released in 1995, Schumacher's first offering was responsible for dragging the franchise into those neon-lit waters and ultimately paved the way for Batman & Robin to follow, but that doesn't mean we should overlook just how great a film it is in itself. No, it's not as great Tim Burton's two wonderfully Gothic installments, but it is every bit as captivating in its own unique way.

A strange blend of Gothic darkness and boisterous light, Batman Forever works in a way that it really shouldn't have. It walks the line between genres rather well and manages to make its ludicrous characters seem believable, simply because of how well they juxtapose the otherwise serious plot.

Furthermore, Val Kilmer does a superb job as the emotionally tortured Bruce Wayne while his Batman is perhaps the most visually pleasing of them (nipples aside), and Jim Carrey's wonderfully over-the-top performance brings The Riddler to life in a way that few others (minus Frank Gorshin) ever could have.

Flawed? Yes, but so much fun in being so, Batman Forever is a solid standalone offering full of undeniably illogical fun and Elliot Goldenthal's score is among the most underrated in Hollywood history, livening this exhilarating adventure up with every exaggerated sound.