While certainly a step up from the crazy-eyed, pun-spouting avalanche that was Arnie's Mr. Freeze, the pair of villains assembled for Batman Forever ate all of the ham in the country before filming began, only to regurgitate it all over the screen when the director called "Action!" This proved, once again, that the villains would have a huge effect on the perception of Batman. Jim Carrey is an ideal Riddler for the Adam West era of Batman, because Carrey is the walking epitome of over-the-top camp. His portrayal of The Riddler really doesn't offer much that he hadn't already displayed (more suitably) in The Mask. He offers zero menace, instead reveling in his role as the pesky thorn in Batman's paw. Which should open the door wide for Tommy Lee Jones to come in as the strong arm of the villainous duo. Instead, he chooses to play only one side of Two-Face. (Not entirely sure whether it's the left or right side, only that it's by far the shrillest side.) This might be the most exaggerated performance of Jones' career, and it came at a time when Batman needed someone just a bit more subdued. There should have been a counterweight to Carrey's whacky schtick, but instead Jones added another level of zaniness to a movie already overstuffed with it.
