fajrdrako | Batman Forever...

While walking to and from work today, I was listening to the audio recording of Batman Forever by Peter David, which is the audiobook of the novelization of the movie Batman Forever. It's probably an abridged version, though I don't know. I have never seen the movie.

We're getting pretty far removed from the Batman source material here.

I don't know who the reader is (and there's no documentation with the tape to say). He reads well, in a wildly melodramatic and hammy way. His Batman voice is nicely deep and his Riddler voice is squeakily insane; his Dr. Chase Meridian is a girlish soprano.

The story is written in brief splotches, a different point of view in each scene, each one quick, pointed, and then it's on to the next. Sort of like in a movie. It makes sense that the novelization of a movie would read like a movie.

Though Peter David's writing is sometimes good and sometimes less good, he's at this histrionic best here, at least in terms of writing style. He has Batman's personality better delineated than most of the movies. I liked Dr. Chase Meridian (the female lead) until I looked up the movie and discovered she was played by Nicole Kidman. Why do I have a negative reaction to that? I'm not sure. I have no reason to dislike Nicole Kidman, I just... Well, I guess I've just never really enjoyed any of her performances. I am sorry to hear it's her, and now can't stop myself from picturing her as the character.

As with all the movies, this emphasizes the colourful, crazy Batman villains without taking them seriously. Lots of "Perils of Pauline" type scenes of mayhem that Batman escapes at the last second. It's not my favourite approach to Batman at all. But I'm not bored. In fact, it's better than most novelizations of movies are - regardless of the quality of the movie it was based on.

My favourite bits are those from Batman's point of view, and the parts about him. I can't even recognize Dick Grayson in the bratty teenager depicted here. Alfred seems off too, though I can't put my finger on why. Commissioner Gordon (always a favourite) is given such short shrift he's practically invisible, though I liked a moment when he walked on to a dark roof to see Batman kissing Chase Meridian. I like that kind of Batman moment.

I wouldn't bother to read this if it were a book. But as audio diversion on the way to work, it's fun.