MovieChat Forums > Batman Forever (1995) Discussion > People hating on TLJ for Two-Face, why?

People hating on TLJ for Two-Face, why?

posted 3 years ago by ChipDouglas (1607)
22 replies | jump to latest

What was so wrong with Two-Face. I saw this movie as a child and he really terrified me. He seemed so unhinged and ruthless. Watching it as an adult I still see him as being fairly savage. He killed Robin's parents on screen. He didn't hesitate to attempt killing someone by drowning them in acid (the same acid that maimed him,) having another die buried alive, and disguising himself as an old woman.

Yes he acted wild, but wasn't that what the character called for?

This was my first Batman and I am unfamiliar with the comics original portrayal of the character.

In the Nolan iteration of Batman, I found him to be boring and a bit of a disappointment.

[–] TMC-4 (19577) a year ago

My first main exposure to Two-Face was probably, Batman: The Animated Series with Richard Moll (AKA Bull Shannon on Night Court) providing his voice. The character was of course, absent from the Adam West TV series and while Billy Dee Williams did play Harvey Dent in the 1989 movie, this was before he got scarred.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Harvey_Dent_(DCAU)

https://www.reddit.com/r/batman/comments/o8cbuh/btas_and_two_face_the_origin_story_of_big_bad/

In Batman Forever, they really simplified Harvey's backstory and origin when compared to Batman: The Animated Series. He kind of comes across as a generic, one note comic book villain. Like I said, Two-Face as portrayed here by Tommy Lee Jones feels more like a Dick Tracy villain and somebody less multi-faceted or tragic.

It seems like in Forever, they imply that Harvey merely went insane became a supervillain simply because of the acid that was thrown in his face instead of being the "straw the broke the camel's back".

[–] fourniera65 (129) 7 months ago

He was playing the Joker....And so was JC..

In the comics Two-Face is very serious, Very Tall and Muscular and he respects the coins decision, he also NEVER laughts.

TLJ was just playing the Joker...He was not playing Two-Face. Aaron Eckhart was pretty much how Two-Face is meant to be.

Even Jim Carrey went a little overboard and was acting Joker like. Where as the Riddler can be goofy, he is not that energetic

[–] ChipDouglas (1607) 7 months ago

Thanks for the info!

[–] Patman111196 (1336) 5 months ago

Carrey did give a more convincing impression than Jones did, as well as actually being more intelligent and sophisticated. As many people pointed out, Two-Face was just a loon who was given some rather unconvincing psychology, while the Riddler actually proved to be a far more competent villain than him.

[–] fourniera65 (129) 5 months ago

I agree with that, Also TLJ wanted to out do Jim Carrey because he hated him.