CAP Report MAR-065, BATMAN & ROBIN (1997)

ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

Entertainment Media Analysis Report
MAR-065
Batman & Robin (1997) PG-13
CAP Score: 66
CAP ID: 0.61

Thomas A. Carder
CAP President

ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by the CAP Home Page Table of Contents.

To this investigator, Batman & Robin (1997) was uncomfortable. I felt, for the lack of a better description, cheated by the objectivity of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model which prevented me from injecting personal distaste. The technical pageantry of the movie was excellent but was used in a dark way. While I felt no children of any age (or anyone for that matter) should be subjected to this style of media madness, the result of the analysis was true to the comparative database projections -- a CAP score securely within the scoring range of 55 to 67 for PG-13 movies.

Batman & Robin (1997) was a rather violent movie with a sinister theme and coloration typical of the latter Batman and Robin movies. While much of the violence was from a clearly fantastic and unreal world, it was violent nonetheless. The fantasy of cartoon-made-into-a-movie style made analysis of this movie quite difficult. So, take this analysis with a grain of salt.

Because of the general theme of violence, Batman & Robin (1997) lost nearly half of its starting 100 points in Wanton Violence/Crime (W). Impunity/Hate (I)⁽¹⁾, as is typical with PG and PG-13 movies, lost heavily due to flippant use of the three/four letter word vocabulary, but lost some due to arrogance against righteous authority and due to promotion of licentious lifestyle and reckless idiocy as acceptable. Sex/Homosexuality (S) lost nearly all of its starting 100 points due to the sexual brinkmanship typical to PG and PG-13 movies (on the brink of being explicit, but not quite there): sexual innuendo, revealing clothing, camera angles and focus, suggestive eye movement, gaping mouth kissing, and sensuality in action, dress, and speech. And, of course, the rubber suits were as accurate to true anatomy as possible without being explicit. Drugs/Alcohol (D) lost points only due to the use of a drug gas to control people. Offense to God (O)⁽²⁾ lost points due to pantheism, evolutionism, presentation of satanists, and comparison of self with God. Murder/Suicide (M)⁽³⁾ lost points due to murder (imagine that), one murder was portrayed with a flippant arrogant attitude at murder -- killing without any form of regret.

Other examples of unacceptable material included:

disregard for rigtheous police action

theft, threats of murder, attempts to kill, and lust after death

lies to cover actual deed

presentation of satanists

Please remember we believe that if even one of the six Investigation Area scores for a movie is equivalent to the CAP comparative baseline database scoring range for R, PG-13, or PG material, the entire movie should be regarded as so rated. For example, if only Wanton Violence/Crime earns a score equivalent to R but all other Investigation Areas earn a score equivalent to G, THERE IS R-RATED MATERIAL IN THE MOVIE AND YOUR KIDS WILL SEE IT AND HEAR IT IF THEY WATCH THE MOVIE!

Below is the table showing the scoring in each of the Investigation Areas plus the Final Score drawn from the actual CAP Report. In addition, the CAP Influence Density (ID) figure for the movie and the number of examples per hour of unacceptable material in each of the Investigation Areas is provided.

Batman and Robin (1997) CAP Scorecard

In accordance with the comparative baseline data of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model, Batman & Robin (1997) presented material equivalent to R-rated material in Sex/Homosexuality, PG-13 rated material in Wanton Violence/Crime and Impunity/Hate, PG-rated material in Murder/Suicide, and G-rated material in Drugs/Alcohol and Offense to God. Thus, Batman and Robin (1997) was equivalent to the comparative baseline data corresponding to 17% R-rated material, 33% PG-13 material, and 17% PG-rated material, and 33% G-rated material.

(1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend", of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impunity/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

(2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name is incorporated into the Impunity/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no dupication. As required of the Holy Scriptures, unless God's name is used with reverence to His glory and praise, its use is considered in vain, whether literal or euphemistic.

(3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Presentation of attempts to commit murder or suicide, deaths by police action, and deaths by war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.

Additional reviews of this movie may be located at Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama.

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