Credit: Warner Bros.Batman Forever is considered amongst fans to be one of the most campy films in the entire franchise, though it’s also a cult classic for many reasons. We reported that the Schumacher Cut of the film could eventually be released, which completely changes the story. However, this isn’t the only version that makes steep changes, as the novelization also alters Two-Face.
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One of the film’s most glaring issues is Tommy Lee Jones and how he portrayed Two-Face, which came off as being far more zany than was intended. Instead, Joel Shumacher’s penchant for making things a bit over-the-top made the film seem like it was almost making fun of the deeply disturbed Batman villains.
Two-Face does intend to kill Batman every chance he gets, though his demeanor is far less tormented than what the character portrays typically—generally, Two-Face fights with Harvey Dent to take control of any given situation. Dent is the more sensible of the two, as he was once the District Attorney of Gotham City. On the other hand, Two-Face is the murderous alter ego created when he is covered with acid.
There have been many iterations of the character used in comics, movies, and video games, but they all have one thing in common. The dichotomy of chance and justice in an unfair world means more to him than anything. The Batman Forever film saw Batman exploit Two-Face’s need for chance, resulting in his death. Throwing a ton of coins into Two-Face’s iconic coins confuse him and send him to a watery grave.
The novelization takes things differently, altering how Dent comes into play.
‘Batman Forever’ Novel Redefines Two-Face
The Batman Forever novelization by Peter David alters Two-Face more and showcases how the man is of two minds, much like is stated in the film. As noted, Two-Face and Harvey Dent often interject with their own thoughts and ideas, constituting a constant battle within the villain.
While Tommy Lee Jones attempts to allow the two personalities to surface, it doesn’t exactly come off that way. One of the only times it happens is right before he falls to his death. Batman uses his intellect to exploit Two-Face and his need to leave everything to chance by flipping his iconic coin.
Though the villain can easily kill Batman and Robin, Harvey Dent takes over and allows the logical side of his personality to flip the coin to determine if he will kill the heroes.
While the usage of chance and the coin line up with Two-Face’s character, it’s not exactly the best way to showcase how torn the villain is. The novel takes that characterization and alters how Two-Face dies, which is far more tragic.
During the crucial scene when Two-Face has Batman and Robin in his sights, he uses a light to make the sensor in Batman’s suit go haywire. Batman attempts to throw batarangs while blind, hoping to strike the coin of Two-Face. However, Two-Face catches the coin. Robin then questions Two-Face in the same manner as the film, commenting on his need to always rely on chance.
Instead of the coin being his complete demise, Two-Face grabs it without reading the result. He essentially takes his own life, and before he plummets to his death, Harvey Dent takes over one last time. Two-Face says, “You owe us, kid,” before plummeting to his ultimate demise.
While the result is that Two-Face still dies, this crucial moment allows the villain to truly showcase his tortured self. Two-Face and Harvey Dent are the same, though one side is often dominating more than the other. Dent being allowed to emerge and take control makes his death far more tragic.
Even better is that the need for chance versus fairness within the two personalities of Two-Face and Harvey Dent is shot down as he clutches the coin in a moment of free choice. The coin and fairness didn’t matter.
It also allowed Harvey Dent to come to terms with the people Two-Face killed. The only proper judgment was to take his own life. Dent is allowed to emerge and take matters into his own hands by answering for the crimes of Two-Face. His villainous persona took over for too long, and Dent rarely appeared in the film.
The Batman Forever novelization gives the character a deeper layer, especially regarding when Harvey Dent finally emerges.
The Schumacher Cut of the film also redefines Batman, allowing the character’s disturbed psyche to be showcased more, especially with how Bruce Wayne blames himself for the death of his parents.
We wonder if the Schumacher Cut also contains the different death of Two-Face and how much different the film will look overall. Fans can now read the novel, which is available in most retailers. But the release of the film is a different story.
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It is rumored to contain around 37 extra minutes of footage that changes the dynamic of the entire film. We hope it’s released one day, as it sounds like it changes the campy nature of the film.
What do you think of the different Batman Forever versions changing Batman and Two-Face? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!