Most movie adaptations follow the screenplay very closely. But this adaptation is slightly different. There was a controversial subtext of homoerotic attraction in the movie subtly alluded to between Batman/Bruce Wayne, the Riddler/Edward Nygma and Robin/Dick Grayson. That subtext has been considerably toned down. Secondly, this adaptation provides the most detailed exploration of Batman’s character to date. Also, there were reports that director Joel Schumacher ignored the previous films and used the original 1939-40’s Batman comics as background information for this movie. In those early comics it was the villains’ traumas that drove them to madness, crime and a quest for world domination. There’s a lot going on in Batman Forever-probably much more than in either Batman or Batman Returns.