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Actor Val Kilmer has died aged 65 in California overnight.
New York Times has reported that he died from pneumonia, as was confirmed by his daughter.
Kilmer’s breakthrough role was that of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 1986 classic Top Gun, and was followed with lead roles in The Doors, Tombstone and Willow.
His boyish good looks and phenomenal range saw him spend a decade as a Hollywood darling, sharing screens with the likes of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
However, it was his role as Bruce Wayne in the 1995 version of Batman that is rarely given the praise it deserves.
Starring both Jim Carey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, the brilliance of Batman Forever is often overlooked due to the gritty Christopher Nolan trilogy that came later.
The fact remains, for a movie that is supposed to be based on a comic book character, Batman Forever was the most comic-like iteration of this superhero.
It did not pretend to be action thriller, or a brooding and dark drama. It was a movie about Batman. And it was awesome.
With eccentric villains, a terrifyingly dystopian Gotham city, and a handsome protagonist played by an actor that had the ability to tie it all together tonally – it is fair to say that Batman Forever is arguably the best Batman of them all.
Rest in peace Val Kilmer. We should’ve given you your flowers for this film while you were still here to smell them.
Courage Now, Truth Always, Batman Forever!
