Super Critics doesn't need a big swing to get people talking, but Tom Scibelli coming back to roast 1997's Batman & Robin is turning into more than just another episode. The premise alone is a gift: one of the most infamous comic book movies ever made, sat down with the guy fans have crowned the show's best-ever guest, and let loose for a full breakdown.
Scibelli and the host dig into the movie's most infamous moments, cutting to clips of Mr. Freeze, a startled cameo, and Batgirl mid-review.
Batman & Robin has been a punching bag for nearly 30 years, so there's no shortage of material. Bat-nipples, the ice puns, the tonal whiplash from the darker Burton and Nolan eras that bookend it, Scibelli and the crew clearly had plenty to work with. That's the appeal of Super Critics as a format: it's not really about whether the movie is good, it's about watching someone with a real point of view tear into something everyone already has an opinion on.
Scibelli himself pushed the episode out to his own audience, clearly aware of the stakes for his personal Super Critics legacy.
Trying to keep my title as top Super Critics guest ever. Please go give it a click for a view! It’s some good discussion! https://t.co/Ylyk5Kweoa
That title, top Super Critics guest ever, isn't just a throwaway line. Recurring guests build a track record on shows like this, and the numbers are apparently backing Scibelli up in a big way this time around.
Hearing that this is being called “the biggest Super Critics opening weekend of all time” and this episode may now get released on IMAX and Infinity Vision screens! See for yourself!
Calling it the biggest Super Critics opening weekend of all time is a real claim, and floating an IMAX and Infinity Vision release on top of it is the kind of bit that only makes sense inside Barstool's ecosystem, but that's exactly why it's funny. Whether or not screens actually light up with a Batman & Robin retrospective, the response says a lot about how much runway this format still has when the right guest and the right movie collide.