Val Kilmer all the actors to have played Batman up to that point, he felt Kilmer had given the best interpretation. Film critic Leonard Maltin (who criticized the dark tone contained in "Batman Returns") complimented Kilmer's portrayal when he reviewed the film for his expanding collection of film reviews. Defenders of "Batman Forever" praised the film for portraying Batman as a more heroic, less ruthless, and more human character than in the Tim Burton films. The film also brought the film interpretation of Bruce Wayne more into line with his comic book counterpart, showing him as a socialite and a very public
Nick Clooney Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen" (Atria, 2002). The book analyzes the significance of such iconic American films as "The Birth of a Nation", "The Jazz Singer", "Dr. Strangelove", "Stagecoach", "The Graduate", "Star Wars" and "Saving Private Ryan". Clooney was the commencement speaker for the University of Cincinnati on June 8, 2012 and was awarded an honorary degree the following day. In 2014, Nick Clooney appeared in "The Monuments Men" which was directed by his son, George Clooney, who played one of the leading characters, Stokes. Nick Clooney played the older Stokes visiting Bruges, Belgium, years later to