Val Kilmer's Attempt At A Mission Impossible-Style Action Franchise Was A Disappointment

When Val Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton as Warner Bros.' Caped Crusader in 1995's "Batman Forever," his gradual ascent to superstardom seemed to be complete. Blindingly handsome, dazzlingly charismatic, and enormously talented, he was set to be an A-lister forever. Then his ego went nuclear.

According to director Joel Schumacher, Kilmer was a world-class brat on the set of "Batman Forever." Their relationship grew more and more contentious, and, evidently, couldn't be mended when it came time to make "Batman & Robin." Whether Kilmer walked away from Batman or was fired depends on who's telling the story. What's clear is that leaving the franchise proved to be a poor career move for the star.

Kilmer further damaged his professional reputation in 1996 by acting up on the set of "The Island of Dr. Moreau." When asked about working with Kilmer on the film, veteran director John Frankenheimer said, "I don't like Val Kilmer, I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again." Kilmer had long been known as a mercurial sort, but things were getting out of hand. He needed to prove he could get through a production without being a jerk to his co-workers, and, after the debacle of "The Island of Dr. Moreau," he desperately needed a hit.

In 1997, he had a shot at launching a new film franchise that would allow him to flaunt his acting chops in "The Saint" as a thief who's a master of disguise. Paramount was obviously hoping for a playful complement to their new "Mission: Impossible" franchise (with Tom Cruise's "Top Gun" co-star, no less), but there was just one problem: "The Saint" was not well-known in the United States, and it soon became apparent no one wanted to get acquainted with the character.

The Saint, aka Simon Templar, was created by author Leslie Charteris in 1928, and the novels were popular enough to spawn a series of Hollywood movies, a radio drama, and, most famously, a 1960s television series starring Roger Moore. But Moore's "The Saint" was never big in syndication, so by the time Paramount greenlit a modernized film version in the mid-1990s, a whole generation of moviegoers had no nostalgia for the franchise.

After a number of Hollywood A-listers passed on the title role, Kilmer hopped onboard. On paper, it looked promising. The skilled Australian New Wave director Phillip Noyce (who was coming off two successful Jack Ryan movies, "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger") would be directing from a screenplay by action specialist Jonathan Hensleigh ("Die Hard with a Vengeance"). Paramount poured $90 million into the production, and cast Academy Award-nominee Elizabeth Shue opposite Kilmer. They also cut a propulsive trailer that made great use of Hans Zimmer's "Crimson Tide" score.

The best that can be said of "The Saint" is the money's on the screen. Noyce and cinematographer Phil Méheux shoot the hell out of Leningrad Station and Red Square. There are loads of terrific stunts. It's a big movie! It's also a very, very bad movie!

Noyce probably could've delivered an invigorating Thomas Crown-James Bond hybrid, but the film, rewritten by Wesley Strick at Kilmer's behest, becomes a schticky showcase for the star. The tone veers from serious to campy, and ultimately feels like a tug-of-war between director and star. "The Saint" grossed $169.4 million worldwide, and was quickly forgotten. Kilmer, happily, chilled out and went on to give superb performances in "Spartan," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and "MacGruber." He was a handful for a time, but, in the end, a gem of an actor.