The summer of 1992 saw the return of Batman to the big screen with Tim Burton returning to the director's chair and Michael Keaton returning under the cowl. Both men had to be persuaded heavily in order to return, with Burton receiving full creative control and Keaton being given a much larger paycheck and merchandising rights. The film tells the story of an abandoned misfit named Oswald Cobblepot, played by the great Danny DeVito who wishes to be among the elite who he feels had denied him through life. All the while Bruce Wayne/Batman attempts to bring control to Gotham City when Cobblepot's circus gang arrives to terrorize the city and helping both Cobblepot and an evil industrialist named Max Schreck. Batman also deals with the mysterious Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer who seeks revenge on Schreck but slowly begins to fall for Bruce.
The movie at the time was under heavy criticism due to its much darker nature, more extreme violence, and an overall downbeat and bitter ending. The film was not filmed with young children in mind, however the studio has to take the blame in some ways. The film may have not been appropriate for younger viewers, however the Warner blatantly would advertise the film to such an audience, with various toys, clothing, and costumes for them. I myself would have several of the figures myself however I was unable to see the film at the time due to its heavy content.
The movie was also criticized for its lack of narrative and Burton's focus on the film's villains rather than Batman himself. I enjoyed 'Batman Returns' more than the 1989 original the first time I saw it, and I still have that opinion today. I think the film's visuals are more improved and beautiful pieces of art, I think that the film has better done action sequences, and I always enjoyed the grimmer tone of the film. What I will agree with the critics on is its lack of story, with whatever is in the film being nothing more than your usual superhero tropes. A corporate villain attempts to take over Gotham City with the help of various other evil entities and henchmen. The film has rightfully been accused of juggling too many villain characters. The 'Batman' franchise always seems to have issues with this, even in more excellent pieces such as 'The Dark Knight'.
The film's performances by DeVito and Pfeiffer are what I think hold up the best. The film's portrayal of Selina Kyle/Catwoman is still a personal favorite of mine, even if it doesn't fall in line with the comic's continuity. She is by far the most complex character of the film, and she has the best arc over the course of its running time. She is a far more sympathetic villain than the others in the franchise and you feel a wide range of emotions with her. I always enjoyed seeing her on screen. DeVito's Penguin is also a drastic change from his comic book counterpart, and at the time I first saw the film I really thought he was a better interpretation of the character. He is a deformed misfit who feels anger at the world who shunned him as an infant rather than a strange looking mob boss. His performance holds up well enough as I said, but I have since retconned my opinion of him. He's just a gross and weird creature that feels more like an original Burton creation rather than a Batman villain.
The two actors I think were let down the most were Christopher Walken and Michael Keaton. For a film entitled 'Batman Returns' we really don't get any real moments with him outside of a couple of scenes in which he interacts with Selina Kyle. It's almost as if Tim Burton didn't care for him this time around and really leaves a mark on the overall film. Walken's Max Schreck character is also a complete waste of his talents. Siskel & Ebert at the time both remarked that his character was completely not needed in the film at all, and I couldn't agree more. His motives are so cliche and for much of the film he seems to be the main villain despite not having any real sense of power to him. I just wish they could have found something better for such a great actor to do here.
Danny Elfman returns to score the picture with usual success. I love this score more than the original film, with its mixture of somber holiday music and operatic choirs. I give this one a listen every now and then and its one of my favorite scores of Elfman's career. The film at the time was a big success, making more than twice the amount of the original film however the films' darker tone, bittersweet ending, and the controversy over its violent nature led to a drastic change in style to the 'Batman' franchise starting in 1995 with 'Batman Forever'. While that film will be discussed at a later date I just wanted to mention its overhaul of the films in terms of its lighter tone, bright colors, and comedic sequences. 'Batman Returns' is still my favorite of the two films Tim Burton did for the series and it still holds up even after more than 20 years. It, like its predecessor also feels more like a comic book panel come to life, whereas the later films in Nolan's universe is closer to reality and therefore I tend to distance the two rather than compare them. Give this one and the original another viewing sometime if you feel bored one day and need a boost, you'll get it from 'Batman Returns'.
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