CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Batman Returns

Director

Tim Burton

Year

1992

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

As of two weeks ago, my favorite Batman movie was Batman Returns. Being a huge fan of Tim Burton, I find nothing disappointing in his two outings as director of the first movies in the saga. That said, I don’t like the Joel Schumacher follow-ups. Batman Forever was tolerable, but Batman & Robin is one of the worst movies ever, despite a deliciously over-the-top performance by Uma Thurman. So now that the Batman craze is all over the place, I feel like talking about a movie that I’ve dearly loved since the first moment I saw it.

Oswald Copperpot (Danny DeVito) was born a freak, so his parents threw him to the cloaks where he found a home underneath an abandoned zoo, among penguins that is. He then became a circus performer, and formed a band of terrorists. But what The Penguin only wants is to get to know his parents and ask them why they did that to him. So he kidnaps millionaire Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) and blackmails him as to help him gain the public’s confidence. Shreck sees in him an opportunity to rule Gotham City as his puppet and postulates him as Major of the city. Meanwhile, Shreck’s clumsy secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), unveils a dangerous secret so his boss attempts to murder her, but cats save her life and in the way she acquires some of the species’ abilities, which she uses to rebel against everybody. However, recluse billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) won’t make it easy for any of them to follow their plans.

Batman Returns is classic Burton from frame one. The credits appear over the image of the freak baby traveling through the zoo and the underground, while Danny Elfman’s haunting score plays in the background and snow never stops falling. From then on the movie is a roller-coaster ride of what over-the-top and fantasy are all about. Burton is a master in both, so we get caricature-esque villains, bizarre characters (what’s up with Christopher Walken’s hair?), impressive visuals, and a very twisted story. The visuals, especially, are so amazing they can stay with you forever, from Gotham to the Penguin’s home to the Batcave to Selena Kyle’s weird apartment. It is all a treat for the eye.

I also like that there’s a hell of a lot going on all the time, but Burton never loses track of his story. Different plot threads abound. We get the Penguin’s story, Catwoman’s story, Bruce and Selina’s story, Shreck‘s story, and then we have them all crashing into each other. I like that. There’s nothing wrong with simpler movies, but I like to be challenged and to get my superhero movie a little smarter than usual. Nevertheless, it can get complicated, and sometimes scenes dealing with politics and stuff like that tend to make the movie feel overlong.

If there is anything to remember this movie for it is very simple: Catwoman. Or, should I say, Michelle Pfeiffer. She created an emblematic character and was able to transcend beyond the screen. Most people remember Catwoman as she played it, so exquisite, so mad, and so dangerous. It helps that Michelle has cat-like face features, but her entire performance is breath-taking. Danny De Vito is also excellent, if annoying at times, and Michael Keaton is a fine Bruce. Also, Christopher Walken is as weird as usual, which suits the character to a tee.

Great direction, great performances, great story, great cinematography, great costumes, great art direction… hell, even great sound.

“Meow.”

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