Batman Returns

Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfieffer, Danny Devito, and Christopher Walken

Written by: Daniel Waters and Sam Hamm based on characters by Bob Kane

Directed by: Tim Burton

If this was Batman returning than he can go back from where he came. When reading interviews with Tim Burton regarding his original Batman and the controversy of casting Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight, he made it a point that some people probably wanted the camp of the 1960s series and this wasn’t going to be anything like that.

So why’d you change your mind Tim? Batman Returns is the bastard hybrid child of the 60s tv series and the 1989 Burton version. It had the look of the ’89 version. Dark and gothic and almost noir.

But the silliness and campiness made it almost feel like a parody of the original.

The one positive was the performances generally. Even with a crappy story and crappy script, Danny Devito shone as the Penguin. Christopher Walken (I admit, he could entertain me just reading the alphabet) was perfectly cast as smug business tycoon Max Schreck. Michelle Pfeiffer is certainly great eye candy. She is a bit overdramatic as Catwoman…but it might be that her origin was just completely ridiculous even by comic book standards.

Selina Kyle is a meek, scared secretary to Max Schreck who stumbles on Max’s evil plans. He pushes her out the window of his highrise and she plummets to her death until she is resuscitated somehow by cats.

What? Ok..

Danny Devito’s is slightly better. A deformed child who is abandoned by his parents (Pee Wee Herman!) and grows up in the sewers somehow…yeah not great but better than Selina.

The film is generally a mess. It all seems to be about getting from one minor action sequence to the next with very little character development.

Much is said about how Joel Schumaker wrecked the franchise but in reality, it was this film that started the downfall. In fact without having watched it again, I believe Batman Forever will be a superior film than this one.

C-