Has bettered with Time

Rating: 7/10 (24 July 2006)

Having watched Batman Begins for a second time two nights ago and coming to the conclusion that I'd overrated it, I thought I'd bring out Tim Burton's much debated Batman Returns. Although Batman 89 remains my favourite over the entire franchise (old and new) I'd never really appreciated just how facile the second instalment was.
I'd always liked Returns as a child simply because it was a Batman film. I'd never understood or appreciated the intelligence and artistic style of how it was put together. The entire film is resembles a sad poem. The characters always craved something more than they had but were always cursed never to find retribution.
Tim Burton has received plenty of criticism via the use of hindsight for never having explored the true character of Bruce Wayne. I think, perhaps, that is something that works in his favour. Burton's Wayne is an enigma, someone we just can't understand and at all and Michael Keaton pulls this off splendidly. We can see in Keaton's face that there is always a deep rooted pain in every menial action he makes. It is an absolute pity that Burton wasn't allowed to do a 3rd Batman film because that could have made something really special. I'd hazard a guess and say that it would have been a film primarily about Batman, and his battle with his inner demons and origin, thus making the perfect trilogy. Needless to say Warner Brothers felt the need to mess with something that was working.
The Catwoman is a divine character. It is typical Tim Burton in the scene where she is pushed from the window and her origin is put into place. Unlike Selina Kyle, Catwoman is sexually heightened, confident and mysterious. She is everything Selina wants to be. Michelle Pfeiffer's performance is wonderful. It is no wonder that we believe Batman to have fallen for her, she almost mirrors him as a character and he says so at the final confrontation "We're the same. Split, right down the centre." Danny DeVito also pulls of an Oscar winning performance as the disgusting and rejected Penguin. Underneath his ambitious self, he is merely a horny teenager wanting to experience a little bit of human life. That is why his story is so compelling and we are almost moved to see him die. If you compare this with Schumacher's Two Face then it makes for a much more interesting villain. Max Shreck was perhaps the face of true evil in this film and he eventually gets his comeuppance. I do enjoy the fact that Batman sees right through Shreck but does nothing. Had any other director had this film then I am sure they would have opted for a confrontation once Bruce had discovered the truth.
The movie, altogether I think, is an intelligent dark comedy. As someone has previously mentioned in these reviews it really isn't what you would expect of a Batman film. If you want a version that stays faithful the original idea and is so suave then Begins is the answer. If you are after something a little discrepant then look no further than Tim Burton's versions. For the love of God stay away from the last two catastrophe's. Me, well I appreciate both Begins and Burton's.