Dark, funny and original. Not as good as the first film, but well worth watching.

Rating: 8/10 (13 May 2009)

There were a lot of things that were excellent about this movie, like the cinematography and the performances, though it isn't as good as the first film. Michael Keaten is suitably brooding as the Dark Knight, better than George Clooney in Batman and Robin (considered as the worst out the franchise)though he is overshadowed by the villains, namely Danny DeVito as the Penguin, who looked as though he was having a ball, and brought a sense of sadness and grotesquesness to the role. Christopher Walken was effective also as Max Schrek. Stealing the show, with her flawless delivery of not-so special lines, is Michelle Pfeiffer as the sexy and manipulative Catwoman. The film looks lovely, with the sets and effects, and Tim Burton directs with detail. However the film does drag, and while there are some intelligent lines from the villains, the script could have been developed a little more. All in all, a dark and entertaining film. Whereas Batman Forever is funnier and more fast paced, Batman Returns is darker, but just lacks the sophistication of the first film. 8/10 Bethany Cox.