It was the night before Christmas in Gotham City...

Rating: 9/10 (9 December 2005)

On a cold, snowy night one time in Gotham City, a rich couple gave birth to their first and (presumably) last child. The child is deformed and is assumed a safety risk. A few nights or weeks later, on a nightly stroll through the park, the couple has decided to toss the baby and its carriage over a bridge, where it is gently taken by the still waters into the sewer.
It was on this same night in 1992, that director Tim Burton gave rise to the dynamic, multi-layered sequel to his 1989 blockbuster with "Batman Returns." It's darker, moodier, sexier and more vibrant than "Batman," and maybe even the Dark Knight's creator Bob Kane might be happy with Burton's vision. Or maybe not. It isn't better than its predecessor, but is at least on a certain level of creativity, if nothing else is ever as spectacular this time around.
Burton's specialty is freaks, and they wear their hearts on all sleeves, if they wore sleeves. Burton has surrounded himself with freakish visual delights, circus outcasts and three figures struggling with "dual identities" this time in Gotham City as the Christmas holidays are rapidly approaching, and so the criminals are also out raising hell and who do the scared innocents call: Batman.
The Penguin (Danny DeVito, perfectly hideous under a ton of Oscar-nominated Stan Winston prosthetics) is largely responsible for this new crime wave, as he aspires to rise to power in Gotham City's government, with the reluctant aid of corrupt business mogul Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), whose proposed power plant will drain the city of power once brought online. The Penguin's devious plot is shrouded in mystery from the masses, however, by his desire to find his identity and make peace with his now deceased parents, adopting the birth name "Oswald Cobblepot." More on this later.
Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) is onto Cobblepot and Shreck's plans, but his DUAL IDENTITY as Batman will have to be put on hold when Shreck's mousy secretary... uh, executive assistant... uh, secretary Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) adopts her DUAL IDENTITY as the S & M-leather-bondage Catwoman after taking a swan dive out of a top-floor window, is resurrected by friendly felines, and becomes the object of Bruce's desires. Will they let their DUAL INDENTITIES as the Bat and the Cat get in the way of their passion, or will they live happily ever after?
It could be stated "Batman Returns" is probably the sexiest and introspective (but does not reach the level of sophistication found in the first "Batman") of Burton's Gothic vehicles. Pfeiffer seems to be having the most fun as Catwoman - sexy, delicious, vicious - a role many felt was lacking with Halle Berry's continuation of the character 12 years later in the "Batman Returns" spin off, "Catwoman." Keaton is fulfilling once again as the Dark Knight, as his relationship this time with a romantic interest has a little more steam, much to the surprise of faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough).
But as usual (and aside from Pfeiffer's sexy curvatures), Burton indulges in the visuals (which are beautiful, but so is Catwoman), but it could also be argued he leaves his players out in the cold in favor of the former. The romance between Bruce and Selina is almost non-existent by the time the credits roll, but Burton makes the effort to really explore the dark depths of his characters in the sequel and their struggles with alternate lives, giving reason to their troubling ways of causing mischief in Gotham City.
Speaking of mischief, again, The Penguin's plans to run for mayor are overshadowed by his current two-fold operation of systematically murdering Gotham's first-born children, biblical-style, by drowning them in the sewers from where he has risen, and framing Batman for the kidnapping of the Ice Princess (Cristi Conaway).
Action is plentiful, as the three main characters are given enough screen time to live out their roles. Danny Elfman's score is there this time too, in order to back its frequent scenes of action and mayhem. Director Burton may have outdone himself on this sequel, as it was his last chance at the Dark Knight, as was also Keaton's.
It will be a darker, stormier night in Gotham City when Batman, The Penguin, and Catwoman decide to get together and have themselves a Christmas party.
9/10