7.5/10 - Burton's imagination gone wild

Rating: 8/10 (28 August 2012)

"Batman Returns" is a strange movie. It may not be a film for everyone. Back in its day, it caused such a fuss, and it's easy to see why. This is a very dark film, and twisted, too.
There's a scene where Selina Kyle falls from several stories, gets resurrected by cats, and goes bat-sh** crazy, stabbing her stuffed dolls with a knife.
The Penguin is such a creepy character. In one scene, he shakes another guy's hand with a dismembered man's hand, and in another, he bites another man's nose and leaves it bleeding.
Yes, this is a dark, twisted, bizarre film. In fact, more so than the first one.
Yet strangely, it manages to be a really fun film! Here is director Tim Burton at his whimsical best, creating a blend of playful imagination and dark fantasy, and he's doing it in that dark, playful way that only he can do. The scene where Batman takes on the Penguin's Red Circus Gang is a lot of fun to watch, with the different members of the Red Circus Gang appearing in many strange, bizarre forms, and Batman dispatching them with a variety of different methods, like rod that pop out of the Batmobile's wheels to trip them.
In fact, while being darker than the first "Batman," this also manages to be more cartoony. There's no forgetting the Penguin's army of rocket-launching, well, penguins, which look funny with those mind control devices on their heads. And, while being silly, it has charm, something lacking in the ridiculous scenes of "Batman & Robin." This is not a realistic film, and Burton makes no attempt to. After all, Selina Kyle is not only resurrected by cats, for some reason, she also gains the ability to fight and be adept with the whip. Are these magical cats? There's nothing to prepare the audience for these unexpected supernatural scenes. In fact, my only major gripe with the film may be the script: It's not exactly the most coherent in the world.
The first "Batman" movie was gritty and had the vibe of a crime/noir film. But "Batman Returns" throws away all that, and here instead is this Tim Burton world that is strange and dark, but what an enchanting world it is! It is so imaginative, with great-looking sets, like the Penguin's hideout, and great scenes, too.
The first "Batman" had a lot of great, spectacular scenes, and this sequel follows up with just as much spectacle, such as the scene where Batman destroys the Penguin's headquarters. Tim Burton is very creative with the scenes, and there are some memorable images, like when the Penguin takes his hands and forms the shadow of a bat on the ceiling.
The story is more complex than the first. The first film was mainly about Batman versus the Joker. Here, on the other hands, are several interlinking stories: The Penguin's attempt to get revenge on society, for it rejected him for being deformed; Selina's/Catwoman's desire for revenge against her boss; the evil Max Shreck's plot involving his nuclear power plant; and on top of it all is Batman's quest to stop them.
It is said that Batman is reduced to a mere supporting character in his own movie, and this is no exaggeration. The villains do, in fact, get a lot of screen time. But it is all these interlinking characters that make the movie. The point isn't so much about Batman undergoing a major character arc as it is about how he relates to the other characters.
Yet, in whatever scenes he has, the audience gets to know enough about Batman/Bruce Wayne. We first see him in a dark mansion, brooding alone in a dark room. This alone tells us that not only is he a recluse, he's lonely as well. In one scene, Alfred calls him a "lonely man-beast." But lonely as he may be, he may have perhaps found love in the form of Selina Kyle, whose alter-ego happens to be none other than Catwoman, one of Batman's enemies.
The romance here is perhaps more interesting than the first. Here, for the first time, is a love interest who is very much like Batman/Bruce—perhaps too much. Here are two people who dress up in costumes and live double lives, and the doubles lives is what makes the romance interesting: While in one form they romance each other, in the other, they fight. Both of them have "a dark side." As Batman says, they're "the same, split right down the middle." The film treats Batman as being essentially the same as his two villains. They're all freaks and misfits. All of them are seeking revenge, with Batman being the only one who's on the right side. The real villain in the story is Max Shreck, who just seeks power.
The film ends with a beautiful scene. Bruce/Batman has apparently lost Selina/Catwoman. He's in his car being driven by Alfred. All of a sudden, he sees a stray cat, and he decides to take it inside. Then he sees a silhouette of Catwoman, but it quickly vanishes. The car drives away, and above them, the Bat-signal looms in the sky. All of a sudden, the head of Catwoman appears, and she watches the car drive away. She's alive, but Selina and Bruce can't be together. "Batman Returns" is perhaps the most bittersweet in the series.
It's easy to get turned off by this movie. There are those weird, bizarre scenes, after all. The plot might not make a lot of sense to first-time viewers. For me, this is one of those films has to "grow on you." This may not be a film that's easy to get into. Some will probably never get into it at all. But for those who do, they'll be given a taste of Tim Burton's imagination at its fullest, as well as a beautiful, haunting experience.