The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2003)

****Excellent
***Good
**Fair
*Poor

Growing up there weren't the kind of films kids have these days. These days kids can enjoy the Marvel films, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Pixar pictures. When I was an adolescent we just had the Disney movies, Benji, and loads of animal films. So a film like Batman Returns was something special. A film that had imagination and adventure.
Batman Returns is not as good as the original and the plot is questionable. However, director Tim Burton manages to bring the Batman mythology back to life. While not always faithful to the comics but always inspired. Here Michael Keaton returns as the Dark Knight, this time facing the grotesque Penguin and his feline accomplice Catwoman. Both roles played wonderfully by Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer.
After Batman getting revenge in the original by murdering the killer of his parents (the Joker) screenwriters Sam Hamm and Daniel Waters further develop the character of Bruce Wayne by making him question his role as Batman. After falling in love with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) Bruce Wayne doesn't know if he wants to continue as Batman or retire and spend the rest of his live with Selina.
The screenwriters and Tim Burton use a lot of religious symbolism in this film by comparing Batman to Jesus. Here like in the last temptation of Christ Selina Kyle is a vision of what life could be but what Wayne doesn't know is that to Selina he is also a vision. In addition the whole first-born child thing is a bit Jewish.
The great tragedy of Batman Returns is Anton Furst's death. In the original he not only created a great Gotham City but a great world as well. Bo Welch took over in this film and he was a good replacement. The other great tragedy is Michael Keaton not being nominated for an Oscar. I think Keaton is one of the most underrated actors of our generation. His performance in this film was incredible. The prove of that is the scene where he is searching for the corpse of Selina and you see the face of Bruce Wayne searching for hope. Then the Penguin appears from the water and when Keaton turns to face him, although he is not wear his mask we see the face of Batman.
RATING: 4 STARS