Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer can't match Jack Nicholson as villains, but this sequel is still almost as good as the original

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2010)

This is the first sequel in the modern Batman movie franchise, released three years after the original film and directed by the same filmmaker, Tim Burton. I was still way too young for PG-13 rated movies by the time "Batman Returns" came into theatres in the early 90's, and I saw it for the first time over a decade later, in the fall of 2005. It was the first Batman film I ever watched. I first saw the 1989 blockbuster very shortly after that. I was very impressed with this sequel the first time, and have seen both of Tim Burton's contributions to the franchise again more than once since first seeing them more than four years ago. This sequel is not as popular as its predecessor, and may be slightly inferior, but neither film has ever failed to impress me.
Christmas is coming, but Gotham City is headed for more trouble this holiday season. The Penguin is a man who was born disfigured 33 years ago and sent into the sewer at Christmas time, where he was found by penguins. He still lives down in the sewer, and during a gathering in the city, he sends a group of minions to disrupt it. Batman is called upon to fight them off, but just after he does, Penguin forces a corrupt businessman named Max Shreck into the sewer and convinces him to help the deformed man gain the respect of the people of Gotham City. After this, it isn't long before Shreck's secretary, the hapless Selina Kyle, discovers the businessman's criminal secret plan, so he pushes her out the window! On the ground below, she appears to be dead, but a group of cats quickly come and revive her! Selina then returns to her apartment, where she soon develops an evil alter ego named Catwoman, another threat to the city! Penguin and Catwoman are both intent on discrediting Batman!
One of the highlights of 1989's "Batman" is Jack Nicholson's charismatic and comical performance as the Joker. Two other famous Batman villains from the comic books, Penguin and Catwoman, are featured in this first sequel, and are played here by Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer respectively. Unfortunately, neither of these cast members' performances can match that of Nicholson in the first film. DeVito can be mildly amusing in the role of a demented madman, but certainly not as funny as Nicholson playing the same kind of role before him. Also, Pfeiffer has some weak lines here, such as, "Honey, I'm home. Oh, I forgot. I'm not married," and some things she says as Catwoman. However, these two are pretty good for the most part, and Michael Keaton is still impressive as Bruce Wayne/Batman. "Batman Returns" features the same fantastic Tim Burton-style visuals as the first film (this time with snow), and also features lots of action and suspense, just like its predecessor. There may be more flaws in the script here, with such scenes as the one in which Catwoman seems to make Batman forget why he's fighting her just by saying, "How could you? I'm a woman," but the film is so entertaining that this is definitely not a significant problem.
This first "Batman" sequel is not a perfect film, and like most sequels, it's probably not quite as good as the original, but it's still another very entertaining superhero action movie, unlike what followed it in the franchise when Joel Schumacher took over and made "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin"! I feel I could rate "Batman Returns" 9/10, the same rating I gave to its predecessor, instead of 8. While it doesn't have as much good comic relief as the dark 1989 release, I think it has about as much excitement, plus the same dark visuals and atmosphere. Tim Burton only directed two Batman movies, but they are both very good ones, and his directing ability and visual style definitely helped. Just like the original, this 1992 sequel is not for little kids, even though it is Batman, but for those who like these comic book adaptations and are old enough for PG-13 rated movies, both films could easily be worthwhile.