I ashamedly admit: my favorite movie

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 1998)

Whenever anyone asks me my favorite movie, I cringe and say "Actually, it's *Batman Returns*." Then I cover my ears when they yell out "What? Are you crazy?" Actually, it's a fair question. This film is really an acquired taste, and yes, it does have its flaws. For one thing, of course, it's not at all true to the comic book: Batman kills, Catwoman is not a thief, the Penguin is not an aristocratic mastermind. For another thing, the acting borders on awful, from Michelle Pfeiffer's irritating "I'm-so-lonesome" schtick at the beginning, to Danny DeVito's thoroughly repulsive histrionics. But this film somehow transcends these picayune concerns and becomes a dark, almost poetic masterpiece. Tim Burton fills the screen with haunting, daring, and nightmarish images, that capture the essence of the Dark Knight, if not the details. If you're a Tim Burton fan (which I most assuredly am), you should know that this is probably the most Tim Burtonesque film he has yet made. I dunno...guess I can't really put it into words...I am a longtime Batman fanatic, and for me this movie captures all the darkness, fierceness, and tragedy that surround the legend of the Dark Knight. It IS worth renting.