Superior comic book masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2005)

There has been a rush of comic book films lately that have garnered high praise, but what everyone seems to be forgetting is that, over a decade ago, Tim Burton made a film that is easily on par with the best comic book adaptations being made today; maybe even better. The film is, of course, Batman Returns; which can only be described as an all out comic book masterpiece. Quite frankly, everything that could be good about this film; is great. Tim Burton has succeeded on a number of levels to bring us the ultimate comic book movie - the characters, the plot, the atmosphere - everything in this film is right on cue. What really annoyed me about the first Batman film was that Burton didn't seem to know where he wanted the focus. It seemed as if he wanted it to be more on The Joker, but then he threw in some character building for Batman; and the final result was very messy. This has been sorted out for this film, and although it has once again left Batman in the shadows; Burton has given us two great villains to have fun with, and the fact that the focus is more on them only makes the film better.
The plot mainly follows a young child that was dumped into the sewers at birth. This child would grow up to become 'The Penguin', and he chooses to rise from the sewers at around the same time that businessman Max Schrek has decided to throw his secretary, Selina Kyle out of the window; who then becomes her alter ego, Catwoman. The Penguin and Max Schrek then team up so that the former can get his revenge on Gotham City, and, of course, the caped crusader is on hand to dispatch the baddies. The plot isn't all that deep or intelligent, but it serves it's purpose and allows Tim Burton to do what he really wanted to do with the movie; create a very dark Gothic look for Gotham City! Batman's home town looks absolutely fabulous throughout this film, and the winter setting blends magnificently with Burton's Gothic architecture to create a world that excellently compliment's it's hero's dark personality, while creating a great aesthetic playground for Burton to weave his tale within.
It's not just the atmosphere that makes this film what it is - a plethora of great performances have been added into the mix, with each performer giving great energy and enthusiasm to their roles. Michael Keaton returns to his role as the caped crusader, and pretty much does what he did in the last film. He's never really given a chance to impress, as his three villainous counterparts constantly upstage him. Danny DeVito is supremely grotesque in his role as The Penguin, and makes sure that he holds the focus in every scene he's in. This sort of role suits an actor like DeVito excellently, and this is the best I've ever seen him. On the flip side to The Penguin, we have Catwoman; who is played by the very sexy Michele Pfifer. She looks great in her black leather suit, and her demented portrayal as the tortured villain works brilliantly. Rounding off the cast is the magnificent Christopher Walken. Walken has an uncanny ability of making a huge impression in everything he's in, and his dark and downbeat portrayal as a shrewd businessman is just great.
On the whole, I highly recommend this film to everyone. While the substance isn't always there, Burton has given this sequel enough style and enough entertainment value to more than adequately mask that fact and if you're a fan of cinema; I see no reason to dislike this film.