Like Batman, I'm dichotimatically torn...

Rating: 6/10 (12 April 1999)

...by Batman Returns. On the one hand, there's a good story here (Bruce Wayne sympthasizing with both the Penguin and Catwoman, and even Schreck's concern for his son gives him a sympathetic moment or two), an interesting Biblical motif, some good fight sequences which help to maintain the image of Michael Keaton as the Batman, and some generally interesting elements throughout.
On the other hand, Keaton seems to think he's in a comedy movie, playing almost all of his Wayne sequences for laughs. He was blown off the screen by Nicholson's performance in the first movie: this time around he's blown off the screen by three less-powerful actors/actresses overacting in concert.
And _oh_ do they overact. When Christopher Walken is the most subdued bad guy in any movie, you know you're in trouble. The Penguin isn't so much Dickensian as disgusting as he eats raw fish, bleeds black, and bites off noses. Pfeiffer goes too overly humorous as Kyle, too overly aggressive as Catwoman. These are the comic book characters reinterpreted and stripped down to their _very_ basic elements. I don't mind that they're different from their comic book counterparts, but they're (ironically) much more two-dimensional than their four-color equivalents.
Meanwhile, with Keaton struggling against his overacting villainous counterparts, everyone else gets short shrift. Michael Gough is the only other character to remain at all noticeable. Gordon and Chip Schreck are mildly memorable, but can you really picture anyone else in this movie a day after you've watched it (except for SNL actress Jan Hooks, and maybe the memorably icy Poodle Lady)? There's really just too much going on here, ending with a big penguin missle-launching blowout.
The second in the franchise, BR remains somewhat entertaining. But it's big, flashy throw-everything-we've-got-and-hope-it- sticks approach is a predecessor to the Schumacher "epics" that are to come.