Burton Elevates It Over Its Flaws

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2006)

Director Tim Burton's wonderfully whimsical style helps elevate this memorable sequel over many of its flaws. Michael Keaton returns as the Caped Crusader, this time called upon to halt a criminal alliance between The Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). The former is a grotesquely deformed sewer inhabiter with newfound political swing; the latter a sexy woman in black leather out for vengeance and aimless destruction. As different as they are, they do have something in common: a desire to rid Gotham City of Batman once and for all.
The biggest beef one might have with BATMAN RETURNS is its excessive darkness and grim feel. People who watched the original BATMAN expecting a lighthearted superhero crusade were doubly surprised this time around. There is also a notable lack of the title character, who seemingly makes too few appearances throughout the 126-minute running span. But this is all mostly forgivable. The action scenes are highly entertaining without being over-the-top (Burton really should do more action... he's so good at it). Our black-rubber-wrapped antagonist has much more of a presence than he did last time. The film is so well-scripted, with interesting subplots of the Penguin's political power and Batman being framed, that the hero's limited screen time doesn't diminish the film.
There are other things to like. The Penguin's circus gang make for some interesting fodder (though his deadly penguins armed with rockets were a little much). As usual, Burton delivers a striking backdrop, as Gotham City, seen here around the snowy holiday season, is breathtaking. The performances are solid, with Keaton able to carry the movie in the absence of Jack Nicholson's Joker. DeVito proved a perfect choice for the diminutive Penguin as he creates a complete maniac who can still draw much of our sympathy. Not to be outdone is Pfeiffer, who is superb as the hapless Selina Kyle and her tempting yet diabolical alter ego. And the element of romance, known to drag down many good-vs.-evil adventures, is a complement here given who is involved (Bruce Wayne aka Batman and Kyle aka Catwoman, but you already knew that).
It's not entirely fair to compare BATMAN RETURNS with its predecessor because they are in reality two very different films. This one wins out in many areas, yet comes up short of the original in others. No matter what you think of this sequel, you won't be bored.