Too Much Undeserving Hate, It's Not That Bad

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 2016)

Batman Returns is directed by Tim Burton and stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, a millionaire living in Gotham City that secretly spends his nights fighting crime as a vigilante called Batman. After the defeat of his greatest villain, the Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman has done a relatively good job at keeping the streets clean. However, a new villain is on the rise, a deformed man named Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito), that calls himself the Penguin. Batman must find a way to defeat the new evil, all while managing his very complicated relationship with the infamous Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
While a good amount of people dislike this movie, I actually really enjoy it. I think there are many good elements to Returns, and it may even be as good as the original Batman (1989). Although many criticize Tim Burton's takeover of this film, I don't mind it all that much. This film may not be perfect, but it definitely accomplishes at least one thing: it's fun.
The best thing about this movie has got to be the acting. Michael Keaton's Batman, although not my favorite, is legendary. Keaton definitely does a great job as both Bruce Wayne and the caped crusader, and started an amazing legacy. Danny DeVito also plays a near perfect Penguin, and captures a great image of how disturbing and grotesque Oswald really is. Michelle Pfeiffer, although not my favorite Catwoman, does a great job as Selina Kyle, especially in the sequence in which she transitions from normal Selina into Catwoman. Another great casting choice that's overlooked a lot is Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Walken plays this dirty business man amazingly, and really shows how cruel a person can be.
The direction in Batman Returns, I feel, is really good as well. Many people say that Tim Burton went too much Tim Burton on this film, and made it less of a Batman movie, and more of a Burton movie, which I subtly agree with. Although I still think it has more of a Batman feel that a Burton feel, I do see where those accusations come in play. Certain factors of Returns overly captures the oddness of Burton, and, while that can be good, it goes a bit overboard.
My complaints with this movie really lie with small things, and aren't anything big, for instance the sexual element of the film, mostly revolving around Catwoman. Catwoman is a sexy, sleek character in both the comics and films, and that's a good thing, because it adds to the complications between her and Bruce. However, she's just a complete slut in Batman Returns. Not only does she friggin' lick Keaton's face, she has some very sexual dialogue, specifically in "the scene" with the Penguin (you know the one). There are many infamous lines throughout the movie, and about 80% of them come from banter between Selina and Oswald. I'm not going to provide examples, because I don't know who's going to be reading this, but just go under the "quotes" section on IMDb: there's some weird lines in this movie.
Another small complaint I found in the film is the vividness of Gotham. Although Tim Burton made his two Batman films dark, Gotham itself doesn't seem too depressing. This is mostly thanks the giant bronze statues positioned throughout the city, and the giant lit up Christmas tree. As far as the statues, they stuck around for Joel Schumacher's Batman films, and we all know how those ended up. Burton makes the city dark, yes, but there are certain parts of the film that just take away from the grittiness that the filmmakers tried to inspire.
The last point I'll hit is another positive, and that's the costumes and makeup, specifically on Danny DeVito. The disgusting, round body piece that DeVito had to wear (watch the special features), and the amazing prosthetics on his face, mostly the crooked, pointy nose, are fantastic. The extremities that were involved in making the Penguin look just how disturbing he does is unfathomable to think about. Danny DeVito, who spent five hours in makeup each day, really dedicated himself to this role, and earned any money that Batman Returns provided him with.
In conclusion, Batman Returns gets a lot of undeserving hate, and really is a good film, both in Batman terms and in just general terms. Anybody should see this movie, especially if you're a fan of either Batman or Tim Burton.