Dark, Gritty, Grandiose, and Entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2000)

If Batman was a dark, hellish nightmare, Batman Returns' has been lowered even further into the darkness in Tim Burton's fantastic follow up to his 1989 hit.
Micheal Keaton reprises his role as the Caped Crusader, and as was the case in the first film, does a subtle and effective job of portraying Bruce Wayne/Batman. The real treat, however, is the new villains that he's gained. The Penguin, amusingly played by DeVito is wickedly fun; Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is a sly, slinky, and intoxicatingly seductive; and Christopher Walken's Max Shreck is a ruthless, tough, and backstabbing businessman. While Batman is the hero, he is completely overshadowed by the fun menace provided by the three villains.
Gotham City is even bleaker than before; with wrought iron fencing, soft snowfall and greys, whites, and blacks permeating the entire film. The set design is beautifully gothic and depressing. The look of the film is nightmarish and dull; Tim Burton would not direct anything so absent of color until Sleepy Hollow, 7 years later. Danny Elfman's music is also effective with its subtle, tinny, and foreboding score.
While the story is not as compelling as its prequel's was, Batman certainly offers a fun script and great visuals: the attack during the Christmas parade, faithful penguin servants, a cavalcade of circus thugs, and, again, a dark vision of the fair city of Gotham. The film will satisfy any Burton fan and will definitely ring faithfully true to Batman fans.
8 out of 10