Batman Returns - The Motherfucking Reckoning

Rating: 6/10 (10 November 2013)

Tim Burton takes another stab at directing a film starring the beloved caped crusader, The Dark Knight of Gotham City, Batman. Whereas in the first film, Batman felt a bit overshadowed by the campy Joker character, but now Batman has up to three adversaries that you care more about than the title star. Catwoman, a revenge seeking feline imitator. The Penguin, a criminal who was actually raised by penguins. And Max Shreck... And that is it. Sometimes I felt myself actually rooting for Catwoman to kick the snot out of Batman and just due the guy in because Bruce Wayne felt so unimaginative and boring. Which isn't good being as though Tim Burton has the imagination of a hawk's eye and got too wrapped in the visuals of the film. Looking like Gotham is one thing, but feeling like Gotham is another. Tim Burton's direction is not very inventive, although he does seem to know where to go and who to focus on in any given moment. Danny Elfman's score was (of course) the best part of the entire film minus Michelle Pfeiffer's performance as the sexy Catwoman.
So what do we have?
Pros:
#1 - Danny Elfman's Score
#2 - Tim Burton's Visual Style
#3 - Michelle Pfeiffer/Catwoman
Cons:
#1 - Unimaginative Cinematography
#2 - Overshadowing of the Main Character
#3 - A Weak Story Without Characters To Match