Batman in Fine Form

Rating: 7/10 (9 April 2020)

Don't get me wrong, "Batman Returns" aka Batman 2 is a good movie and a fine sequel, but what kind of nemesis is a penguin? Really DC, what were you thinking? Penguins do not conjure up any kind of frightening thoughts. Granted, The Penguin (Danny Devito), had sharp teeth and a nasty attitude, but he's just trying to make an adorable animal more menacing. What's next, a killer koala?
The Penguin (Danny DeVito) was born Oswald Cobblepot. He was born into a wealthy family, but his parents clearly didn't want him. So, much like Moses's mother did with him, but with far less maternalistic aims, they put him in a stream to land God knows where.
The message from that action was clear: every bad guy has a tragic backstory. Pretty much all comics profligate the idea that there's no bad guy except that he could've been good had he/she not been wronged at one time. Look at Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), she was forged from similar fires. Batman (Michael Keaton), on the other hand, rose above the tragedy that could've made him a lot worse. Perhaps the guidance of Alfred helped him.
In "Batman Returns" Gotham is plagued by two and a half menaces. Gotham, as always, has a crime problem and two individuals sought a way to exploit that while a third was only half bad. Max Schrek (Christopher Walken) was a business tycoon that used every unethical method to achieve success. The Penguin wanted to be accepted and revered. And Catwoman just had a vendetta.
To get where they wanted to go they would have to contend with Batman, of course. To help The Penguin get Batman out of the way was Catwoman aka Selina Kyle. She rocked the lycra before Trinity of "The Matrix". The cat and the bat were never real enemies though they pawed each other. There was too much animal attraction between them to be ardent enemies.
Burton and Keaton were a good tandem once again after having done "Batman" and "Beetlejuice". Maybe the key is movies beginning with "B". Though dark, as in unlit, it didn't carry a dark tone (Batman would get a lot darker under Christopher Nolan). There was minimal killing and the criminals were largely upbeat. How can acrobatic clowns look sinister? "Batman Returns" carried the same overall vibe that it carried in the first "Batman" which I would characterize as light darkness. It was a strong storyline with the only hiccup being the creation of Catwoman (falling out of a building and having cats lick you back to life doesn't create villains, it creates paraplegics). Still, "Batman Returns" was a decent addition to the franchise.