Batman Returns (1992) Reviews

• Utter crap

  donstamegna2010-03-30

  This movie is by far one of the worst super hero films ever, it's on par with Superman 4. Bruce Wayne just sits in his study waiting for the Bat Signal to call him (and what the heck is up with all those reflectors mounted on Wayne Manor? I guess the next time the house needs a roof repair the secrets out). Tim Burton has a way of making humanity look disgusting and he want way over the top in this stink fest. Here are some of the major issues. Batman punches through the floorboards of the almost indestructible Batmobile. He easily rips through his bullet proof outfit to, yet again, reveal his secret identity (and notice the lack of black eye makeup). I don't know what to say about the penguins other than WTF?!?! And a secretary who gets thrown out of a window, gets bitten by cats, and suddenly has the ability to perform acrobatics, is a great fighter, and is a master with a bull whip. This movie was supposed to come out at Christmas time, but in need of serious reediting in order to make it look like something beyond the level of a 3rd grader with a camcorder it was pushed to the following summer. They should have worked a little harder. This movie was not a Batman movie. It was Tim Burton fixing something that was never broken. Thank God Batman Begins came out to show the world how Batman should be done. Realistically and serious.

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• The Dark Knight Returns

  mpact752002-06-19

  Out of all the Bat-films, Batman Returns is my favorite. This beautiful, dark, and funny film is one of Tim Burton's best work. Although it is much violent and darker, this is the Batman that creator Bob Kane envisioned many years ago. Michael Keaton reprises his role as the avenger of Gotham City. This time he's up against two deadly foes, Danny Devito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman. With a great cast and film score by Danny Elfman, the movie takes us on an adventure as Batman battles the evil forces that are trying to take over Gotham City. Christopher Walken makes a great appearance as Max Shrek, a shrewd businessman who has an evil scheme up his sleeve. But of course, Michelle Pfeiffer is the one that steals the show. With all of these components, you have a film that will blow you away. This is the reason why you go to the movies. It's got everything. It's really a shame that Tim Burton didn't get to direct the other sequels. If so I think the franchise would still be going strong today. Batman Returns is an awesome experience for fans that like cool movies.

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• Gross and dumb

  zetes2016-08-22

  I don't think I've seen this all the way through since it was in theaters when I was 13. I don't remember liking it much then, but I've long been thinking of re-watching it. It's developed a cult because of its excessive weirdness. It is that excessive weirdness that keeps it watchable. That, the awesome production design, Danny Elfman's score, and Christopher Walken. Without those elements, though, honestly, I don't know that this is all that much better than Batman & Robin (I'm not about to re-watch that one, but I did pick up Batman Forever on Blu Ray very cheap along with this - probably both will be a waste of money). If nothing else, it certainly plants a lot of the seeds that would grow into the monstrosity that was B&R. The script here is just awful, first and foremost. It's all just a mess, with all kinds of nutty crap thrown on the screen for little to no reason. It's terribly grotesque. Penguin isn't a rich man in a tuxedo, he's a mutant, and Catwoman is a zombie. It has a really dirty sexual streak. It gets really gross watching Danny DeVito perv all over everyone. It's chock full of terrible one-liners that sound awful even coming out of Michelle Pfeiffer. Batman is more or less forgotten for most of the film. Even when it's being aggressively weird, it's mostly boring. Walken really livens up the film whenever he appears - his murder of Selina Kyle is by far the highlight of the film. It's a shame he disappears for a long stretch in the second half. The first Burton Batman holds up pretty well. This one, not so much.

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• Oh, so very very bad!

  aschachte2006-11-25

  Spoilers My brother woke me up out of a much-deserved nap to tell me how great this movie was and that I should go see it immediately. And by that he meant at the theater. When I finally did, I waited until 2:00 in the morning to call him up and tell him at length how much it blew. Penguins for pall bearers? I have never taken my brother seriously as a movie critic since then. Any time he says, "Trust me," I bring up this movie and throw it in his face. And do they have to kill off the villains in EVERY Batman movie? Go rent the Batman movie with Adam West where they dehydrate the United Nations guys. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060153/ It's better. Oh, can't find it? That should tell you how good Batman Returns is. Blegh!

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• What Happened?

  Eightiesjunkie2014-03-23

  That's the question I kept asking myself after I finished watching this film. I know I'll be stepping on many peoples' toes by writing this review. I know a lot of people loved this film when it was released in '92, and I know a lot of people still love the film to this day. However, I'd like to ask all those people to keep an open mind, and to try to see this from my perspective. I never liked this movie! Not even after I first saw it. I wanna put all of you in my shoes: Your eight years old, Batman comes out, you go see it, and afterwords, you're blown away by its sheer greatness. Shortly after, a sequel is announced, and you're ecstatic! You can't wait for it, you expect it to be all that the previous film was and more, then, a few years pass, the film comes out, you see it, and its a complete dud! That's exactly how I felt when I saw Batman Returns. Batman Returns didn't even feel like it was in the same series as Batman! Where as Batman was exciting and fun, Batman Returns was dreary and depressing. None of the villains were charismatic, or fun to watch like Nicholson's Joker, they were all one dimensional and had no motivations! Keaton still plays Batman fairly well, but nothing at all is done with his Bruce Wayne persona. Which in and of itself, presents a huge problem when a semi love interest is interjected into the film. As with Kim Basinger's Vicki Vale, Michelle Pfeiffer does a decent job with what she's given, but that's the problem with her character. You don't know what kind of person Selina Kyle really is, and we have no idea what her agenda is as Catwoman. Why does she want Penguin to frame Batman? We don't know and we never find out. The Biggest problem of the film however, is Danny Devito as The Penguin. Aside from the fact that he rides around in a motorized rubber duck, and that the image of his army of rocket pack penguins is the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've ever seen, The Penguin has to be one of the most poorly done comic book villains ever! The problem is, that The Penguin is done in such an inconsistent way. One minute Tim Burton wants us all to feel sorry for him, and then the next, he wants us all to detest him as the evil villain. As for my experience with the film: It didn't leave me in a good mood or hungry for more, as the first film did. It left me feeling dreary, sick, and empty. For me, going from Batman to Batman Returns felt like chasing Champagne with sewer water. The first drink was great, but the second just left a bad taste in my mouth.

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