Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Bob Kane, Daniel Waters, Sam Hamm
Photography: Stefan Czapsky
Music: Danny Elfman
Editors: Bob Badami, Chris Lebenzon
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Michael Murphy, Cristi Conaway, Pat Hingle, Paul Reubens, Andrew Bryniarsky
Director Tim Burton’s sequel to his first Batman movie makes it more obvious how much even that picture was attempting to split the difference between the campy ‘60s TV version and Frank Miller’s ‘80s reimagining of the caped crusader as a grizzled vigilante and sadistic mental case. The production design and some elements of the story lean hard into the latter but then there is Jack Nicholson taking top billing and slobbering all over the set in whooping cocaine-addled fugue states. Soundtrack by Prince. We might have thought the 1989 Batman worked, to the extent it did, because we wanted so badly the kind of Batman movie it took nearly 20 years to get. “We” meaning fans of the Frank Miller version, which I adored in the ‘80s.
Batman Returns is more like return of the camp. Casting Pee Wee Herman in the prologue as the Penguin’s father kind of gives away the game, as do casting Danny DeVito as the Penguin (who prefers to go by his given name, Oswald Cobblepot) and Christopher Walken (wearing a helmet of white hair) as Max Shreck, Gotham City’s power company tycoon implementing a dastardly scheme. Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle, who becomes the Catwoman, is another case. We’ll get to that. Early in the picture, when she is still a meek stammering secretary to Max, Batman rescues her from an assault. “Wow,” she says. “The Batman. Or is it just Batman?” The very question! So meta! “Batman” is in the tradition of the ‘50s and ‘60s comic book version leading into the TV show, whereas “the Batman” (subtle distinction!) is the original moniker for the creature of the night (including “the Bat-Man”) which Miller was trying to revive.
Director Tim Burton’s sequel to his first Batman movie makes it more obvious how much even that picture was attempting to split the difference between the campy ‘60s TV version and Frank Miller’s ‘80s reimagining of the caped crusader as a grizzled vigilante and sadistic mental case. The production design and some elements of the story lean hard into the latter but then there is Jack Nicholson taking top billing and slobbering all over the set in whooping cocaine-addled fugue states. Soundtrack by Prince. We might have thought the 1989 Batman worked, to the extent it did, because we wanted so badly the kind of Batman movie it took nearly 20 years to get. “We” meaning fans of the Frank Miller version, which I adored in the ‘80s.
Batman Returns is more like return of the camp. Casting Pee Wee Herman in the prologue as the Penguin’s father kind of gives away the game, as do casting Danny DeVito as the Penguin (who prefers to go by his given name, Oswald Cobblepot) and Christopher Walken (wearing a helmet of white hair) as Max Shreck, Gotham City’s power company tycoon implementing a dastardly scheme. Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle, who becomes the Catwoman, is another case. We’ll get to that. Early in the picture, when she is still a meek stammering secretary to Max, Batman rescues her from an assault. “Wow,” she says. “The Batman. Or is it just Batman?” The very question! So meta! “Batman” is in the tradition of the ‘50s and ‘60s comic book version leading into the TV show, whereas “the Batman” (subtle distinction!) is the original moniker for the creature of the night (including “the Bat-Man”) which Miller was trying to revive.
The thing is, at least the way I see it, comic book movies are inherently ridiculous. The costumes are silly and actors never look comfortable in them. The kabuki theater of secret identities barely makes sense (that’s also somewhat true for the comics). The black and white strokes of good and evil only make narratives coarse, reduced to predictable platitudes. Live-action versions (with or without CGI) are constantly fighting against these problems. It’s arguable that animated versions don’t do much better. Things like Batman seem to work best as comic books (or graphic novels) with all the rules of panels and page layouts and the flair of illustrators. The temptation to go jokey in TV and movie adaptations has to be irresistible. It happens all the time.
Here we see the Penguin is dressed up in some backstory I didn’t know before and may have been original here. Bruce Wayne’s heart goes out to the Penguin in his search for his parents. Born with physical defects (as well as a malign personality) the Penguin’s parents literally throw him away. Under the opening titles, his stroller drifts down the waterways deep into the sewer system. Danny DeVito’s costumery is a repulsive inspiration and partly explains calling him the Penguin. How and why he is living with real penguins down there is beyond me. But I understand the penguins involved had a blast making the picture.
This very busy movie also offers up a Catwoman origin, which I don’t believe is exactly canon. Selina Kyle starts out as Max Schreck’s timid secretary and self-pitying wannabe middlebrow housewife. “Honey, I’m home,” she routinely says, entering her apartment. “Oh, I forgot. I’m not married.” But as events proceed she wises up and finds her spine after Max throws her out a window. Later we find out, in clonking explanation, that she survives falls like that and also point-black gunshots because ... can you guess? Cats have nine lives. It’s so lame I want to howl.
But, yes, of course! It’s all in good fun, everyone is having a ball, and why do you have to be such a spoilsport about entertainment? Eat your popcorn. And that’s true enough. It may be 15 or 20 minutes too long, but Batman Returns is cracking jokes, staging fights, and working the cinematics constantly. I’m not much of one for explosions but even I have to admit there’s some pretty good ones here. There’s no “Biff! Pow! Zap!” to the fights like in the TV show, but that’s probably only because it would have looked too much like an homage and alienated those looking for the dark knight vibe. There’s a lot of great dark imagery here for them—it’s Tim Burton, after all. The Romanesque statuary of downtown Gotham particularly impressed (and entertained) me. And I thought Pfeiffer and the screenplay made an interesting Catwoman, worthy to stand with the rest (mostly from the TV show).
Ditto Danny DeVito, with a Penguin for the pantheon. The other week I was complaining about sequels and, not to belabor it, but Batman Returns is a pretty good example of the problem at large. They finessed the contradictions in the 1989 picture and made a lot of money from it. I would guess, based on the casting alone (not to mention the sets, and the explosions), that there was even more money for them this time around. But for the most part Batman Returns just falls flat, and predictably so. Not even sure why I put it on my list to look at. Oh, that’s right. I’m going through some of the Batman properties. Probably better off sticking to the comics versions for the time being.
Here we see the Penguin is dressed up in some backstory I didn’t know before and may have been original here. Bruce Wayne’s heart goes out to the Penguin in his search for his parents. Born with physical defects (as well as a malign personality) the Penguin’s parents literally throw him away. Under the opening titles, his stroller drifts down the waterways deep into the sewer system. Danny DeVito’s costumery is a repulsive inspiration and partly explains calling him the Penguin. How and why he is living with real penguins down there is beyond me. But I understand the penguins involved had a blast making the picture.
This very busy movie also offers up a Catwoman origin, which I don’t believe is exactly canon. Selina Kyle starts out as Max Schreck’s timid secretary and self-pitying wannabe middlebrow housewife. “Honey, I’m home,” she routinely says, entering her apartment. “Oh, I forgot. I’m not married.” But as events proceed she wises up and finds her spine after Max throws her out a window. Later we find out, in clonking explanation, that she survives falls like that and also point-black gunshots because ... can you guess? Cats have nine lives. It’s so lame I want to howl.
But, yes, of course! It’s all in good fun, everyone is having a ball, and why do you have to be such a spoilsport about entertainment? Eat your popcorn. And that’s true enough. It may be 15 or 20 minutes too long, but Batman Returns is cracking jokes, staging fights, and working the cinematics constantly. I’m not much of one for explosions but even I have to admit there’s some pretty good ones here. There’s no “Biff! Pow! Zap!” to the fights like in the TV show, but that’s probably only because it would have looked too much like an homage and alienated those looking for the dark knight vibe. There’s a lot of great dark imagery here for them—it’s Tim Burton, after all. The Romanesque statuary of downtown Gotham particularly impressed (and entertained) me. And I thought Pfeiffer and the screenplay made an interesting Catwoman, worthy to stand with the rest (mostly from the TV show).
Ditto Danny DeVito, with a Penguin for the pantheon. The other week I was complaining about sequels and, not to belabor it, but Batman Returns is a pretty good example of the problem at large. They finessed the contradictions in the 1989 picture and made a lot of money from it. I would guess, based on the casting alone (not to mention the sets, and the explosions), that there was even more money for them this time around. But for the most part Batman Returns just falls flat, and predictably so. Not even sure why I put it on my list to look at. Oh, that’s right. I’m going through some of the Batman properties. Probably better off sticking to the comics versions for the time being.
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