Rating:  -
This review focuses on Burton's Batman (Batman89, Batman Returns), Nolan's Batman (Batman Begins, the Dark Knight), and 1992 original Batman: The Animated Series. I'm excluding Schumacher's Batman (Batman Forever, Batman and Robin), the 1960's Batman series, and "The Batman", simply because I believe they are the weakest representations.
To be perfectly honest, I love Burton, Nolan, and BTAS equally. All three interpretations are so different, that they cannot be compared. And it is really annoying that I find people on YouTube trying to see which one is better (most opinions are biased). So here it goes with MY opinions:
BATMAN: Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, and Christian Bale have given us excellent performances. Conroy (from BTAS) has the perfect voice for Batman, though the physical depiction seems a bit too much. Bale really acts well as Bruce Wayne, but his voice for Batman is too deep and goofy. To me, Keaton is the ultimate "Bruce". He has the awkwardness and the eccentricity of the character, and plus his hoarse voice for the Bat is far superior to Bale's. It's too bad that he doesn't get that much screen time in both of Burton's films.
VILLAINS: Mr. Freeze, Riddler, Clayface, Mad Hatter, Scarface, Killer Croc, Bane, Baby Doll, Penguin, Clock King, Harley Quinn, Professor Milo, Poison Ivy, and Rupert Thorne appear only on BTAS, and they are marvelous in their own right.
The Scarecrow was better portrayed in BTAS (voice by Henry Polic II) than he was in Begins. Cillian Murphy looked too young as Doctor Crane, and the actual villain was much underused in the film. Two-Face had the scariest appearance in TDK; Aaron Eckhardt was flawless. However, Two-Face in BTAS (Richard Moll) had a much better origin. Years of suppressing anger can do that, you know. Ra's al Ghul is much more interesting in BTAS (David Warner); Liam Neeson's performance in BB was just above average as he wasn't very believable to me. The Penguin, one of my favorite Batman villains, has been blessed with both BReturns and BTAS. Danny Devito and Paul Williams have done superb jobs with this antagonist. Same goes with Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer had the better dialogue and better catsuit, while Adrienne Barbeau was a better Selina Kyle, and her chemistry with Batman is deeper.
Finally, for the Joker we have Jack Nicholson (B89), Mark Hamill (BTAS), and Heath Ledger (TDK). All three of them are perfect. Nicholson has the best dialogue, Hamill has the best laugh and look, and Ledger has the best sadism. Three different worlds, three different performances. People on YouTube should understand that.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: I couldn't see Michael Caine as Alfred, so it's thumbs down from me. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Michael Gough are the ideal Alfred's. Aaron Eckhardt is truly a one-of-a-kind Harvey Dent. I Believe in Harvey Dent! Billy Dee Williams was great in B89, also, and he had the tough and virtuous personality, as did Richard Moll in BTAS. Gary Oldman and Bob Hastings are the definitive Commissioner Gordon's; Pat Hingle is the weakest, but certainly not at all terrible. He's just a bit too short. Morgan Freeman is the one and only Lucius Fox; Brock Peters of BTAS had the better persona, but Freeman had the better chemistry with Batman.
GOTHAM CITY: Burton captured the dark and gothic feel of the hellish city perfectly. It looks as if "Hell came sprouting out of the concrete and kept right on growing. You gotta give credit to Anton Furst, the film's art director, for creating this atmospheric universe. Gotham in BTAS also has its advantages. The towering skyline, the dangerous alleys, and the red sky make it all more mesmerizing. Nolan's Gotham looks hellish, too, but it looks too much like Chicago (filming location for both BB and TDK). But other than that, it succeeds in creating a Faustian nightmare.
EVERYTHING ELSE: The gadgets in BTAS were the most realistic, while the Batmobile for B89 was better-looking. Keaton's Batsuit is classic, while Conroy's cape and cowl is ultimately frightening. The heroines (Basinger, Holmes, and Gyllenhaal) are lovely additions, although I wish Basinger would stop screaming throughout B89. And let's not forget the music: let's give it up for Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, James Newton Howard, and Hans Zimmer. These are the composers who gave us those catchy Batman themes. We will never forget them or their work.
CONCLUSION: Burton's universe, Nolan's universe, and Timm's universe are near ideal. I love them equally, really. I can't wait for the next film.
Rating: -
The Best Batman EVER!!! Forget The Dark Knight and Batman Begins... well don't forget those, they were pretty good too.
But come on, Tim Burton in top form, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito in the best role he ever had and the best performance he has given!!! Sure you hardly see Michael Keaton but when he's on he's on. I wish he would return to this role or to Beetlejuice for that matter.
I saw this movie in the theater 5 times, with different people, totally in love with Catwoman. The only thing I wish they had kept was the batmobile from the first Batman (1989) This one was too shinny and seemed a bit weak. To me the Batmobile in 1989 was the best and sexiest ever.
If they re-do movies, why not continue the vision of this one. They should have Tim Burton create a sequel to this one with Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Keaton and continue the story line of Catwoman etc... I enjoy the less violent versions of Batman, family friendly.
The Dark Knight was too violent. Anyway Rent it Buy it See it Wear it out and Buy it again.
"A plan is forming eee,eee,eee!!! I want in, the thought of Batman makes me feel all dirty, maybe I'll give myself a bath right here" Great movie!
Rating:  -
Its dark its bloody,it made a bad choice of an actor its Batman Returns. Like the previous movie the sequel is dark. Michelle Pfeifer(?) does a good job as Catwoman but Danny Devito's portrayl of The Peinguin was a little overplayed. Their was one scene that seemed out of place, its the part were he bites the guys nose, why was it necesary. Christopher Walken did a good job as Max Schreck. Micheal Keaton did a fine job again as Batman. The movies great but has some kwirks, its better than the next two movies. It gets 3 Catwoman lives out 5. In about 10 minutes I the Cable Guy will do a review of Batman Forever, Greeeeeen!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: -
With the success of 1989's "Batman", Warner Brothers obviously saw the potential for a franchise in this darker and more serious interpretation of the Dark Knight. Wasting little time in putting a sequel in motion, director Tim Burton ("Batman") and star Michael Keaton returned three years later to once more fight crime within Gotham City with "Batman Returns".
"Batman Returns" follows Batman's (Michael Keaton) continuing war on crime in and around Gotham City. After taking on the likes of the maniacal Joker, how could things possibly get any worse for Gotham and its caped crusader? When a grotesque new villain named Penguin (Danny DeVito) teams up with a sultry, feline-inspired femme fatale by the name of Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), it seems that perhaps Batman may have met his match when he discovers just what they have planned for him and his beloved Gotham City.
The previous movie, "Batman", established a serious, obviously darker take on the title character than any of his previous incarnations outside of the comic books; but with "Batman Returns" everything seems to take a decidedly more wicked turn. The story written by Daniel Waters ("Demolition Man") was fairly solid for the most part, serving as a decent follow-up to the blockbuster original. The action seemed bigger in scope, the set pieces much more grand, though not breaking away from the design established in the first movie, and the characters were still kept front and center, never sacrificing plot or development for the sake of another action sequence. However, this much darker story (which I liked the overall direction this movie went) felt a little out of sorts in places, for a majority of the movie the story flowed very well, but there were several parts in the middle of the film where the story seemed to lose its focus. What I'm referring to are the portions of the story revolving around Penguin's bid for public office (a kind of interesting, although unbelievable plot point), for some reason these scenes really felt less polished, as if the writer just couldn't figure out how to work this aspect of the character's story arc into the big picture; therefore, leaving us with a mid-section of a movie that feels out of place, breaking the movie's steady pace down to almost a crawl at times.
Director Tim Burton clearly knew what it took to make a good Batman movie after doing so well with his first effort, but I wonder if in his attempt to equal what he had done with the original film, did he set himself up to fail with this one. The general progression for the character and this franchise would be to up the stakes to some degree, and with "Batman Returns" this happened all across the board, just to varying degrees of success. The story as I stated already was much darker than that of the original, a natural evolution for the character, so I was completely fine with that, the problem occurs when the main character receives less attention than supporting characters. Just like in "Batman", it appears that Bruce Wayne/Batman doesn't get near as much time on screen as the villains he is encountering. I understand that when you have two villains instead of one, more time will need to be spent on developing them as viable threats for our hero, and also to establish them as believable characters for the audience to connect with on some level; however, when the title character feels like an afterthought, I think the focal point of the movie has been lost. By including two villains, I feel that Tim Burton and his writer, Daniel Waters, couldn't figure out how to give equal time, or at least close it, to Batman without missing out on any development for their new characters. With this obvious problem, which was no doubt an unintended consequence of trying to be bigger and better than the previous movie, "Batman Returns" felt a little off in my opinion, and not nearly up to the standard previously established with "Batman".
Michael Keaton continues to build on what he had done as Bruce Wayne/Batman, further establishing the discomfort Bruce has with his billionaire side as he awaits the time for darkness to fall over the city so that the Batman can once more prowl the rooftops of Gotham. This point was illustrated perfectly in the movie, when Bruce is sitting in his study by himself, not doing anything but sitting there, and the bat signal shines into the room and suddenly he comes to life. Without saying a single word, Michael Keaton was able to clearly portray exactly how the character was feeling and what it is that drives him in life. Danny DeVito ("Deck the Halls") was an ideal choice for Penguin, his smaller stature and heavier build makes him a nearly perfect fit for the general appearance of the villain, although it appeared that more weight was needed for the character's girth, because it is quite obvious a couple of times in the film that DeVito is wearing some sort of padding under his costume to make him look even larger. I've never really been all that impressed with Danny DeVito as an actor, I thought he was alright, but nothing all that great; however, as Penguin he really seemed to connect with the character, and something about his performance just worked and I was actually impressed with just how twisted and evil he was able to make the character become. Danny's version of Penguin was much more of a threat, and definitely more grotesque, than his previous incarnation on the 60's television series or even how he had appeared in the comic books. Michelle Pfeiffer ("Hairspray") did an excellent job of establishing two distinct sides to her character that are as different as night and day, by playing Selina Kyle as such a weak individual who can't defend herself and is constantly belittled by her boss (Christopher Walken), yet when she becomes Catwoman this entirely new side to her emerges, that is so much more aggressive and driven. I really liked the way the story intertwined both Selina's story and Catwoman's story so much that eventually she would be forced to choose which side would become dominant, because as much as she wants love and companionship, which she may have found in Bruce Wayne, her dual identity as the villainous Catwoman will prevent her from truly settling down, not to mention being a criminal puts her at odds with her lover's alter ego.
"Batman Returns" is a fairly solid sequel, containing a decent story, with a heftier dose of action (even though there seemed to be fewer fight scenes, the scenes were much longer than what had been done previously), and more great performances from the actors involved. However, a very slow midpoint in the film, caused by an uninteresting and unfocused character arc, forced the movie to lose momentum, which it struggled to get back and maintain for the remainder of the movie's duration.
"Batman Returns" is rated PG-13 for violence and language.
Rating: -
While not as impeccable as the original batman, this sequel is still a mastrpiece in its own right. its more tim burton than it is batman. but tim's implemented ideas where genuine and genius. he totally recreated the penguin for the better!! before this he was just a rich snob, now in the comics he's depicted as a monster. thats how influential this film was. i also love how dark it is. THIS AINT FOR KIDS!!! michelle phiffer was excellent as catwoman and devito was remarkable as the penguin! he had some great dialogue. i love the line when Max first sees the penguin and he's speechless and then the penguin says, "i believe the word you're looking for is AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" that was classic i love it! the only bad thing to me was the penguins dragging the dead body at the end but that was less than a minute so i still give it 5 stars. number one: THE DARK KNIGHT number two: BATMAN number three: BATMAN BEGINS number four: BATMAN RETURNS and I HATE JOEL SHUMACHER AND IF YOU LIKE HIS BATMAN MOVIES YOU SUCK!
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