Batman Returns
1992
Stars: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walkins, Michael Gough.
Director: Tim Burton.
Plot: In this sequel to the 1989 Batman, Michael Keaton is back as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Since he did the Joker off in the first movie, this time he's fighting two new villians. They happen to be Oswell Cobblepot/Penguin(Danny DeVito) and Selina Kyle/Catwoman(Michelle Pfeiffer). Both are people who felt hated or unwanted in the world. The Penguin was abandoned by his parents because of his deformity and was left to live underground with real penguins. On the other hand, Selina/Catwoman was killed by her boss after he had found out that she had read a confidential document and was afraid that she'd expose it to the world. When he pushed her out of the window, she fell in a trash bin and cats started to surround her dead body. She came back to life and is able to die nine times because cats have nine lives. Her boss who killed her happens to be Maximillian 'Max' Shreck(Christopher Walkins) who is now working with Oswell to make him the mayor of Gotham. Catwoman hides her true identity under a mask and as Selina she falls in love with Bruce. Alfred(Michael Gough) is also back reprising his role as Bruce Wayne's butler. The Penguin has plans to blackmail Batman for murder but Batman with the help of Alfred find a way to switch it around on the Penguin. Once again, Batman has to beat the villians and keep his relationship with the girl.
My Thoughts: This usually doesn't occur, but for once I actually think the sequel is better than it's predecessor. Though I think the original Batman was great, this one is just fantastic. This one is definately more darker and that's why it's better. The makeup on the Penguin is awesome and Michelle Pfeiffer looks great decked out in her ripped up and slick Catwoman suit. Like many of Burton's other films(Edward Scissorshand, Beetlejuice, Batman), the main characters feel alienated or different and they have to cope with it. In Edward it's pretty obvious has difference, with Beetlejuice the people are trying to stay in their house even though they're dead, and in both Batman's, more in this one the characters are different and that's what makes them cause havoc. Penguin was abandoned as a child and that makes him dislike the people of Gotham, Selina was thrown out of a window by her boss, and Bruce pulls away from people because of his hidden identity and because of the death of his parents. Back to the film, this is a really dark but contains funny maybe considered sick moments. When Penguin is controlling Batman's vehicle, you could see the rage yet happiness in the Penguin's eye. Also, there's another scene which I thought was really funny but some might not find the humor. The Penguin and some of his business partners are talking in the office when one of them makes a joke about him. To get back at him, the Penguin bites the guy's nose and blood comes squirting out. Like the Joker's performance, the Penguin seems to laugh all these violent things off. If you've only scene this one and the first, I warn you not to see the sequels. Since Burton isn't behind the camera and Keaton isn't back, it doesn't live up to the first two. Also, instead of being dark, the director seems to make it more upbeat and silly unlike the first two which are dark but contain dark humor. As I said, this is a really good movie and my favorite out of the Batman series.
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