Review of Batman Returns (1992) by Alex R — 27 Jul 2012

Batman Returns is a great follow-up to Tim Burton's first Batman feature. The film is much darker than the previous one, the atmosphere, darker, melancholic and at tad more serious than the first one.

The film has a great cast to boot. . Danny Devito (who for me is pretty hit and miss) is terrific as the penguin. But for me the standout performance is Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Of all her work, I'd have to say that Batman Returns is one of her best films.

I thought she was excellent as Catwoman. Another performance that delivers is that of Christopher Walken as Max Shreck, Walken as usual delivers a splendid performance. The tone that Burton gives us here is that of helplessness with a tense brooding atmosphere that simply makes the film more defined.

Tim Burton took the best elements of the first and toned down the slight silliness of the film and made things with this sequel a lot more serious. What you have with this sequel is a film that doesn't try to be pretty, it tries to be in your face and give you a viewing experience you won't soon forget.

Tim Burton crafted a solid follow up to Batman that is packed with terrific action and eccentric characters; it has everything you'd expect from a great Batman film. Only Christopher Nolan has crafted a more solid Batman film with his debut in the franchise by giving us Batman Begins.

Up to this point, Batman Returns was the most serious of all the Batman films. Until in 2005 Christopher Nolan stepped in and gave us his now legendary trilogy. Aside from Nolan's work, which is flawless, Tim Burton is the second director to really be able to craft a good Batman film that is worth watching.

Batman Returns is well crafted entertainment, sometimes a bit silly, but a lot more serious than the first film. Nonetheless, Batman is still my personal favorite of the two Tim Burton directed films.

If you loved the first one, you're sure going to enjoy this one. After this one, the Batman film would fall apart, but it wasn't until the second Joel Schumacher film, Batman & Robin that things were getting truly awful.

Watch this film, and skip to the Christopher Nolan directed Batman films. At least for me, the Burton films and Nolan films are the far superior Batman films and the ones that really are worth watching.