Review #316: Batman Returns.
Cast
Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Danny DeVito (Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin), Michelle Pfeiffer (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Christopher Walken (Max Shreck), Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth), Pat Hingle (Commissioner James Gordon), and Michael Murphy (The Mayor) Directed by Tim Burton (#40 - Batman, #107 - Beetlejuice, #132 - Alice in Wonderland, #196 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and #262 - Corpse Bride)
Review
This is like the Temple of Doom of film franchises (I would've said the Licence to Kill of the series, but oh well.), and who better to make a darker Batman than Tim Burton, who seems to be a cornerstone in these reviews. But hey, sometimes the films that decide to be more edgier and more dramatic work. Does this? In some respects, yes. The visuals look more dark and colder, but they still work for a film like this. Keaton does a good job in his final time as Batman (He would leave the series just as Batman Forever was in production), keeping the allure that would sadly be lost with the next two Batmans. Instead of one villain, there are two villains, the Penguin and Catwoman, with DeVito and Pfeiffer both being allright. Personally I don't find them to be as good as the Joker in the previous film, though that was a hard act to follow. Walken does a fine job (I get to close the year out with two reviews of him, that's like a weird Christmas gift.) The small flaw that drags the film to be not as great as its predecessor is the fact is seems way too dark. Sometimes you just want it to lighten up, to not be as...weird (Especially when Kyle is brought back to life by...cats. It's hard to explain.), but in the end the film still does manage to have good action, a shame this was the last Burton-Keaton combo for the Batman series. Oddly enough, I almost forgot to mention it was set around Christmas. Strange, but yeah. Oh well.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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