Batman Returns

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

This was my favourite of the 90's Batman films. Pretty much because Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer are awesome. Pfeiffer's Catwoman is truly remarkable and DeVito's Penguin is icky and hilarious. I always forget Christopher Walken is in this one too. Also there are penguins with rockets strapped to their backs.

Here we can also see some of the first digital effects in film. There are only a handful and they work really well. Still the thing to behold here is the production design. I don't envy anyone having to light that much black on black but as dark as the film is, it still looks great.

I love the dynamic between Batman and Catwoman and their and their alter egos. It's a very different kind of relationship than the first film and works wonders. I have no idea what Nolan is planning with his take on Catwoman but Selina Kyle's transformation and complete mental breakdown is probably my favourite part of this one, so he has a lot to live up to.

Again I listened to the director's commentary. It's interesting that Burton had some enthusiasm about doing another one but the studio was not happy with the reactions to how dark the series was getting. They went in another direction and we all know what happened there. Plus his aversion to adding Robin to the series meant one less toy to sell. Nolan took it back to the darker tone but added a realism as well. Still I love the very stylised comic world created here.

Also there are penguins with rockets strapped to their backs.