| Overall Grade: |
A |
|
| Story: |
B+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
A+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
B |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A+ |
|
|
Michelle Pfeiffer deserves an Oscar
by Jason T (movies profile)
Aug 24, 2006
6
of
6 people found this review helpful
"Batman Returns" is not as groundbreaking as "Batman" (1989) but it does have one key element the first one lacked: Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Tim Burton returns as the director for a sequel almost as good as the first, and also just as dark and haunting. Michael Keaton, who is the best Batman hands down, is in suspicion of another evil. This time it's played by a very makeuped Danny DeVito, as a deformed person forced to live in sewers below Gotham City and brought to love by Penguins, so of course his name is: Penguin. His plan of destruction? To robotically set all of his babies off as time bombs and blow up Gotham.
I have always thought DeVito's character to be the weakest of all "Batman" movie villains. His structure is too glazed with remorse, and he doesn't have much for weapons except an unbrella. "Batman Returns" real villain is a woman. Michelle Pfeiffer once again proves she was probably the best contempary screen actress of the early 1990s, and was rewarded the Star Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress 1992 for this role as a victimized secratary who doesn't know how to speak up for herself and has no life. One night, another villain (Christopher Walken in the classic Walken role) decides he doesn't need her and throws her out of the 20 story building. She is brought back to life by alley cats, and in the movie's best scenes, transforms into Catwoman and does back flips and one-lines perfectly. She is neither good or bad, but I detected she was more of a villainess once her and Batman went at it. Her retracting nails are a highlight, and her performance in the black sequened dress at a party is too remarkable for words. The emotion and sexiness that drips from her facial beau is timeless.
"Batman Returns" is dark, depressing and not very much fun. But it works. The action scenes are great, Keaton and DeVito do what they can, and again, Pfeiffer gets the grand ovation. |
My Public Profile 
