Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Batman Returns Film Review (FIL 3006-0001)
 
   Batman Returns is the story of the Gotham City Masked Crusader's battle with his newest enemy, The Penguin. The story also features Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Selena Kyle aka “Cat-Woman.” After being pushed out of a window and left for dead by her boss, the once shy Selena comes back as a devouring, sexual, whip wielding and powerful villain dressed in an erotic leather S&M outfit.

   The villains certainly steal the show and Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman character seems to settle into a supporting role in this film. Danny DeVito delivers an extremely entertaining performance as a broken, deformed, angry and violent man known as “The Penguin.” It is difficult not to sympathize with the character.

   Batman Returns is probably the best example of Tim Burton's style I have ever seen. The film doesn't really satisfy me as a Batman movie and, being a big comic book fan myself, I did not really enjoy the character of Batman in this film. The film does, however, create such an interesting world and spellbinding atmosphere. The film is a beautiful, hypnotic and dark painting and Burton is the artist to paint it. The Elfman score pulls you into the crazy and dark world of the “bat-man.”

   The contrast between the darkness of Gotham and the light of Christmas decorations is so visually mesmerizing and horrific. The grotesque and unsettling distortions of familiar Christmastime visuals made for some memorable imagery and immediately brought another Tim Burton film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, to mind. The film is full of spectacularly gothic and unsettling images like swarming bats and a gigantic, ominous Christmas tree. The film's visuals are certainly more interesting than its story which, for comic book fans, may not really be all that impressive.

No comments:

Post a Comment