I used to dislike 'Batman Returns', but now it seems so much better than the contemporary crop of mass produced superhero movies that it might be a classic. What has changed? Was it me? It's certainly still a Tim Burton-y mess with too much of The disgusting Penguin and more style than substance, but it's also quite intricate, the sole example of diverse independent villains functioning together well in a film, and rather beautiful in its own way.
It's hard to not talk about the Catwoman when you write about 'Batman Returns'. Michelle Pfeiffer was and is the defining symbol of the film, after all, and putting the shiny costume aside she does give an awesome performance as the Selina Kyle who breaks down completely after being pushed out a window by her corrupt employer and then apparently being resurrected by a bunch of stray alley cats. Throughout the movie she very decidedly does play insane in the most entertaining and delightful manner, while at the same time being ever so slightly undermined by being black and shiny. Pfeiffer is definitely at the core of the film with Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne / Batman. Tim Burton's apathy about the title character in this and the last film seems obvious by now, but Keaton isn't as neglected as you would think. It's true that he again doesn't get a big moment to sell, a big speech to give, or even the grand triumphant moment but... Okay, he's sold short again, and I change my mind. It works in the context of the film, and makes the whole movie a superior example of its type, but the lead actor is clearly doing his best while the director farms out the best bits to the villains. It's a shame as Keaton's Bruce Wayne is the best ever to appear on screen.
'Batman Returns' is definitely a curious film. For one thing, it features three antagonists, each independently motivated, and each a few sandwiches short of their respective picnic lunches, while for another it has moments of sheer insanity you won't find anywhere else but in Tim Burton films. (I have a theory about Iim Burton being an exact negative to Sam Raimi in certain key respects, but it will have to wait, as it's almost certainly totally wrong and reminiscent of nothing even vaguely reminiscent of reality.) The Penguin drives the Batmobile via remote control on it's rocking and rolling arcade equivalent, rubber ducks abound, and penguins waddle around Gotham with satellite dishes and bombs strapped to their backs. Surely there must have been a way to make the film without the sheer grotesquerness of Danny DeVito's Penguin, though, even if that would break one of the Tim Burton tenets. The Penguin is just too icky.
It's actually very difficult to write about 'Batman Returns', it being quite fluffy and ephemeral as a film. It might be more interesting to talk about the genesis of the movie, and the break it made from being a direct sequel to its predecessor. Alternatively, the fascinating ball sequence where Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are the only ones NOT in fancy dress is pretty interesting. What about the distinctions between the Burton Batman movies and the rather grim and tedious Nolan versions? All these things can be found in other places. Let's just say that it's a picturesque and stylish Batman caper, roughly equal to the first film while losing a smidgin of the roughness one might find interesting.
O.
No comments:
Post a Comment