212. Batman Returns; movie review

BATMAN RETURNS
Cert 12A
123 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, injury detail, sex references, threat, sexual threat

Apparently, you can have too much of a good thing.
The quality of Batman movies, for example, has been as chequered as Harley Quinn.
And it all began so well. The 1989 version, starring Michael Keaton was followed up with an equally meaty feast with the devilish Danny De Vito as Penguin.
This is one of the great cinema villains, spewing black spittle as he fiendishly tries to plot to take over Gotham City.
And that's not all - Michelle Pfeiffer gives an iconic contribution as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman and Christopher Walken weighs in with unscrupulous industrialist, Max Shreck (he is a real-life ogre).
It's easy to forget how ground-breaking Burton's films were back in the early 90s and how much anticipation surrounded them.

I've just come across an interview by Terry Wogan who was assigned to speak to DeVito, Pfeiffer and Keaton and is almost reverential towards them.
Batman Returns didn't disappoint its feverish fans - unlike the great pretenders who followed in the immediate aftermath of Burton's success.
DeVito has the presence to pick up the villainous baton from Jack Nicholson's Joker and Pfeiffer has even more spark than Kim Basinger.
Some might say that the violence and innuendo of Batman Returns make it unsuitable for under-12s.
I would tend to agree - I can also imagine children having nightmares about the grotesque Penguin character.
And others might add that there are shades of pantomime villainy in the performances of DeVito, Pfeiffer and Walken.
But isn't that what Batman is all about? Those of us who grew up with punches accompanied by exclamations in cartoon bubbles were used to life being over the top in Gotham city.
Thanks to Tim Burton, it had the exaggeration and the edge.

Reasons to watch: Burton's Batman movies had a great edge
Reasons to avoid: A tad too violent for under-12s

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? Before Michelle Pfeiffer came on board to play Catwoman Annette Bening had been cast in the role, only to drop out shortly after she discovered she was pregnant.

The final word. Danny De Vito: "I put this mouthwash, kind of black and dark green mouthwash in my mouth, so that when I talked the Penguin stuff would ooze out and drip down.”

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