If I were to list off my top 5 film heroes right now it would be the usual suspects: Kubrick, PTA, Scorsese, Lynch, the Coens. Take the same question and apply it to a 8 year old me, my answers would be: Spielberg, Zemeckis, Cameron, Romero and Tim Burton. From 1985 to 1994, he had a string of movies that would exacerbate my love for movies. I felt like I entered into a unspoken contract with each director whose movies I would watch on repeat. For Spielberg it was E.T. Zemeckis was Back to the Future. Cameron was Terminator 1 and 2. Romero was Creepshow. Burton was Batman. I swore to watch every one of their movies. What could go wrong? Well, many things. But that's for another time.
At the same time I was way into comics. Not DC. EC. This didn't deter me from wanting to jump headfirst into the world of Gotham's dark knight. Prince's soundtrack, Batman themed covers, the Batman ride at Six Flags all figured into my life. The VHS being notable for Bugs Bunny hawking Warner Bros merchandise. I ate it all up. This was the same guy who brought Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands into my life. How could he go wrong? Well, many things. But that's for another time.
Before I could utter Beetlejuice a third time, the news of a Batman Returns was splashed across the Chicago Tribune. Whose movie ads made for makeshift posters to adorn my walls for years to come. It was the earliest memory I have of being excited for a movie. One that would pay off in full when I got to see it on VHS.
The Joker always appealed to me out of all the villains in Batman's universe and is an all timer for villains in general. I was hoping for Two Face so when the Penguin appeared in the promotional poster I felt mild trepidation. On the other hand, Edward Scissorhands became a big movie for me and seeing Burton extend the winter Christmas aesthetic into a Batman movie had me excited. So it was a logical fit for Penguin. His goons were more creative and far ranging menace wise than The Joker's sunglass wearing goons. Even if he didn't have the charisma of The Joker.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman would be the thing to put Returns over the top as my favorite Batman movie. At least up until The Dark Knight. She exudes a demented playfulness.
All three of the main players, a man- Bat, a deformed man left to the sewers by his parents and a woman betrayed by her boss all are fascinating in their own right. So Burton wisely doesn't waste any time building beyond it. What results are a litter of set pieces. The graveyard scene where Penguin finds out his real name, Batman losing control of the Batmobile, Max Shrek's 'present with a bow' scene, Selena's transformation into Catwoman. As interesting a character Batman is, it is the villains who wish to play an integral part in his degradation that steal the show. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. We won't see a director have this much fun with a villain until Nolan's Joker and Bane.
Burton's always been interested in the outcast. Here you get three of them.
