Batman Returns: Special Edition

After the enormous success of the first Batman (1989), Tim Burton was offered the chance to make a sequel and — as is often the case with such efforts — was given more freedom to do what he wanted. As such, the 1992 follow-up Batman Returns is a better Burton film and congeals into a more coherent narrative, even if it winds up less satisfying as a whole. Still living his dual life as Bruce Wayne by day and The Dark Knight by night, Batman (Michael Keaton) takes a backseat role as the film introduces its two leads: The Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Born Oswald Cobblepot and dumped in the sewers because of his freakish deformities, The Penguin was raised by penguins. After he kidnaps businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), the two plot to make Oswald mayor. Shreck's secretary, Selina Kyle (Pfeiffer), discovers that Shreck is trying to make a power plant that actually drains energy, which causes her to get thrown out a window. Resurrected by cats, she takes the name Catwoman and plots her revenge. It's also after her transformation that the sparks start to fly between her and Wayne, both in and out of costume. Without the constrains of having Batman be the main character in Batman Returns, Tim Burton gets to explore his fetishistic interests in freaks, carnies, and leather — such is probably why the picture (though successful) didn't strike a chord with mainstream audiences. It's also why critics have suggested it was the best Batman film until Christopher Nolan took up the reins — heartfelt in its way, this is more personal than Burton's first outing. Nonetheless, his artistic flourishes are too detached from the narrative and don't add any depth. And as with the original, Burton's obsession with circuses is still very juvenile — his films may appeal to the Goth-and-candles set, but if you've outgrown that phase of your life, it's hard to appreciate the sensibility. Burton gets the most out of the duality in Selina and Bruce's relationship, which are the story's warmest moments. The humor that comes out of their hidden personas works well, as do the jokes throughout (especially when compared to what Joel Schumacher did for comedy in his two sequels). But if anyone steals the movie, it is Christopher Walken as Shreck. Walken's performance is halfway between acting and caricature, and he's mesmerizing in every scene, from his pitch-perfect delivery to a sequence where he tries to get a monkey to give him some keys. It may be the most perfect role of Walken doing Walkenisms. Warner Brothers presents the two-disc Batman Returns: Special Edition in a solid anamorphic transfer (1.85:1) with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Extras on Disc One include and a commentary by Burton and a theatrical trailer. Disc Two offers the vintage "making-of" featurette "The Bat, The Cat and The Penguin" (22 min.) and the new "Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Night Pt. 4: Dark Side of the Knight" (30 min.). Like all four the discs in the series, it offers "Heroes" (7 min.) and "Villains" (4 min.) segments, as well as a look at the technical side of production in "Beyond Batman" (66 min.). Also included is the music video for the Siouxsie and the Banshees "Face to Face." Dual-DVD slimline keep-case.

Keaton Returns

With 1989's Batman, Tim Burton's bold visual style, the late Anton Furst's stunning production design, and the dark dance between doppelgangers suggested by Michael Keaton's tortured Batman and Jack Nicholson's demonic Joker rejuvenated the caped crusader's franchise while setting a dauntingly high bar for any sequel. It's not surprising, then, that 1992's Batman Returns couldn't match the sheer impact of its predecessor, yet the subsequent passing of the baton to Joel Schumacher, and the title hero's retreat to a more conventional persona, make the second Burton Batman worth another look. Perhaps reasoning that the appeal of two dueling schizoids might be upped by adding a third, Batman Returns pits millionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego against two equally split personalities, Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the Penguin (Danny DeVito). If the equation yields less than the desired sum, it still gives Pfeiffer and DeVito room for oversized, properly gothic performances, and the very feline Pfeiffer, in particular, has a field day. DeVito's cackling, mutant orphan is nearly as riveting, and the story might have fared better if the scriptwriting committee hadn't tossed in a third villain, Christopher Walken's rapacious industrialist, Max Schreck (coyly named for the actor who played the earliest screen vampire, Count Orlock, in F. W. Murnau's German expressionist classic, Nosferatu), thereby pushing the plot toward rococo excess. Bo Welch's production design sustains the brooding mix of deco and gothic established by Furst, and Danny Elfman's dark, stirring score helps pick up some of the slack.
Gotham City faces two monstrous criminal menaces: the bizarre, sinister Penguin (Danny DeVito) and the slinky, mysterious Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Can Batman (Michael Keaton) battle two formidable foes at once? Especially when one wants to be mayor and the other is romantically attracted to Bruce Wayne! Like the groundbreaking 1989 original, Batman Returns is directed by the wizardly Tim Burton. And like the first blockbuster, it's a dazzling adventure that leaves you breathless.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE, REALLY LOVE IT!

I've rented this film about five times since the spring/summer of 2002. I also bought it (here on ebay!) on VHS and decided it'd be about another year b4 I wanted to watch it again plus I was slowly transcending from vhs to dvd (the TV I had - TVs are expensive - didn't hook up with a DVD player b/c it had a built in VCR, so I guess the people who made it were assuming if you wanted another type of player you should have bought THAT with the TV bulit into it instead of the format 'you' chose...man, when will people make up their minds...anyway;), so I sold my vhs copy to a local video retailer and got half the money I spent on it back...I LOVE this film; I honestly love it. So many Hollywoood & "indie" films are SO BORING! They lack the ability to compel the audience into an emotional supercharged experience; this film grabs you the minute it starts from its ominous view of the Cobblepot mansion during the cold of winter to the view of Catwoman standing on a rooftop; the 'plot' doesn't make a whole lot of sense; it's really kind of like a special effects/action-adventure take on the whole 'day in the life' type film(s)...I can't wait for the day I can afford to buy the two-disc edition of this film and not feel like I could be buying something more 'cost-effective' like a CD that I can listen to over and over and over again...not that there's many CDs like that, but I'd never know which ones are until I pay $15.00+ for it/them...but yeah, I can't watch this film more than once a year w/o being bored by it...once I've seen it, I've seen it and there's nothing to gain from it since I have a REALLY good memory and can pretty much get a surreally-distorted type of 'crystal-clear' image in my mind of how I 'saw' the film (I'm a little dillusional, but not hallucional...if that'd be a word...ha!). I can't say weather or not YOU will enjoy this film (supposing you haven't seen it 'yet'), but if the things I LIKE about it are things you PROBABLY - WON'T like about it, that's your cue...thanks for readin' this thing! More to come...

Catwoman rules!

I left the theater after seeing 'Batman Returns' feeling as if I was punched in the gut. What did I just see? Did I like it?
Years later I can say that yes, indeed I did enjoy 'Batman Returns'.
'Batman Returns' is on the top of my list of favorite films. I knew that one day a special edition of the film would be released with the behind the scenes footage and interviews. I was delighted to see that a music video of "Face to Face" by Souxsie and the Banshees is included.
Michelle Pheiffer's 'Catwoman' costume was recently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it is amazing to see the work that went into the second skin of the character Selina Kyle.
I've waited a long time for this DVD and was incredibly pleased with the content, the quality and information the behind the scenes bonus features provides.
The Tim Burton "Batman" films are, IMHO, the highlight of the series. If you, the reader, are a fan of this particular film you need to add this to your collection. Oh, what Tim Burton could have done with Two-Face.....

What I thought...

Growing up in the 80's, where Tim Burton revolutionized the entire Batman franchise with his dark, gritty vision of the caped crusader, the 2nd (and last) of his directorial ventures was in many ways a great followup, if not better. Introducing the characters of the Penguin, and my favorite Catwoman, it provided fans with the much needed action to fulfill their needs. I highly recommend this in Blu-ray not even for the sake of nostalgia, but for the enhanced clarity and details that you'll be able to pick up in high definition.