Batman Returns

A power-hungry outcast known as the Penguin seeks to stake his claim as Gotham's mayor while another outcast, Catwoman, seeks a new lease on life while both plot to dispatch Batman.

Tim Burton's sequel to his rather ground-breaking Batman from 1989 fails to capture the same feel of the first film,

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but that's not to say it isn't still good. Much like the first film's focus on the Joker, Returns makes the dual villains of Penguin and Catwoman its focus, while Batman does get a bit of time to shine towards the back half. It's ridiculous and campy at times, like a darker-comedy tone of the '60s classic, but it does tend to go a little over-the-top at times. In particular, the direction the Penguin's character goes is not one I'm particularly fond of, as it takes him from being this misjudged and mistaken outcast into a pretty perverted freak, quite honestly. Still, it's a fun continuation of Burton's original outing for the Caped Crusader -- one that unfortunately is about to derail. Recommended.

Content Concerns: There's your usual bit of stylized comic book violence that teeters on slapstick at times, as well as around 8-10 uses of vulgarity and a couple of innuendos.

(December 2023)

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