Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this sequel to the 1989 original film is darker and more kill-happy than the previous installment. Crooks wearing giant skull-head masks run amok at a Christmas-tree lighting ceremony. Selena (Michelle Pfeiffer) suffers a breakdown, during which she destroys her apartment. The Penguin threatens Schreck by producing his ex-partner's severed hand. Schreck is electrocuted, leaving a charred, pop-eyed corpse. And the movie deals with mature themes, such as death, abandonment of a child, and corruption in big business.
Families that watch this film may want to discuss the Catwoman character. Is she a positive role model for women -- or a familiar stereotype? Can you think of a female superhero who doesn't wear a slinky costume? How does Catwoman gain power outside her normal life?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Ed Grant
The villains are, once again, more interesting than the hero in this colorful, less brooding sequel to the 1989 hit. This time around, however, director Tim Burton lets his imagination run wild, concocting strikingly whimsical (and sometimes quite gruesome) images, and one indelibly enticing character, Selena Kyle, a/k/a Catwoman.
While Batman showed little connection to the artistic vision of its director, Tim Burton, Batman Returns is similar to Burton's Beetlejuice in its emphasis on outsiders who inhabit a phantasmic landscape. Surprisingly, the movie is also more adult than Burton's other work. The mature elements include a strong sexual undertone and a large number of fatalities. In fact, McDonald's received flack from media watchdogs for offering tie-in toys when the movie was released, thereby by encouraging kids to see it.
Most startlingly, Batman kills some of his opponents rather than dutifully apprehending them. The most kill-crazy character, however, is the round, slimy Penguin, a far cry from the bird-like aristocrat found in the comics and the sixties TV series. DeVito's performance is wildly overstated, but it provides a nice contrast to Keaton's low-key, wisecracking Bruce Wayne. Though not as catatonic as he was in the first movie, Keaton still proves to be miscast here.
The movie's central attraction for both adults and kids is Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Pulling out all the stops, Burton and writer Daniel Waters accentuate the character's slinky sensuality, while also making her a curiously feminist figure. Catwoman begins as a beleaguered "executive assistant," then transforms into an outlaw who may dress like a male fantasy, but is as agile and clever as Batman and the Penguin.
Parents who have problems with the violence and often frightening imagery here might be more receptive to the excellent Adventures of Batman & Robin animated TV series. Kids who are comfortable with Batman Returns' combination of Christmastime and the grotesque will enjoy Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentBatman and Catwoman have two knockdown fights, one of which ends with Catwoman straddling the Caped Crusader; the scene is played as if the two were engaging in foreplay. Later, Selena makes a joke about the "semi-hard" nature of their apologies to each other. |
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ViolenceLots of gunfire and carnage. Selena is pushed out a window to her death (but is reborn shortly after hitting the pavement). The Penguin shoots a henchmen at close range. Batman sets an opponent on fire. The Penguin nearly bites off a publicist's nose. |
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LanguageMild obscenity and various double entendres. Most blatantly, the Penguin uses the word "pussy" to refer to Catwoman. |
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Social BehaviorBatman doesn't just catch but kills his opponents. |
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CommercialismThis is part of the Batman movie franchise. |
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