 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Batman Returns
- Review Date: August 3, 2005
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1992
Common Sense Media says
A darkly violent take on the comic-book hero.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to 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 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.
What's the story?
It's time for Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) to change into his Batman suit when evil villain The Penguin teams up with diabolical businessman Max Schreck (Christopher Walken). The Penguin sets his sights on becoming mayor and turn Gotham City into a metropolis of crime. Meanwhile, Schreck's beleaguered assistant Selena (Michelle Pfeiffer) transforms into an outlaw Catwoman, who dresses like a male fantasy but is as agile and clever as Batman and the Penguin. Catwoman joins Schreck and The Penguin in their mission to destroy Batman, but they'd better look out because this villainess is as secretive and sneaky as a cat.
Is it any good?
The villains are, once again, more interesting than the hero in this colorful, less brooding sequel to the 1989 hit. This time, director Tim Burton lets his imagination run wild with strikingly whimsical, sometimes quite gruesome images, and the indelibly enticing Selena Kyle, a/k/a Catwoman. Batman Returns has a strong sexual undertone and a large number of fatalities (Batman even kills some of his opponents).
Danny DeVito's over-the-top performance as The Penguin is 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, who is at once slinky, sensual, and feminist.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about 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?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Parent of 14 and 14 year old
November 10, 2008
AGE
immensely enjoyed this batman movie
acting- 4/5
art direction- 4/5
cinematography- 4/5
great villains
great heroes
great movie
danny devito and michelle pfeiffer are excellent in their roles and give some of the best performances theyve ever given
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 11 years old
July 29, 2009
AGE
not bad
really good
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Adult
June 20, 2010
AGE
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 10 years old
April 24, 2010
AGE
horrible
I hate it very violent
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
NOT FOR KIDS
I did not like this movie. While it is well-made and has a fascinating villian, Catwoman, it feels like it just stepped out of a Halloween costume catalog. The movie is so dark and wierd that it comes across as fake. Plus, the movie feels so hopeless and is so full of despair that all the fun has been sucked out of the Batman franchise. Penguin was gross and despicable, I just wanted him to die. Catwoman was interesting but the movie wasn't really about her.
I have to give it credit for being well made, but Batman Returns was overly dark, overly stylish, and no fun whatsoever.
Was this review useful?
|
|
Teen, 13 years old
August 13, 2009
AGE
umm not 13 i think kids can watch it when they are 10..
Was this review useful?
|
|
Adult
May 10, 2009
AGE
Dark, violent, dull, grotesque and brutal.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 11 years old
February 28, 2010
AGE
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 12 years old
January 26, 2010
AGE
Dark, violent, and not very enjoyable
This is a dark, violent, brooding movie with lots of death. It's occasionally entertaining, but mostly just lame.
Violence: the Penguin carries a severed hand in an extended scene. Later, he bites a man's nose off, creating a large bubbling of blood. Plenty of shooting and death by explosions or incineration. A girl falls off a skyscraper and lands on a metal control set. A man's charred corpse is seen. Catwoman falls off a building and we see blood in her mouth. A woman is shot several times in the chest with blood showing.
Sex: lots of innuendo, mostly from the Penguin - sometimes explicit. Some passionate kissing.
Language: a few uses of "s**t" and other milder profanity.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 7 years old
August 29, 2009
AGE
this movie rocks!!!!!!
it's good,but their are some vlolence in it.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | superheroes |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Tim Burton |
| Cast: | Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 126 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 16, 1992 |
| DVD release date: | October 22, 1997 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | brooding, dark violence. |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
