Whilst it may not be the greatestBatmanfilm of all time,Batman Returnsdid great things for bothDC comics, cinematicBatmanfilms, and cinema in general. Many fans will spend their time arguing which of Michael Keaton’sBatmanroles is the better one, but both of them complement each other greatly and furthermore throughTim Burton’s creative mind.30 years on, it’s time to look back on one of the darkestBatmanmovies that managed to balance three broken characters in their unbalanced world ofGotham. With a big budget of $80million, a fresh cast featuring Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, and the returning Keaton and Michael Gough, and one of the most popular directors at the time, all expectations could be set high with successful delivery.RELATED:Best DC Live-Action Movies You Can Watch On HBO MaxTim Burton hasproduced a variety of unique filmsfor over 30 years andBatman Returnsdemonstrated his talent for capturing a simultaneously dark and fantasy-led world that could still be believable.From the get-go,fans are treatedto a cold-looking and feeling Gothamas Christmas Day sees the birth of Oswald Cobblepot, otherwise known asiconicBatmanvillain, The Penguin.
Artistically,Batman Returnsis another Burton success with the gothic world created and the use of blue tints to make the viewer feel continuously cold despite the film’s release on June 22, 2025. The continuous snowfall and snow coverage contrasting with the dark silhouettes of buildings and character shadows captures the darkness around this era ofBatmanperfectly. The only time viewers are treated to a sense of color and warmth is through the Christmas references and romantic encounters between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Other than that it’s through destruction and fire.
Each of the main star’s costumes has a heavy focus on either black or white withCatwoman’siconic latex black suitand The Penguin’sblack and white suit combo. What’s complimentary aboutBatman Returnsis that it takes risks and they pay off. Whilstthe original1989 filmhad its dark overtones and violence,Returnsand its PG-13 had so much more with the Moses references of killing firstborns, the sexual innuendo, and more direct referencing from Danny DeVito, and thegrotesque nature of The Penguinas a whole.
Death is no stranger in this film with both major and minor characters getting the chop in many destructive ways. There are a lot of falling shots in this movie, but the stand-out moment certainly has to be the attempted murder of Selina Kyle andher transformation into Catwoman. Like a cat with multiple lives, we see the once down-on-her-luck secretary evolve both sanity-wise and personality-wise as she rids herself of the bright and colorful hope she once had and takes charge her way.
What makes the first half-hour ofBatman Returnsfeel so different is how the titular character has already been well documented inBatman 1989. Therefore, time is given to developing the stories of the new faces, Catwoman, The Penguin,and Max Shreck. Shreck’ssadistic and greedy personality is mixed with wit and charm in the face of others which gives a lot of promise to his potential. It is a shame really that despite his impact on both The Penguinand Catwomanhe majorly takes a back seat in the latter half of the film, only to be used as a mere pawn and sacrifice. His character early on in the movie blended well with the overall eerie nature that Gothampresented like withJack Nicholson in1989, but the moment he is confronted with the rebirth of Selina, his whole progression is basically over.
What the film captures well in comparison is the downfall of the four characters and how easilyBatmanis brought down to the level of Catwomanand The Penguinas their broken lives and darkness are molded together. Whilst the villainization ofBatmanhas been portrayedmuch better in movies likeThe Dark Knight,Returnsdoes what it needs to do to desecrateBatmanin order to continue the storylines ofthe villains at hand. The duo of Catwomanand The Penguinmolds well as both of them are connected throughBatmanand Shreckbut with different desires, purposes and aims. The two of them are in conflict and continue to double-cross each other. This villain connection was somethingtheSchumacher films deeply lacked.
What the film does beautifully with these two villains, however, is have their rise and fall reference their positions from the beginning.Catwoman goes from being threatened with a taser and supposedly killed by Shreck,to taking that taser and using it on the very man that tried to destroy her. The Penguin’sis quite a juxtaposition to that and much sadder with the arise from the sewers and being portrayed as a hero, to failure to succeed as mayor, be foiled byBatman,and meet his demise back down in the sewers. Max Shreck’send is basically his just desserts andBatmanis just treated to a world of misunderstood people and the lack thereof of having someone around him (besides Alfred). The success ofBatman Returnsmakes it a shame thatthere isn’t a direct Michael Keaton sequelwhereBatman’scharactercan be delved into more. That’s whereThe Dark Knight Trilogysucceeds in their story-telling withBatmanand how inBatman Returnshe feels secondary at times and through the use of his technology gets very lucky.
From its stand-out set designs, even Gotham Citylacks the Christmas cheer and the darkness and risks taken by Tim Burton in those earlyBatmanmovies gaveBatmana whole new lease of life in comparison toits 60s TV show. Despite multiple actresses recommended for the role and the original role of Catwomanplanned for Annette Bening, Michelle Pfeiffer sold the role so well and her seductive, twisted and strong feminist delivery will go down asone of the bestCatwomanperformances. Danny DeVito’s overall style and look were the perfect choices for The Penguinand the balance of sex and fear broughtBatmaninto the new age. The majority of characters are well-written, the color choices stand out so well and makeBatman Returnsinstantly recognizable and the special effects on the Batmobile, bats and penguins are tastefully done and still hold up by today’s standards.
If only fans had been treated to another Burton/KeatonBatman,who knows where his story could have gone as it took a long time to getback up to the standardofBatman Returns. Breaking box office records and being the highest-grossing opening film weekend at that time really set the standards for cinema and made big bank in the US, UK, and worldwide. It was the third highest-grossing film in 1992 in America and the sixth-highest worldwide. When going up against what was thought to be the lastIndiana Jonesmovie, and still making as much as it did was a huge success.Batmanhas come a long way since 1992 and is darker and grittier than ever, but the connection between its three staring roles is no doubt a nod to why 2022’sThe Batmanfeatured them all again. Artistically, visually and through its story-telling,Batman Returns30 years on still remains a quality watch.
The success of the Burton movies would go on to inspireBatman: The Animated Serieswhich by all accounts isone of the most loved, and most popular cartoons of all time. No doubt fans will look fondly on this era of Batman for its darker approach but also a feeling of fantasy and that classic Burton charm that later releases have no touch of.
