Movies - Batman Returns

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	Movies - Batman Returns

Batman Returns is both the second Tim Burton Batman movie and the second Batman film starring Michael Keaton as the title character. This time, Batman meets The Penguin (Danny DeVito), Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). It was released in theaters on June 19, 1992. The score by Danny Elfman creates a gothic atmosphere by combining strings and children's choruses. The film is considered the darkest installment in the franchise and contains most of the artistic, theatrical, and fantastic elements often attributed to Tim Burton.

In 1992, as part of the publicity campaign to promote the movie, Warner Bros. produced the animated series Batman: The Animated Series. This movie, as its predecessor, was a huge success, although some fans complained it was "too weird". Film critic Leonard Maltin accused Batman Returns of being a "nasty, nihilistic, nightmare movie" with a dark, mean-spirited, and often incoherent screenplay. Today, however, a significant portion of the Batman movie fanbase regards this as one of the best films of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman franchise precisely because of the very qualities for which Maltin criticized it. A sequel, Batman Forever
was produced in 1995.

Synopsis

It is Christmas in Gotham City. A twisted penguin-man, the heir of the aristocratic Cobblepot family, abandoned to the sewers by his parents shortly after birth, is determined to regain his birthright. :"I was their number one son, but they treated me like number two." -The Penguin, after visiting his parents' graves. Max Shreck, a corrupt millionaire, wants to build a giant energy-stockpiling capacitor (disguised as a new power plant) for Gotham City as a legacy for his son to inherit, but is stymied in his goals by Bruce Wayne and the Mayor of Gotham City.

Abducted by the Penguin's Red Triangle Circus gang, Shreck agrees to help the Penguin re-enter normal society and ease his acceptance by the surface world. Once the Penguin's tragic story wins over Gotham City, Shreck encourages him to run for Mayor, confident that he can be more easily manipulated than the current Mayor to approve his "power plant."

In order to replace the current Mayor, the people of Gotham must lose faith in his ability to keep order. The Penguin's Red Triangle Circus provides the necessary emergency, with the help of Selina Kyle, Shreck's harassed secretary - nearly killed by her boss when she uncovered his plans for the capacitor and revived as Catwoman, a sexy vinyl-costumed criminal. She also has a love/hate relationship with Bruce Wayne as Selina, her only real grip on her sanity, and the Batman as Catwoman. As the film progresses Selina/Catwoman's sanity and mental stability deteriorates, symbolically reflected in her costume: the costume represents an outer body or shell that protects her inner body and represents her unleashed power, with her inner body representing her mind; as her skin tight black costume continues to rip and tear from abuse, more of her svelte but fragile inner body is exposed, and the exposure of her "damaged" body metaphorically refers to the exposure of her damaged mind. It is left up to Batman, who has won the favor of the police and of the City since defeating the Joker three years ago, to stop the riots, expose Shreck's schemes, and save Selina from herself, ultimately her own worst enemy. He must also contend with the Penguin's horrific true motivations for returning to the surface world.

Cast

Michael Keaton
... Batman/Bruce Wayne
Danny DeVito
... The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot
Michelle Pfeiffer
... Catwoman/Selina Kyle
Christopher Walken
... Maximillian "Max" Shreck
Michael Gough
... Alfred Pennyworth
Pat Hingle
... Commissioner James Gordon
Michael Murphy
... Gotham City Mayor
Vincent Schiavelli
... Organ Grinder
Cristi Conaway
... Ice Princess

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Batman Returns ]

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Movies - Batman Returns

Synopsis

Cast

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