|
If the first film was an amalgamation of studio-suggestions
and Burton-ideas, then this would be a total Burton-esque
experience -- for better or worse.
A Burton film it was indeed. It was faintly melancholic,
dismal, very dark, a tad overwrought, and mostly, menacing…
But hey, who cares about that, Michelle Pfeiffer looked sensational
as Catwoman, right?!
She was, well, 'purrfect' for the role - sexy, slinky, seductive
and super-talented. She was, in some respects, the film's
light moment and at the end of the day, she ultimately created
one of the franchise's most memorable characters. Yep, maybe
just as noteworthy as Jack's Joker.
The story was pretty thin - yet compared to the later Batman
films, it was a literary masterpiece - and it mightn't have
captivated you as much as some of the Superhero films that
came before and after, but Batman Returns, for several
reasons including the stellar cast and the amazing production
values, was still a successful sequel.
Michael Keaton gave us another unique turn as the scarred
Caped Crusader, an almost unrecognisable Danny De Vito was
fittingly frightening as The Penguin, and the always-great
Christopher Walken gave us the unforgettable villain, Max
Shrek.
Thing is, this isn't a very loyal 'Batman' film. In fact,
it's a Tim Burton film, first and foremost, that just happens
to feature the same/similar characters as Bob Kane's comic.
Still, it's known to be quite a few people's fave in the series,
so obviously Timbo did something right here. Or again, was
it simply Michelle?
Oh Catwoman - I'll let you drink out of my milk bowl anytime.
If you're buying Batman, you've gotta get this to go
with it.
DVD Extras
Again, like 'Batman: SE,' the film looks and sounds terrific
on DVD. Burton again provides commentary for the film, and
it's as easy, interesting and informative as the one he gave
for the first film.
On Disc-2, there are a slew of extras. First up, there's
a vintage making-of called "The Bat, The Cat, and the
Penguin" hosted by the late Robert Urich. Worth a look,
but with so many other great special features on the disc,
you can afford to skip over it.
Better is "Shadows of the Bat: A Cinematic History of
the Dark Knight Part 4," a continuing look at the evolution
of the Caped Crusader on the big screen. Everyone from Burton,
Keaton, Pfeiffer, De Vito, writer Sam Hamm, producer Denise
DiNovi, and writer Daniel Waters (he replaced Hamm, the writer
of the first film, on this) are here chatting up the sequel's
fruition. An excellent feature.
"Batman Beyond" takes a look at some of the technical
aspects of making the film - ranging from the sets, the costumes,
training the penguins, the effects and the music. Not as captivating
as the previous featurette, but still worth a peep.
In addition there's interviews with the 'Heroes' and 'Villains'
of the film, Siouxsie and The Banshees' music video from the
film, and a couple of other bits and bobs.
Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras: 85%
|
