Year: 1992
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Daniel Waters
RYAN’S REVIEW
I was eight years old when this movie was released and it is the first movie I can remember being really excited about before it came out. I have a very clear memory of a discussion I had with a stranger about how awesome the movie was going to be. I was shopping with my mom and had to stand alone while her and my sister were in a changing room, and the stranger was some other guy holding a purse, probably about my age now. The habit I have now of keeping up with what movies are being made has been ongoing for probably at least 15 years, this is possibly the movie that started that habit. So needless to say this movie is special to me, and I think it is a fantastic sequel to the original.
This studio didn’t like this film because they thought they should have made more money with a family friendlier film, but as I said before this is where Warner Brothers is wrong. Batman is not a family friendly character, he is the Dark Knight, he is a vigilante and criminal. This movie tends to get a little silly at times, Penguin does have an army of real penguins strapped with missiles. It practically is family friendly but very dark all the same and really for the older kids who were in my range of 8 and up. This movie lived up to and exceeded all my eight year old expectations and I still love it even today. It is exactly what I say any good sequel should be, a bigger better version of the original. This movie is very different from the first, but the stakes are raised and the consequences greater so it meets the formula. To go back to my initial point though, as I continue to watch it now I can kinda see the studios point. The Penguin, as awesome as he was, does tend to be a bit scary. I don’t remember any, but I wouldn’t be all that surprised if as an 8-year-old I had had any nightmares about the Penguin biting a man’s face off. That is a bit much for the kids, but the studio did go on to get a little carried away with later sequels.
This movie really stepped it up. There is more action, more stars, and more bad guys. Michael Keaton was back as Batman and I stand by my opinion that he was the best Batman. Michelle Pfeiffer is so sexy as Catwoman, she was absolutely perfect. Danny DeVito was iconic as the Penguin, much more so than Nicholson as the Joker in my opinion. Christopher Walken is another newcomer that made the sequel great. Tim Burton may have went a little over the top here and there with this film but it was still great and one of his many fantastic films. Danny Elfman again deserves special recognition for the score. What makes it great is that it is similar to the score of the first film but different enough to set it apart.
Tim Burton is a director who deserves special recognition, this movie is part of his legacy. Any movie fan should see both Tim Burton Batman movies because they are classic. Burton had a great vision and great actors who did their jobs well. Anybody who loves to watch movies like we do should watch this movie because it is a great film. it is worth your time.
AMBER’S REVIEW
I really am a fan of most of Tim Burton’s films, and this one is another one that I truly like. I am not claiming to know very much about the history of Batman, but I love how he introduces new villains in each film. In the beginning of this film, I actually feel sorry for the Penguin. I mean he doesn’t even have a shot from birth. His parents think he is grotesque, they keep him locked up in a cage, and yeah he eats the family pet, but do they even feed him? Okay, I know I am a softy, and it turns out he is a pretty bad guy, but honestly…wasn’t he doomed from the beginning?
If you are young and are reading this, and you have seen the movie, I bet you are surprised to learn that this movie was nominated for two academy awards. Yup, this Batman movie was nominated for Best Effects and Best Makeup. That sort of makes you laugh when you watch it, knowing what was nominated in years to come, but this comic book movie was made before every Tom, Dick and Harry decided making a comic book movie was the “it” thing to do.
I would like to end my review by saying Michele Pfeiffer makes one hell of a hotter Catwoman than Halle Berry, just sayin’.
NEXT MOVIE: Batman Forever (1995)
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