Gotham's Phantoms

"Batman Returns" is a complete improvement upon Tim Burton's first "Batman" (1989). The production design is more vital and actually reflects the characters that inhabit it, and, in turn, their animalistic and dualistic natures seem to be determined by the spaces they occupy: Bruce Wayne of the mansion and Batman of the cave, Penguin in the sewer and mayoral candidate Oswald Cobblepot above the surface, Selina Kyle going from housecat to alley cat and from pussycat to one with claws based on her costume with its stitching aptly and prominently displayed--a more striking change than even that of Bruce and Bat. And to show this architecture off properly, there's some flowing camera movement this time and inspired framings beyond the occasional canted angle of the first film. Moreover, unlike the first film, the narrative here follows through on some of its allusions to other narratives, which underscore the above themes. Sure, some goofiness, as in the last one, is present, and Burton and company still seem to enjoy referencing other films merely for the sake of it (naming a character Max Schrek, after the actor from "Nosferatu" (1922), for instance), but for the most part, "Batman Returns" corrects every major problem I had with its predecessor.

I'm a fan of the dark and perverse tone of it, too. There seems to be a tendency with blockbuster sequels, perhaps because studio executives become more invested, to soften the mood of the original, especially if it had any edge to it, for supposed mass, family-oriented appeal. It happened with "Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom," and it happened with "Ghostbusters II" (1989) (and even more so with the reboot), to name two that come readily to mind. Apparently, someone selling "Batman Returns" had that notion in mind, which is why it was such a landmark in movie marketing synergy--complete with Batman toys in McDonald's Happy Meals. Fortunately, however, the making of the film and the marketing of it seems to have been relatively separated this time, as Burton and company decisively eschew any family-friendly Christmassy fast-food mush.

Instead, "Batman Returns" accentuates the dark architecture and lighting of the original. Danny DeVito offers one of the most grotesque characters ever put in mainstream fare--the stuff of nightmares, truly. And Michelle Pfeiffer parades around in a latex catsuit--exuding sex the entire time, if not directly declaiming sexual innuendo none too subtly. Even Bruce repurposes a torture device, an iron maiden, to access the Batcave. Added to this, the Penguin's journey is a depraved variation on the biblical Moses: he's orphaned by floating down a river, only to come back with a promise of a plague to kill the firstborns.

In the first "Batman," there was quite a bit of Michael Keaton posing like Bela Lugosi's Dracula, but little else was done with that cinematic referencing. This time, the allusions are more consistent to another monster that originated on screen in Universal's classic horror movies. Like the Phantom of the Opera, the Penguin emerges from his subterranean lair to wreak havoc on the world above. Unlike the Phantom, however, the Penguin wears no mask to hide his hideous appearance; rather, Bruce and Selina wear them--except, ironically, at the masquerade ball. (By the way, in the novel, the Bal Masqué scene is the only one where the Phantom reveals his true face, as well, although the 1925 film features Lon Chaney wearing the guise of Red Death, which is briefly and obscurely referenced in "Batman Returns.") And, if the Penguin most resembles Erik from Gaston Leroux's novel, then Bruce must be the aristocratic Raoul, who like Batman, usually fights against the Phantom and on the side of law enforcement as the two men compete for the affections of Christine--or, in this case, Selina.

Indeed, Catwoman has the most compelling arc here, as her duality splits her between good and evil (and Pfeiffer stands out among the cast; this is the best role of her career). Essentially, she's a femme fatale, which is entirely more welcome than the damsel-in-distress love interest of Batsy last outing, as well as its concurrent useless subplot involving newspaper investigative reporting. "Batman Returns," by contrast, excises such unnecessary narrative padding in favor of getting on with the action and in developing its themes, all of which coalesces much more congruently this time around. It's just three loons with spirit animals for their split personalities as they battle their phantoms in the opera of Gotham.