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[catapult37]

Returns == GOAT Batman

Penguin has an army of rocket launcher equipped penguins ffs.

I see nothing in this quote to change my mind!

Really, I think the goofiness of those aspects of Returns are perfectly in balance with the dark humor and tone. I think it walks the tightrope between the two incredibly well, making for a very entertaining film. Schumacher failed to strike that balance and veered way too far into the camp direction.

I also have a lot of nostalgia for the imagery in Returns, since it was incorporated into so many things that blew my 10-year-old mind (ie happy meals).

 

[CornDogg]

Devito plays the character again in this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjhV1DavSRM

Yeah, I just watched this episode for the first time last week, as I'm slowly making my way through the series on Netflix. It was awesome to really hear some Penguin out of Frank.

 

[Raptomex]

Batman '89 is still my favorite. Batman Forever isn't too bad. Though, I enjoyed it more as a kid. I watched it recently and notice that it really isn't as great as I thought. The obsession with nipples. Batman & Robin is just terrible.

 

[Haloid1177]

Batman '89 is still my favorite. Batman Forever isn't too bad. Though, I enjoyed it more as a kid. I watched it recently and notice that it really isn't as great as I thought. The obsession with nipples. Batman & Robin is just terrible.

Batman & Robin > Forever.

 

[revolverjgw]

The structure of Batman Returns just feels off somehow. Too many villains getting too much screentime, not enough of Batman doing Batmannish things. Aesthetically the film is a masterpiece and I love it for that reason.

 

[Sephzilla]

Batman & Robin > Forever.

I want to agree but I'm going back and forth on it. On the one hand B&R actually holds up the no kill rule and is entertaining in a so bad its good kind of way. Forever however has Batman doing some actual detective work for once when solving Riddler's clues, and it also has Nicole Kidman at her peak smoking hotness

 

[Luigi87]

I just watched this yesterday! Christopher Walken was the true villain.


Great movie, aside from two gripes..

1. Selina becoming Catwoman has never made sense. I mean I love the transformation, but it's just never made sense, lol. Like... How do the cats do that?!

2. Kill count:
Batman - 3
Catwoman - 1
Penguin - 2

Batman kills more people than the two villains!

In spite of having more problems, I would say Returns is likely a better movie than '89 (budget helps), but overall Nicholson is my favourite among those who played their villain roles (and they all did fantastic work).


Also Catwoman has one of the best lines in the movie by far:
"Life's a bitch, now so am I."

 

[Raptomex]

Batman & Robin > Forever.

Lol.

 

[catapult37]

See also:

Meow. (BOOM!)

 

[Haloid1177]

I want to agree but I'm going back and forth on it. On the one hand B&R actually holds up the no kill rule and is entertaining in a so bad its good kind of way. Forever however has Batman doing some actual detective work for once when solving Riddler's clues, and it also has Nicole Kidman at her peak smoking hotness

Lol.

Here's my reasoning though. Forever tried to abridge Schumacher and Burton into a single movie, and it failed. It was too dumb to be taken seriously but it weirdly tried to have a serious element to it. Plus I can't stand Jim Carey in anything but whatever. Batman and Robin had no fucks to give and went full camp, and it's much more enjoyable on rewatch because it embraced a tone, while Forever fought over one. Also Clooney was better than Kilmer and I'll stand by that every day.

Kidman was godly though. But Thurman was pretty hot as Poison Ivy too.

 

[inm8num2]

One of the best superhero movies and a damn great sequel. I love this movie.

 

[revolverjgw]

Taken as a comedy ala the 1966 film/series, Batman and Robin is hilarious and super entertaining, and not unintentionally. So I can't hate it.

 

[Sephzilla]

Here's my reasoning though. Forever tried to abridge Schumacher and Burton into a single movie, and it failed. It was too dumb to be taken seriously but it weirdly tried to have a serious element to it. Plus I can't stand Jim Carey in anything but whatever. Batman and Robin had no fucks to give and went full camp, and it's much more enjoyable on rewatch because it embraced a tone, while Forever fought over one. Also Clooney was better than Kilmer and I'll stand by that every day.

Kidman was godly though. But Thurman was pretty hot as Poison Ivy too.

90s Jim Carrey was a bad Riddler because he was just Ace Ventura in a different outfit. I think if modern day Carrey got another crack at Riddler (with a better script) he could ace the role.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Here's my reasoning though. Forever tried to abridge Schumacher and Burton into a single movie, and it failed. It was too dumb to be taken seriously but it weirdly tried to have a serious element to it. Plus I can't stand Jim Carey in anything but whatever. Batman and Robin had no fucks to give and went full camp, and it's much more enjoyable on rewatch because it embraced a tone, while Forever fought over one. Also Clooney was better than Kilmer and I'll stand by that every day.

Kidman was godly though. But Thurman was pretty hot as Poison Ivy too.

I didn't really like Clooney in the role, but I'd also have to say that he was better than Kilmer. Kilmer did this thing with his glasses whenever he was saying smart an effort to look intelligent that was just hilarious.

Incredibly hot Kidman is the high point of Forever for sure.

 

[Buntabox]

Batman & Robin > Forever.

I'd take Batman Forever just for Bruce actually having a character arc. He is a different person by the end of the movie and feels differently about his role as Batman. The movie is cheesy as hell, but it at least has that. It's also the only pre-Nolan era film where Batman has an arc.

 

[Gonzalez]

I didn't really like Clooney in the role, but I'd also have to say that he was better than Kilmer. Kilmer did this thing with his glasses whenever he was saying smart an effort to look intelligent that was just hilarious.

Keaton did the same thing.

Seriously what the fuck was up with Batman wearing reading glasses in the first three movies? I don't remember that in the comics.

 

[Sephzilla]

I didn't really like Clooney in the role, but I'd also have to say that he was better than Kilmer. Kilmer did this thing with his glasses whenever he was saying smart an effort to look intelligent that was just hilarious.

Incredibly hot Kidman is the high point of Forever for sure.

I think the only reason Kilmer did it was so they could put in the gag where Jim Carrey mimics him in order to look smart

 

[Currygan]

why are we debating about which Schumacher Batman is better? they both ass

 

[G-Fex]

Here's my reasoning though. Forever tried to abridge Schumacher and Burton into a single movie, and it failed. It was too dumb to be taken seriously but it weirdly tried to have a serious element to it. Plus I can't stand Jim Carey in anything but whatever. Batman and Robin had no fucks to give and went full camp, and it's much more enjoyable on rewatch because it embraced a tone, while Forever fought over one. Also Clooney was better than Kilmer and I'll stand by that every day.

Kidman was godly though. But Thurman was pretty hot as Poison Ivy too.

Yeah Clooney is better, he does go for the square jawed superhero and does it. Which fits for this less serious incarnation of Batman. Kilmer was trying too hard to be overdramatic and his voice just doesn't seem natural when he's trying to imitate Keaton's deeper serious tone of voice, just listen to Kilmer's deep voice it sounds silly. Plus his face wasn't right for Batman..

 

[Sapiens]

A very claustrophobic piece of shit movie. Did they film it all in the same 20 foot square sound stage?

 

[Sephzilla]

A very claustrophobic piece of shit movie. Did they film it all in the same 20 foot square sound stage?

Seriously, all of the Gotham scenes feel like they take place on one city block. '89's Gotham feels so much bigger and gloomier.

 

[benjipwns]

best Batman movie, the darkest one, all the characters are broken, mentally ill and being taken advantage of by each other, batman's heroics are ultimately mostly inconsequential as the characters all bring about their own demise, leaving him to go back to brooding in the dark until the bat signal shines into his room (which is a hilarious shot)

"Bruce Wayne, why are you dressed up like Batman?"

thing I love about Batman (1989) is that the Joker's just having a grand old time, even in the final fight he's come prepared with gags:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vBh2pT9KgQ

Spoiler

"you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses would you?"

 

[Loxley]

Returns is so fucking hard to sit through, let alone as a Batman movie.

Exactly how I feel. The film does a terrible job depicting Batman and pretty much everything else to do with his mythos (as the Kevin Smith commentary points out). It's funny this thread pops up right as we have a thread praising the merits of BTAS. That thread was a great reminder of just how much that show fucking nailed it. It makes everything the Burton/Schumacher films got wrong with the character that much more apparent.

I mean, hey, Returns has its cool moments, but the overall film misses the mark by a considerable margin. I'm not a big fan of Burton's interpretation of Batman in general, but '89 is a better film in my mind.

 

[ElTopo]

Exactly how I feel. The film does a terrible job depicting Batman and pretty much everything else to do with his mythos (as the Kevin Smith commentary points out). It's funny this thread pops up right as we have a thread praising the merits of BTAS. That thread was a great reminder of just how much that show fucking nailed it. It makes everything the Burton/Schumacher films got wrong with the character that much more apparent.

I mean, hey, Returns has its cool moments, but the overall film misses the mark by a considerable margin. I'm not a big fan of Burton's interpretation of Batman in general, but '89 is a better film in my mind.

I gotta' be honest. That was a great commentary and I agree with every single point they've made except Catwoman's origin. I thought it was fine for a Burton Batman movie.

And yet I still enjoy Returns.

 

[AniHawk]

Here's my reasoning though. Forever tried to abridge Schumacher and Burton into a single movie, and it failed. It was too dumb to be taken seriously but it weirdly tried to have a serious element to it. Plus I can't stand Jim Carey in anything but whatever. Batman and Robin had no fucks to give and went full camp, and it's much more enjoyable on rewatch because it embraced a tone, while Forever fought over one. Also Clooney was better than Kilmer and I'll stand by that every day.

Kidman was godly though. But Thurman was pretty hot as Poison Ivy too.

i think carrey was the best part of forever. he had a motive, and it led to things happening.

tommy lee jones in forever is the real disaster. what the hell happened there.

 

[Maddocks]

Burton Batman is a psychopath. He kills like nothing, he even straps a bomb on a guy and smiles about it as he dies.

 

[munchie64]

I kinda love it cause of how strange it is. Everyone in this movie is insane, especially Batman.

 

[blummer102]

It's a very atmospheric movie and I like the Christmas atmosphere (I feel like Arkham Origins might have been subtly influenced by this movie) but it does focus on the villains way more than Batman, and some of the dialogue is pretty embarrassing.

This film and its comic adaption were actually my first exposure to Batman as a kid, though. Considering I became a lifelong fan, it must've done something right.

Btw, does anyone else remember the Batman Returns cereal that came out to coincide with the movie's release? I remember seeing it in Shoprite when I was three and really wanting it, but my pops wouldn't buy for me. Those marshmallows tho!