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Batman Returns
1992 superhero film by Tim Burton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Batman (1989) and the second installment in the Batman film series (1989–1997). The cast includes Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy. The film follows Batman as he confronts corrupt businessman Max Shreck and malformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / the Penguin, whose bid for power threatens Gotham City. Their schemes are further complicated by Shreck's former secretary Selina Kyle, who seeks revenge against him as Catwoman.
Burton was initially uninterested in directing a sequel to Batman, feeling creatively constrained by Warner Bros.' expectations. He agreed to return only after being granted greater creative control, which included replacing original writer Sam Hamm with Daniel Waters and reuniting with many of his previous collaborators. Waters's script emphasized characterization over plot, and Wesley Strick was later hired for an uncredited rewrite that added, among other elements, a master plan for the Penguin. Filming took place from September 1991 to February 1992 on a budget of $50–80 million, primarily on sets and soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios and the Universal Studios Lot in California. The film's special effects relied mainly on practical techniques and makeup, supplemented with animatronics, limited computer-generated imagery, and dozens of live penguins.
The film's marketing campaign was extensive, featuring brand tie-ins and merchandise intended to replicate the financial success of Batman. Released on June 19, 1992, Batman Returns broke several box-office records and grossed $266.8 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest grossing film of 1992, but fell short of Batman ($411.6 million) in overall success and longevity. The darker tone, along with violent and sexual content, was cited as alienating family audiences and prompted backlash against marketing partners for promoting the film to children. Critical reception was polarized, though most reviewers praised the principal cast.
Following the mixed reception of Batman Returns, Burton was replaced by Joel Schumacher as director of Batman Forever (1995), which was developed with a more family-friendly tone. Keaton declined to return, citing creative differences with Schumacher. Batman Forever and its sequel, Batman & Robin (1997), performed well financially but received weaker critical responses. In the years since its release, Batman Returns has been reappraised as one of the strongest Batman films, with its portrayals of Catwoman and the Penguin regarded as iconic. The story was revisited in the comic Batman '89 (2021), and Keaton later reprised his version of Batman in The Flash (2023).
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Plot
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In Gotham City, two wealthy socialites are horrified by the birth of their malformed and feral son Oswald, abandon him in the sewers, where he is taken in by a colony of penguins. Thirty-three years later, during the Christmas season, wealthy industrialist Max Shreck is abducted by the Red Triangle Gang—former circus performers implicated in child disappearances across the country—and taken to their hideout in the abandoned Arctic exhibit at Gotham Zoo. Their leader, Oswald, now known as the Penguin, blackmails Max with evidence of his corruption and murders, coercing him into helping Oswald re-enter Gotham's high society. Max stages the kidnapping of the mayor's infant child, allowing Oswald to "rescue" it and become a public hero. In return, Oswald requests access to the city's birth records, claiming he seeks to uncover his true identity by investigating Gotham's first-born sons.
Max attempts to kill his timid secretary, Selina Kyle, by pushing her out of a window after she discovers his plan to build a power plant that would secretly drain and store Gotham's electricity. Selina survives, returns home, designs a costume, and adopts the persona of Catwoman. To Max's surprise, she reappears at work with newfound confidence and assertiveness, immediately attracting the attention of visiting billionaire Bruce Wayne. As the vigilante Batman, Bruce begins investigating Oswald, suspecting his ties to the Red Triangle Gang. Seeking to remove opposition to his power plant, Max convinces Oswald to run for mayor and discredit the incumbent by unleashing the gang on Gotham. Batman's efforts to quell the violence bring him into conflict with Catwoman, while in their civilian lives Selina and Bruce begin a romance. Meanwhile, Catwoman allies with Oswald to smear Batman's reputation.
During Gotham's Christmas-tree lighting, Oswald and Catwoman kidnap Gotham's beauty queen, the Ice Princess, and lure Batman to a rooftop above the ceremony. Oswald pushes the Ice Princess to her death with a swarm of bats, framing Batman. When Catwoman objects to the murder and rebuffs Oswald's sexual advances, he attacks her, sending her crashing through a glasshouse. Batman escapes in the Batmobile, unaware that the Red Triangle gang has sabotaged it, allowing Oswald to take it on a remote-controlled rampage. Before regaining control, Batman records Oswald's insulting tirade against Gotham's citizens and later plays it during Oswald's mayoral rally, destroying his public image and forcing him to retreat to Gotham Zoo. There, Oswald renounces his humanity, fully embracing his identity as the Penguin, and sets his plan in motion to abduct and kill Gotham's first-born sons as revenge for his own abandonment.
Selina attempts to kill Max at his charity ball, but Bruce intervenes, and the two inadvertently discover each other's secret identities. Penguin crashes the event intending to kidnap Max's son, Chip, but Max offers himself instead. Batman disrupts the Red Triangle gang and halts the kidnappings, prompting the Penguin to unleash his missile-equipped penguin army to destroy Gotham. Batman's ally, Alfred Pennyworth, overrides the control signal, redirecting the penguins back to Gotham Zoo. As the missiles obliterate the zoo, Batman unleashes a swarm of bats, causing the Penguin to fall into the toxic waters of the Arctic exhibit. Catwoman confronts Max, rejecting Batman's plea to abandon her revenge and leave with him. Max shoots her multiple times, but she survives, claiming she has two of her nine lives left. Catwoman electrocutes Max with a live cable, causing a power surge that appears to kill them both; however, Batman finds only Max's remains. The Penguin emerges one last time but succumbs to his injuries and dies, with his penguins carrying his body into the water.
Sometime later, while traveling home, Bruce spots Selina's silhouette but finds only a cat, which he takes with him. The Bat-Signal shines above the city as Catwoman gazes up at it.
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Cast
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- Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire businessman who operates as Gotham's vigilante protector[5][6]
- Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin: A malformed crime boss[6]
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle / Catwoman: A meek assistant turned vengeful villainess[6][7]
- Christopher Walken as Max Shreck: A ruthless industrialist[6][8][9]
- Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth: Wayne's butler and surrogate father[10]
- Pat Hingle as James Gordon: The Gotham City police commissioner and Batman's ally[11]
- Michael Murphy as the Mayor: The city's incumbent mayor[5][12]
The cast of Batman Returns includes Andrew Bryniarski as Max's son Charles "Chip" Schreck and Cristi Conaway as the Ice Princess, Gotham's beauty queen-elect.[13][14][15] Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger appear as Tucker and Esther Cobblepot, Oswald's wealthy, elite parents.[16] Sean Whalen appears as a paperboy; Jan Hooks and Steve Witting play Jen and Josh, Oswald's mayoral image consultants.[a]
The Red Triangle gang includes the monkey-toting Organ Grinder (Vincent Schiavelli), the Poodle Lady (Anna Katarina), the Tattooed Strongman (Rick Zumwalt), the Sword Swallower (John Strong), the Knifethrower Dame (Erika Andersch), the Acrobatic Thug (Gregory Scott Cummins), the Terrifying Clown (Branscombe Richmond), the Fat Clown (Travis Mckenna), and the Thin Clown (Doug Jones).[15][20][21]
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Production
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Development
Following the success of Batman (1989), which became the fifth-highest-grossing film of its time, a sequel was considered inevitable. Warner Bros. Pictures began discussing a follow-up by late 1989, with plans to start filming the next May.[b] The studio wanted Robin Williams and Danny DeVito to portray the Riddler and Penguin, respectively,[23] and invested $2 million in acquiring the Gotham City sets at Pinewood Studios in England, intending to reuse them for at least two sequels. The sets were placed under 24-hour surveillance, as maintaining them was more cost-effective than rebuilding.[23] Despite Warner Bros.' pressure to secure a script and begin production, director Tim Burton was hesitant to return.[23][9][25] He described the idea of a sequel as "dumbfounded", particularly before the first film's box-office performance could be assessed.[23][25][26] Burton was skeptical of sequels in general, believing they were only worthwhile if they offered something new and different.[23][26]
Batman writer Sam Hamm's initial story treatment expanded on district attorney Harvey Dent—played by Billy Dee Williams in Batman—and charted his transformation into the supervillain Two-Face. Warner Bros., however, pushed for the Penguin as the primary antagonist, whom Hamm believed the studio regarded as Batman's most recognizable foe after the Joker. Catwoman was also added because Burton and Hamm were interested in the character.[27] Hamm's drafts followed directly from Batman, continuing Bruce Wayne's relationship with Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) and leading to their engagement.[9][25] His Penguin was depicted as an avian-themed criminal who weaponized birds, while Catwoman was portrayed as more overtly sexual, clad in "bondage" attire, and casually murdering groups of men.[25]
The story paired Penguin and Catwoman in a plot to frame Batman for the murders of Gotham's wealthiest citizens while pursuing a hidden treasure, which ultimately drew them to Wayne Manor and uncovered the Wayne family's secret past. Hamm also introduced the Christmastime setting and included Robin, Batman's sidekick, though his idea of assault rifle-wielding Santas was discarded. In Hamm's drafts, Batman avoided killing and concentrated on protecting Gotham’s homeless.[9][25] Ultimately, his two scripts failed to reignite Burton's interest,[25][26] and the director instead focused on Edward Scissorhands (1990) and co-writing The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).[28]
Burton was confirmed to direct the sequel in January 1991, with filming planned to begin later that year for a 1992 release.[29] His decision was influenced by the 1989 departure of Batman producers Peter Guber and Jon Peters to Columbia Pictures, as Burton had been frustrated by the level of creative control they exercised over the first film.[30] He agreed to return only after securing greater creative authority, later admitting that Batman was his least favorite of his films, describing it as "occasionally boring."[9][25][31] According to long-time collaborator Denise Di Novi, "Only about 50% of Batman was [Burton]", and Warner Bros. wanted Batman Returns to be "more of a Tim Burton movie ... [a] weirder movie but also more hip and fun."[31]
Burton brought in several long-time collaborators to replace key members of the original Batman crew, including cinematographer Stefan Czapsky, production designer Bo Welch, creature-effects supervisor Stan Winston, makeup artist Ve Neill, and art directors Tom Duffield and Rick Henrichs.[32] He hired Daniel Waters to replace Hamm, preferring a writer with no emotional attachment to Batman. Burton admired Waters's script for the dark comedy Heathers (1988), which reflected the darker tone and creative direction he envisioned for the sequel.[25][26][31] Burton reportedly clashed with producer Jon Peters, demoting him to executive producer and largely excluding him from the set.[9] Warner Bros. served as the production company and distributor, with additional support from executive producer Peter Guber's and Peters's Polygram Pictures.[33][34]
Writing
Waters began work on his first draft in mid-1990.[35] Burton's only guidance was that the script should avoid connections to the previous Batman, aside from a brief reference to Vale as Wayne's former partner, and that Catwoman should be developed with more depth than the typical sexy vixen archetype.[22][36][37] Waters, who disliked the 1989 film, had no interest in following its narrative threads, acknowledging the characters' comic-book histories, or accounting for fan expectations, remarking that the creative team was focused on artistic expression.[25][36][37] Unlike Hamm, Waters did not object to Batman killing, arguing that the character should reflect darker contemporary sensibilities and that relying on authorities to handle captured villains felt outdated.[25] Even so, he limited these moments to situations where killing served the story, and expressed dissatisfaction with certain unscripted additions in the film, such as Batman blowing up a Red Triangle gang member.[8] Waters's dialogue for Batman, described as "bitter and cynical"—including lines suggesting Gotham City was unworthy of protection—was pared back because Keaton felt Batman should speak as little as possible in costume, and Burton preferred to portray the character as motivated by trauma rather than nihilism.[c]
As a result, the script focused on the villains. Burton said he initially struggled to understand the appeal of the Penguin's comic-book counterpart; Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker had clear psychological profiles, but the Penguin was "just this guy with a cigarette and a top hat".[25] The initial draft portrayed him as a stereotypical DeVito character—an abrasive gangster—but Waters and Burton agreed to make him more "animalistic".[35] They decided to present the Penguin as a tragic figure, abandoned as an infant by his parents, mirroring Batman's childhood trauma of losing his own parents.[25] Political and social satire was incorporated, influenced by two episodes of the 1960s television series Batman ("Hizzoner the Penguin" and "Dizhonner the Penguin"), in which the Penguin runs for mayor.[9][25] Waters reimagined Hamm's Catwoman, shifting her from a "fetishy sexual fantasy" femme fatale to a working-class, disenchanted secretary, writing her as an allegory of contemporary feminism.[25][26] Although the character draws on feline mythology—such as cats having nine lives—Waters and Burton never intended the supernatural elements to be taken literally and planned for Catwoman to die alongside Shreck during the electrical explosion in the film's denouement.[8][39]
Waters created Max Shreck—an original character named after actor Max Schreck—to replace Harvey Dent/Two-Face.[25][26] Shreck was written satirically, an evil industrialist who orchestrates the Penguin's mayoral campaign, to show that true villains do not always wear costumes. In one draft, he was depicted as the Penguin's favored brother.[9][25] With four central characters to develop, Waters and Burton removed Robin, a garage mechanic who aids Batman after the Penguin crashes the Batmobile, describing the character as worthless.[25][32] The Red Triangle gang, initially conceived as a troupe of performance artists, was changed to circus clowns at Burton's request.[40]
Waters said his 160-page first draft was too outlandish and would have cost $400 million to produce, prompting him to adopt a more restrained approach.[35] His fifth and final draft focused on characterization and interactions rather than plot.[d] Burton and Waters eventually fell out over disagreements about the script, particularly Waters's refusal to make requested changes.
Burton hired Wesley Strick to streamline Waters's lengthy script, condense dialogue, and lighten the tone.[38] Warner Bros. executives required Strick to include a master plan for the Penguin, leading to the addition of a plot involving the kidnapping of Gotham's first-born sons and the threat of missile attacks.[25][36][42] Strick delivered his draft in August 1991.[30] Waters described the changes as relatively minor but expressed confusion over the Penguin's master plan.[22][36][38] He made a final revision to Strick's shooting script, and although Strick was on set for four months and involved in agreed-upon rewrites, Waters was the sole credited screenwriter.[22][36][43]
Casting
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Michael Keaton reprised his role as Bruce Wayne / Batman for $10 million, double his salary for Batman.[25][26][44] Burton initially wanted Marlon Brando to play the Penguin, but Warner Bros. preferred Dustin Hoffman. Christopher Lloyd and Robert De Niro were also considered, with Danny DeVito emerging as the frontrunner after Waters reimagined the character as a deformed human-bird hybrid.[22][26][45] DeVito was initially hesitant to accept the role until persuaded by his close friend Jack Nicholson, who had portrayed the Joker in Batman.[26][45] To communicate his vision, Burton showed DeVito a painting he had created of a small character sitting on a red-and-white striped ball, captioned: "my name is Jimmy, but my friends call me the hideous penguin boy."[8][25][42]
Casting Selina Kyle / Catwoman proved challenging.[25][42] Annette Bening was initially cast in the role but had to withdraw due to pregnancy. Other actresses considered included Ellen Barkin, Cher, Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madonna, Julie Newmar, Lena Olin, Susan Sarandon, Raquel Welch, and Kim Basinger. The most notable contender was Sean Young, who had been cast as Vale in Batman before an injury prevented her from performing.[e] Young reportedly visited the Warner Bros. lot in a homemade Catwoman costume for an impromptu audition with Burton, who allegedly hid under his desk, while Keaton and producer Mark Canton briefly met with her. She also showcased her costume on Entertainment Tonight and pitched it on The Joan Rivers Show. Warner Bros. ultimately decided that Young did not align with their vision for Catwoman.[f]
The role went to Michelle Pfeiffer, who was regarded as a proven actress and someone who worked well with Burton, although some publications suggested the role would challenge her acting range.[8][26][46] Pfeiffer had also been considered for the role of Vale in Batman, but Keaton vetoed her casting due to their previous romantic relationship, believing her presence could interfere with attempts to reconcile with his wife.[49] She received a $3 million salary—$2 million more than Bening—plus a share of the film's gross profits.[g] Pfeiffer trained for several months in kickboxing with her stunt double, Kathy Long, mastering the whip and becoming skilled enough to perform many of her own stunts with it.[h]
Shreck's appearance was modeled on Vincent Price in an unspecified older film, while Walken based his performance on moguls such as Sol Hurok and Samuel Goldwyn.[5][8] Walken said, "I tend to play mostly villains and twisted people. Unsavory guys. I think it's my face, the way I look."[53] Burgess Meredith, who portrayed the Penguin in the 1960s TV series, was originally scheduled to cameo as Penguin's father, Tucker Cobblepot, but became ill during filming. He was replaced by Paul Reubens, while Diane Salinger played Tucker's wife, Esther. Both had previously appeared in Burton's feature-film debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).[9][26][54]
Although Robin was removed from the final screenplay, the character's development had progressed far enough that Marlon Wayans had already been cast (Burton had specifically wanted an African-American Robin), and costumes, sets, and action figures were created. In a 1998 interview, Wayans said that he continued to receive residual checks under the two-film contract he had signed.[i] Early reports suggested that Nicholson had been asked to return as the Joker, but he allegedly declined to film in England due to foreign salary taxes. Nicholson, however, denied being asked, believing that Warner Bros. would not want to replicate the generous compensation he had received for Batman.[56][57][58]
Filming
Principal photography began on September 3, 1991.[53][54][59] Burton wanted to film in the United States with American actors, believing that Batman, which had been shot in the United Kingdom, had "suffered from a British subtext."[j] Changes in the economics of filming in the UK also made it more cost-effective to remain in the U.S.[32] This decision required abandoning the Pinewood Studios sets in favor of Burton's new designs. Batman Returns was filmed almost entirely on up to eight soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California, including Stage 16, which housed the expansive Gotham Plaza set.[k] Stage 12 at the Universal Studios Lot was used for the Penguin's Arctic-exhibit lair.[l] Warner Bros. maintained a high level of security to avoid details leaking for Batman Returns Cast and crew wore ID badges branded with the film's working title, Dictel, a word coined by Welch and Burton meaning "dictatorial", as they were unhappy with the studio's "ridiculous gestapo" measures.[61]
Some sets were kept very cold for the live Emperor, black-footed, and King penguins.[8][22][26] The birds were transported in a refrigerated airplane for filming and housed in a chilled waiting area with a swimming pool stocked daily with half a ton of ice and fresh fish.[8][26] DeVito stated that, although he generally enjoyed being on set, he disliked the cold conditions and was the only cast member somewhat comfortable due to the heavy padding in his costume.[8] The penguin army was created using live penguins supplemented by puppets, forty Emperor-penguin suits worn by little people, and Computer-generated imagery (CGI).[8][22] People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested the use of real penguins, citing concerns over moving the birds from their natural environment. While the organization later acknowledged that the penguins were not mistreated, it criticized the lack of fresh drinking water, noting they were confined to a small chlorinated pool.[22][62] PETA also objected to the penguins being fitted with prop weapons and gadgets, which Warner Bros. stated were lightweight plastic.[63] Burton himself expressed a reluctance to use live animals, emphasizing his care and concern for their treatment.[64]
Walken described the filming process as highly collaborative, recalling that his suggestion to add a blueprint for Shreck's power plant led to a model being constructed within hours.[8] The scene in which Catwoman places a live bird in her mouth was performed live, with no CGI, and Pfeiffer later remarked that she would not perform the stunt again, given the potential risks of injury or disease.[8] For a sewer scene, handlers positioned above and below guided an organ-grinder monkey carrying a note for the Penguin. When the monkey saw DeVito in full costume and makeup, it lunged at him. DeVito recalled, "The monkey looked at me, froze, and then leapt right at my balls ... Thank god it was a padded costume."[65] A scene depicting the explosion of Shreck's superstore resulted in minor injuries to four stuntmen.[22] Principal photography concluded on February 20, 1992, after 170 days.[22]
Design and effects
Batman Returns' production design and visual style were reimagined by Bo Welch, replacing the late Anton Furst and bringing a darker, expressionist aesthetic after collaborating with Burton on Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands.[5][26][37] Welch designed key props such as the Batskiboat and Penguin's umbrellas, introduced a "Batmissile" mode for the Batmobile, and oversaw large-scale sets including Gotham Plaza and Penguin's lair.[37][66] Influenced by German Expressionism, neo-fascist architecture, American precisionism, and street-level imagery of homelessness, he used miniatures and exaggerated verticality to create a decaying, alienating Gotham.[22][37][67]
Costume designers Bob Ringwood and Mary Vogt updated the Batsuit with a mechanical look and created a fragile latex Catwoman suit requiring numerous backups.[22][68][69] DeVito's Penguin relied on extensive prosthetics by Stan Winston Studio, including black saliva for grotesque effect, and the team built thirty animatronic penguins supplemented with actors and digital effects.[70][71][22]
Post-production was intense, with effects shots conceived weeks before the June 19, 1992 release.[72] The visual effects workload ultimately encompassed around 115 shots, employing matte paintings, miniatures, CGI, makeup, puppets, and pyrotechnics, handled by six major effects houses including Stan Winston Studio, Boss Film Studios, and Matte World Digital.[72][33]
Post-production
Chris Lebenzon edited the 126-minute theatrical cut of Batman Returns.[7][18][73] Burton described the production as rushed, forcing him to present a cut to studio executives only four weeks after filming wrapped—far shorter than his typical editing timelines.[74]
The final scene of Catwoman looking up at the Bat-Signal was filmed during post-production, just two weeks before release. Warner Bros. mandated the scene—showing that Catwoman survived—after test audiences responded positively to Pfeiffer's performance. Pfeiffer was unavailable, so a stand-in was used. Burton stated that, prior to this addition, Catwoman died definitively alongside Shreck.[m] A scene showing Penguin's gang destroying a store filled with Batman merchandise was also removed.[25]
Warner Bros. provided a final budget of $55 million for Batman Returns, although it has been reported (or estimated) as $50, $65, $75, or $80 million.[n][ii]
Music
Danny Elfman was initially reluctant to score Batman Returns because he was unhappy that his Batman score was supplemented with pop music by Prince.[8] Elfman built on many of his Batman themes, and said that he enjoyed working on the Penguin's themes the most because of the character's sympathetic aspects, such as his abandonment and death.[8][82] Recorded with a studio orchestra on the Sony Scoring Stage in Los Angeles, Elfman's score includes vocals, harps, bells, xylophones, flutes, pianos, and chimes.[83][84] Burton and Elfman fell out during production due to the stress of finishing Batman Returns on time, but reconciled shortly afterward.[85]
The song "Face to Face", played during the costume-ball scene, was co-written and performed by the British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees.[84]
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Release
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Context
By the summer theatrical season of 1992 (starting the last week of May), the film industry faced low ticket sales, rising production costs, and several box-office failures from the previous year.[86] Eighty-nine films were scheduled for release, including A League of Their Own, Alien 3, Encino Man, Far and Away, Patriot Games, and Sister Act.[24][78][86] Studios had to carefully plan releases to avoid competition from anticipated blockbusters, such as Lethal Weapon 3, Batman Returns, and the 1992 Summer Olympics.[78] Batman Returns was predicted to be the summer's biggest hit, causing other studios to worry about scheduling films even a few weeks from its premiere.[78][87] Paramount Pictures reportedly increased Patriot Games' budget by $14 million to make it more competitive with Batman Returns and Lethal Weapon 3.[78][86]
Marketing
Franchising had not been a major focus for Batman prior to its release, but after merchandise generated roughly $500 million of the film's $1.5 billion total earnings, it became a priority for Batman Returns.[8][9][88] A 12-minute promotional reel debuted at WorldCon in September 1991, alongside a black-and-white poster of a silhouetted Batman, which was deemed "mundane" and uninspiring by industry professionals.[22][67] Warner Bros. delayed major promotion until February 1992 to avoid over-saturation and alienating audiences.[67][88][89] A trailer rolled out in 5,000 theaters that month, accompanied by a new poster showing a snow-swept Batman logo.[22][67] The campaign focused on the three central characters—Batman, Penguin, and Catwoman—which Warner Bros. believed would offset the absence of the popular Nicholson.[86][89] Over two-thirds of the 300 public posters were stolen, prompting Warner Bros. to offer 200 limited-edition posters for $250, signed by Keaton, who donated his earnings to charity.[22][89][90]
Marketing expenditures were expected to exceed $100 million, including $20 million by Warner Bros. for commercials and trailers and $60 million by merchandising partners. These partners—including McDonald's, Ralston Purina, Kmart, Target Corporation, Venture Stores, and Sears—planned roughly 300 in-store Batman shops.[22][88][89] McDonald's converted 9,000 outlets into Gotham City restaurants, featuring Batman-themed packaging and a cup lid that doubled as a flying disc.[88] CBS aired the television special The Bat, The Cat, The Penguin ... Batman Returns, while Choice Hotels sponsored the hour-long The Making of Batman Returns.[22][88] TV ads depicted Batman and Catwoman fighting over a can of Diet Coke, with the Penguin (and his penguins) promoting Choice Hotels, and additional advertisements ran on billboards and in print—sometimes across three consecutive newspaper pages—targeting older audiences.[89]
Box office
Batman Returns premiered on June 16, 1992, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Two blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed for more than 3,000 fans, 33 TV film crews, and 100 photographers. A party followed on the Stage 16 Gotham Plaza set, attended by Keaton, Pfeiffer, DeVito, Burton, Di Novi, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Faye Dunaway, James Caan, Mickey Rooney, Harvey Keitel, Christian Slater, James Woods, and Reubens, among others.[60]
The film had a limited preview release in the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, June 18, earning $2 million.[8][24][81] It expanded widely the following day, playing on an above-average 3,000 screens across 2,644 theaters.[8][24][91] Batman Returns grossed $45.7 million in its opening weekend—an average of $17,729 per theater—becoming the number-one film ahead of Sister Act ($7.8 million in its fourth weekend) and Patriot Games ($7.7 million in its third).[24][91][92] This broke the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend, previously held by Batman ($42.7 million), and the record stood until Jurassic Park ($50.1 million) the following year.[93]
Early analysis suggested Batman Returns could become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Warner Bros. executive Robert Friedman noted, "We opened it the first real weekend when kids are out of school. The audience is everybody, but the engine that drives the charge are kids under 20."[24] Patriot Games producer Mace Neufeld observed that other films benefited from overflow audiences who avoided long lines or sold-out screenings of Batman Returns.[24]
Batman Returns earned $25.4 million in its second weekend—a 44.3-percent drop—remaining the number-one film ahead of the debuting Unlawful Entry ($10.1 million) and Sister Act ($7.2 million).[94][95] By its third weekend, it became the second-fastest film to reach $100 million (11 days), behind Batman (10 days).[96] It remained number one with $13.8 million (a 45.6-percent drop), narrowly ahead of the debuts of A League of Their Own ($13.7 million) and Boomerang ($13.6 million).[95][97] The Washington Post described its week-over-week declines as concerning, and industry analysts suggested that Batman Returns might not match the theatrical longevity of Batman.[95][22] The film dropped to number four in its fourth weekend and exited the top ten highest-grossing films by its seventh. After an 18-week run, it closed in late October with a total United States and Canada gross of $162.8 million.[98][99] This made it the third-highest-grossing film of 1992, behind Home Alone 2: Lost in New York ($173.6 million) and Aladdin ($217.3 million).[92]
Batman Returns earned an estimated $104 million outside the U.S. and Canada.[100] This included breaking multiple box office records in the United Kingdom: It achieved the highest-grossing opening weekend in the U.K., earning £2.5 million, surpassing the previous record held by Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) (£2.3 million);[95][101][102] The film also set the single-day U.K. record, grossing £1.1 million, overtaking the record previously held by The Silence of the Lambs (1991).[101][102]
Worldwide, Batman Returns grossed $266.8 million,[iii] making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1992, ahead of A Few Good Men ($243.2 million) and behind Lethal Weapon 3 ($321.7 million).[100]
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Reception
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Critical response
Batman Returns received a polarized response from critics and audiences, largely due to its darker tone and mature content.[5][22][26] CinemaScore polling reported an average grade of B on an A+-to-F scale.[103]
Some reviewers, including Janet Maslin and Desson Howe, compared the sequel favorably to Batman, noting faster pacing, increased humor, and greater character depth, which avoided the original's "dourness" and "tedium".[o] Maslin and Dave Kehr emphasized that Burton's creative control made Batman Returns a more personal and "fearlessly" distinctive work.[105][108] Critics such as Kenneth Turan praised the film's visuals but argued that the emphasis on spectacle sometimes made it feel cheerless and claustrophobic, occasionally at the expense of the plot.[7][80][107] Owen Gleiberman suggested that Burton's imaginative flourishes were undermined by a lack of grounding in normality.[7]
The narrative received mixed reactions. Howe and Turan commended the film for adding emotional depth to its characters, particularly Catwoman and the Penguin, though Turan noted a lag in pacing midway.[104][80] In contrast, McCarthy found the story cluttered, with too many plotlines diminishing momentum.[106] Gleiberman similarly argued that the numerous storylines created a sense of disjointedness.[7] Critics generally agreed that the first two acts were more compelling than the finale, which struggled to satisfactorily resolve multiple character arcs.[104][80][106] Others, including Jonathan Rosenbaum, felt that the film lacked suspense and clever writing, overwhelmed by characters and near-constant banter.[12][109][110] Maslin observed that Burton prioritized visuals over plot.[105] Gene Siskel argued that the sympathetic villains diminished narrative satisfaction, leaving viewers wishing Batman might not prevail.[111]
Critics noted that the film devoted more attention to its villains than to Batman himself.[12][80][112] Gleiberman remarked that the villain sequences often overshadowed Keaton's performance.[7] McCarthy described Batman as a symbolic figure rather than a psychologically complex character, while Ebert viewed being Batman as a curse rather than a heroic fantasy.[12][106][112] Conversely, Peter Travers praised Keaton's "manic depressive hero" as a fully realized character.[113]
Danny DeVito’s Penguin received widespread acclaim for his energetic and distinctive portrayal, conveying pathos and complexity despite heavy prosthetics.[7][105][106] Howe highlighted Burton's focus on the character as indicative of directorial sympathy,[104] while Maslin and Caryn James praised DeVito's charm, making the Penguin compelling and memorable.[105][112] McCarthy and Travers described him as fascinating and humorously warped.[106][113] Some critics, however, felt he did not evoke the same fear or energy as Nicholson's Joker.[12][80][109]
Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman was widely praised as passionate, intelligent, and fiercely independent, providing energy and levity amid the film's dark tone.[80][105][108] Rosenbaum felt she did not match Nicholson's villainy,[109] though Turan called the Batman–Catwoman scenes the most interesting. Travers noted that when the characters remove their masks, they appear "lost and touchingly human," and Ty Burr described the ballroom scene as more emotionally resonant than anything in Batman.[113][107] Ebert observed that their sexual tension seemed muted for a younger audience.[12][80]
Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck was widely praised for his charm, wit, and commanding presence, with critics suggesting he nearly carried the film on his own.[105][106][113]
Bo Welch's production design received acclaim for creating a sleeker, brighter, and more authoritarian Gotham than Furst's "brooding" style.[80][108][114] McCarthy lauded Welch's realization of Burton's vision, though Siskel dismissed it as "toy shop window decorating" compared to Furst.[106][111] Costume and makeup design were praised, with Maslin noting their lingering visual impact.[104][105][115] Stefan Czapsky's cinematography was well received, lending a "lively" quality to the subterranean sets.[105] The film's dark, violent, and sexual content—including kidnappings, implied child murder, and sexualized scenes—was criticized by Burr and Donna Britt as inappropriate for younger audiences.[26][116][107]
Accolades
At the 46th British Academy Film Awards, Batman Returns was nominated for Best Makeup (Ve Neill and Stan Winston) and Best Special Visual Effects (Michael Fink, Craig Barron, John Bruno, and Dennis Skotak).[117] For the 65th Academy Awards, Batman Returns received two nomations: Best Makeup (Neill, Ronnie Specter, and Winston) and Best Visual Effects (Fink, Barron, Bruno, and Skotak), but lost both awards to Bram Stoker's Dracula and Death Becomes Her (both 1992) respectively.[118][119] Neill and Winston received the Best Make-up award at the 19th Saturn Awards. The film received four other Saturn Award nominations for Best Fantasy Film, Best Supporting Actor (DeVito), Best Director (Burton), and Best Costume Design (Bob Ringwood, Mary Vogt, and Vin Burnham).[120] DeVito was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the 13th Golden Raspberry Awards, and Pfeiffer for Most Desirable Female at the 1993 MTV Movie Awards.[121][122] Batman Returns was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[123]
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After release
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Perspective
Performance analysis and aftermath
The U.S. and Canadian box offices underperformed in 1992, with admissions down by up to five percent and about 290 million tickets sold (compared to over 300 million in each of the preceding four years). Industry professionals attributed the decline to a lack of quality of the films being released, describing them as too derivative or uninspired to attract audiences. Even financially successful films experienced significant week-to-week box office drops from negative word of mouth. Industry executive Frank Price said the releases were failing to attract younger audiences and children, who were vital to a film's success. Rising ticket prices, competition from the Olympics, and an economic recession were also cited as contributing factors.[124]
Despite this context, Batman Returns and Lethal Weapon 3 gave Warner Bros. the most profitable first half-year in its history, with the studio expecting returns over $200 million from their theatrical runs.[96] Batman Returns was considered a disappointment[125] as a sequel to the fifth-highest-grossing film of its time, however, falling about $114.8 million short of 'Batman's $411.6 million theatrical gross.[44][100][126] By July 1992, anonymous Warner Bros. executives reportedly said about the film, "It's too dark. It's not a lot of fun."[5]
Although it carried a PG-13 rating—warning that it may contain content unsuitable for children—Warner Bros. received thousands of complaint letters from parents who objected to the film's violent and sexualized content.[8][44][124] Waters recalled one screening where "It's like kids crying, people acting like they've been punched in the stomach and like they've been mugged."[5] He anticipated, and enjoyed, some backlash but admitted that certain elements may have gone too far.[127] McDonald's was also criticized for its child-centered promotion and toy tie-ins.[p] The company subsequently changed its practices, requiring extended previews of films before agreeing to promotional partnerships.[129] Warner Bros.' hopes that the film might mirror Batman's lucrative merchandising campaign were similiarly undercut, as demand for licensed products proved far weaker than in 1989. A JCPenney representative reported that only about one-third of stock had sold, with the remainder discounted, while another store described sales as barely a tenth of the earlier film's levels.[129] Burton later said that he preferred Batman Returns to Batman and did not view it as darker, despite the backlash.[130] Although much of Sam Hamm's early work was replaced, he defended Burton and Waters, stating that aside from merchandising, the film had never been intended as child-friendly.[127]
In light of the backlash and merchandising decline, Warner Bros. chose to continue the series without Burton, whom they considered "too dark and odd for them", and hired Joel Schumacher to direct the next installment.[44] A rival studio executive remarked, "If you bring back Burton and Keaton, you're stuck with their vision. You can't expect Honey, I Shrunk the Batman", referencing the family-oriented comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).[128] Around the same time, executive producers Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan sued Warner Bros., alleging that although they had purchased the film rights to Batman, the studio had denied them their share of profits from Batman and Batman Returns through Hollywood accounting practices—a method used by studios to artificially inflate a film's production costs, making it appear unprofitable and limiting payments. A court ruled in Warner Bros.' favor, citing insufficient evidence.[131][132]
Home media
Batman Returns was released on VHS and LaserDisc on October 21, 1992.[22][133][134] The VHS carried a lower-than-average price to encourage sales and rentals. Although the film was expected to sell millions of copies and perform strongly as a rental, commentators suggested its darker tone would limit appeal among children, the demographic most responsible for driving home-video sales.[133] Danny Elfman's score was issued on compact disc in 1992, with an expanded edition released in 2010.[84]
The film was first released on DVD in 1997, without additional features.[135][136] In October 2005, Warner Bros. issued an anthology DVD box set containing all four films in the Burton–Schumacher Batman series. The Batman Returns disc included a commentary by Burton, the making-of featurette The Bat, The Cat, and The Penguin, the fourth part of the documentary Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight, featurettes on costumes, make-up, and special effects, and the music video for Face to Face.[137]
The anthology set was reissued on Blu-ray in 2009, alongside a standalone Blu-ray edition of Batman Returns.[135][138] A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition, restored from the original 35mm negative, was released in 2019 with previously available special features.[139][140] A 4K collector's edition followed in 2022, packaged in a SteelBook case with original cover art, character cards, a double-sided poster, and the earlier supplements.[141]
Other media
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About 120 products were marketed with Batman Returns, including action figures and toys by Kenner Products, Catwoman-themed clothing, toothbrushes, roller skates, T-shirts, underwear, sunglasses, towels, beanbags, mugs, weightlifting gloves, throw pillows, cookie cutters, commemorative coins, playing cards, costume jewelry, cereal, a radio-controlled Batmobile, and even tortilla chips shaped like the Batman logo.[22][88][89] Although a similar number of products had been marketed for Batman (1989), Warner Bros. used fewer licensees this time to allow greater oversight. To combat counterfeiting, holographic labels developed by American Bank Note Holographics were attached to licensed merchandise.[88][89] The concurrent release of Batman: The Animated Series later in 1992 was expected to extend merchandising success beyond the film's theatrical run.[88]
Other tie-ins included a novelization by Craig Shaw Gardner, published in July 1992,[142][143] and the roller coaster Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, built at a cost of $8 million and later replicated at additional Six Flags parks alongside a Batman stunt show.[22][88] Several video-game adaptations titled Batman Returns were released across nearly all available platforms;[144][145][146] the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version was the most successful.[147]
The film's legacy continued in later media. To celebrate the Penguin's 80th anniversary, DeVito wrote the 2021 comic story "Bird Cat Love", in which Penguin and Catwoman fall in love and end the COVID-19 pandemic.[148][149] In 2022, DC Comics launched Batman '89, a series written by Sam Hamm with art by Joe Quinones, which continues the Burton continuity, following up on Batman Returns by depicting Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face and introducing Robin.[150] The Red Triangle Gang made their first appearance outside the film in Robin #15 (2022).[151][152] That same year, a holiday tie-in book was released, Batman Returns: One Dark Christmas Eve: The Illustrated Holiday Classic, by Ivan Cohen.[153]"
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Thematic analysis
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Perspective
Duality and Fragmented Identity
Critic David Crow identifies duality as a major aspect of Batman Returns, noting that Catwoman, Penguin, and Shreck represent warped, reflected aspects of Batman.[154][25][110] English and American studies professor Carol Siegel describes the film as a neo-gothic fairy tale that explores themes of bodily transformation and fragmented identity, often through the lens of a deep-seated rage against oppressive social structures.[155]
The film emphasizes Bruce Wayne's internal fragmentation over the action-adventure elements typical of his comic book counterpart.[156] The divided selves of both Bruce and Selina are central to the narrative, and themes of a fragmented self are particularly evident in Catwoman's transformation.[156][157] Author Simon Born writes that both characters are constrained by their dual identities. A fleeting moment of recognition at a masquerade ball, where they see each other without their masks, is prevented from leading to reconciliation by their "advanced schizophrenia".[158] Like Bruce, Selina is driven by trauma and conflicted about her principles and desires; unlike Batman, who seeks justice, she seeks vengeance.[6][108] Although Catwoman acknowledges Batman's assertion that they are "the same, split right down the center", their differences prevent them from being together.[25]
Critics Darren Mooney and Betsy Sharkey suggest that Penguin mirrors Batman's origin, as both characters lost their parents at an early age. Shreck notes that, if not for his abandonment, Oswald Cobblepot and Bruce Wayne might have moved in the same social circles. While Batman accepts his loneliness, the Penguin desires acceptance, love, and respect, despite his pursuit of revenge.[5][37] Mooney argues that Batman's conflicts with Penguin are personal rather than moral, suggesting that Batman is quietly proud of being a "freak" (or unique) and resents the Penguin for displaying his own "freakishness".[5] Shreck embodies Wayne's public persona taken to extremes—driven by greed, vanity, and self-interest—a populist industrialist who wins favor with cheap gestures toward the crowd.[25]
Born describes Batman Returns as a highly stylized neo-gothic film in which themes of identity, social critique, and psychological trauma are externalized through a visually opulent design.[154] Born refers to Gotham City as an "insurrection of signs", a world in which established symbols are perverted and traditional notions of good and evil are inverted.[159] Batman is depicted as a deeply introverted, traumatized individual who has lost his personal identity to his alter ego.[157] For this Batman, "Bruce Wayne is the mask of Batman", and he employs his monstrous persona to shield himself from the world, killing with a casualness intended to unsettle the audience.[157] This portrayal suggests that Batman is not far removed from the "relentless methods" of the very fascistic powers he once opposed in earlier comic serials.[160]
The carnivalesque, bodily transformation, and social critique
Writer Catherine Mettler describes Batman Returns as a cinematic application of Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the carnivalesque, which posits that carnival can invert existing power hierarchies and enable popular renewal. Burton's work is characterized by elements that are "exuberantly colorful, gay, hallucinogenic, childlike, and chaotic", which he applies to films such as Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).[161]
A central theme in Burton's work, including Batman Returns, is the shared anxiety and exhilaration of bodily transformation.[162] This is most evident in Catwoman, whose transformation is marked by prominent stitches on her homemade patent-leather suit.[163] These stitches are both literal and symbolic, testifying to her reanimation after her death and revival by alley cats.[162] The act of sewing her own suit functions as a bitter, ironic mimicry of the oppressive feminine roles that previously constrained her.[164] As the "least obvious carnivalesque character", Catwoman embodies the theme on a personal and transformative level, rather than purely through visual spectacle.[165] This transformation aligns with Bakhtin's notion of a carnival spirit that liberates a person from "conventions and established truths" and offers entry into "a completely new order of things".[165]
The Penguin is another key embodiment of the carnivalesque, particularly through the concept of the grotesque body.[166] His repulsive physical appearance and actions represent the "unbounded" and "materially linked" body of the common people.[166] His sewers' lair is described as a circus, further emphasizing the visual chaos of his character.[167] Living among the city’s waste, the Penguin's very existence underscores the stark divide between the elite and the masses he represents.[168]
Selina, a victim of a "sexist macho society", is pushed out a window by her boss.[169] Born describers how she is resurrected and empowers herself by adopting the "symbol of her oppression—the cat—and reframing it as a furious panther".[157] Her hand-stitched suit emphasizes her reconstructed, fragmented identity, and her rebellion reflects post-feminist theories linking sexuality, power, and identity.[157] However, her struggle against masculine authority ultimately fails, as her autonomy is continually challenged by male characters, reflecting Hollywood’s patriarchal system.[157]
Sexuality and repression
Batman Returns is noted for its exploration of sexuality, particularly the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, with critics often citing its S&M undertones and the use of leather fetish suits.[170] The film has been described as an "S&M art film" marketed as a children's summer blockbuster.[171] Their consensual S&M-coded relationship is framed as dark, but their heroic actions—channeling "rage and their perverse desires into their ongoing fight against destructive evil"—mitigate this.[172] According to critic Tom Siegel, this portrayal suggests that S&M can be regarded as "nearly wholesome so long as it is manifested with control and proper purpose".[172] Other critics interpret Batman and Catwoman's attraction less as sexual perversity and more as a "romance between two schizophrenics", rooted in shared anger and emotional "wounds".[172]
Critic Tom Breihan described Catwoman's vinyl catsuit as "pure BDSM", complete with the whip she wields as a weapon. The film's dialogue is full of double entendres, particularly from Penguin and Catwoman; during one fight, she seductively licks Batman's face.[25][173] Selina / Catwoman is marginalized by the central male figures: Shreck pushes her out a window, Penguin attempts to kill her when she spurns him, and Batman tries to capture her. She designs her catsuit to reclaim power, order, and sanity, but as the suit deteriorates over the film, so too does her mental state. In the climax, she rejects Batman's offer of a happy ending and abandons her revenge against Shreck; accepting Batman's will would mean allowing another man to control her.[25]
Selina's arc from timid secretary to dominant Catwoman represents liberation from social conventions and established truths.[165] For Siegel, her stitched-together "Frankensteinean" catsuit is an artistic embodiment of her rage against patriarchal and repressive roles that once defined her.[174] Her story is one of personal empowerment against male hegemony, culminating in her showdown with Shreck.[175] Catwoman's overt embrace of sexuality contrasts with Batman's repression, presenting sexuality as dangerous, destabilizing, and incompatible with their vigilante roles.[176] Her sexuality functions both as empowerment and as a threat to patriarchal structures embodied by Shreck, Batman, and Penguin.[176] She also manipulates gender stereotypes, feigning weakness to catch Batman off guard. For example, when Batman hits her, she protests, "How could you? I'm a woman", prompting him to hesitate and allowing her to counterattack.[177]
Alongside Catwoman's sexualized persona, Batman Returns continues a tradition in Batman media in which the hero's power stems from sublimating sexuality into violence.[176] Criminal justice scholar Graeme Newman said that, historically, Batman has been portrayed as asexual, reinforcing his obsessive focus on crime-fighting and echoing a moral stance that renounces "the medieval evil itself: sex".[178] In early comics and the 1960s TV series, his asexuality and the "all-male environment" with Robin and Alfred underscored this reading.[178] His "tremendous force" of sexuality is redirected into "unrestrained lust: violence", presenting a distinctly male response to desire.[179]
In Batman, his sexual encounter with Vicki Vale leaves him restless and disturbed, suggesting intimacy conflicts with his crime-fighting obsession.[180] The avoidance of homosexual themes—such as omitting Robin from the film or killing him in comics—was partly driven by fears that such portrayals would "contradict and divert attention away from the single-minded pursuit of justice".[180] In Batman Returns, the dynamic between Batman and Catwoman underscores this tension; both recognize that consummating their attraction would undermine their shared obsessions with justice.[179] Catwoman also reflects 1990s feminist debates, telling a woman she saves from assault that "you make it so easy", a nod to discussions about clothing and sexual harassment.[181] Yet while she achieves independence from social constraints and male control, she never achieves sexual liberation: she and Batman, despite their attraction, never consummate their relationship.[177]
Power, politics, and ideology
These sexual tensions are inseparable from the film's broader exploration of power and ideology. Selina gains agency by donning the Catwoman costume and embracing her anger and sexuality.[107][108] By contrast, according to Newman, Batman sublimates sexuality into violence, aligning him with a conservative ideology: order requires the denial of personal desire, and strength must be expressed through "good violence" in service of justice.[182]
The film's political themes are primarily embodied by Shreck.[25] He wields wealth to secure influence, declaring, "There's no such thing as too much power; if my life has a meaning that's the meaning".[25] The film suggests that the true threat is not "the Other" but the "ordinary": Shreck, not Gotham's "freaks and monsters", represents pure evil. Behind a facade of normalcy, he manipulates, corrupts, and kills, making him more frightening than the outsiders.[183] Burton's "freaks and monsters" are portrayed not as villains but as victimized individuals: the Penguin, abandoned by wealthy parents, lashes out at the consumer society that rejected him; Catwoman emerges from a chauvinistic world; and even Batman is a "traumatized individual".[184] Ultimately, the film destabilizes binaries of good and evil, framing them as subjective.[185]
Shreck convinces Penguin to run for mayor to advance his own interests, while Penguin seeks the legitimacy and respect that recognition would bring, echoing Catwoman's struggle.[112][186] Critic Caryn James observed that Batman Returns delivers "sharp political jabs", suggesting that money and image matter more than substance.[112] Whereas the Joker in Batman won support by throwing money into the crowd, Shreck and Penguin rely on spectacle, pandering, and corporate showmanship. Penguin notes that both he and Shreck are monsters, but only Shreck is "well-respected". James remarked that Penguin does not seek to become lovable, only accepted.[9][25][112] When voters turn on him, he retaliates with a plan to kill infants, symbols of the opportunities he never had. Critic John Crow argued that Burton shows greatest sympathy for Penguin, devoting more screen time to his development.[25]
The narrative aligns with Newman's interpretation of the film as delivering a "deeply conservative message".[182] The ineffectual liberal mayor is outmaneuvered by Shreck, the "evil capitalist", while Gotham’s "fickle masses" nearly elect Penguin.[182] In this reading, "the moral weakness of liberalism is eclipsed by the moral strength of evil", leaving Batman’s "good violence" as the only force capable of restoring order.[182] The interplay of sexuality and politics completes this logic: Catwoman's sexuality threatens male control, Batman's repression channels desire into violence, and Gotham's citizens, manipulated by spectacle, require a morally certain, if brutal, hero to save them from themselves.[187]
These artistic and political strands are closely tied to Burton's personal rebellious impulses. He has admitted a desire to vent anger "on such a grand scale", claiming he was "pretty much against society from the beginning".[188] This resistance to class hierarchy and patriarchy recurs throughout his work.[188] Catwoman embodies this rage as an "undisguised" artistic expression.[164]
Christmas, capitalism, and cultural critique
Crow and Mooney saw Batman Returns as a critique of Batman's real-world cultural popularity and merchandising, particularly following the success of the previous film. Notably, a scene of a store filled with Batman merchandise being destroyed was removed from the final cut.[25] Crow and Mooney described the film as "saturated with Christmas energy", rejecting conventional holiday norms to function as an anti-Christmas film that critiques commercialism and the absence of true goodwill. Shreck cynically exploits Christmas tropes for his own benefit, falsely portraying himself as selfless and benevolent, while the perversions of Penguin's Red Triangle gang represent a more overt rejection of the holiday.[5][25]
Christmas serves as a central motif but is portrayed as a symbol of "commercial mass deception" and the "tyranny of department stores".[159] Both Penguin and Catwoman use the festive season to challenge Gotham's established power structures with carnivalesque traits.[189] Gotham City is dominated by Shreck, whose name and persona reference the actor who played the vampire in the 1922 film Nosferatu.[190] Shreck embodies ruthless capitalism concealed behind the "friendly face of a cartoon animal", a subtle critique by Burton of his own experiences with corporate entities like Disney.[190] Batman Returns has been described as a neo-gothic fairy tale that is "more Burton than Batman".[191] Its content was deemed unsuitable for young children, prompting backlash from parents and critics.[129] An editorial in The New York Times warned that the film was "violent, sexually suggestive", featuring scenes where "kids are abandoned, kidnapped, and threatened with death".[129]
The film includes racy dialogue, such as "just the pussy I've been waiting for" and "I'd like to fill her void", which angered many parents.[129] This controversy extended to merchandising, with McDonald's receiving numerous complaints about licensed toys and promotional items tied to the film.[129] The resulting outcry over the film's tone and violence highlighted a clash between its dark themes and its marketing to a younger audience.[129]
The film emphasizes loneliness and isolation during Christmastime: Wayne is first shown sitting alone in his vast mansion, inert until the Bat-Signal shines in the sky. While he forms a connection with Kyle, their differences remain insurmountable, and he ends the film as he began it; alone.[5] Critic Todd McCarthy noted that isolation is a recurring theme in much of Burton's work, emphasized in the film's three main characters.[106]
Rebecca Roiphe and Daniel Cooper argued that Batman Returns is not antisemitic but contains antisemitic imagery. They suggested that the Penguin embodies Jewish stereotypes, including a "hooked nose, pale face and lust for herring", and is "unathletic and seemingly unthreatening but who, in fact, wants to murder every firstborn child of the gentile community". The character joins forces with Shreck (who has a Jewish-sounding name) to disrupt and taint Christmas and Christian traditions.[192] According to LAist, the Penguin's exaggerated caricature, his assault on Christian holiday traditions, and overt biblical symbolism combine into a "perfect storm" of imagery that evokes antisemitic tropes.[193] Melvin Salberg and Abraham H. Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League described the notion that the film promotes antisemitism as a misreading, arguing that such analyses distract from real instances of antisemitism in society and that the filmmakers' intentions should guide interpretations.[194] Film analyst Arthur Taussig highlighted the biblical resonance of the Penguin's infancy, with a baby carriage floating in a river as a clear allusion to the story of Moses.[195] This is reinforced by production intent: visual effects supervisor Robert Skotak explained that the sequence was conceived as a visual descent into the underworld, portraying a sinister baptism as the baby carriage journeys through Gotham's sewers, symbolically paralleling the biblical narrative.[196]
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Legacy
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Perspective
Cultural influence
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Retrospectives in the 2010s and 2020s noted that Batman Returns had developed an enduring legacy since its release, with Comic Book Resources describing it as the most iconic comic-book film ever made. Although initially criticized for its mix of the superhero and film noir genres, the film established trends toward dark tones and complex characters which have since become an expectation of many blockbusters.[8][9][197] Some writers said that its "disturbing imagery", exploration of morality, and satire of corporate politics seemed even more relevant in the present day, as did the themes of prejudice and feminism explored in Catwoman.[198][197] Burton said that he believed Batman Returns was exploring new territory at the time, but it might be considered "tame" by modern standards.[8] According to the Ringer, Burton's "weird and unsettling" sequel enabled future auteurs such as Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, and Sam Raimi to move into mainstream films.[9]
Collider described the film as the first "anti-blockbuster", defying expectations and delivering a superhero film with little action set during Christmas (despite its July release).[199] The film's performances, score, and visual aesthetic are considered iconic, influencing Batman-related media and incarnations of the characters for decades (such as the Batman Arkham video games).[197][198] The Batman (2022) director Matt Reeves and Batman actor Robert Pattinson called Batman Returns their favorite Batman film, with Reeves ranking it alongside The Dark Knight (2008),[200][201][202] and director Robert Eggers said that it visually inspired his film Nosferatu (2024).[203]
Pfeiffer's Catwoman is considered iconic, a feat of characterization and performance which influenced subsequent female-superhero-led films.[q] Her performance is generally regarded as the best cinematic adaptation of the character (influencing future portrayals such as Zoë Kravitz's in The Batman),[r] one of the best comic book film characters, and among the greatest cinematic villains.[s] In 2022, Variety ranked Pfeiffer's Catwoman as the second-best superhero performance of the preceding fifty years, behind Heath Ledger.[218] DeVito's performance as the Penguin is also considered iconic,[t] and has been listed by some publications as one of the best cinematic Batman villains.[u]
Modern reception
In the years since its release, Batman Returns has been positively reappraised.[197][230] It is now regarded as among the best superhero films ever made,[v] the best sequels,[w] and the best Batman films made.[x][253] Screen Rant called it the best Batman film of the 20th century[198] and, in 2018, Total Film named it the best Batman film.[254] Batman Returns was number 401 on Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[255] Some publications have identified Batman Returns as part of Burton's unofficial Christmas trilogy, bookended by Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and it has become an alternative-holiday film along with films such as Die Hard (1988).[y] Some publications have also listed it as one of the best Christmas films.[z]
The film's writer Daniel Waters recalled being told that Batman Returns was a "great movie for people who don't like Batman".[36][199] Although the film was criticized for depicting Batman killing people, Waters said, "To me, Batman not killing [the Joker (played by Heath Ledger)] at the end of The Dark Knight after proving he can get out of any prison, it's like 'Come on. Kill Heath Ledger.'"[8][25] He believed that the reception to Batman Returns was improving with time, especially after the release of The Batman in 2022.[36]
Critic Brian Tallerico said that the elements which originally upset critics and audiences are what makes it still "revelatory ... It's one of the best and strangest movies of its kind ever made."[139] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has an 82% approval rating from reviews by 93 critics, with an average score of 6.9/10. According to the website's critical consensus, "Director Tim Burton's dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton's work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first."[263] The film has a score of 68 out of 100 on Metacritic (based on 23 critics), indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[264]
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Sequels
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Perspective
Following the reception of Batman Returns, Warner Bros. sought to continue the series without Burton.[8][44][127] Although Burton considered making a third film, the studio encouraged him to pursue other projects and he realized they did not want him to return. He was replaced with Joel Schumacher, who was seen as better suited to delivering a more family- and merchandise-friendly sequel.[8][44][127] Keaton initially supported the change but left the role, later saying the film "just wasn't any good, man."[44][128][265] Industry reports suggested he also sought a $15 million salary and profit share, though his producing partner Harry Colomby denied money was the issue.[127]
Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) was financially successful but less well received critically than Batman Returns.[266] Its sequel, Batman & Robin (1997), was a critical and commercial disappointment, often cited as one of the worst blockbuster films ever made,[266][267] and led to the franchise being placed on hiatus until the reboot Batman Begins (2005).[127][267][128]
By the mid-1990s, Burton and Waters were attached to a planned Catwoman film starring Pfeiffer.[268][269] Waters's script followed Catwoman, suffering from amnesia after the events of Batman Returns, in the Las Vegas-like Oasisburg where she confronted corrupt male superheroes. The project stalled as Burton and Pfeiffer moved on to other work, and Warner Bros. eventually produced Catwoman (2004) with Halle Berry, which was widely panned.[270]
Keaton later reprised his Batman in The Flash (2023),[267][271] and had also filmed scenes for the cancelled Batgirl (2022).[272][273]
Footnotes
- Although Bob Kane received sole credit for Batman and his associated characters in Batman Returns, it was established in 2015 that writer Bill Finger was jointly involved in the creation of Batman as well as The Penguin and Catwoman, among others. He received equal credit to Kane in future adaptations of the Batman comic books.[1][2][3][4]
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Notes
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References
External links
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