Batman Returns (1992)

Directed by Tim Burton
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros)

Batman becomes completely Burton-ized in this sequel. The Burton style transcends all: story, character, plot, they are all slaves to Burton's imagination run amok. Its got evil clowns, giant rubber ducks, a catwoman, Arctic World, homicidal penguins and perhaps the vilest villain ever put on film: a cross between Humpty Dumpty and Scrooge. The sets are incredible, the make-up fantastic, but Danny DeVito's Penguin is impossibly over-the-top, even more than Jack Nicholson's Joker or Carey's Riddler, and there is a mean streak running through everything that sucks the joy out of it. A fascinating failure on all levels, compare to Howard the Duck.