"Batman Returns" - Just Another Follow-Up



Often sequels fail to live up to their expectations. In most cases they fail to capture a plot as well as the original. They also lack suspense and have a cast that cannot match up to the one featured in the original. In "Batman Returns," all of these poor qualities are apparent. "Batman Returns" has a boring cast of characters, a thin plot, and lacks suspense. This sequel, like many others, is a letdown from the original hit.

The highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster hit "Batman" failed to live up to its reputation. One reason for the failure is that it does not have sensational characters. Danny DeVito is a talented actor, but come on, how can the Penguin character take the place of the insane Joker? The Joker with all of his devices and toys made you feel as if the story was really happening. The Penguin left you sitting in your seat waiting for the movie to end so you could go home and do something constructive. The way the Penguin came into existence was unconvincing. Even though this movie is a fantasy, it gets ridiculous when they try to convince you that the Penguin was born a beast from a human mother.

What happened to Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale? Vicky was a main character in the original. Practically the whole story in the original Batman revolved around Bruce Wayne and Vicky Vale getting together. The staff for "Batman Returns" totally wrote her off, and acted as if she never existed. The only compelling actor in this film was the provocative Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. She proved she could rise above the rest. She almost took the place of Vicky Vale as Bruce Wayne's girlfriend.

The plot is another reason for the failure of "Batman Returns." It was not as good as the original with the Joker wanting to change everyone in Gotham City into mindless minijokers. The Penguin wants to find out who he is and who his parents are. This plot is boring because we want to see the Penguin try to conquer the world, not find out who his parents were. We also know that Batman is going to stop the Penguin's master plan to become governor. The viewer can only wonder how any normal citizen could elect such a disgusting individual. This is the worst ending in the history of bad sequels because not only is it boring, it is protracted.

The final disappointment in "Batman Returns" is that it does not hold your attention. The original "Batman" was a more riveting story because of the gloomy and mysterious hero and evil, but humorous, villain. Michael Keaton's portrayal of Bruce Wayne is not featured enough in the sequel. Bruce helped Batman be more mysterious because it made the viewer see how Batman is when he is not underneath the mask. Without Bruce Wayne, the audience thinks of Batman as a mindless freak lacking feeling. The sequel needs more of the human character.

"Batman Returns" proves that Hollywood should do away with sequels. The sequels ruin the original stories. A sequel is not unique. Let's hope this is the end to the "Batman" series, and maybe Hollywood will put an end to these boring and unimpressive follow-ups. I would recommend this motion picture to people who have nothing to do, and just feel like renting any old movie because that is exactly what this film is, just any old movie. n



Review by M. Y., Everett, MA