Batman Returns dark?

[luca_frontino]

Yesterday, I've watched it again and I still feel it's the best Batman movie as of now. Some people say it's too dark (like Batman should still be the one from the campy age). I say Batman Returns has the least of darkness that a Batman movie must have. For me, there's even too much humour. Batman Returns looks like a kids movie to my eyes, because there's too much theatric poses. If I was Burton, I would have make it more dark, almost horror (real horror, not kids horror). But anyway it's better than not having it.

 

[Fear of god]

---edited---

 

[Danny No-Shame]

The thing about 'Returns' is that it was a very 1990 Batman movie. It reminded me at the time of the Breyfogle comics, all hyper-reality and gothic weirdness. Which of course is what Burton is all about.

It IS a kids movie I agree, but it definitely stands up nowadays as a worthy addition to the movie cannon. Which is more than one can say for Batman & Robin. That one should be burned at an altar and universally forgotten.

 

[The Empire Ape]

Yesterday, I've watched it again and I still feel it's the best Batman movie as of now. Some people say it's too dark

Well, it's definitely the darkest Batman movie and the most "special". I like it for its fairy tale-like atmosphere. Nice christmas movie.

(like Batman should still be the one from the campy age).

No no no. Please! THis doesn't mean someone wants a resurrection of Adam West Batman. Read the 70s comics (= best Batman ever).

I say Batman Returns has the least of darkness that a Batman movie must have.

Killing kids? Everything totally dark? What do you expect? Mutilated corpses everywhere? Eyes ripped out and eaten? It is BATMAN, an all-ages character, not some horror splatter material.

For me, there's even too much humour.

There was always humour in Batman and Batman himself. Even in TDKR. Have you ever read the comics?

Batman Returns looks like a kids movie to my eyes, because there's too much theatric poses.

Well, i don't know what you are but I hope you are just a troll BTW: Kids love the dark stuff.

If I was Burton, I would have make it more dark, almost horror (real horror, not kids horror). But anyway it's better than not having it.

Batman is not horror, and i am glad you are not Burton

 

[Danny No-Shame]

Getting back to the original point, as much as some of us would love Burton to do another Batman, it was painfully obvious that he had little respect for the source material. The two films he made were very much Burton's Batman.
At the moment we have OUR Batman, and what could be better than that?

Plus He'd only cast Johnny Bleeding Depp and Helena Bonham-Nepotism in the lead roles.t:

 

[The Empire Ape]

Getting back to the original point, as much as some of us would love Burton to do another Batman, it was painfully obvious that he had little respect for the source material. The two films he made were very much Burton's Batman.

Batman Returns was. In Batman they really tried.

At the moment we have OUR Batman, and what could be better than that?

Why is Nolan's Batman our Batman?

 

[November Rain]

burton's batman are probably the closets will get to a diniverse batman which is my favourite interpretation.

and his cowl in batman returns is actually perfect. I cant dig a batman that doesn't have an iconic costume and the haven't figured out how to do the cowl's yet for bale.

 

[ultimatefan]

Funny, to me it never truly felt like a dark movie. Some IDEAS in it are dark, but not the execution. With the exception of Selina´s descent into insanity, by far my favorite moment, everything, even what´s meant to be dark, comes off in a caricatural, goofy, over-the-top way, loaded with obvious one-liners. A black comedy, maybe, but never dark. Even though 89 may have a more optimistic ending, it gives me a much moodier feel, as does Begins.

 

[El Payaso]

it was painfully obvious that he had little respect for the source material.

How so? Being so accurate top the original Batman comic feeling?

At the moment we have OUR Batman, and what could be better than that?

We're having Nolan's Batman.

 

[Cain]

I was 9 when I saw it in theatres and not only was I not fazed by anything in the film I didn't hear any children crying either. I just found it highly entertaining which is why I was puzzled when years later on the internet I found the true reason for Burton's departure. Then again I did grow up watching R rated movies from action to horror so I had already seen much worse by that age. To this day I still don't get the whole "it was dark" angle. Surreal & fantastical? yes but not dark. Heathers also written by Daniel Waters was about 20 times darker yet it had more daytime scenes.

 

[The Joker]

I love the whole tone and feel of Returns. It's a gem of a movie with some fantastic performances.

Every time I re-watch it is a joy.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Getting back to the original point, as much as some of us would love Burton to do another Batman, it was painfully obvious that he had little respect for the source material.

On the contrary, he had very much respect for the source material, and it's quite obvious. The tone- the characters- the theme. It was Batman through and through.

The two films he made were very much Burton's Batman.

Oh I completely agree, Tim Burton made Tim Burton's Batman! It was his vision, his version of a beloved hero and Batman Returns especially, was Burton's uncompromising take on Batman. And I loved it, just as I loved FRANK MILLER'S The Dark Knight Returns which was entirely his vision uncompromised.

At the moment we have OUR Batman, and what could be better than that?

Denny O'Neil's Batman is pretty cool, Alan Moore's too!

I love the whole tone and feel of Returns. It's a gem of a movie with some fantastic performances.

Every time I re-watch it is a joy.

Hear hear!

Spoiler

 

[Cain]

Keaton looked so bad ass in that poster much more so than on his solo poster for the movie.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Pardon me if i gush about this movie - but it is (in my mind) the best and most unique bat-movie ever made. Everything within it are top-notch. The acting, the look, the music ... just the overall execution is flawless!!!. Its only dark in a comedic or fun way.

More importantly, it feels like batman!!!!

If anything, Burton was closer to the comics than Nolan will ever be though i realise that Nolan's 'version' is the right direction to go for this modern day and age.

 

[CFE]

Getting back to the original point, as much as some of us would love Burton to do another Batman, it was painfully obvious that he had little respect for the source material. The two films he made were very much Burton's Batman.
At the moment we have OUR Batman, and what could be better than that?

Plus He'd only cast Johnny Bleeding Depp and Helena Bonham-Nepotism in the lead roles.t:

This is a really stupid statement, IMO.

I think it's clear that out of the three directors, Burton understood the persona of Batman the best. His whole talk on the SE DVD about relating to that need to be in the shadows and feeling lonely.

Burton understood the deeper psychological meaning of Batman. His films had the proverbial "Burton" style, but they were as much "Batman" as any other media.

And as everyone's said, Nolan's Batman isn't MY Batman. Feel free to speak for yourself, but don't be naive and generalize everyone into a set way of thinking.

CFE

 

[Danny No-Shame]

Okay, so everybody's ragging me for saying we have Our Batman.

Fair Point, Bat-Man is after all, an amalgamation of seventy years of literary history, and Chris Nolan is making a much more realistic version of the character. But Batman is a detective, a scientist, an athlete, and more importantly a psychopath.

I personally believe we're getting an interpretation of the mythos that hasn't been as close to the comics (which will always be the defining factor) since Adam n Burt camped it up in the 60's.

Discuss...

 

[The Joker]

But Batman is a detective, a scientist, an athlete, and more importantly a psychopath.

Without turning this into yet another tired Bale vs Keaton thread, I'll just say that Keaton's Batman was all of those things.

He figured out the Joker's poison code, sabatoged The Penguin's public speech from the Batcave, stopped Gotham from being destroyed by Penguin's missiles, and we saw him repairing the Batmobile by himself in Returns.
He's obviously athletic given how he fights and moves. Clearly psychopathic and on the edge. He's obsessed with his work. He doesn't sleep much [check him out when Vicki spends the night with him], spies on his party guests etc.

Not knocking Bale's Batman, but he turned to Lucious Fox for all his gadgets, Batmobile, and asked him to make an antidote for Crane's toxin.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Okay, so everybody's ragging me for saying we have Our Batman.

Fair Point, Bat-Man is after all, an amalgamation of seventy years of literary history, and Chris Nolan is making a much more realistic version of the character. But Batman is a detective, a scientist, an athlete, and more importantly a psychopath.

I personally believe we're getting an interpretation of the mythos that hasn't been as close to the comics (which will always be the defining factor) since Adam n Burt camped it up in the 60's.

Discuss...

Batman: The Animited Series was the closet for todays era...

the 60's show was literally the comics of that time ripped and put on the screen

 

[Cain]

Batman: The Animited Series was the closet for todays era...

the 60's show was literally the comics of that time ripped and put on the screen

TAS was very close to the 70's books as well much more so than any other form of Batman media to date,

 

[El Payaso]

Batman: The Animited Series was the closet for todays era...

the 60's show was literally the comics of that time ripped and put on the screen

I've seen only 3 1960's Batman comics in my life and maybe I was lucky but no one was as absurd and ridiculous as the Tv series.

 

[The Empire Ape]

I've seen only 3 1960's Batman comics in my life and maybe I was lucky but no one was as absurd and ridiculous as the Tv series.

well, that's just wrong.

Meet the fatman, meet the rainbow batman, meet the bat-hulk...

 

[CFE]

I've seen only 3 1960's Batman comics in my life and maybe I was lucky but no one was as absurd and ridiculous as the Tv series.

This is true. As Frank Miller stated, "The show was campier than the comics ever were, essentially mocking the source material."

CFE

 

[Mr. Socko]

The fake Batman is riding on a bat-bike while Batman and Robin chase him in the bat-mobile in the clear daylight while the bat symbol is on. Lol.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I've seen only 3 1960's Batman comics in my life and maybe I was lucky but no one was as absurd and ridiculous as the Tv series.

I respectfully disagree...

 

[The Empire Ape]

This is true. As Frank Miller stated, "The show was campier than the comics ever were, essentially mocking the source material."

CFE

please don't confuse things. The show was campier, of course. "Camp" means to be intended. They "mocked" the source material, because they felt it was the only way to adapt it.

The comics were actually played straight. So they were not campy, but more absurd.