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What did Batman (1989) have that was better than in Batman Returns?

posted 4 years ago by TMC-4 (19551)
19 replies | jump to latest

To me, one thing that Returns was sorely lacking was a real moral center or compass. Say what you will about Kim Basinger's acting and performance in Batman '89, but Vicki Vale (and to a lesser extent, Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent) was that. Returns also didn't have an Alexander Knox-like common man to further keep things grounded. It seems like in Returns, everybody is either ineffectual and incompetent (Commissioner Gordon, the mayor), too stupid for words (Chip Shreck, the Ice Princess), too flaky and mentally unstable (Selina Kyle), aloof and distant (Bruce Wayne), or rotten to the core (Penguin, Max Shreck) but not in a good way. The villains in Returns are more disgusting than charismatic despite being evil like Jack Nicholson's Joker.

[–] Sidha108 (2409) 4 years ago

Things better in Batman 1989:

- Jack Nicholson Joker
- Prince soundtrack
- scope of Gotham city

[–] TMC-4 (19551) 4 years ago

In Returns, virtually everybody outside of maybe the "good guys" (i.e. Bruce Wayne, Alfred, and Commissioner Gordon) is a caricature or cartoon. Michelle Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle seems like something out of a romantic comedy, where the bumbling, nerdy girl later gets a "hot" makeover. But being that this is a Tim Burton movie, he had to put his own personal touch on that sort of cliché. And then there's of course Max Shreck (Christopher Walken is practically playing a less overtly psychotic version of his Bond villain character in A View to a Kill) and his dumb son, Chip.

[–] jekporkins (1934) 4 years ago

I think the whole Penguin thing sinks this movie. I know we're supposed to toss reality out the door with these things, but at least try to stay within the lines.

The Penguin lives his whole life in the sewer and raised by penguins (how did they end up under Gotham you might wonder).
He runs for mayor two seconds after coming out.
He goes biblical trying to kill all of Gotham's firstborn sons.
He has penguins with missiles on their backs.
When he dies penguins do some sort of Viking funeral for him.

I think it would have been great if they combined Devito's and Walken's characters and made Cobblepot the business mogul who was running scams behind the curtain. They could have kept Catwoman in there and not changed the story too much.

[–] Drooch (5333) 4 years ago

You’ve articulated what I’ve always felt about this bloated mess. It’s not terrible, but it seems to get overpraised and I can’t fathom why anyone would prefer it to Batman ‘89.