January 29, 2009

"Saved by kitty litter"

Batman Returns Batman, Catwoman, Penguin

Batman Returns is a strange animal.

I think a lot of people were surprised by the tone of the movie after having seen the first Batman in 89. It seemed to have even more of that now trademark Burton influence to it.

Anyway I'm not sure how I feel about it. I thought the way they did Penguin character was an interesting concept, but came off as far too crass. Catwoman was downright nuts, but in a likable way. Bruce Wayne had an odd quirkiness that let Keaton's personality shine through in a way it never could in the first film.

The whole movie is rather fantastical and has a tone not typical of a superhero film, that's for sure.

My favorite line in the movie is from Bruce Wayne - "You know what, I mistook me for somebody else."

January 14, 2009

"I want you to tell all your friends about me..."

1989 Movie Batman, Joker
Man, was this really 20 years ago?!

As a kid, when the Keaton Batman movie came out, it was amazing to me. The costume, the Joker, the Batmobile, I had never seen anything like it. I was a huge fan, and the movie really solidified my bat-fandom. I loved going to the mall and seeing all the exotic new merchandise sitting on the shelves.

I haven't seen anything like the amazing hype around that movie - that is until I went to the opening of The Dark Knight this past summer. The Batman shirts were out in full force once again!

With the appearance of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, some would say that the older Keaton movies don't stand up so well, but this movie represents a fun time in my life and still holds a special place for me.