#24 Batman Returns

Abhijeet Singh ’15
Batman Returns was the sequel to 1989’s Batman, and was released in June of 1992. It stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, Christopher Walken as Max Shreck, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.
The overall premise of Batman Returns is simple: The Penguin, accompanied by billionaire Max Shreck, orchestrates a series of attacks to take over Gotham City. Batman’s fight against the Penguin’s forces and Shreck’s deception is soon complicated by Catwoman, who is both an antagonist and love interest for him.
Despite the Christmas feel for this film, it is undeniably dark; from the themes of death to the constant low-key lighting, the film does not create a mood that mirrors the Christmas spirit (Once again, another film on our list released in the summer season). However, at the same time, it is an action-packed film with twists and turns, and characters that the audience will love to hate, or hate to love. It seems like Batman’s love affair with Catwoman leads to more character development than in the first film, and the character of the penguin is a truly colorful one. However, despite all this, the darkness of the film and the lack of significance of the Christmas theme leaves Batman Returns at #24.