THE DANMAN CAN

Batman Returns  (1992) is my favorite  Batman film , my favorite superhero film, one of my top 3  Tim Burton  films, was one of my  Top 100 Films  ( in the 2019 Edition ) , and, if you want to make the argument—as people love to with  Die Hard  (1988) ( review )—is one of the best Christmas movies. Burton made a smash hit with  Batman  ( review ) in 1989. Rather than coast on that success with a similar sequel he insisted on being able to make a "Tim Burton movie". And he went  gonzo . He made an operatic, over-the-top, comic book come to life. Let's get this out the way now—when it comes to this film, I'm not concerned with accuracy or canon or realism. It's a damn good, entertaining, thoughtful film and  my  kind of comic book movie. Is  Batman Returns  a dark, psychosexual tragedy of Shakespearean proportions? You bet your ass—and all the better for it. Is there too little of Batman himself in the film? P...

For Batman & Robin (1997)  Joel Schumacher  leaned even more heavily into the campiness that he somehow only hinted at with  Batman Forever  two years earlier. I honestly don't understand the hate for this film. I suppose if you're not a fan of  the  Batman   TV series (1966–1968), it makes sense, but I grew up on it (and loved it) and outside of the 1966 film this is the closest approximation to the show. I saw the first three Warner Bros.  Batman s (reviews  here ,  here , and  here ) in the theater but somehow only managed to see  B&R  for the first time last year. The sexual innuendo is amplified ( Uma Thurman  is delightful) from the previous outing, as well as the one-liners ( Arnold Schwarzenegger 's cold puns are seemingly never-ending). George Clooney is the worst of the '90s WB Batmen (he's too much himself and doesn't embody the character at all), Alicia Silverstone 's acting is not...

With Batman Forever (1995)  Joel Schumacher  took what  Tim Burton  established in  Batman   (1989) ( review )  and  Batman Returns  (1992) ( review ), juiced up the camp factor à la the Batman TV series (1966–1968), and—via candy-colored production design, costumes, makeup, and bold camerawork—created a true comic book come to life. At times it reminds me of 1990's  Dick Tracy  but it's louder, brasher, and just plain ridiculous. It's a weirdly horny movie—full of innuendo—and crammed with one-liners (you can tell Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey had a field day here).  Batman Forever  is an inherently silly and over the top film, but it's massively fun. Joel Schumacher Films Ranked

My favorite non-traditional Christmas movie. Review

Batman Returns  (1992) is my favorite  Batman film , my favorite superhero film, one of my top 3  Tim Burton  films, one of my  Top 100 Films , and, if you want to make the argument—as people love to with  Die Hard  (1988) ( review )—is one of the best Christmas movies. Burton made a smash hit with  Batman  ( review ) in 1989. Rather than coast on that success with a similar sequel he insisted on being able to make a "Tim Burton movie". And he went  gonzo . He made an operatic, over-the-top, comic book come to life. Let's get this out the way now—when it comes to this film, I'm not concerned with accuracy or canon or realism. It's a damn good, entertaining, thoughtful film and  my  kind of comic book movie. Is  Batman Returns  a dark, psychosexual tragedy of Shakespearean proportions? You bet your ass—and all the better for it. Is there too little of Batman himself in the film? Perhaps, but in place of more ...