RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Batman Returns
Batman Returns

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Batman Returns (1992)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
77 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:43

Fresh:33

Rotten:10

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: Director Tim Burton's dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton's work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first.

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: In director Tim Burton's sequel to his successful BATMAN (1989), the Caped Crusador (Michael Keaton) is pitted against the demented, ravenous Penguin (Danny DeVito), a pitiful, orphaned... In director Tim Burton's sequel to his successful BATMAN (1989), the Caped Crusador (Michael Keaton) is pitted against the demented, ravenous Penguin (Danny DeVito), a pitiful, orphaned psychopathic freak who once went on a baby-killing spree, and a "power" hungry capitalist villain Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). As the two criminals plot to gain domination over Gotham City, BATMAN must plot to stop them. In the highly stylized BATMAN RETURNS--complete with dark, Gothic architecture and moody lighting--Batman (and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne) is thrown a third enemy, a terrible distraction: Cat Woman (fearlessly and fabulously played by Michelle Pfeiffer). She is the slinky, sharp-clawed alter-ego of Shreck's secretary Selina. Batman must overcome his own dark past, and his present love entanglements, to rid Gotham of it's evil enemies, this time with even more intricately designed sets and tongue-in-cheek humor, making BATMAN RETURNS an action-packed, but darkly fun adventure. [More]

Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken

Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy, Cristi Conaway, Andrew Bryniarski, Paul Reubens

Director: Tim Burton

Director: Tim Burton

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Aug 22, 1997

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Batman Returns

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Bigger, better and more sophisticated than the first outing.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/27/07
Channel 4 Film

Burton continues to capture the essence of the Batman legend and more importantly his audiences imagination.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/16/02
Empire Magazine

Darker, more brooding and weirder than the first Batman. It's also funnier and layered with more texture.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

No review available.

comment Comment
10/11/02
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

No review available.

comment Comment
09/16/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Of all the Batman pictures, this is the most striking, atmospheric and effective.

Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Keyes
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org

Comes closer than ever to Bob Kane's dark, original strip, which began in 1939.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is less of a sequel than reworking of the first film's themes, with greater attention paid to the villains (all colorful and more intriguing than the hero) and more visually inventive set pieces, albeit contained in a less coherent work.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
04/20/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

The last great Batman.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com

A masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

Because the film's predominant motif is that of wounded individuals re-inventing themselves as wily villains, its most memorable episodes are early ones explaining each main character's transformation.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A bizarre mixture of poetic brilliance and clumsy ineptitude.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
10/20/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The best of the Batman movies, not that means much.

comment Comment
08/30/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/21/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

the last good batman movie thanks to MP

comment 1 Comment
03/06/04
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

Most of what we see is simply entertaining as hell, even if it falls short of brilliant.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Kathleen Maher
Kathleen Maher
Austin Chronicle

The best of the Batman films. Burton is in control here

comment 1 Comment
08/21/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The movie in which Tim Burton mostly fixes what he got wrong ... Unfortunately, he also screws up the stuff he got right.

Full Review Source: LYTRules.com | comment Comment
06/27/05
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
LYTRules.com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/12/05
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

There is a surprising richness of themes in this film.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Batman Returns

July 11, 2008: Revisiting Old Batman Trailers Opens in new window
We've all enjoyed the long parade of trailers for The Dark Knight -- but do you remember the trailers for the earlier Batman movies? JoBlo does, and now, so can we. More...

June 02, 2006: "Heathers" Creators Reteam for Indie "Sex"
Fans of the dark comedy classic known as "Heathers" should be pleased to learn that screenwriter Daniel Waters and leading lady Winona Ryder are re-teaming to deliver... More...

January 03, 2006: Vincent Schiavelli Passes at 57
Character actor Vincent Schiavelli, the long-faced veteran of over 150 film and television appearances, died of lung cancer December 26 at home in Sicily. He was 57 years old. More...

August 16, 2005: Three More Climb Aboard "X-Men 3"
Stax over at IGN Filmforce has scored a nifty little exclusive that may prove interesting to you "X-Man" fans: Bill Duke, Michael Murphy, and Olivia Williams have... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
14% 14% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Total Recall

Total Recall

John Travolta's top reviewed movies

Disney Countdown

Disney Countdown

Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

What's Coming Out

What's Coming Out

Find movies for the holiday weekend!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tobey Maguire Talks Brothers, Spider-Man 4 Source: Boston Globe
6
  • Nimród Antal Talks Predators Source: ComingSoon.net
4
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
78
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
128
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
95
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
93
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
88
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
77
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
47
  • WB offers DVD to Blu-ray Trade-In Program
33
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
26
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
24
  • RT's Blu-ray Picks from WB
23
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Angels & Demons, Funny People, and Superman
19
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
21
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Batman Returns at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Batman Returns at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Animated Oscar?
Animated Oscar? External Link

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

TIME's Holiday Movie Preview
TIME's Holiday Movie Preview External Link

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

Scenic Routes
Scenic Routes External Link

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.