Batman Returns (1992)

The 1989 Batman film was one of the most successful films ever released up to that point, so director Tim Burton was given a staggering budget and a great deal of creative autonomy when he was lured back in to direct its sequel. The resulting film remains one of the most idiosyncratic blockbusters ever released by a major American studio. Batman Returns was a major tentpole release that was consciously marketed to small children, but also featured a homicidal protagonist, plenty of kink play, a rapey sewer mutant as the principle bad guy, and a convoluted plot involving a disgraced carnival troupe, a cynical mayoral candidacy, and a shady power plant construction deal.

In short, Batman Returns is a weird mess. However, it's a weird mess that features memorable performances, beautiful set design, gorgeous costumes, and a gripping musical score. Those elements, coupled with the fact that its titular hero is one of the most famous fictional characters of the 20th century, means that a lot of people care about Batman Returns. Ryan breaks down this lumpy celluloid oddity with his baby sister Sarah, who hadn't seen the movie since she was seven and had very little memory of it. They talk about Michelle Pfeiffer's scene-stealing performance, the undercurrent of German Expressionism laced throughout the background, the story's strained attempt to inject a feminist subtext, the pitfalls of sticking your action hero in a rubber bodysuit he can barely move in, and the film's overall tenuous grasp on its own elastic reality.

Ryan and Sarah also contrast Batman Returns with its immediate follow-ups, noting that the differences between Schumacher Batman and Burton Batman are perhaps a bit more superficial than the Schumacher detractors would prefer to admit.