Batman Returns Review.
NOTE:
This is one of the reviews for Hallo-Walken season done using my Christopher Walken inspired character Chris the alpha walken, the 'Walken Reviews' is a spin-off of my Monstermaster13 reviews that has been going since 31st March 2013, so please save your complaints for something more serious.
----------------------------------
Chris:
Hello once again my human friends, fellow supernatural creatures and Walkens and She-Hessians everywhere. Now as you all know, October is just around the corner and do you know what that means my beloved Walkeny subjects? That's right...Hallo-Walken time! Hallo-Walken is that special time of year when all the good humans leave peace offerings in the form of cowbell and blood out for the great Christopher Walken who visits them and turns them all into Walkens or She-Hessians.
And what better way to get a head start than to talk about one of the best Walken movie appearances ever? That's right, i'm talking about Batman Returns. Everyone knows how successful Batman was when it came out in 1989 and how much it blew everyone away, comic book fans included. Now because this movie was so successful, a sequel was in high demand but Burton initially didn't want to sign on.
But...Due to popular demand, Tim Burton decided it would be a clever idea to do a sequel...and voila, a sequel was made. There is a lot of behind the scenes history to tell here, including at one point Robin was going to be in it and he was going to be played by Marlon Wayons, yes...that nearly did happen. Numerous actresses were considered for the role of Catwoman, including Cher. And there was an infamous incident with Sean Young in which she dressed up as Catwoman and she snuck in to the studio and tried to get Burton to cast her in the part.
Get this - the Penguin, played by Danny Devito - also had several other choices including Christopher Lloyd, Marlon Brando was rumored at one point, Dustin Hoffman, the now late Bob Hoskins, and even John Candy...i'm serious...John Candy was also one of the choices to play this role - but I can never imagine someone as lovable as him playing a villain, yeah he played a sleazebag lawyer in JFK but I think that's about it.
A lot of people especially hardcore comic fans tend to be persnickety when it comes to judging the movies's plot as a whole simply because of how Catwoman and Penguin were portrayed. I'm not one of those people, I don't care for accuracy or faithfulness to the source material because I am perfectly fine with how things are in movies like this, especially considering that this movie is a very underrated sequel.
Michael Keaton is of course back as the legendary dark knight and he's badass. He totally nails it here. And not to mention if it wasn't for this and the 1989 Batman movie, we wouldn't even have Batman: The Animated Series. So that's something to consider next time you try and nitpick the hell out of this movie.
He's not alone though, after all - there's good ol Alfred played by Michael Gough. And let's face it, the dark knight would be completely lost without his trusted butler. He does really well in this role and he played the role in all 4 of the pre-nolan movies. Now..we all know that every good superhero story has its share of villains, don't we? Of course we do, and now it's time for me to talk about them with you all.
First of all we have the feline fatale herself Selina Kyle/Catwoman portrayed by the gorgeous Michelle Pffiefer, and by gorgeous I mean DAAAAAAAAMN. She really looks sexy as all hell when she's dressed in that leather outfit. I like how she starts out as being really shy, mousy and naive before she becomes well...Catwoman, and how that when she's Catwoman - she is sensual and badass at the same time and also has cat-like traits like cleaning herself in the way a cat does. I thought it was a nice touch and they didn't go too overboard with it unlike in the Halle Berry cat-woman movie that has nothing to do with the character.
The main villain of this piece is Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, played by Danny Devito - I know a LOT of comic fans complain about this portrayal mainly saying that the origin story didn't make much sense, but keep in mind...this is a dark yet humorous comic book movie that has such things as a millionaire who by night is a vigilante who dresses up as a bat to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.
His origin story really made me cry....I mean his parents threw him into the sewers just because he was severely deformed? That's just tragic and also very heartbreaking, yeah I know he's part person and part bird but that doesn't mean you can just throw your kid into the sewers. Danny Devito was FANTASTIC in this part, and his portrayal was both creepy and sympathetic at the same time and I could really feel for the poor guy.
Not to mention the incredible makeup that was done on him...wow! The late Stan Winston truly was a genius. It's no wonder Michael Jackson got him to do the short film Ghosts in 1997, which by the way was amazing and I recommend adding that one to your halloween lineup. Anyway, Devito...bravo! *claps several times*
Oh no...I seem to be forgetting someone. Now who could that be? Oh yes, Max Shreck - who is an original villain created for this movie. In original drafts of the script he was supposed to be Harvey Dent, and in another draft it was revealed he and Penguin were brothers. Max is of course played by Christopher Walken and like always...Walken is both eerie and hypnotic and at his Walkeny best.
Believe it or not, Tim Burton was reluctant to cast Walken because he is scared of him.
But who could be afraid of Walken? I mean Walken is so alluring and beautiful...just look at those blue eyes...those alluring...hypnotic...entrancing...mesmerizing..blue eyes...*goes into a trance-like state*....Yes, Walken...I obey. *snaps out of it* No, not now. I may be a Walken but i'm must remain professional here, after all i'm doing a review and i'm trying to blend in with humans so you know...I can't let them find out i'm actually a Walken, after all - i'm in the middle of a review and I mustn't get distracted - not even by Walken or his alluring piercing blue eyes.
But this isn't Walken's only appearance in a Burton film, in 1999 he took on the role of the pre-headless horseman in Sleepy Hollow and was considered for the role of Brainiac in Superman Lives, the latter sadly never came to fruition, for more information on that I suggest the documentary The Death Of Superman Lives. All I can say is this - Christopher Walken's head on a robotic spider-body...yes, that's a real picture.
I have to say Max is one of my favorite Walken roles next to Archangel Gabriel and the Hessian, the latter is the Walken role that made me the Walken I am today, ohh...yes, the Hessian...all that blood, and those teeth...and those eyes...rr...*he growls softly as he licks his lips, thinking about the Hessian*. Oops, silly me. I didn't mean to scare you like that, it's just my Walken instincts are acting up for some reason.
Which is weird because my Walken instincts don't usually act up like this, and i'm usually able to control them to some extent. Oh well, it must be a blood moon coming up or something, that always has some weird effect on me...and by that it just causes me to become more and more Walkeny with each passing night.
Yes, this is slightly darker than the first Batman movie directed by Tim Burton and this received a lot of complaints mainly from parents or as we call them...soccermoms, the soccermoms out there complained that this movie was too dark and gruesome. The moment that really got their underwear in a bunch? Danny Devito's Penguin biting someone's nose. Well that and the dark imagery in general, but those soccermoms should have known what they were going to be in for. Of course it's going to be dark ang grizzly, it's a Tim Burton movie for pete's sake!
This movie isn't exactly for the faint-hearted as I have mentioned it is very dark and sinister in tone but also it has humor to balance it out, but I must warn you though...if you have low tolerance for things like black goo oozing out of someone's mouth...then you probably will be very uneasy if you decided to watch this, but if you a high tolerance for very morbid things than you will love this movie.
Not only is this movie a good movie to watch around halloween but also Christmas because it takes place at Christmas as well. And yes, Oswald's father is played by Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman and the mother is played by the actress who played Simone - both of them were in Pee Wee's Big Adventure which was Tim Burton's first live-action feature length movie that got released and shown in theaters.
Fun fact - Danny Devito's Penguin was inspired by a sketch that Tim Burton did of a character known as Jimmy the Hideous Penguin-Boy, which can be seen in his Oyster Boy and Other Stories poetry book. It was this very character that got Devito interested in playing the role.
Does this movie still hold up? Oh definitely, oh heck yes my Walkeny children of the night and I heavily recommend it if you are a Walken fan or if you love Tim Burton, or if you're just one of those morbid souls that love a little bit of humor to go with their inner darkness, I also suggest getting the soundtrack as well.
In case you are wondering about the plot....well i've already gone over it with you guys so you don't need me to go into specific details because I liked everything about this movie and always will. Because it's one of Burton's best and you shouldn't miss out on this underrated gem of a movie - trust me, you'll feel like a right idiot afterwards if you decide to miss out for some stupid reason.
I give this movie two Walkeny thumbs up and a high recommendation as well as 10 cowbells out of 10 as well as the Walken seal of approval, you must watch this movie if you haven't already - or if you feel you want to give this movie a second chance...go for it. I promise you, that sometimes by giving it a second chance...that you'll like it.
I'm your bloodthirsty cowbell-crazed host, Chris the alpha Walken and i'm reminding you to stay tuned for there will be more Walkeny reviews coming up this in Hallo-Walken season countdown, plus i'll be sharing with you my favorite vampire movies and answering questions with my Ask The Walken segments.
So stay tuned my beloved night-children and fellow Walkens, stay tuned. Oh, and remember this my friends...if you see a blood red moon at night or start having dreams about turning into Christopher Walken...you might be Walkeny too.
This is one of the reviews for Hallo-Walken season done using my Christopher Walken inspired character Chris the alpha walken, the 'Walken Reviews' is a spin-off of my Monstermaster13 reviews that has been going since 31st March 2013, so please save your complaints for something more serious.
----------------------------------
Chris:
Hello once again my human friends, fellow supernatural creatures and Walkens and She-Hessians everywhere. Now as you all know, October is just around the corner and do you know what that means my beloved Walkeny subjects? That's right...Hallo-Walken time! Hallo-Walken is that special time of year when all the good humans leave peace offerings in the form of cowbell and blood out for the great Christopher Walken who visits them and turns them all into Walkens or She-Hessians.
And what better way to get a head start than to talk about one of the best Walken movie appearances ever? That's right, i'm talking about Batman Returns. Everyone knows how successful Batman was when it came out in 1989 and how much it blew everyone away, comic book fans included. Now because this movie was so successful, a sequel was in high demand but Burton initially didn't want to sign on.
But...Due to popular demand, Tim Burton decided it would be a clever idea to do a sequel...and voila, a sequel was made. There is a lot of behind the scenes history to tell here, including at one point Robin was going to be in it and he was going to be played by Marlon Wayons, yes...that nearly did happen. Numerous actresses were considered for the role of Catwoman, including Cher. And there was an infamous incident with Sean Young in which she dressed up as Catwoman and she snuck in to the studio and tried to get Burton to cast her in the part.
Get this - the Penguin, played by Danny Devito - also had several other choices including Christopher Lloyd, Marlon Brando was rumored at one point, Dustin Hoffman, the now late Bob Hoskins, and even John Candy...i'm serious...John Candy was also one of the choices to play this role - but I can never imagine someone as lovable as him playing a villain, yeah he played a sleazebag lawyer in JFK but I think that's about it.
A lot of people especially hardcore comic fans tend to be persnickety when it comes to judging the movies's plot as a whole simply because of how Catwoman and Penguin were portrayed. I'm not one of those people, I don't care for accuracy or faithfulness to the source material because I am perfectly fine with how things are in movies like this, especially considering that this movie is a very underrated sequel.
Michael Keaton is of course back as the legendary dark knight and he's badass. He totally nails it here. And not to mention if it wasn't for this and the 1989 Batman movie, we wouldn't even have Batman: The Animated Series. So that's something to consider next time you try and nitpick the hell out of this movie.
He's not alone though, after all - there's good ol Alfred played by Michael Gough. And let's face it, the dark knight would be completely lost without his trusted butler. He does really well in this role and he played the role in all 4 of the pre-nolan movies. Now..we all know that every good superhero story has its share of villains, don't we? Of course we do, and now it's time for me to talk about them with you all.
First of all we have the feline fatale herself Selina Kyle/Catwoman portrayed by the gorgeous Michelle Pffiefer, and by gorgeous I mean DAAAAAAAAMN. She really looks sexy as all hell when she's dressed in that leather outfit. I like how she starts out as being really shy, mousy and naive before she becomes well...Catwoman, and how that when she's Catwoman - she is sensual and badass at the same time and also has cat-like traits like cleaning herself in the way a cat does. I thought it was a nice touch and they didn't go too overboard with it unlike in the Halle Berry cat-woman movie that has nothing to do with the character.
The main villain of this piece is Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, played by Danny Devito - I know a LOT of comic fans complain about this portrayal mainly saying that the origin story didn't make much sense, but keep in mind...this is a dark yet humorous comic book movie that has such things as a millionaire who by night is a vigilante who dresses up as a bat to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.
His origin story really made me cry....I mean his parents threw him into the sewers just because he was severely deformed? That's just tragic and also very heartbreaking, yeah I know he's part person and part bird but that doesn't mean you can just throw your kid into the sewers. Danny Devito was FANTASTIC in this part, and his portrayal was both creepy and sympathetic at the same time and I could really feel for the poor guy.
Not to mention the incredible makeup that was done on him...wow! The late Stan Winston truly was a genius. It's no wonder Michael Jackson got him to do the short film Ghosts in 1997, which by the way was amazing and I recommend adding that one to your halloween lineup. Anyway, Devito...bravo! *claps several times*
Oh no...I seem to be forgetting someone. Now who could that be? Oh yes, Max Shreck - who is an original villain created for this movie. In original drafts of the script he was supposed to be Harvey Dent, and in another draft it was revealed he and Penguin were brothers. Max is of course played by Christopher Walken and like always...Walken is both eerie and hypnotic and at his Walkeny best.
Believe it or not, Tim Burton was reluctant to cast Walken because he is scared of him.
But who could be afraid of Walken? I mean Walken is so alluring and beautiful...just look at those blue eyes...those alluring...hypnotic...entrancing...mesmerizing..blue eyes...*goes into a trance-like state*....Yes, Walken...I obey. *snaps out of it* No, not now. I may be a Walken but i'm must remain professional here, after all i'm doing a review and i'm trying to blend in with humans so you know...I can't let them find out i'm actually a Walken, after all - i'm in the middle of a review and I mustn't get distracted - not even by Walken or his alluring piercing blue eyes.
But this isn't Walken's only appearance in a Burton film, in 1999 he took on the role of the pre-headless horseman in Sleepy Hollow and was considered for the role of Brainiac in Superman Lives, the latter sadly never came to fruition, for more information on that I suggest the documentary The Death Of Superman Lives. All I can say is this - Christopher Walken's head on a robotic spider-body...yes, that's a real picture.
I have to say Max is one of my favorite Walken roles next to Archangel Gabriel and the Hessian, the latter is the Walken role that made me the Walken I am today, ohh...yes, the Hessian...all that blood, and those teeth...and those eyes...rr...*he growls softly as he licks his lips, thinking about the Hessian*. Oops, silly me. I didn't mean to scare you like that, it's just my Walken instincts are acting up for some reason.
Which is weird because my Walken instincts don't usually act up like this, and i'm usually able to control them to some extent. Oh well, it must be a blood moon coming up or something, that always has some weird effect on me...and by that it just causes me to become more and more Walkeny with each passing night.
Yes, this is slightly darker than the first Batman movie directed by Tim Burton and this received a lot of complaints mainly from parents or as we call them...soccermoms, the soccermoms out there complained that this movie was too dark and gruesome. The moment that really got their underwear in a bunch? Danny Devito's Penguin biting someone's nose. Well that and the dark imagery in general, but those soccermoms should have known what they were going to be in for. Of course it's going to be dark ang grizzly, it's a Tim Burton movie for pete's sake!
This movie isn't exactly for the faint-hearted as I have mentioned it is very dark and sinister in tone but also it has humor to balance it out, but I must warn you though...if you have low tolerance for things like black goo oozing out of someone's mouth...then you probably will be very uneasy if you decided to watch this, but if you a high tolerance for very morbid things than you will love this movie.
Not only is this movie a good movie to watch around halloween but also Christmas because it takes place at Christmas as well. And yes, Oswald's father is played by Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman and the mother is played by the actress who played Simone - both of them were in Pee Wee's Big Adventure which was Tim Burton's first live-action feature length movie that got released and shown in theaters.
Fun fact - Danny Devito's Penguin was inspired by a sketch that Tim Burton did of a character known as Jimmy the Hideous Penguin-Boy, which can be seen in his Oyster Boy and Other Stories poetry book. It was this very character that got Devito interested in playing the role.
Does this movie still hold up? Oh definitely, oh heck yes my Walkeny children of the night and I heavily recommend it if you are a Walken fan or if you love Tim Burton, or if you're just one of those morbid souls that love a little bit of humor to go with their inner darkness, I also suggest getting the soundtrack as well.
In case you are wondering about the plot....well i've already gone over it with you guys so you don't need me to go into specific details because I liked everything about this movie and always will. Because it's one of Burton's best and you shouldn't miss out on this underrated gem of a movie - trust me, you'll feel like a right idiot afterwards if you decide to miss out for some stupid reason.
I give this movie two Walkeny thumbs up and a high recommendation as well as 10 cowbells out of 10 as well as the Walken seal of approval, you must watch this movie if you haven't already - or if you feel you want to give this movie a second chance...go for it. I promise you, that sometimes by giving it a second chance...that you'll like it.
I'm your bloodthirsty cowbell-crazed host, Chris the alpha Walken and i'm reminding you to stay tuned for there will be more Walkeny reviews coming up this in Hallo-Walken season countdown, plus i'll be sharing with you my favorite vampire movies and answering questions with my Ask The Walken segments.
So stay tuned my beloved night-children and fellow Walkens, stay tuned. Oh, and remember this my friends...if you see a blood red moon at night or start having dreams about turning into Christopher Walken...you might be Walkeny too.
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