Batman Returns

Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Directed by	Tim Burton
Written by	Daniel Waters (screenwriter); Daniel Waters (story); Sam Hamm (story); Bob Kane (comic book);
Produced by	Tim Burton; Denise Di Novi
Starring	Michael Keaton; Danny DeVito; Michelle Pfeiffer; Christopher Walken
Distributed by	Warner Brothers
Release dates	June 19, 1992
Running time	126 min.
Language	English
Budget	$80,000,000

Batman Returns is a 1992 motion picture based on the Batman character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It is the second entry into the original four-part Batman film series, the second directed by Tim Burton and the second to star Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Both Keaton and Burton left the franchise after the production of this film.

Synopsis

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Chaos and a Covert Deal

The story begins in Gotham's past, during the Christmas season, where an aristocratic couple, the Cobblepots, give birth to a horribly deformed child with flippers for hands. After putting up with the baby for a while, they dump the baby's carriage over a bridge, into a brook, and out of their lives. The baby floats into an underground area under an abandoned zoo, to be raised by the penguins and the Red Triangle Circus.

Thirty-three years later, the citizens of Gotham City are joyously preparing for Christmas. In the city center, a mammoth Christmas tree is lit by the glamorous Ice Princess in a lavish ceremony while tabloids throughout the city are boasting headlines about a mysterious creature roaming the sewers. Meanwhile, a shrewd corrupt businessman named Max Shreck, owner of Shreck Corporation, is attempting to get Mayor Hamilton Hill of Gotham to greenlight his plan to build a new power plant, despite the Mayor Hill's claims that Gotham has enough energy sources to sustain growth into the next century. His secretary, Selina Kyle, offers a suggestion about the plant, but ultimately ends up embarrassed as Shreck, his son Chip, and Hill stare at her before they proceed to make their way to Gotham Plaza to give a speech at the ceremony.

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Batman arrives to fight the Penguin's goons in Gotham Plaza

As Shreck gives his speech, however, a gargantuan wrapped package rolls into the plaza. It is at first suspected to be some sort of surprise planned by Shreck, but he denies it. The package then suddenly explodes to reveal members of the Red Triangle Circus Gang, as the circus had since gone criminal, who proceed to wreak havoc in the streets of Gotham. Commissioner Gordon, seeing the chaos, sees no choice but to activate the Bat-Signal given to the city at the end of the previous film. From his mansion, a brooding Bruce Wayne, possibly brooding over the tragedy that led to his own peculiar existence, sees the signal, dons the Batsuit, and makes his way to Gotham Plaza in the Batmobile.

In Gotham Plaza, Max Shreck, Chip Shreck and Mayor Hill are confronted by a number of the Red Triangle Circus Gang's members, who demand Max. Chip holds them off, allowing Max to escape in the confusion as the Batmobile arrives. Batman quickly subdues the gang's attackers, and in the process saves Selina from a taser-wielding clown. After trying to thank him, only to have Batman walk away from her, Selina takes the taser from the clown and shocks him, laughing as she does so. As he departs, Mayor Hill relates to Gordon his encounter with the gang members demanding Shreck before realizing that he has lost track of their target.

While this takes place, Max Shreck is able to escape, but is caught off guard by a trap door. Upon his awakening, he finds himself in the sewer-based hideout of the Red Triangle Circus Gang's leader, the Penguin-creature that has dominated the tabloids. After introducing himself and demonstrating some of his trick umbrella weapons, he explains that the reason he took Max was he wants his help to return to the surface, citing his wishes to "Find my parents, learn my human name. Simple stuff that the good people of Gotham take for granted!", and he wants Max to use his extensive connections and power to clear his way. Max is reluctant, but Penguin blackmails him with very incriminating evidence that had somehow ended up in his possession, ostensibly through the sewer systems, including a large batch of toxic waste, incriminating shredded documents and the severed hand of a former partner. Shreck, with no alternative, agrees to help the Penguin.

The Cat and the Penguin

Upon his return to his headquarters, Max Shreck discovers Selina has been looking into files for his upcoming meeting with Bruce Wayne over his proposed power plant. She absentmindedly mentions that she opened some confidential files and discovered that it was in fact a giant capacitor to suck power from the city and store it for future distribution. Selina offers her silence, but Shreck is unwilling to allow her to jeapordize his plans, which he sees as his final gift to Chip. He then proceeds to push Selina out of a window to kill her.

Selina falls through several awnings to the ground, apparently dead. A group of stray cats, however, begin to circle her body and, for reasons not entirely clear, Selina suddenly springs to life. She makes her way back to her apartment, but after hearing an advertisement for Shreck's department store on her answering machine, describing relationships between bosses and workers, she snaps. Going on a destructive spree in which little of her lodgings' decor survives, Selina wipes out anything remotely "cute" or "girly" in sight, including stuffed animals, a dollhouse, and a pink shirt sporting a kitten on the front. She then takes a black biker's jacket from the back of her wardrobe and reworks it into some sort of new suit. The final shot of the scene shows her, from a distance in this new suit, with a damaged "Hello There" neon sign, now reading "Hell Here", in the background.

The next day, Mayor Hill makes a speech with his wife, their infant child, and Max Shreck in attendance. As he vows to restore order to the city, a Red Triangle Circus acrobat flies into the podium, snatches the infant, and descends into the sewers. There, he feigns an encounter with a hostile Penguin, and proceeds to hand over the baby. The Penguin ascends on his duck vehicle, and is hailed as a hero, his deception undetected. All he asks in return is to be allowed to search the city's Hall of Records to find out who he really is, and Shreck helps his deal with the media inquiries into him. Shortly afterwards, though he finds his birth certificate, he jots down a mysterious list of other names.

While this is taking place, a skeptical Bruce Wayne looks into the Red Triangle Circus' past, convinced that a link exists between them and this "Strange Heroic Penguin". Shrugging off his butler Alfred's comments on his apparent obsession, he discovers a possible link - before they were shut down under reports of missing children where they had toured, the Circus had in their freak show an "Aquatic Bird-Boy". The rest of Gotham seems to be in the dark about this as the Penguin visits his parents' graves. Responding to questions by reporters, he announces that he has found his name to be "Oswald Cobblepot", and understands and forgives his parents for their abandonment of him, touching the people of Gotham even more.

The story moves to Selina Kyle. A mugger is seen assualting a woman, who calls out for Batman to save her. Instead, the mugger is confronted by Selina, attired in a (literal) catsuit. She proceeds to overcome him with a series of kicks, and then unveils cat-like claws with which she scratches his face badly. As the would-be victim attempts to thank her defender, she turns on her as well, explaining "You make it so easy, always waiting for some Batman to save you... I am Catwoman... hear me roar." before backflipping away.

The Big Deal

The next day, Wayne and Shreck hold their meeting over the proposed power plant. Wayne reveals both his opposition to Shreck's power plant, and his suspicions of Oswald Cobblepot's ties to the Red Triangle Circus Gang. Shreck feigns disgust at Wayne's accusations, and is in the process of showing Wayne out when Selina Kyle, at this point assumed to be dead by Shreck, arrives accompanied by an equally surprised Chip. At Shreck's request, Selina escorts Bruce out of the building, the latter impressed by her new, strong mysterious persona. Chip then asks Max about her, to which he comments that "[if] she tries to blackmail me, I'll drop her out a higher window," but in the meantime, "I've got better fish to fry."

Max makes his way to the Penguin's new headquarters in the upper floor of a building in Gotham City, where the Red Triangle Circus Gang has also taken up residence. He calls down the Penguin to show him he has greater plans for him: he intends to arrange a recall and make him the new mayor of Gotham, as Mayor Hill refuses to back his plan for the pseudo-power plant - but he will need the Red Triangle Circus to cause further chaos to ensure success. Though reluctant to abandon his yet-unknown true plans, Cobblepot finally decides to enter the race before exclaiming, "Burn baby burn!"

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The Bat (Michael Keaton), The Cat (Michelle Pfeiffer), and The Penguin (Danny DeVito)

The Circus proceeds to cause chaos and destruction. Batman eventually reaches the center of the destruction, stopping them, but losing a Batarang to the "Poodle Lady," who escapes. He then finds Cobblepot, now attired in a more Tuxedo-esque wear, and the two have an unfriendly exchange of words. At the same time, however, Catwoman enters Max Shreck's department store, overcoming security guards with a bullwhip and placing a number of aerosol cans into a microwave after unfastening a gas pipe. She then backflips to where the Penguin and Batman were talking, confronting them with the single word "Meow" before the building explodes. The two rogues depart, and Batman decides to pursue the new arrival.

The two fight on a rooftop. Catwoman is eventually able to leave Batman hanging by one arm by her bullwhip, but he incapacitates her with some sort of small explosive (later described by Catwoman to contain napalm), burning her arm. He pulls her onto another roof surface, but she drives her claws into his chest, and he knocks her off the roof. She falls into a truck filled with sand, noting "Saved by kitty litter", although later dialogue indicates this injury was fatal - having survived because, in her transformation, she gained the nine lives cats are often said to have. In the meantime, Batman pulls the claws out of his suit, pondering his new adversary.

The Penguin's popularity with Gotham's citizens continues to grow as he officially announces his challenge to Mayor Hill. After the press conference, he is approached by Catwoman, who wants revenge on Batman for the previous night's events. The Penguin, too, needs to be rid of Batman so his gang can cause enough carnage on the streets to get Mayor Hill impeached. The Penguin proposes they disassemble the Batmobile and "Turn it into an H-Bomb on wheels!". Catwoman, however, argues it would be much more effective to frame him for a crime to make his destruction complete. The Penguin prepares a plan.

Framed

Oswald challenges Mayor Hill to demonstrate Gotham is safe by re-lighting the Christmas tree in Gotham Plaza after the chaos at the film's beginning, making special note to urge Batman to show as well. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne encounters Selina Kyle on the street and invites her to Wayne Manor for an early dinner, so they can watch the tree-lighting ceremony from a distance. She accepts. That night, the Penguin violently kidnaps the Ice Princess with the Batarang stolen from the night before.

At Wayne Manor, Bruce and Selina sit in the living room and talk. Bruce mentions that his relationship with Vicki Vale from the previous film had broken up, because she could not deal with the "two truths" to his person. Selina ignores his fears that he is coming off as a "Norman Bates, Ted Bundy type" and the two passionately kiss, stopping when they realize they've nearly revealed their wounds from the previous night. They then see the news on the TV that the Ice Princess has been kidnapped, and Batman is suspected to be involved due to the presence of his Batarang. Both Bruce and Selina realize they are needed, make excuses to be relayed by Alfred, and depart to Gotham Plaza.

Arriving at the building the Ice Princess is supposedly being held, Batman attempts to rescue her so she can tell what really happened to the authorities, when he is attacked by Catwoman, who seizes the Ice Princess and leaves her on the edge of the building's roof. Batman follows, but the Penguin suddenly throws an umbrella at her, which opens to reveal a swarm of bats. The Ice Princess falls to her death, apparently by Batman's hands. This view is further reinforced as she falls on the button that would activate the lights on the tree, which then triggers a larger swarm of bats to fly out of the tree and terrorize the people in attendance. As Oswald Cobblepot slips out of sight, the police arrive on the roof and open fire, ignoring Gordon's calls to hold their fire, knocking Batman from the roof onto another building.

Batman is then accosted by Catwoman, who comments that she still has seven lives left after his knocking her from the roof. She again attacks him, but Batman fights her off and flies off in a special bat-styled glider. The Penguin then meets with Catwoman on another rooftop, where she expresses her disapproval of his lethal methods. He then makes a comment suggesting they "consummate" their "fiendish union", an idea which Catwoman rejects ("I wouldn't touch you to scratch you"). In anger, Cobblepot straps his umbrella-copter to her neck, intent on hanging her on it. She eventually removes it, and plummets into a greenhouse, killing her yet again.

The Penguin retreats to his campaign bus, where he assumes control of the Batmobile, as it had been hacked by the Red Triangle Circus Gang while he had attempted to save the Ice Princess. He goes on a rampage through the town, intent on destroying what little remains of Batman's good name before destroying Batman himself. Batman, thinking quickly, records the Penguin's ranting on a compact disc before finally disabling the beacon rod the Penguin has been using to control the Batmobile. He then escapes the pursuing police by scrapping many of the Batmobile's parts, turning it into a new slimmer vehicle referred to in the novelization as the "Batmissile".

Vengeance

The next day, Oswald gives a speech at the "Recall the Mayor" rally. Selina Kyle watches from a distance, intent on taking revenge on this man who has betrayed her. Also watching from Wayne Manor, are Bruce Wayne and Alfred. As Cobblepot rants on the events of the previous nights, the two head down to the Batcave where they activate a large array of radio equipment. Using this technology, they jam the signal from the microphone to the sound equipment, and play in its place comments from the CD recorded earlier, in which the Penguin insulted the city. The Penguin is then pelted with snowballs, eggs and tomatoes by the crowd as Max Shreck makes a discreet exit, seeing the race is lost. His candidate, however, loses his cool and fires with the machine gun hidden in his umbrella into the crowd before fleeing back towards the sewer.

Returned to his lair, the Penguin meets with the Red Triangle Circus Gang, apparently forced into hiding again. There, he renounces his humanity ("My name is not Oswald! It's Penguin! I AM NOT A HUMAN BEING! I AM AN ANIMAL! COLD-BLOODED!") and hands to the gang members the lists he has been holding. They are revealed to be the names of the firstborn sons of Gotham's most prosperous, and he intends to have them kidnapped and drowned in the contaminated water in his hideout. When one of his clowns objects ("Killing sleeping children...isn't that a little...?") the Penguin shoots him dead ("No, it's a lot.") and dumps his body in the water.

In the meantime, Alfred interrupts Bruce Wayne's repairs on the Batmobile to ask if he will be going to the annual masked ball Max Shreck is hosting. Wayne is skeptical, but ultimately shows up in hope of seeing Selina Kyle. Selina Kyle does arrive, and the two share a dance. During this, Selina reveals she came with the intention of killing Shreck, but Bruce manages to stop her from doing so. Shortly afterwards, they repeat a series of comments made earlier in the film, and realize the secret identites of the other. Shocked by this development, both head outside.

Before they can leave, however, the Penguin crashes through the floor in his giant duck vehicle, intent on personally kidnapping Chip Shreck in his campaign of vengeance. After he announces his intentions to all in attendance, Max begs Penguin to take him instead. Still bitter about being manipulated and betrayed by the elder Shreck, he ultimately agrees. Bruce and Selina then flee to assume their respective alter-egos. Batman proceeds to stop the Red Triangle Circus Gang's train-esque vehicle and apprehend the criminals driving it, foiling his plan. He alerts Penguin of this development with a note he sends via the monkey of the Red Triangle Circus' Organ Grinder.

The Penguin is furious. He quickly launches his backup plan, dispatching remote-controlled rocket-armed penguins into Gotham Plaza for a more direct, bloodier revenge.

Endgame

While the Penguin is dispatching his armies of penguins, Batman approaches the Penguin's lair through the sewers in a new vehicle, referred to in the novelization as the "Batskiboat". At Wayne Manor, Alfred waits for him to find the signal controlling the penguin army so he can jam it with the radio equipment used to ruin the Penguin's speech earlier that day. Dodging two penguin-fired rockets, he finds the signal and Alfred jams it. The confused birds in Gotham Plaza, now without any direction, begin making their way back to the Penguin's hideout in the zoo, their home.

As the Penguin watches his plans fall apart, he is informed of the arrival of the Batskiboat. The remaining members of the Red Triangle Circus Gang desert him, and he is forced to grab an umbrella and flee in his duck vehicle. Batman, however, drives his Batskiboat into the duck to stop his escape. The two fight briefly before Penguin draws a sword umbrella. Batman responds by pulling out a small radio device, apparently controlling the penguin army which has returned home. Penguin furiously attacks, relieving him of the control and activating it. This triggers the penguin army to launch their missiles, which land on Penguin's lair. It also sends a flock of bats hiding in the wreckage of the Batskiboat flying at Penguin, driving him through a window and into the contaminated water surrounding his lair.

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Batman reveals his identity to Selina Kyle

During this time, Max Shreck coaxes a henchman's monkey to bring him the key to the birdcage Penguin is holding him in. But before he can leave, his leg is grabbed by a bullwhip and he is pulled into the water. He grabs the gun of the clown the Penguin killed earlier before he is dragged back above water, where he encounters Catwoman. Her costume is now torn in multiple places, reflecting her deteriorating mental state. He offers her anything she wants in return for his safety, but it soon becomes clear that all she wants is his life.

Before she can kill him, Batman arrives from the surface via a grappling hook. Shreck attempts to suck up to Batman, but Batman simply kicks him into an electrical generator and tries to persuade Selina to take Shreck to the proper authorities so they can go home together. As a further attempt to win her trust, he even takes off his mask. Selina admits that she is tempted, but if she did so she "wouldn't be able to live with myself", and scratches Batman on the cheek.

Shreck then pulls out the gun he took from the dead clown and shoots at Batman, grazing him on the neck. He then turns the gun on Selina. She tears off her mask, revealing frazzled, unkempt hair, and begins walking toward Schreck, telling him, "Three lives down. Got enough bullets in there to finish me off?!" Schreck's reply: "Only one way to find out!"

He then fires two bullets into Selina, who stumbles and screams, "Four - five - still alive!", cracking her whip. Schreck fires two more times. Selina says in a bizarre sing-song tone, "Six... seven... all good girls go to heaven..." Now face-to-face, Schreck sticks his gun into her stomach, ready to finish her... and is out of bullets. Selina, breathing heavily, says, "Two lives left... I think I'll save one for next Christmas. But in the meantime..." (Selina pulls out her taser) "how 'bout a kiss, Anti-Claus?".

Selina then puts the taser in her mouth and "kisses" Shreck, while simultaneously grabbing hold of a large electric cable, holding him in this position for an extended amount of time. Selina seems unaffected by the electrocution, while Schreck is visibly shaking. The electrical generator then explodes, sending debris crashing down. Batman searches the debris only to find Max's charred skeleton, with Selina nowhere in sight.

Behind him, The Penguin emerges from the water. He is badly injured and his mouth is filled with some sort of black blood. He creeps up on Batman, reaching for a gun umbrella, but draws one that is completely harmless. His last words: "Oh, shit! I've picked a cute one. The heat's getting to me, I'll murder you momentarily. But first, I'll have a cool drink of ice water. AGGHHH!" Then, under the combination of his injuries and the rise in temperature caused by the facility's air conditioner being offline, he perishes. His body is then carried to the water by a group of emperor penguins.

In the film's final scene, Bruce Wayne and Alfred are driving through Gotham's quiet winter streets, when the former sees the shadow of Catwoman. He goes out to investigate, but finds only another stray cat. He ultimately decides to take it home, and gets back in the car. The final shot shows the bat-signal lighting up in the sky, with the figure of Catwoman, who has apparently survived the night's events, rising in response. Template:Endspoiler

Production

The film was scripted by Daniel Waters and Sam Hamm, originally as a direct sequel to the original Batman film from 1989. Neither Michael Keaton nor Tim Burton were signed on to do the film, and were not approached until after the studio had approved a draft of the screenplay. Both expressed interest, but Keaton demanded a higher salary and that Burton be signed as director first. In turn, Burton agreed tentatively on the grounds that Keaton be signed as Bruce Wayne/Batman and that he be allowed to re-write the script to his liking.

The studio granted the wishes of both sides, although there was reportedly a great deal of friction between Burton and the executives at Warner Brothers, who were concerned over the fact that Burton's re-write was much darker than they had anticipated, that much of the story had changed and that it was no longer written as a direct sequel to the first film. Burton cited that he had not been entirely happy with the first film's script and that the re-write was part of his new contract.

Cast

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Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman

Starring

Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Batman, having destroyed the Joker, continues to serve and protect Gotham City. Bruce Wayne, however, is having trouble dealing with business magnate, Max Shreck. Michael Keaton is an American actor who had worked with Burton on Beetlejuice, before accepting the role of Batman. This was Keaton's second and final performance as Batman.
Danny DeVito as the Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot. Cobblepot was born into a rich family, though, due to his physical deformities, he was abandoned, and banished to the sewers. There, he grew up, and adopted the mantle of "Penguin". Cobblepot now plans to wreak havoc in Gotham City.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman/Selina Kyle. Selina Kyle is the shy secretary of Max Shreck. After accidentally reading his confidential files, Selina incurs the wrath of Shreck, and is pushed out of a window, brought mystically back to life by alley cats, transforming her into Catwoman.
Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Shreck is a wealthy, corrupt business man with lofty ambitions.

Also Starring

Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred is the level-headed butler and friend of Bruce Wayne.
Pat Hingle as Commissioner James T. Gordon. Gordon was one of the only honest policemen in Gotham in the original film, and he allies himself with Batman in his fight against crime.
Michael Murphy as Mayor Hamilton Hill. Gotham's Mayor struggles to keep the city together in the face of criminal violence and political manuverings against his position.
Vincent Schiavelli as the Organ Grinder. The Organ Grinder is one of the Penguin's henchmen.

Co-Starring

Andrew Bryniarski as Charles "Chip" Shreck: Max Shreck's son, and one of the few people the cold businessman holds any affection for.
Cristi Conaway as the Ice Princess. The Ice Princess is a model who has been selected to light up the tree in Gotham Square.

Reaction

The reaction to the film was largely mixed, although the critical consensus was somewhat negative. Although many lauded the film's dark atmosphere and intense characters as being the perfect translation of Frank Miller's Batman comics, many others found the film to be overly dark and sadistic and criticized it as inappropriate for children; McDonald's cancelled a planned marketing tie-in with the film after advocate groups protested it. Film critic Leonard Maltin immediately wrote Batman Returns off as a "nasty, nihilistic, nightmare movie" with a dark, mean-spirited, and often incoherent screenplay. In addition to criticisms of the film's tone and demeanor, some found Burton's interpretation of the central characters problematic, arguing that the Penguin's physical deformity and homicidal tendencies, Catwoman's schizophrenia and Batman's brooding melancholy simply added to the somber and unsettling nature of the film.

The initially negative reaction to Batman Returns, however, prompted Warner Brothers to re-think their approach to the franchise, and the series was handed to director Joel Schumacher, who adopted a much more lighthearted and camp approach to the characters. However, the generally very negative critical and fan reaction to the Joel Schumacher films in the franchise, particularly 1997's Batman & Robin, sparked a critical re-evaluation of Tim Burton's dark, gloomy and expressionistic first sequel in the franchise.

DVD

The film was first released to DVD in 1997, shortly after the format debuted; it was a single disc release featuring the ability to watch the film either in widescreen or in fullscreen but not featuring any bonus materials.

To coincide with the release of Batman Begins on DVD in 2005, Warner Brothers decided to give all four of the original Batman films new DVD treatments and special edition versions of all four films were created. The special edition DVDs feature newly restored audio and video, a re-mastered Dolby Digital audio track, a new DTS audio track and a second disc filled with bonus materials. Each title is available both individually and as part of a pack featuring the special editions of all four films in the franchise. The Region 2 DVD is missing the directors commentary although this is still listed on the box as a special feature, and is also censored. Although it restores the nunchaku sequence, the scene in which Catwoman places aerosal cans in the microwave is cut. The DVD also suffers from a very noticeable audio glitch.

Soundtrack

The Batman Returns score was composed and performed by Danny Elfman. The soundtrack also includes "Face to Face", preformed by Siouxsie & the Banshees, used to promote the movie prior to its release. Two versions of the music video were made (the other added shots from the movie), and a club version, remixed by 808 State, was released.

Trivia

"Red Triangle", the name of the circus of which The Penguin was part of, is the symbol and flag of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Marlon Wayans was actually cast as Robin, before the script was rewritten.

Sean Young was so upset about not getting the part of Catwoman that she went to the studio in a Catwoman costume to prove that she was a better choice.

Madonna was reportedly considered to play Catwoman.

Dustin Hoffman was considered to play the Penguin in Batman Returns.

Annette Bening was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer for the role of Catwoman, after becoming pregnant.Pfeiffer's $3 million salary was $2 million more than was offered to Bening.

The Batman costume weighed 55 lbs. at a cost of $100,000.

Billy Dee Williams was contractually entitled to play Harvey Dent, and an early draft of Batman Returns included the role. That character was later renamed Max Shreck and all of Dent's lines were given to him, and all Two-Face elements were removed.

Michelle Pfeiffer got through 60 catsuits during the 6 month shoot, at a cost of $1,000 a time.

In the US, McDonald's were forced to cancel a Happy Meals promotion with the film, after parents protested about its violent and sexual nature being inappropriate for young children.

In another version of the script, Max Shreck was discovered to be the Penguin's older brother.

The only Batman film in which the Wilhelm scream appears.

Online Clips

NBC News interviews Michelle Pfieffer

Inside the Music Studio: The Music of Batman Returns - featuring Danny Elfman

Batman/Penguin/Catwoman (2 min 4 sec)

Bruce Wayne/Alfred (2 min 2 sec)

External links