Batman Returns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Batman Returns
Directed by	Tim Burton
Produced by	Denise DeNovi
Starring	Michael Keaton Danny DeVito Michelle Pfeiffer
Music by	Danny Elfman
Cinematography	Stefan Czapsky
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	June 19 1992
Running time	126 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Money made	$282 822 354

Batman Returns is a superhero movie from 1992. It was the second and last Batman film directed by Tim Burton. The movie came out on June 19, 1992, around the world.

It was very popular with critics and made a lot of money. However, some people thought the movie was too dark and serious for a Batman story.

Plot Summary

The story begins with a baby who is abandoned and grows up in the sewers. This child becomes the supervillain known as the Penguin. Years later, Penguin kidnaps a powerful businessman named Max Shreck. He blackmails Max into helping him become a respected citizen of Gotham City.

Meanwhile, Max's secretary, Selina Kyle, finds out about his secret plan to build a power plant. This plant would drain Gotham City's electricity. Max tries to get rid of Selina after she discovers his bad plans. But Selina is mysteriously brought back to life by alley cats. She returns home, feeling very confused, and becomes the supervillain, Catwoman.

Penguin wants to be seen as a hero. He arranges for one of his helpers to kidnap the mayor's baby. Then, Penguin "saves" the baby himself. This makes the people of Gotham think he is a good guy. However, the wealthy Bruce Wayne, who is secretly Batman, is suspicious. He discovers that Penguin is the leader of a criminal group called the Red Triangle Circus Gang.

As Batman, Bruce decides to protect Gotham from this gang. Max Shreck then decides to help Penguin become the mayor of Gotham City. This is because the current mayor won't approve Max's power plant.

To make the current mayor look bad, Penguin has his gang cause a riot. Batman steps in and stops the chaos. During the riot, Catwoman damages Max Shreck's department store. Batman and Penguin confront each other, and Catwoman joins in. She makes the store explode, but Penguin escapes. Catwoman then fights Batman. Batman pushes her off a roof, but she lands safely.

The next day, Penguin and Catwoman decide to work together against Batman. At the same time, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle start a romantic relationship. Penguin and Catwoman then kidnap the "Ice Princess," an actress chosen to light the Gotham City Christmas Tree. They frame Batman for the kidnapping. Batman finds her, but Catwoman takes her to a rooftop. Penguin releases a swarm of bats, which frightens the Princess. She falls off the roof, making people believe Batman killed her. Catwoman rejects Penguin's romantic interest, and he tries to harm her, but she escapes.

Batman gets into the Batmobile, but Penguin takes control of it. Penguin drives the Batmobile wildly through the city. Batman manages to regain control and escapes. During the chase, Batman records Penguin's evil plans. He plays this recording during Penguin's election speech. This turns the people of Gotham against Penguin.

Penguin becomes very angry. He kidnaps all the first-born sons of Gotham City, and Max Shreck too. Batman saves all the babies. He then pushes Penguin into a toxic liquid. Catwoman tries to defeat Max, but Batman stops her. Max shoots Batman, knocking him out. Catwoman says she has many lives left, but Max shoots her several times. Catwoman then confronts Max. In a dramatic moment, she uses electricity to defeat him, causing an explosion. Max is defeated, but Catwoman's fate is unclear. Penguin tries to escape but is defeated by the heat from the explosion.

Afterward, Alfred, Bruce's butler, drives Bruce home. Bruce sees Selina's shadow in an alley. He investigates and only finds her black cat, Miss Kitty. He takes the cat with him. Later, the Batsignal lights up in the night sky. Catwoman rises up, looking at it, which confirms she is still alive.

Making the Movie

Tim Burton was not sure about directing a second Batman movie. However, the studio told him he could make it more of a "Burton movie" than just a "Batman movie." This got his attention, and he agreed to direct.

They chose Michael Keaton to play Batman again. Danny DeVito was cast as Penguin. For Catwoman, they first cast Annette Bening. But she had to leave the movie because she was pregnant. Many actresses wanted the role of Catwoman. When Michelle Pfeiffer showed interest, the producers realized she was perfect. They felt she could play both Selina Kyle and Catwoman very well.

The very last scene, where Catwoman looks at the Batsignal, was filmed later. It cost about $250,000 to make.

Movie Release

Batman Returns was released on June 19, 1992. It got a good score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a website that collects movie reviews. The movie earned over $282 million worldwide. This made it the sixth highest-earning film of 1992. It is still considered the best-reviewed Batman movie from the series directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher.

Related pages

• Batman
• Batman (1989 movie)
• Batman Forever

Images for kids

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  Tim Burton (pictured in 2012) agreed to direct Batman Returns in exchange for greater creative control

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  Writer Daniel Waters (2008) was hired by Tim Burton to significantly revise Sam Hamm's initial draft

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  Christopher Walken (2008) based his performance on moguls such as Sol Hurok and Samuel Goldwyn

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  Gotham City Square set built inside Studio 16 on Warner Bros. Studios.

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  To transform into the Penguin, Danny DeVito wore a combination of prosthetics and makeup that covered much of his facial features.

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  Cosplayers at the 2015 Dragon Con dressed as the Batman Returns versions of Penguin and Catwoman

See also

In Spanish: Batman Returns para niños