Batman Returns

Batman Returns has built a real following in Australia on HBO Max, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Michael Keaton sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Start it on HBO Max whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Batman Returns is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. What makes Batman Returns work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she's transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader. Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1992. What separates Batman Returns from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Batman Returns a chance. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Watch for Michael Keaton in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.