Dark Knight Rises? More Like 'Meh Knight Fizzles' Next to Batman Returns
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises may have been the penultimate conclusion to his own Batman trilogy. However, fans on Reddit have surprisingly elected Tim Burton's Batman Returns as a superior film.
The 1992 sequel may display a more family-friendly camp impression of the caped crusader, more akin to Adam West's version of the character. But the superhero classic still has tons of charm, according to its fans.
Throughout a recent discussion appearing on the subreddit r/comicbookmovies, Redditors openly discussed what they liked about the two Batman movies and which they preferred. However, it wasn't far into the thread until the clear preference between the two presented itself.
Although many admitted they liked both for different reasons, Reddit users explained their thoughts on their choice of favorite.
Firstly fans compared both versions of Catwoman in each movie. Unanimously, they found Return's version to be a more interesting character. Opinions on TDKR suggested the film only included Selina Kyle as a subplot within the movie.
Fans also showed a preference for Michelle Pfeiffer who played the anti-hero thief in Returns. There was no hate towards Anne Hathaway 's portrayal but found her role ultimately forgettable.
The thread continued to praise the 90's Batman film for its other unique qualities. Some felt that Michael Keaton's batmobile was more captivating than Christian Bale 's tumbler; although justified for its setting seemed more like a tank.
Commenting on the film's setting, a few Redditors describe Gotham's depiction in the two films as vastly different. Although both were meant to represent Batman's gritty city of crime, fans described its representation in Returns as a more accurate, darker version compared to the comics. Whereas in Rises, although Gotham was a heavy theme of the movie, overall it looked too well-lit and less like the fictional city they were familiar with.
Predominantly, the biggest preference Reddit fans had towards Tim Burton's Batman Returns, was the cartoonish, ridiculous fun that the famed director brought to it. Although fans admit that the film at times leaned 'heavy on the camp', it was still true to the Batman aesthetic of the era. Penguin rockets and self-targeting batarangs may be over-the-top, but Batman in general is a ridiculous character.
To fans, the film is merely having fun with the already ludicrous concept of a man in a bat suit. For this reason, many Redditors also felt Rises takes itself too seriously. It may be more mature a film, however without the fun-loving elements of Burton, ultimately it opens itself to criticism of seeming dull and equally unbelievable.
Not all fans on Reddit felt Returns was the better movie of course. Many praised Rises equally for the inclusion of Tom Hardy as Bane. As well as the Christopher Nolan trilogy as a whole.
Ultimately, it seems Rises can't touch the nostalgia fans of Reddit have for its predecessor. Maybe the newer projects in the Batman franchise can learn something from Return's quirky tones and the lighter side of Batman we rarely see today.