is thanks also to those bigots if we got no Danny De vito action figure in the line at that time, but just a repaint of the old blue suit one from superheroes line... too gross for kids... luckly Neca helped all of us with the 40cm ones in these years.
These people were freaking out; my parents bought the tape. I remember watching it Halloween of 1992. Hell, we saw the original at the goddamn drive-in in 1989.
"It was very violent, it was a total attack against kids." This poor kid was forced to read from a script you can basically see him struggling to read the cue cards. If this movie was too violent then why were there toys based off Aliens, Robocop, Rambo, Predator, and Terminator? The real thing was that this movie came out around the time where day time talk shows where rampant and they needed a big controversy so the ratings would go up.
But They say Today's people are Snowflakes.. I was around then and I remember all of it well.. People complained about the simplest things.. Don't let these Boomers fool you like their eras didn't have no Snowflakes cause it was! Karens started to grow in numbers and Beta Males started to grow in numbers.. Yep..
@@kenrickkahn Truth is these kind of people have always been around, you had them in the 60's with the ani hippie movement, in the 70's with the anti porn movement, then the 80's came and they really went into full swing with the moral majority, the static panic, parents agains rock music, these people had bleed their way into the 90's but by then we had stopped paying as much attention.
@@dannytheman1313 A better example would be the Parental Music Resource Center. It's strange for you to omit them because they are the reason for the parental advisory label.
That kid was actually pretty smart. His parents thought they could use him to push their agenda but really he tricked them into letting him watch the movie twice. xD
@@MP-mc7bs Well, when you are a kid you can only stand up to your parents so much and sometimes the best way to get what you want is to make them think they are getting what they want. Sometimes what seems like the "puss" route is the most strategic and beneficial.
@@brytonup1551 animation is highly respected today, just not by people 50+. Most people under 50 see animation as having the ability to tell a true story, a respect for the medium. Now some people do think most animation are bad or poor of quality, but the medium is absolutely respected in 2021.
Feat of Clay was the first episode I saw; started watching halfway through, and didn’t know it was a Batman cartoon until he showed up, and the whole time, I was like, “What in the holy awesome is THIS?!”
*an The performance was actually nominated for a Razzie award. I get why as it can come off Schumacher Batman type campy, with the eating raw fish and such. I think many and most people would agree it's a great performance, I certainly think so anyway.
Being challenged with mature storylines and content... That's why from the age of 7 right through to 10 years old, Star Trek TNG was (and possibly still IS) my favorite television show!
@@thisisnotachannel you and me both. I started watching TNG when I was 5 and was obsessed. I feel like I was smarter and had an edge on everyone my age at school because I watched the show. But I seriously think it’s one of the best shows to teach kids.
But doesn't Catwoman do essentially the same thing to Max Schreck in Returns? Is it worse with the Joker because we can see what's happening to the guy?
There was a kid I went to school with super religious family saying the movie was violent and so scary he couldn't sleep at night and how he hated it so we asked him questions about the movie and he couldn't answer anything turned out he never saw the movie and everything he knew was told to him by his mom who heard about it from neighbors of church members
I always find alot of the "Controversies" surrounding alot of movies to be hilarious, i mean you have some legit controversies like with the movie "Cuties" on Netflix, but then you have the manufactured "Controversies" that make you think sometimes that its actually the studio's themselves that start them to put more butts in the seat. I mean lets face it, kids will always want to stick it to their parents, and claiming you are going to see "The Monster Squad" when infact you decided to see "Summer School" is a way to stick it to them, even though "The Monster Squad" was the lesser of the kid friendly of the 2 movies, despite both being excellent movies and the Monster Squad to this day still being my favorite monster movie. I mean, who knew the Wolfman had Nards?
i first saw this film in 1992 when i was eight years old and it is still one of my favorite movies of all time. the themes of isolation, loneliness and the ephemeral nature of human interactions can be more haunting than any of the transient violence; the whole film feels like the dark, cold hangover of holiday parties and interactions that aren't so jolly.
Look at all those parents coersing their children to say what they the parents want, and not how the children feel. I was a kid when Batman Returns came out and I loved every minute of it. Looking back at it now as an adult, that has so much camp and cheese (not as bad as Forever & Batman & Robin), It's a wonder how adults back then found Batman Returns to be too dark and violent
I saw this when I was 12. I was obsessed. It was the first movie I watched 3 times in the theater. I had the soundtrack, every magazine I could get my hands on. I had a Catwoman Cardboard cutout in my room, the movie poster, and i made a huge collage of Catwoman i cut out of the magazines.
What's even more funny is the fact that Batman Forever and Batman and Robin the so called kids version was literally filled to the brim with homosexual overtones even so much that I had a gay guy at my work point it out to me. Not to mention both of those films were both PG-13.
I was fifteen years old, when Batman returns was released. The Michael Keaton entries are still my favorite Batman movies of all time. Keaton owned the role in a way no other has before or since. I love these movies.
I love this movie BECAUSE of how weird and different it is. McDonald's PR department didn't like Penguin's green slime vomit because the movie showed something almost as gross as eating McDonalds...
Batman Returns might be my favorite of all the Batman films and parents being overly sensitive is the reason why we got the Joel Schumacher films. How unfortunate.
A case may be made that an unholy alliance of nostalgic parents (spoiled by the 1960s Adam West version thereof) and greedy toy makers and sellers (spoiled by the 1989 Jack Nicholson-as-Joker revival) ended up creating B & R (and Batgirl). Holy unintended comsequences!
That kid that said "it was a total attack against kids", awfully impressive vocabulary for a kid his age, it's almost as if he was told what to say by an adult... by the way, Minty can you do a 10 Things You Didn't Know About George Romero's Day Of The Dead, it's such an underrated zombie movie that really deserves some praise for it's practical effects
@@arizonaFIREent So true lmao fuck that kid him and the soccer moms and McDonald's are the reason we got the shitty Batman Forever and B&R movies afterwards which was a shame. I wanted Tim Burton's Batman 3
Watchmen is actually Rated R and if a Parent took their children to see that movie then CPS needs to look into them cause I know damn well you seen that big ass Rated R logo on that Screen and on that Poster before entering that theater... Idiots
@@kenrickkahn Actually there were reports of parents taking their little one to see this, believing that the violence in this R-rated movie was no worse than that of a Spider-Man flick. Boy, did they find out the hard way. And then there were the sexual situations…
@@kenrickkahn You're right! I know of one incident where a girl selling tickets in the box office noticed several little ones with their mother who requested tickets for Watchmen. The girl pointed out the "R" rating and advised the mother that the movie would probably be very intense for her children. But Karen insisted on taking the offspring in to see it, so she was sold the tickets. About an hour later, she comes up to the box office in a huff kids in tow demanding to speak to the manager, claiming that nobody warned her of the graphic violence, language, and sex. Uh....yeah, they did; you didn't listen! Duh!
I've seen that clip before of the kid saying he came out of T2 an R-rated film where you have sharp objects going through eyes and through mouths and heads just fine but Batman Returns was too much I guarantee this kid was paid off to say this stuff.
Batman Returns ended up becoming one of my favorite movies. I remember feeling a bit confused about the ending when I was a kid but it grew on me over time. Also Keaton gives beatings!
Batman Returns is a fun dark sequel seems like people complained for nothing yeah I had a bit of a dream or something about the penguin but that just means devito was perfect in his role and it's my favorite Batman film.
One of the creepier scenes in Batman Returns IMO is when Catwoman is getting shot point blank and just shrugging it off as lives taken from her Nine Lives.
1992 was the absolute prime of my early Batman obsession. Seeing Batman Returns in theaters when I was 9 and getting those incredible Happy Meal toys was a total joy. The two Burton movies are still my favorite live-action representation of these characters and I really hope Keaton's return in Flashpoint is treated with respect (though hiring the Birds of Prey movie writer is NOT a good look!). I also remember collecting those great plastic Batman Returns cups with the Frisbee BatDisc lids. The glassware they later did for Batman Forever was cool, too, but the entire McDonald's Returns campaign was a pop culture milestone for me. Edit- Also, I always get a special kick out of parents who get upset about PG-13 movies having content they find "unsuitable" for young children. As if the rating means nothing... Cheers, Minty, for another great Mint-sterpiece!
I was 8 years old when Batman Returns came out. I thought it was fine. After seeing Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands I was expecting Batman Returns to be dark.
I was 10 when this came out. Yes, it's definitely on the dark and creepy side, especially for younger kids, but it didn't ruin me and I loved it! The PG-13 rating fits. It's up to parents to decide what kinds of movies they want to let their children watch. When you take an 8yr old to see a PG-13 movie, that's on the parents. The ratings are provided for a reason.
I couldn't agree more. No ones fault but parents they should of red the rating first. Its McDonald's and the soccer moms faults why we got the shitty Batman Forever and B&R movies uugh
Same I was 5 in 89 when the first one came out an watched at theater and it I remember correctly return came out in 92? So I was 8 and neither bothered or scared me and loved both films and when Michael K and Tim B stop being a part of these movies we didn’t go see them bc they didn’t look right when the trailers came out..
I was 8 when Batman Returns came out. I loved it as a kid and never got scared of it not once. Anyway can't wait to see Michael Keaton as Batman in The Flash (2022).
Watching this makes me think it was really more a reaction to Burton’s particularly weird form of visual storytelling and themes. His movies themselves becoming “freaks clashing with the constructs of society” (ie expectations for what makes a Hollywood blockbuster family friendly action movie). Compared to the original 1989 version which was dark and brooding and balance of camp and grit focused on what could cause character like Joker and Batman exist in the real world, Batman Returns seemed more infatuated with exploring a more fantastical almost cartoonish yet still very dark reinterpretation of those types characters. I think it was the “weird” factor that alienated audiences.
exactly! movies, music, tv, thats the parents job to filter. they blamed everything on Beavis and Butthead back then. then they blamed Marilyn Manson and Eminem. before that it was NWA.
Even nowadays parents may bring kids to R rated movies or buy them M rated video games and then act surprised at the content. I grew up allowed to watch R rated movies, not once was my mum surprised at the content. I'm not advocating parents to disallow their kids to watch R rated films, I'm advocating they understand what R rated means. Not everything is meant for kids, if they make a kid friendly Deadpool would they make kid friendly clockwork orange 🤔. Don't act so surprised at Sausage Party when the film's R rated. A game rated M is the equivalent to the film rated R. Batman Returns is hardly R rated material, but PG13 film's aren't meant for twelve and under either (think the number in there is a dead giveaway).
I love them both. Back then, I used to hate DeVito's Penguin, but he grew on me. I love the idea of the Penguin being a freakish monster, just one with class.
Great retrospective. I remember the controversy, but it was a time politically when all of film, music, and television was being scrutinized, targeted, and criticized for its violence, language, and darker themes.
Hey, thanks so much for the shoutout! I share these program bits from my VHS tapes to reveal rare time capsules, but I had no idea the Batman Returns discussion from A Closer Look would receive the attention it has since it was uploaded. I'm so glad it's provoked this much analytical discussion on 90's media culture in the Batman community. You provide fascinating insight into the clip as well as Batman Returns' release as a whole and I commend you as a fellow critic!
I was 10 yrs old when this came out, and when it hit VHS I borrowed it from a friend, and I didn't return it until his mom told me to bring it back, which was months later cause I fell in love with the film! Still to this day it's my favorite Batman film, and it has my favorite Siouxie and the Banshees song in it.
@@hackman669 It definitely had a different feel than other Christmas movies. That and "Shazam" are pretty good Christmas watching if you want to break away from that shmaltzy Christmas feeling.
The two Burton Batman movies are absolute masterpieces of atmosphere, cinematography and tone. Simply oozing in oppressive darkness and incredible performances from pretty much everyone involved. I like your content Minty, your humour, or attempts at it, is weak for the most part but your heart is in the right place and I reckon you'd be great company for a beer and a chat about films. I will also add that your constant apologising for your opinion in this video is grating in the extreme. I mean, are you afraid of being sued for saying that a very obviously rehearsed chat show segment was as fake as it was 30 years after the fact? If it is possible for you to get sued for this, then fine, but I can't believe its the case. The chat show segments are so obviously bullshit. Your comments are spot on, 100%.
That whole Joker controversy is a case study of one of the most insidious aspects of mainstream news media. I mean, you don't go around constantly screaming about how a movie is going to inspire mass violence without it all being a conspicuous attempt at a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a media sensation of a mass shooting doesn't occur naturally, why not give it a little "push"?
Have to remember too that most of those same people were anti-white male too, "fighting the white male patriarchy" and other similar sexist/racist bullshit. Racism is alive and well.
I laughed through most of this video because i remember seeing the movie when I was six going on seven. The drive home after was literally just my parents complaining about it while I kept asking for a Happy Meal. I loved the movie and always will.
It was in its early stages and computers on college campuses were all connected via a phone line. Was actually pretty cool how you could tell when someone was on and send them a little pop up. But yeah I was about 21 or 22 during that time and began putting my ear to the political scene... and all of it. ALL of it was entirely political. They used kids as their excuse for changing MANY laws, and many people's perspectives about violence in EVERYTHING. It wasn't just Batman Returns. They attacked every cartoon made, TV shows, movies... it was literally every where and 'doing it for the kids' was the political excuse they used back then. Today it's the mask 'for our safety'... back then it was about 'keeping the kids safe. When one tragic even happened... a new law was considered or put into law. Smoking was big back then to 'save the kids'. We had machines where ANYBODY and I mean any one could walk into a Dennys or Shoneys and buy a pack of cigarettes. Age was not an issue. We had those machines for DECADES. Then in the 90s. We couldn't have them any more. An age limit was put on cigarettes (no i do not smoke). Seatbelt laws had recently been implemented just a few year prior in the late 80s (i think). (For the kids). They even made laws where kids of a certain age couldn't sit up front in a vehicle. We really didn't have well made baby car seats either. All this sort of came about during this era. Not having certain kinds of toys available to kids. G1 Megatron anyone? It's like a teacher in a classroom. If someone stupid gets in trouble for ONE thing, the whole class has to suffer for it, and can't do that either. It was like this for the NATION. I hate I had to get political here, but it really was.... and it completely changed how we raised our kids and allowed the State to get under our roofs... as now parents were even AFRAID to discipline their OWN children. I remember warning my dad about this crap BACK THEN! (Of course I was over 20...) but he did NOT believe me and grumbled, "What happens under MY roof is my business and no one elses!" That was probably 1993-94.... NOW he believes me.
@@DarkAlex1978 I've been using the internet since 1995 in the United States. During the 90's there wasn't anything where Puritans and hair colored idiots banded together (I don't think those people were even using the internet during the 90's). 1990's internet consisted of a lot of video game related sites, The Mr.T vs ____ comedy comic pages (people would create these comics using photos and TV footage of Mr.T fighting NUMEROUS enemies like Megatron from the Transformers, Bill Gates, Predator, Aliens, WWF's Vince Mcmahom, Dragon Ball Z characters, The Backstreet Boys, etc. There was even one where they had Mr.T fighting Australian Parliament. LOL. People from around the world (mostly in the U.S, the UK and Australia) created their own Mr.T comic page. There were about 180 different Mr. T vs _____ comedy comic pages released on the internet and it was one of the most popular things on the internet during the 90's), Yahoo was one of the most popular search engines and free e-mail services, and there were various message boards on various sites. The message boards were mostly filled with NORMAL people. There were trolls, but the trolls were "goofy trolls", the type that would start typing stuff like "I farted in my drink, want to taste it?". Those type of trolls. There weren't any trolls that were a legit threat that would try to DOX someone or try to do a "cancel culture" type thing on them. 1990's internet was a lot of fun. The majority of the 2000's on the internet was also a lot of fun. Myspace was the first major social network, but it was FUN. No crazy Puritans and hair colored idiots, everyone there was just there to have fun and it was very laid back and you could pretty much say whatever you wanted and it was very, VERY easy to talk to people you didn't know (Myspace even encouraged this). The thing that ruined that site was that too many spammers started invading later on, which caused a lot of people to migrate to Facebook around the year 2008. However, Facebook was actually fun during 2008 and 2009 (not as fun as Myspace, but during 2008 and 2009 Facebook was filled with mostly normal people and it was very easy to talk to people one didn't know). Again, the "worst" type of trolls around were the silly ones (which are harmless). Meanwhile, I discovered UA-cam around 2007 and it was a lot of fun (you could upload almost anything as long as it wasn't X-rated and it was very fun and laid back). HOWEVER, I noticed that at the end of 2009, some people on UA-cam with a niche following started making videos warning about these people who would eventually be known as SJWs years later (A.K.A: puritans and hair colored idiots) and showed footage of these people talking about how they hated all men and wanted to do various censorship related things. it was very niche at the time, so most people including I didn't think much of the warnings at the time. The first half of the 2010's was normal for the most part, even though certain things started to slowly get worse. Facebook being a prime example (most people on Facebook started to get more serious and became more restrictive, refusing to talk to anyone they didn't know and would only talk to people they already knew). Twitter was around during the early 2010's, but it was FUN at this time and everyone was using it to post funny stuff (even rated R Andrew Dice Clay type humor) and Twitter was awesome and great at this time. Also, UA-cam was freaking AWESOME during the first half of the 2010's. However, there was a website called Tumblr where all the puritans and hair colored idiots hung out. Unfortunately, those people migrated from Tumblr to Twitter a few years later and that's when everything started to go to hell. By 2016, the rise of the SJWs (puritans and hair colored idiots) hit the mainstream of the internet, Twitter went to HELL (what was once a fun website devolved into a total hellhole during the second half of the 2010's) and it got so bad that it started to rot a good portion of the rest of the internet (it was like an infection growing and growing). Also, the trolling had gotten far worse and serious during the second half of the 2010's, with trolls trying to DOX others, SWATTING (which has led to deaths), cancel culture which could legit ruin someones life, etc. And here we are now in the 2020's where we now have to walk on eggshells so the big tech companies don't screw us over and we don't get cancelled by some insane person on Twitter. Also, censorship of several things on UA-cam, various search engines, social networking, has gotten really bad. Things have really changed for the worse on the internet compared to what it use to be.
I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid and getting the Happy Meal toys. But to be honest with you, I was that kid that was never really into live-action Batman movies until shortly after, the animated series came out on Fox Kids and I was HOOKED and wanted everything Batman lol. I was also at the right age of being excited for Batman Forever coming out during the same summer of Power Rangers The Movie lol. Ahh the good ol' days lol
Loved toons of that era. Such a deep story line and great character development. Couldn't wait to come home from school and watch em. Modern toons pale in comparison!!!
I always watched Batman Forever, and it's my all-time favorite Batman movie along with 89. Jack Nicholson was great as The Joker in Batman 89. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey were awesome as Two-Face and Riddler. Michael Keaton was alright as Batman, but Val Kilmer was my favorite Batman.
@@hackman669 I had the complete series of Batman: The Animated Series on both DVD and Blu-Ray, and both Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester were great as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson.
I seen it as a kid and loved it. It didn’t make me have nightmares. I did my kicks, jumps and punches in the living room, but was no more violent than before seeing it. I may have got more violent after seeing batman and Robin but for other reasons lol.
I was 16/17 when this movie came out in 1992, and my parents scolded me for taking my little cousins who were about 7-8 years old to see this movie. I told them, yes it's dark and violent, but more like cartoony dark violence. But the adults of the time (funny I'm about their age TODAY) said this was the meanest Batman of all time, because they only liked the Adam West Batman from 1966. Imagine what they would have thought about Ben Affleck's 2015 Batman. Even though I'm now a mid 40s adult, I try not to be too much of an old fart stick in the mud.
@@delete---7593 the actor gave a good performance but it still didn’t feel like the Joker to me, he didn’t have the wacky antics of the clown price of crime that Jack Nicholson had. He didn’t have the ferocity of Heath ledger, and yea Jared Leto was pretty bad but then again everything was bad in that film. So far the best joker is mark hamil
You all do realize that Joker is an origin story, right? I am a longtime Batman/Joker fan and I loved the film. I was always more team Nicholson (though I love Ledger’s performance - RIP) but now Phoenix and Nicholson are tied for me. Like I said, though, Joker is an origin story and a standalone concept film based on The Joker. So it’s not really fair to compare it to Batman films since it isn’t one.
I'm glad you pointed out the similarities to '89 -Batman' as well. BOTH films scared me to death as a kid, but didn't stop me from watching! ;) And the cartoon scared me too, but I never heard any parents complain about that! =)
I have always been a huge Batman fan ever since I was a kid. I love how the character can be interpreted in so many different ways. I love the darker versions Personally and Returns is my second fave of the original 4 films behind 89 Batman. Yes my parents took me to see both and my mom had an issue with Returns whereas my father didn’t.
I do think however That Batman Returns is far more darker than anything in The Nolanverse is definitely merits its PG-13 rating but that’s when PG-13 had balls and earned its rating of “ Parents Strongly cautioned”.
There's a malignancy to Burton's Batman that isn't present in the Nolan films. Returns has one of the most oppressive opening hours I've ever seen in a so-called 'blockbuster' release.
Just wanted to say how rad it’s been to see your channel grow over the years. Love learning bout the movies I watched religiously growing up with your comedic edge. Never change🙏
@@melvert33 I knew I always like his character for some reason. No mercy for the blood thirsty villains!!! Always disliked that none killing rule used in later adaptions!!!
I was 3 years old and saw it in theaters with my parents and 2 older brothers and I loved it. I still do to this day. He'll I had all but 1 McDonald's toy for the movie. I even got a Penguin pencil the I still have. Man those were really good days.
I like that you pretty much explained your feelings on a few things that were so dead on, such as the talk show interviews and at the ends talking about the older crowd having a different perception of the older Batman. I mean you gave me a huge realization about the 1989 Batman and that’s my favorite one that I’ve watched since I was very little… I was soooo desensitized that I’ve never even paid much attention to the joker burning the guy and then taunting him.. 😳
I remember see that Talk Show segment. I thought the kid was a bit of a hypocrite being being upset with Batman Returns and liking T2 which was R and did go after kids.
One of The Penguin’s motorized rubber duckies was kept in the parking lot of a steak restaurant near my house for years. I took some great pictures of my sportscar, which superficially resembles the Batmobile with its oily black paint, next to it.
None of those scared me. The one movie that did scare me as a kid was Ghostbusters 2 - although I was only like 4 years old when that come out and significantly older when those films you mentioned were released
Pet Cemetery 1 had me pissing the bed till ladybird came back with the love i needed at the moment. Seems that my dog loves human cause im missing a hand
Really? Neither of those were scary to me. Dark images don't equal suspense. At least to me they don't. I dont know sh×t. When I was a kid, my dad told me we were watching a new Batman show on TV. It was actually The Blob 1988. I didn't realize until toward the middle/end of the movie. I was six. I wasn't even scared.
If parents didn't bring their kids to Batman Return or have the film rated r then the adults would call the babysitter for their kids and go to the movie themselves.
My parents brought me to see Batman Returns and at no time do I even vaguely remember an air of controversy surrounding this film - and my parents were VERY careful never to expose me to stuff they thought would corrupt me. I wasn't even allowed to watch MTV or Nickelodeon back then.
Awesome work as always Minty so happy to see you're still kicking so much ass at this UA-cam game & you're still the Minty I met all them years ago on Fartbook!
I saw Batman Returns in theatres with my mom when I was 10 years old in 1992. I enjoyed the movie and thought it was good. I also took notice of Tim Burton's dark direction and style. There were parts in the movie where it was kinda intense like when Penguin bit the guy's nose off suddenly and blood started squirting everywhere. My mom didn't like the movie and thought it was gross. I thought it was cool. I had no issues with it.
I remember watching it at the theater and loving every minute of it. Loving Michelle's version of catwoman and still consider her the definitive version. The same for Micheal Keaton he'll always be my fav batman. Also loved rhe hell out of the poster.
And... BAT NIPPLES! But don't blame Schumacher... he actually had an awesome idea for Batman called "Batman Unchained". It wasn't perfect, but it would have been a hell of a lot better than what we ultimately got instead... It's Warner Bros. It always has been. Only recently has DC itself become part of the problem. Thank jebus for AT&T!
"She says she wants to see it and when I tell her no, she cries." That has got to be the most pathetic and privileged thing I have ever heard in my entire life!!! I had to be a parent and anything that makes me be a parent to my child must be changed!! ...smh
The sooner that kid learned about life being unfair, the better. She probably bought her kid their first vape when they were 12 because they cried like she did. Circle of life
I just came across this vid. Let me say I agree fully on your stance. Let me say as well, the content is entertaining, well researched and I can sense the passion come across the material. Subscriber for sure! Thank you for the wonderful work.
"Women. Nothing surprises me, Chip, except your late mother. Who'd have thought Selina had a brain to damage. Bottom line, she tries to blackmail me, I'll drop her out a Higher window."
I remember having Happy Meal toys and boxes with artwork that you could fold to reveal different images. This was just before they were cancelled, and I must admit that I found the parent outrage amusing at the time (and still do). After all, movies like Terminator, Aliens and RoboCop were marketed to kids, how was Batman Returns any worse? Funny days.
Batman Returns was released in 1992 while Terminator, Robocop and Aliens a decade earlier in the 1980's - the 80's seems to have been more tolerant towards R-rated movies than in the 90's.
@@mrnygren2 Yes, except Terminator 2 and RoboCop 2 & 3 were 90's films, and Aliens was still marketed at kids (via toys and comics) all the way through the mid-90's until Resurrection was released.
I was 5 when Batman Returns was released, and I also loved it. I was also reading the Batman Knightfall storyline from DC comics at the time. Violent media never affected me. I loved the storytelling.
I remember seeing this in theater as well as the original TB Batman. Batman Returns is easily in top 3 Batman films ever produced. And yeah, the controversy was real! Great coverage Minty👍👍
The story is kinda dumb, but the visuals, music and acting are amazing. I much prefer Burton's surreal Gotham to modern superhero movies set in our boring real-life world.
Batman Returns is the best Batman ever , also it has the deepest psychological character development. All of them characters were extremely deep ! And there is only one Catwoman! ,.... in this movie, forget all the other movies !
@@davidpitkat6031 Julie is good and A very beautiful catwoman but michelle pfeiffer’s performance as catwoman literally had emotion and depth! you could literally see the pain, anger, sadness, and craziness when she preformed as catwoman so I kindly disagree with you
@@vincearini1191 I liked Michael Keaton, but I’ll take Christian Bale all day. And there’s nothing wrong with his Batman voice either, that’s just the internet being the internet.
I remember when we were able to watch Batman Returns in class one day. A TV/VCR on a wheeled cart. A class of 20 watched it and no one lost their minds. No parents protested. There was no outrage.
@@WhiteScarsEmo i saw beetlejuice t the movies. Ppl were laughing their head off. I was hoping they would've shown these movies again in theatres for their anniversaries.
I saw it when it came out...I was nine years old. I remember being scared at the part where Penguin bites the guys nose, and the part where Christopher Walkin's charred corpse is revealed. I also was grossed out by the green goo the Penguin was regurgitating...it was all very gothic, very dark, and very Tim Burton. And I begged my mom to take me, and she did, of course, so I did it to myself! But that's what I remember going into it blind, experiencing it for the first time. Watching it now, I think it was too dark for mainstream audiences, but still better than the next two movies...Christopher Nolan nailed the formula with his trilogy a little over a decade later. It has flaws, yes, but it's more mainstream in approach, while still retaining the core essence of Batman...you make awesome vids, MINTY! Thank you!
@@yrooxrksvi7142 Nuh-uh! You're thinking of Inception and Tenet! Batman Begins is okay, Dark Knight really good, Rises is okay. I love Michael Keaton and I am excited to see him in The Flash...you are entitled to your opinion and you're not wrong!
@@karaokekidd9330 Nuh uh, I'm thinking of his Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight is one of the most overrated things ever made, all because of one dead overworked actor. And as you're admitting, the other two are just okay. Not great, just okay. Okay what ? Generic gritty action movies with a superficial superhero paintcoat and "deep philosophic" theme ? They're so overbloated in trying too hard to ground into reality comicbook characters and mythos, it just doesn't work. That said, I'd love to see Keaton back, but I have NO hype for the Flash movie whatsoever.
@@yrooxrksvi7142 I think the Nolan movies are much better than say Batman and Robin and Batman Forever. While I like certain things about the Kilmer/Clooney movies, I they were too cartoony. And perhaps Nolan's movies went too far the other way...I didn't mind Ben Affleck as Batman...I guess he's going to be in the Flash movie, also. The Trashman...is an idea...It's Always Sunny? Eh?
@@karaokekidd9330 Well duh, everything is better than the Schumacher duo. But Nolan's are on the opposite side of the spectrum. I too would've liked to see more of Batfleck, yeah.
Your commentary with combination of the video starting from 9:16 got me really badly on my knees in order to prepare me to die from laughter. Thank you, I survived
In Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum one of the Arkham doctors says some of the doctors came up with the theory that the Joker might be "super-sane", which means the Joker is actually more sane than anyone else. Whereas we base our reality around vague man-made concepts such as time, borders, laws, good and evil and social status, the Joker understands these are all just silly ideas and just ignores them. So just because the Joker refuses to acknowledge and play by our collective rules and class systems, he is considered "evil" and "crazy" and therefore a danger to society.
"It was violent, it was a total attack on kids" said NO kid ever! Holy scripted line Batman!
HES A PLANT FROM BIG BROTHER! hahahah
talk about being coached.
I know, right. That little bastard
Years later, that kid went on to set fire to his families house after a mental break down.
His life long virginity was sealed in cement after that appearance.
The fact that Michael Keaton goes on to play the founder of McDonald's in the movie The Founder, it's just another layer of funny.
🤯😂
😆🤣😂😀
Not really funny but ok.
@@oregonguy13 You sound like one of those parents coaching their kids to say that Batman Returns is too violent, lol.
Troll master Keaton
"People were saying, How can you sell Toys based on this movie to children"??. Me, looking over at my Robocop and Rambo toys from 80s.🤔
People took issue with those toys and cartoons as well.
And Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves
Toxic avenger as well. 🤣
Back in the day where you can make a Saturday morning cartoon about a military force fighting global terrorism...
Lol you forgot to mention Xenomorph (Aliens), Terminator and Predator
"It was violent, it was a total attack on kids" ooh boy this will be a GREAT movie -any normal kid bat-fan at that time
is thanks also to those bigots if we got no Danny De vito action figure in the line at that time, but just a repaint of the old blue suit one from superheroes line... too gross for kids... luckly Neca helped all of us with the 40cm ones in these years.
I was 12,I loved it
I wonder what that little shithead is doing these days. Probably hiding in his boyfriends apartment in shame.
These people were freaking out; my parents bought the tape. I remember watching it Halloween of 1992.
Hell, we saw the original at the goddamn drive-in in 1989.
i bet he was fun at parties......oh wait, he was never invited.
"It was very violent, it was a total attack against kids." This poor kid was forced to read from a script you can basically see him struggling to read the cue cards. If this movie was too violent then why were there toys based off Aliens, Robocop, Rambo, Predator, and Terminator? The real thing was that this movie came out around the time where day time talk shows where rampant and they needed a big controversy so the ratings would go up.
But They say Today's people are Snowflakes.. I was around then and I remember all of it well.. People complained about the simplest things.. Don't let these Boomers fool you like their eras didn't have no Snowflakes cause it was! Karens started to grow in numbers and Beta Males started to grow in numbers.. Yep..
@@kenrickkahn Truth is these kind of people have always been around, you had them in the 60's with the ani hippie movement, in the 70's with the anti porn movement, then the 80's came and they really went into full swing with the moral majority, the static panic, parents agains rock music, these people had bleed their way into the 90's but by then we had stopped paying as much attention.
Outside of daytime talk shows, there really wasn't as much of a controversy as this video makes it out to be.
@@dannytheman1313 A better example would be the Parental Music Resource Center. It's strange for you to omit them because they are the reason for the parental advisory label.
@@dannytheman1313 NAILED IT 👏🏿
Tim Burton wasn't a monster. He was just ahead of the curve!
Lol idc what you say Tim is a fuckin weirdo
@@petewashington32 Tim Burton doesn't care what say. He's ahead of the curve!
TB is the man 2 bad THEY didn’t let him make a 3rd……….
I worry about what that Willy Wonka remake says about the future of movies then...
@@bryondevine4224 I know... imagine Billy Dee Williams as a PROPER Two-Face...
That kid was actually pretty smart. His parents thought they could use him to push their agenda but really he tricked them into letting him watch the movie twice. xD
That's not good at all. 😑
No he was a total puss
The long con haha
@@delete---7593 Why not?
@@MP-mc7bs Well, when you are a kid you can only stand up to your parents so much and sometimes the best way to get what you want is to make them think they are getting what they want. Sometimes what seems like the "puss" route is the most strategic and beneficial.
Batman: The Animated Series was released later that year in 1992 and some episodes were darker than Batman Returns.
The birth of Clayface in the episode “Feat of Clay” was the darkest moment in the series
@@Mdmd-h9y7u because it’s animated parents didn’t take it seriously, animation wasn’t and still isn’t really respected
The Grayson parents death, haunting. Mr Freeze origin story. Crazy good good those two stories were.
@@brytonup1551 animation is highly respected today, just not by people 50+. Most people under 50 see animation as having the ability to tell a true story, a respect for the medium.
Now some people do think most animation are bad or poor of quality, but the medium is absolutely respected in 2021.
Feat of Clay was the first episode I saw; started watching halfway through, and didn’t know it was a Batman cartoon until he showed up, and the whole time, I was like, “What in the holy awesome is THIS?!”
"iT wAs vIoLeNt, iT wAs An aTtAcK oN kIdzzz"
I'm sure that "Child Critic" is not the favorite guy around in his neighborhood these days lol
Was he ever?
@@CelticVictory Most likely he wasn't 😁
These parents ever watch Chucky, Batman is child’s play compared to Chucky. 🤣
@@rra7490 Did a nice pun there, you did LOL
@@EternalRoman Yey you got it 😁
Danny deserved and oscar for his portrayal of penguin.
*an
The performance was actually nominated for a Razzie award. I get why as it can come off Schumacher Batman type campy, with the eating raw fish and such. I think many and most people would agree it's a great performance, I certainly think so anyway.
I was a kid when Batman Returns came out and looking back I liked how these movies challenged you as a kid with mature story lines and content.
Being challenged with mature storylines and content... That's why from the age of 7 right through to 10 years old, Star Trek TNG was (and possibly still IS) my favorite television show!
that's great...now what?
@@thisisnotachannel you and me both. I started watching TNG when I was 5 and was obsessed. I feel like I was smarter and had an edge on everyone my age at school because I watched the show. But I seriously think it’s one of the best shows to teach kids.
@@thisisnotachannel So much this!
It was great to grow up with TV shows like TNG and movies like Batman Returns.
Same
The Joker melting that guy down to a charred skeleton freaked me out more than anything in Returns.
Right????? Returns never scared me, but that shit was terrifying lol
But doesn't Catwoman do essentially the same thing to Max Schreck in Returns? Is it worse with the Joker because we can see what's happening to the guy?
"It was a total attack on kids!" Because I'm sure that was Tim Burton's intent going into the project. "I'll show those kids!" XD
Lmaooooooooooo he showed them alright 😩😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
I'd say that his Alice in Wonderland was the real attack (on everyone's brain)
Penguin scary
He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling "kids"! lol
😂
There was a kid I went to school with super religious family saying the movie was violent and so scary he couldn't sleep at night and how he hated it so we asked him questions about the movie and he couldn't answer anything turned out he never saw the movie and everything he knew was told to him by his mom who heard about it from neighbors of church members
dude i’ve always found the “controversy” surrounding this great batman movie, interesting and just plain hilarious.
I always find alot of the "Controversies" surrounding alot of movies to be hilarious, i mean you have some legit controversies like with the movie "Cuties" on Netflix, but then you have the manufactured "Controversies" that make you think sometimes that its actually the studio's themselves that start them to put more butts in the seat. I mean lets face it, kids will always want to stick it to their parents, and claiming you are going to see "The Monster Squad" when infact you decided to see "Summer School" is a way to stick it to them, even though "The Monster Squad" was the lesser of the kid friendly of the 2 movies, despite both being excellent movies and the Monster Squad to this day still being my favorite monster movie. I mean, who knew the Wolfman had Nards?
My mum didn't give a fuck that it was a 15 certificate and bought me the VHS when I was 4/5 years old 😂😂
i first saw this film in 1992 when i was eight years old and it is still one of my favorite movies of all time.
the themes of isolation, loneliness and the ephemeral nature of human interactions can be more haunting than any of the transient violence; the whole film feels like the dark, cold hangover of holiday parties and interactions that aren't so jolly.
Look at all those parents coersing their children to say what they the parents want, and not how the children feel. I was a kid when Batman Returns came out and I loved every minute of it. Looking back at it now as an adult, that has so much camp and cheese (not as bad as Forever & Batman & Robin), It's a wonder how adults back then found Batman Returns to be too dark and violent
I saw this when I was 12. I was obsessed. It was the first movie I watched 3 times in the theater. I had the soundtrack, every magazine I could get my hands on. I had a Catwoman Cardboard cutout in my room, the movie poster, and i made a huge collage of Catwoman i cut out of the magazines.
Do you mean "coercing"?
What's even more funny is the fact that Batman Forever and Batman and Robin the so called kids version was literally filled to the brim with homosexual overtones even so much that I had a gay guy at my work point it out to me. Not to mention both of those films were both PG-13.
the OG Karens
@@dantasticmania8728 They're all PG-13.
1:20 "Total attack against kids" his parents 100% made him say that.
How the he'll was this a movie against kids
more likely the talk show producers
I was fifteen years old, when Batman returns was released. The Michael Keaton entries are still my favorite Batman movies of all time. Keaton owned the role in a way no other has before or since. I love these movies.
I love this movie BECAUSE of how weird and different it is. McDonald's PR department didn't like Penguin's green slime vomit because the movie showed something almost as gross as eating McDonalds...
Thats the real irony here, company that's perfectly happy producing slime and passing it off as "food" themselves baulks at a bit of green food dye.
Batman Returns might be my favorite of all the Batman films and parents being overly sensitive is the reason why we got the Joel Schumacher films. How unfortunate.
100%
A case may be made that an unholy alliance of nostalgic parents (spoiled by the 1960s Adam West version thereof) and greedy toy makers and sellers (spoiled by the 1989 Jack Nicholson-as-Joker revival) ended up creating B & R (and Batgirl). Holy unintended comsequences!
@@bonghunezhou5051 I think it's a combination of greed as well as the studio and Joel Schumacher not knowing what makes a good Batman movie.
I couldn't agree more man. I wanted Batman 3 so badly. Batman Returns was great !
@@Mike-t5r9q
Yeah same here. At least were getting Keaton again next year.
That kid that said "it was a total attack against kids", awfully impressive vocabulary for a kid his age, it's almost as if he was told what to say by an adult... by the way, Minty can you do a 10 Things You Didn't Know About George Romero's Day Of The Dead, it's such an underrated zombie movie that really deserves some praise for it's practical effects
30 years later and he's still a virgin
Day of the dead👍
@@arizonaFIREent So true lmao fuck that kid him and the soccer moms and McDonald's are the reason we got the shitty Batman Forever and B&R movies afterwards which was a shame. I wanted Tim Burton's Batman 3
@@Mike-t5r9q right haha. I heard Batman Forever has some deleted scenes that made the film darker. I saw a couple on UA-cam and they were dark
Anytime there are children, speaking to their detriment by something put out in entertainment. It is always an adult that writes the material.
Honestly I’ve had more nightmares of Batman & Robin than Batman Returns, and I saw Batman Returns in theaters when I was 4.
It's the BAT NIPPLES, right?
They chase you around in your nightmares?
Don't worry... me too.
Batman & Robin 1997 was the most gayest movie i ever saw in my life it was fucking terrible
Hahaha
I'll have more nightmares from the clips of the talk show :-O
I have nightmares from the villains together scenes in Forever, ugh!
Batman Returns: "I made parents and their children exit the theater after 30 minutes!"
Watchmen: "Hold my beer..."
It's all a fucking joke.
Watchmen is actually Rated R and if a Parent took their children to see that movie then CPS needs to look into them cause I know damn well you seen that big ass Rated R logo on that Screen and on that Poster before entering that theater... Idiots
@@kenrickkahn Actually there were reports of parents taking their little one to see this, believing that the violence in this R-rated movie was no worse than that of a Spider-Man flick. Boy, did they find out the hard way. And then there were the sexual situations…
@@alwrig Idiot Parents... SMH!
@@kenrickkahn You're right! I know of one incident where a girl selling tickets in the box office noticed several little ones with their mother who requested tickets for Watchmen. The girl pointed out the "R" rating and advised the mother that the movie would probably be very intense for her children. But Karen insisted on taking the offspring in to see it, so she was sold the tickets. About an hour later, she comes up to the box office in a huff kids in tow demanding to speak to the manager, claiming that nobody warned her of the graphic violence, language, and sex. Uh....yeah, they did; you didn't listen! Duh!
WB: Tim, we're giving you creative control.
Tim Burton: Alrighty then! **does his thing**
WB: **shocked Pikachu face**
😂😂
Loved both of Michael Keatons Batman..looking forward to seeing him come back on the Flash...👌👍👋
Returns always has been and always will be my favourite Batman movie.
I wonder if that Kid will come out and attack that movie also.
@@htruman ha ha ..he is probably a little older now ...but i think his kid might watch it twice and attack it...!!🤣
@@tessjess1 Imagine his overly-sensitive kids. They're probably allergic to everything!
@@mishunkontrol1874 ha.ha..under cover superman fan!!😉
I've seen that clip before of the kid saying he came out of T2 an R-rated film where you have sharp objects going through eyes and through mouths and heads just fine but Batman Returns was too much I guarantee this kid was paid off to say this stuff.
Paid off with Kenner Batman figures, no doubt.
I saw it on TV when I was a kid, back when the movie first came out... I was 12.
I knew even back then that this kids were full of shit!
I wonder if they interviewed those adults in the interview show to see if they finally admit it was all BS negative propaganda they got paid for
If those kids weren’t 100% coached by both their parents in the host of the show, then Grizzly Adams didn’t have a beard.
Grizzly Adams did have a beard
It scared me so much! I’ve never been so scared by a movie like that in my life. I had to go back a second time just to make sure how scared I was!!
Ha ha
Batman Returns ended up becoming one of my favorite movies. I remember feeling a bit confused about the ending when I was a kid but it grew on me over time. Also Keaton gives beatings!
Batman Returns is a fun dark sequel seems like people complained for nothing yeah I had a bit of a dream or something about the penguin but that just means devito was perfect in his role and it's my favorite Batman film.
1992: Batman is too dark for kids!
Batman v. Superman: Hold my beer
It’s also funny that they didn’t realize this movie was violent and dark when this was a direct sequel to the 1989 film
@Brian Babin that’s your opinion. I saw it as a kid and as Minty said, he did too, and I loved it.
@Brian Babin wait, were you that child critic on the talk show? 😱
The Tim Burton Batman movies are the best. All the others after them til The Dark Knight Trilogy were trash I thought.
One of the creepier scenes in Batman Returns IMO is when Catwoman is getting shot point blank and just shrugging it off as lives taken from her Nine Lives.
I remember when I was in theaters when catwoman electrocuted Christopher Walken and then showed the puppet corpse everyone was laughing 😂
Good point, the effect of a gun shot being brushed off could easily lead to a child making a fatal mistake
Total Tony Montana moment!
"Ju wanna go to war?"
@@johnsmith-mz9hh Catwoman could secretly have morn chainmel or armor under her outfit?
1992 was the absolute prime of my early Batman obsession. Seeing Batman Returns in theaters when I was 9 and getting those incredible Happy Meal toys was a total joy. The two Burton movies are still my favorite live-action representation of these characters and I really hope Keaton's return in Flashpoint is treated with respect (though hiring the Birds of Prey movie writer is NOT a good look!). I also remember collecting those great plastic Batman Returns cups with the Frisbee BatDisc lids. The glassware they later did for Batman Forever was cool, too, but the entire McDonald's Returns campaign was a pop culture milestone for me.
Edit- Also, I always get a special kick out of parents who get upset about PG-13 movies having content they find "unsuitable" for young children. As if the rating means nothing...
Cheers, Minty, for another great Mint-sterpiece!
I was ten when it came out and had a couple of McDonald’s toys and all.
Did you watch the animated series too?
I remember my dad won tickets to batman returns from the radio and he took me opening night. I absolutely loved it and still do!!
Great experience
That's an awesome story.
I was 8 years old when Batman Returns came out. I thought it was fine. After seeing Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands I was expecting Batman Returns to be dark.
I was 10 when this came out. Yes, it's definitely on the dark and creepy side, especially for younger kids, but it didn't ruin me and I loved it! The PG-13 rating fits. It's up to parents to decide what kinds of movies they want to let their children watch. When you take an 8yr old to see a PG-13 movie, that's on the parents. The ratings are provided for a reason.
This movie was dope even when I saw it on home video VHS when I was 3 years old.
I couldn't agree more. No ones fault but parents they should of red the rating first. Its McDonald's and the soccer moms faults why we got the shitty Batman Forever and B&R movies uugh
I was 10 too but I was also to young to care about the violence because I grew up on 80's action and raunchy comedies. Like most kid's my age!
Same I was 5 in 89 when the first one came out an watched at theater and it I remember correctly return came out in 92? So I was 8 and neither bothered or scared me and loved both films and when Michael K and Tim B stop being a part of these movies we didn’t go see them bc they didn’t look right when the trailers came out..
Reminds of that mother who took her young kid to see Deadpool in theaters, then walked out to complain. Lady, what did you expect?! lol
I was 8 when Batman Returns came out. I loved it as a kid and never got scared of it not once. Anyway can't wait to see Michael Keaton as Batman in The Flash (2022).
Me too.
Yea I was 8 too when it came out and the only thing I remember was being grossed out when penguin is chowin down on that fish lol
I loved Batman Returns. Those who were scared were just a bunch of wussies.
“I’ve never heard someone say they hate a movie so much they saw it twice”
This is basically how I feel about twilight 😂
Somethings in my way
Same
Sounds to me like people who saw Phantom Menace.
Watching this makes me think it was really more a reaction to Burton’s particularly weird form of visual storytelling and themes. His movies themselves becoming “freaks clashing with the constructs of society” (ie expectations for what makes a Hollywood blockbuster family friendly action movie). Compared to the original 1989 version which was dark and brooding and balance of camp and grit focused on what could cause character like
Joker and Batman exist in the real world, Batman Returns seemed more infatuated with exploring a more fantastical almost cartoonish yet still very dark reinterpretation of those types characters. I think it was the “weird” factor that alienated audiences.
"Oh will someone think of the children!"
Me: "That's the parents job not the movie studios, and besides the movie is PG-13 for a reason."
100% this ^
exactly! movies, music, tv, thats the parents job to filter. they blamed everything on Beavis and Butthead back then. then they blamed Marilyn Manson and Eminem. before that it was NWA.
Even nowadays parents may bring kids to R rated movies or buy them M rated video games and then act surprised at the content. I grew up allowed to watch R rated movies, not once was my mum surprised at the content. I'm not advocating parents to disallow their kids to watch R rated films, I'm advocating they understand what R rated means. Not everything is meant for kids, if they make a kid friendly Deadpool would they make kid friendly clockwork orange 🤔. Don't act so surprised at Sausage Party when the film's R rated. A game rated M is the equivalent to the film rated R. Batman Returns is hardly R rated material, but PG13 film's aren't meant for twelve and under either (think the number in there is a dead giveaway).
It used to be that PG-13 was one step from R.
Aside from the Toys and merchandising that the movie is meant to generate, the actual film itself was not marketed towards small children.
the audible "WHAT?!" I let out when that kid said "it was an attack against kids"
i LOVED batman returns when I was a kid lmfao
I burst out laughing at how scripted that sounded.
@LTNetjak 😭😭😭
Simpleminded child : “I was very violent. It was a total attack against kids” WHAT??? 🤔
"well.... Thats what my mom says.... And she beats me so i have to say that too" 😅
Little Kevin's slip up is proof his lines were scripted.
I wonder where that kid is now?
@@jediknightjairinaiki560 Exactly!
@@ge2719 They edited that part out. Lol 😆
When he blows fire from his exhaust onto that devil goon, I knew it was going to be a great sequel.
Would it suffice to say that scene in particular was....lit? : D
Tim Burton is one of my all time favorite directors for Dark/Dark theme movies.
While I preferred Nicholson's Joker to DeVito's Penguin, when I was younger, I watched Batman Returns much more than Batman (1989).
It definitely has a "re-watchability" factor to it, doesn't it?
I would watch Batman and Batman Return the most than Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
Devito still plays the best batman villain in a movie.
I love them both. Back then, I used to hate DeVito's Penguin, but he grew on me. I love the idea of the Penguin being a freakish monster, just one with class.
@@davidimrie6916 no it doesn’t. Not to me, anyway. I didn’t care for Batman Returns
Honestly I liked batman returns despite what reviews it got and with the flash movie coming out soon we'll see Michael Keaton back as Batman
I'm very worried that WB is going to ruin Keaton's Batman.
“Our kids need a bright future”
Ahhhh the millennial’s battle cry
"It was a total attack on children."
I bet that kid is a Boss Baby fan.
Great retrospective. I remember the controversy, but it was a time politically when all of film, music, and television was being scrutinized, targeted, and criticized for its violence, language, and darker themes.
Hey, thanks so much for the shoutout! I share these program bits from my VHS tapes to reveal rare time capsules, but I had no idea the Batman Returns discussion from A Closer Look would receive the attention it has since it was uploaded. I'm so glad it's provoked this much analytical discussion on 90's media culture in the Batman community. You provide fascinating insight into the clip as well as Batman Returns' release as a whole and I commend you as a fellow critic!
I was 10 yrs old when this came out, and when it hit VHS I borrowed it from a friend, and I didn't return it until his mom told me to bring it back, which was months later cause I fell in love with the film! Still to this day it's my favorite Batman film, and it has my favorite Siouxie and the Banshees song in it.
Batman Returns wasn't an attack on kids. I liked it because of the dark colors, Christmas timey feel, and the action.
It is one of my Christmas go to movies when I get tired of the more saccharine choices. :)
@@LibraGamesUnlimited This is the movie to watch when tired of the Christmas theme already!
@@hackman669 It definitely had a different feel than other Christmas movies.
That and "Shazam" are pretty good Christmas watching if you want to break away from that shmaltzy Christmas feeling.
The two Burton Batman movies are absolute masterpieces of atmosphere, cinematography and tone. Simply oozing in oppressive darkness and incredible performances from pretty much everyone involved. I like your content Minty, your humour, or attempts at it, is weak for the most part but your heart is in the right place and I reckon you'd be great company for a beer and a chat about films. I will also add that your constant apologising for your opinion in this video is grating in the extreme. I mean, are you afraid of being sued for saying that a very obviously rehearsed chat show segment was as fake as it was 30 years after the fact? If it is possible for you to get sued for this, then fine, but I can't believe its the case. The chat show segments are so obviously bullshit. Your comments are spot on, 100%.
I had a Batman returns birthday party and I got to see it in theaters as a kid
That whole Joker controversy is a case study of one of the most insidious aspects of mainstream news media. I mean, you don't go around constantly screaming about how a movie is going to inspire mass violence without it all being a conspicuous attempt at a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a media sensation of a mass shooting doesn't occur naturally, why not give it a little "push"?
Perfectly put.
These same media people were then saying the BLM riots were "peaceful protests" & actually egged them on.
Have to remember too that most of those same people were anti-white male too, "fighting the white male patriarchy" and other similar sexist/racist bullshit.
Racism is alive and well.
How about another joke, Murray?
@@ecoleman5690 No, I think we’ve had enough of your jokes
I laughed through most of this video because i remember seeing the movie when I was six going on seven. The drive home after was literally just my parents complaining about it while I kept asking for a Happy Meal. I loved the movie and always will.
I graduated High School in 93. I don't remember most of this. I think the 'controversy' was ignored by most people at the time.
@@DarkAlex1978 We had a primitive form of internet called 'dial-up'. Not the sophisticated network of cats and tubes we enjoy today.
It was in its early stages and computers on college campuses were all connected via a phone line. Was actually pretty cool how you could tell when someone was on and send them a little pop up. But yeah I was about 21 or 22 during that time and began putting my ear to the political scene... and all of it. ALL of it was entirely political. They used kids as their excuse for changing MANY laws, and many people's perspectives about violence in EVERYTHING. It wasn't just Batman Returns. They attacked every cartoon made, TV shows, movies... it was literally every where and 'doing it for the kids' was the political excuse they used back then. Today it's the mask 'for our safety'... back then it was about 'keeping the kids safe. When one tragic even happened... a new law was considered or put into law. Smoking was big back then to 'save the kids'. We had machines where ANYBODY and I mean any one could walk into a Dennys or Shoneys and buy a pack of cigarettes. Age was not an issue. We had those machines for DECADES. Then in the 90s. We couldn't have them any more. An age limit was put on cigarettes (no i do not smoke). Seatbelt laws had recently been implemented just a few year prior in the late 80s (i think). (For the kids). They even made laws where kids of a certain age couldn't sit up front in a vehicle. We really didn't have well made baby car seats either. All this sort of came about during this era. Not having certain kinds of toys available to kids. G1 Megatron anyone? It's like a teacher in a classroom. If someone stupid gets in trouble for ONE thing, the whole class has to suffer for it, and can't do that either. It was like this for the NATION. I hate I had to get political here, but it really was.... and it completely changed how we raised our kids and allowed the State to get under our roofs... as now parents were even AFRAID to discipline their OWN children. I remember warning my dad about this crap BACK THEN! (Of course I was over 20...) but he did NOT believe me and grumbled, "What happens under MY roof is my business and no one elses!" That was probably 1993-94....
NOW he believes me.
@@DarkAlex1978 I've been using the internet since 1995 in the United States. During the 90's there wasn't anything where Puritans and hair colored idiots banded together (I don't think those people were even using the internet during the 90's). 1990's internet consisted of a lot of video game related sites, The Mr.T vs ____ comedy comic pages (people would create these comics using photos and TV footage of Mr.T fighting NUMEROUS enemies like Megatron from the Transformers, Bill Gates, Predator, Aliens, WWF's Vince Mcmahom, Dragon Ball Z characters, The Backstreet Boys, etc. There was even one where they had Mr.T fighting Australian Parliament. LOL. People from around the world (mostly in the U.S, the UK and Australia) created their own Mr.T comic page. There were about 180 different Mr. T vs _____ comedy comic pages released on the internet and it was one of the most popular things on the internet during the 90's), Yahoo was one of the most popular search engines and free e-mail services, and there were various message boards on various sites. The message boards were mostly filled with NORMAL people. There were trolls, but the trolls were "goofy trolls", the type that would start typing stuff like "I farted in my drink, want to taste it?". Those type of trolls. There weren't any trolls that were a legit threat that would try to DOX someone or try to do a "cancel culture" type thing on them. 1990's internet was a lot of fun.
The majority of the 2000's on the internet was also a lot of fun. Myspace was the first major social network, but it was FUN. No crazy Puritans and hair colored idiots, everyone there was just there to have fun and it was very laid back and you could pretty much say whatever you wanted and it was very, VERY easy to talk to people you didn't know (Myspace even encouraged this). The thing that ruined that site was that too many spammers started invading later on, which caused a lot of people to migrate to Facebook around the year 2008. However, Facebook was actually fun during 2008 and 2009 (not as fun as Myspace, but during 2008 and 2009 Facebook was filled with mostly normal people and it was very easy to talk to people one didn't know). Again, the "worst" type of trolls around were the silly ones (which are harmless). Meanwhile, I discovered UA-cam around 2007 and it was a lot of fun (you could upload almost anything as long as it wasn't X-rated and it was very fun and laid back).
HOWEVER, I noticed that at the end of 2009, some people on UA-cam with a niche following started making videos warning about these people who would eventually be known as SJWs years later (A.K.A: puritans and hair colored idiots) and showed footage of these people talking about how they hated all men and wanted to do various censorship related things. it was very niche at the time, so most people including I didn't think much of the warnings at the time.
The first half of the 2010's was normal for the most part, even though certain things started to slowly get worse. Facebook being a prime example (most people on Facebook started to get more serious and became more restrictive, refusing to talk to anyone they didn't know and would only talk to people they already knew). Twitter was around during the early 2010's, but it was FUN at this time and everyone was using it to post funny stuff (even rated R Andrew Dice Clay type humor) and Twitter was awesome and great at this time. Also, UA-cam was freaking AWESOME during the first half of the 2010's. However, there was a website called Tumblr where all the puritans and hair colored idiots hung out. Unfortunately, those people migrated from Tumblr to Twitter a few years later and that's when everything started to go to hell. By 2016, the rise of the SJWs (puritans and hair colored idiots) hit the mainstream of the internet, Twitter went to HELL (what was once a fun website devolved into a total hellhole during the second half of the 2010's) and it got so bad that it started to rot a good portion of the rest of the internet (it was like an infection growing and growing). Also, the trolling had gotten far worse and serious during the second half of the 2010's, with trolls trying to DOX others, SWATTING (which has led to deaths), cancel culture which could legit ruin someones life, etc.
And here we are now in the 2020's where we now have to walk on eggshells so the big tech companies don't screw us over and we don't get cancelled by some insane person on Twitter. Also, censorship of several things on UA-cam, various search engines, social networking, has gotten really bad.
Things have really changed for the worse on the internet compared to what it use to be.
I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid and getting the Happy Meal toys. But to be honest with you, I was that kid that was never really into live-action Batman movies until shortly after, the animated series came out on Fox Kids and I was HOOKED and wanted everything Batman lol. I was also at the right age of being excited for Batman Forever coming out during the same summer of Power Rangers The Movie lol. Ahh the good ol' days lol
Loved toons of that era. Such a deep story line and great character development. Couldn't wait to come home from school and watch em. Modern toons pale in comparison!!!
I always watched Batman Forever, and it's my all-time favorite Batman movie along with 89. Jack Nicholson was great as The Joker in Batman 89. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey were awesome as Two-Face and Riddler. Michael Keaton was alright as Batman, but Val Kilmer was my favorite Batman.
@@hackman669 I had the complete series of Batman: The Animated Series on both DVD and Blu-Ray, and both Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester were great as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson.
I remember having those toys from McD’s. I saw the movie in theaters, I was probably 5, and loved the movie. And hey, I turned out just fine!
I seen it as a kid and loved it. It didn’t make me have nightmares. I did my kicks, jumps and punches in the living room, but was no more violent than before seeing it. I may have got more violent after seeing batman and Robin but for other reasons lol.
I was 16/17 when this movie came out in 1992, and my parents scolded me for taking my little cousins who were about 7-8 years old to see this movie. I told them, yes it's dark and violent, but more like cartoony dark violence. But the adults of the time (funny I'm about their age TODAY) said this was the meanest Batman of all time, because they only liked the Adam West Batman from 1966. Imagine what they would have thought about Ben Affleck's 2015 Batman. Even though I'm now a mid 40s adult, I try not to be too much of an old fart stick in the mud.
The over hype about Joker was ridiculous when it happened. No hindsight needed
Yea I didn’t think it was that good
How?.
@@brytonup1551 😑
@@delete---7593 the actor gave a good performance but it still didn’t feel like the Joker to me, he didn’t have the wacky antics of the clown price of crime that Jack Nicholson had. He didn’t have the ferocity of Heath ledger, and yea Jared Leto was pretty bad but then again everything was bad in that film. So far the best joker is mark hamil
You all do realize that Joker is an origin story, right? I am a longtime Batman/Joker fan and I loved the film. I was always more team Nicholson (though I love Ledger’s performance - RIP) but now Phoenix and Nicholson are tied for me. Like I said, though, Joker is an origin story and a standalone concept film based on The Joker. So it’s not really fair to compare it to Batman films since it isn’t one.
I'm glad you pointed out the similarities to '89 -Batman' as well. BOTH films scared me to death as a kid, but didn't stop me from watching! ;) And the cartoon scared me too, but I never heard any parents complain about that! =)
I have always been a huge Batman fan ever since I was a kid. I love how the character can be interpreted in so many different ways. I love the darker versions Personally and Returns is my second fave of the original 4 films behind 89 Batman. Yes my parents took me to see both and my mom had an issue with Returns whereas my father didn’t.
Boys will be boys?
Isn't there five original films if you count Mask of the phantasm
I do think however That Batman Returns is far more darker than anything in The Nolanverse is definitely merits its PG-13 rating but that’s when PG-13 had balls and earned its rating of “ Parents Strongly cautioned”.
There's a malignancy to Burton's Batman that isn't present in the Nolan films.
Returns has one of the most oppressive opening hours I've ever seen in a so-called 'blockbuster' release.
I agree, fantastical/campy dark and gritty is more impactful and hard hitting to me.
Just wanted to say how rad it’s been to see your channel grow over the years. Love learning bout the movies I watched religiously growing up with your comedic edge. Never change🙏
Perhaps Minty will be on tv like Spin Ghoully with this show commenting on retro films.
First off I loved this movie and I'm glad Keaton is back, second did anyone realize that batman smiles before he blows up the big circus guy
Yeah he smiles after the circus guy looks up realizing that he put the bomb on him. Epic!
He's a millionaire who loves killing poor people, top bloke.
@@melvert33 I knew I always like his character for some reason. No mercy for the blood thirsty villains!!! Always disliked that none killing rule used in later adaptions!!!
I was 3 years old and saw it in theaters with my parents and 2 older brothers and I loved it. I still do to this day. He'll I had all but 1 McDonald's toy for the movie. I even got a Penguin pencil the I still have. Man those were really good days.
I like that you pretty much explained your feelings on a few things that were so dead on, such as the talk show interviews and at the ends talking about the older crowd having a different perception of the older Batman. I mean you gave me a huge realization about the 1989 Batman and that’s my favorite one that I’ve watched since I was very little… I was soooo desensitized that I’ve never even paid much attention to the joker burning the guy and then taunting him.. 😳
I remember see that Talk Show segment. I thought the kid was a bit of a hypocrite being being upset with Batman Returns and liking T2 which was R and did go after kids.
He was forced to say it tho😊
Come on people let's get minty above 10000, I'm in the US and I love his stuff
I’d rather see him get 1 million subscribers.
What do you mean? 10000 comments? Is that something UA-cam cares about? I know nothing of the algorithm
5:52 Speaking as a kid when that movie came out, I totally went to McDonald's after the film and got some of those sweet batman returns toys
One of The Penguin’s motorized rubber duckies was kept in the parking lot of a steak restaurant near my house for years. I took some great pictures of my sportscar, which superficially resembles the Batmobile with its oily black paint, next to it.
They were sold here in Canada. And was able to see the movie and loved at only 8 years of age. It was available like 3 months after theaters.
Sidenote: This movie did scare me a little bit. Not as much as “The Mask” tho. That shit is scary asf
None of those scared me. The one movie that did scare me as a kid was Ghostbusters 2 - although I was only like 4 years old when that come out and significantly older when those films you mentioned were released
Thought I was the only one. Love both of them now obviously
Pet Cemetery 1 had me pissing the bed till ladybird came back with the love i needed at the moment.
Seems that my dog loves human cause im missing a hand
Really? Neither of those were scary to me. Dark images don't equal suspense. At least to me they don't. I dont know sh×t. When I was a kid, my dad told me we were watching a new Batman show on TV. It was actually The Blob 1988. I didn't realize until toward the middle/end of the movie. I was six. I wasn't even scared.
Even tho is not a hood movie, would you consider doing a hood version of Batman returns? You can call it Primm’s Superhood Cinema. 😂😂😂😂
If parents didn't bring their kids to Batman Return or have the film rated r then the adults would call the babysitter for their kids and go to the movie themselves.
The kind of adult who didn't like the movie wouldn't be the kind to watch it either, for the most part.
My parents brought me to see Batman Returns and at no time do I even vaguely remember an air of controversy surrounding this film - and my parents were VERY careful never to expose me to stuff they thought would corrupt me. I wasn't even allowed to watch MTV or Nickelodeon back then.
Awesome work as always Minty so happy to see you're still kicking so much ass at this UA-cam game & you're still the Minty I met all them years ago on Fartbook!
I saw Batman Returns in theatres with my mom when I was 10 years old in 1992. I enjoyed the movie and thought it was good. I also took notice of Tim Burton's dark direction and style. There were parts in the movie where it was kinda intense like when Penguin bit the guy's nose off suddenly and blood started squirting everywhere. My mom didn't like the movie and thought it was gross. I thought it was cool. I had no issues with it.
I remember watching it at the theater and loving every minute of it. Loving Michelle's version of catwoman and still consider her the definitive version. The same for Micheal Keaton he'll always be my fav batman. Also loved rhe hell out of the poster.
Well, I AM going to hate on those kids, the lying little shits. 😂
This did have an impact, which is why we got Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
🏆
Little brats ruined it for everyone.
And... BAT NIPPLES!
But don't blame Schumacher... he actually had an awesome idea for Batman called "Batman Unchained".
It wasn't perfect, but it would have been a hell of a lot better than what we ultimately got instead...
It's Warner Bros.
It always has been. Only recently has DC itself become part of the problem.
Thank jebus for AT&T!
Batman Forever was great. Batman and Robin was terrible for the exact opposite of why Batman Returns was awful.
Plus that loved T2, that did go after kids, like that in nightmare Sarah had.
Saw Batman returns when I was 8 in the theater, loved it. Even had the McDonalds toys.
"She says she wants to see it and when I tell her no, she cries." That has got to be the most pathetic and privileged thing I have ever heard in my entire life!!! I had to be a parent and anything that makes me be a parent to my child must be changed!! ...smh
The sooner that kid learned about life being unfair, the better. She probably bought her kid their first vape when they were 12 because they cried like she did. Circle of life
I just came across this vid. Let me say I agree fully on your stance. Let me say as well, the content is entertaining, well researched and I can sense the passion come across the material. Subscriber for sure! Thank you for the wonderful work.
The writer of Batman Returns also wrote Heathers. “Killing children? Isn’t that a little…. SHOT! No! It’s A LOT!” 🤣
"Women. Nothing surprises me, Chip, except your late mother. Who'd have thought Selina had a brain to damage. Bottom line, she tries to blackmail me, I'll drop her out a Higher window."
@@eamonndeane587 In the meantime, I got badder fish to fry
Who was the writer of Heathers?
This is a funny way to show my kids how drastically PG13 has changed throughout the years and I have a 12 and 20 year old
At least in the Canada rating for Batman 1 and 2 it's rated 14a
I remember having Happy Meal toys and boxes with artwork that you could fold to reveal different images. This was just before they were cancelled, and I must admit that I found the parent outrage amusing at the time (and still do). After all, movies like Terminator, Aliens and RoboCop were marketed to kids, how was Batman Returns any worse? Funny days.
Batman Returns was released in 1992 while Terminator, Robocop and Aliens a decade earlier in the 1980's - the 80's seems to have been more tolerant towards R-rated movies than in the 90's.
@@mrnygren2 Yes, except Terminator 2 and RoboCop 2 & 3 were 90's films, and Aliens was still marketed at kids (via toys and comics) all the way through the mid-90's until Resurrection was released.
@@georgeheilman885 Well I meant Terminator 1, Robocop 1 and Alien 1.
Robocop 2 also caused such controversy that the third one became kid-friendly.
Damn, this sits way back in my memory, I remember wanting those toys so bad after that.
I was 5 when Batman Returns was released, and I also loved it. I was also reading the Batman Knightfall storyline from DC comics at the time. Violent media never affected me. I loved the storytelling.
I remember seeing this in theater as well as the original TB Batman. Batman Returns is easily in top 3 Batman films ever produced.
And yeah, the controversy was real!
Great coverage Minty👍👍
BatMan:" Ill get drive-thru"
McDonalds:" Yeah, about that"
The film gets a lot of flack, but I still think this is super fun.
The story is kinda dumb, but the visuals, music and acting are amazing. I much prefer Burton's surreal Gotham to modern superhero movies set in our boring real-life world.
@@fattiger6957 absolutely true. I'm a huge Burton fan, so I didn't mind seeing the Batman Scissorhands world.
"I don't know about you Miss Kitty, but I feel so much...YUMMIER!"
That is the film that made me like Cat women. Meow!!!!
"Just the pussy I've been looking for!"
I remember the Batman drinking glasses being sold at McDonald’s in ‘97. Those were the good days .
Batman Returns is the best Batman ever , also it has the deepest psychological character development. All of them characters were extremely deep ! And there is only one Catwoman! ,.... in this movie, forget all the other movies !
Yikes. It was pretty cool but… Can’t say I agree with that.
Best? No. Deep? You need to read or watch other material. Yes, the ONE true Catwoman was is and will always be Julie Newmar. Carry on.
Sorry but Michael Keaton will always be the best and only Batman
@@davidpitkat6031 Julie is good and A very beautiful catwoman but michelle pfeiffer’s performance as catwoman literally had emotion and depth! you could literally see the pain, anger, sadness, and craziness when she preformed as catwoman so I kindly disagree with you
@@vincearini1191 I liked Michael Keaton, but I’ll take Christian Bale all day. And there’s nothing wrong with his Batman voice either, that’s just the internet being the internet.
Great way to start my Saturday morning! Thanks bro 😎
I remember when we were able to watch Batman Returns in class one day. A TV/VCR on a wheeled cart. A class of 20 watched it and no one lost their minds. No parents protested. There was no outrage.
Those were the days. We saw Batman 89 around xmas time the year it came out in class.
@@wizeguy26 “Bettlejuice”, “Roger Rabbit”, “Ninja Turtles”,. I think the closest we ever had to a “Controversial” movie was “Cabaret”.
@@WhiteScarsEmo haha probably. Yes when raph said damn.
@@wizeguy26 I admit, the class kinda lost their collective minds with Bettlejuice's, "Nice f**kin' model!" and the crotch grab.
@@WhiteScarsEmo i saw beetlejuice t the movies. Ppl were laughing their head off. I was hoping they would've shown these movies again in theatres for their anniversaries.
I saw it when it came out...I was nine years old. I remember being scared at the part where Penguin bites the guys nose, and the part where Christopher Walkin's charred corpse is revealed. I also was grossed out by the green goo the Penguin was regurgitating...it was all very gothic, very dark, and very Tim Burton. And I begged my mom to take me, and she did, of course, so I did it to myself! But that's what I remember going into it blind, experiencing it for the first time. Watching it now, I think it was too dark for mainstream audiences, but still better than the next two movies...Christopher Nolan nailed the formula with his trilogy a little over a decade later. It has flaws, yes, but it's more mainstream in approach, while still retaining the core essence of Batman...you make awesome vids, MINTY! Thank you!
Nolan's trilogy is an overrated, pretentious, plodding dry slogfest that literally stands on ONE movie.
@@yrooxrksvi7142 Nuh-uh! You're thinking of Inception and Tenet! Batman Begins is okay, Dark Knight really good, Rises is okay. I love Michael Keaton and I am excited to see him in The Flash...you are entitled to your opinion and you're not wrong!
@@karaokekidd9330 Nuh uh, I'm thinking of his Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight is one of the most overrated things ever made, all because of one dead overworked actor. And as you're admitting, the other two are just okay. Not great, just okay. Okay what ? Generic gritty action movies with a superficial superhero paintcoat and "deep philosophic" theme ? They're so overbloated in trying too hard to ground into reality comicbook characters and mythos, it just doesn't work.
That said, I'd love to see Keaton back, but I have NO hype for the Flash movie whatsoever.
@@yrooxrksvi7142 I think the Nolan movies are much better than say Batman and Robin and Batman Forever. While I like certain things about the Kilmer/Clooney movies, I they were too cartoony. And perhaps Nolan's movies went too far the other way...I didn't mind Ben Affleck as Batman...I guess he's going to be in the Flash movie, also. The Trashman...is an idea...It's Always Sunny? Eh?
@@karaokekidd9330 Well duh, everything is better than the Schumacher duo. But Nolan's are on the opposite side of the spectrum.
I too would've liked to see more of Batfleck, yeah.
Your commentary with combination of the video starting from 9:16 got me really badly on my knees in order to prepare me to die from laughter. Thank you, I survived
To me The Joker is a character study of someone living with Mental Illness in this Crazy & unpredictable world and trying to survive it.
The jokah-er
In Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum one of the Arkham doctors says some of the doctors came up with the theory that the Joker might be "super-sane", which means the Joker is actually more sane than anyone else.
Whereas we base our reality around vague man-made concepts such as time, borders, laws, good and evil and social status, the Joker understands these are all just silly ideas and just ignores them.
So just because the Joker refuses to acknowledge and play by our collective rules and class systems, he is considered "evil" and "crazy" and therefore a danger to society.