Batman Returns is probably the most interesting entry in the first series of Bat-films. As a Batman film, it gets almost everything wrong. But as an overall movie, its very entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. But there are some things in it that Tim Burton clearly threw in just to make the film more weird than it needed to be. Such as the commando penguins, Selina Kyles resurrection by cats that granted her nine lives, and turning the Penguin into a mutant bird-man. In the comics, the Penguin isnt some sort of mutant. Hes short, fat, and has a long nose, but hes still very human. In fact, hes perhaps the most normal of all Batmans rogues gallery, straddling the line between the mob-types and the freaks like the Joker or Two-Face. But this apparently wasnt weird enough for Burton, so he turned the Penguin into a mutant bird-man. Credit goes to Danny DeVito for his great performance, but the look of the Penguin with his flipper-like hands was far too much and definitely unnecessary. The bizarre thing is all the weirdness of the Penguins freakish appearance was basically just there for the sake of being weird. Nothing in the story of the Penguin resenting his parents or running for mayor necessitated the physical deformities he possessed in the film.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
