7. Keep It Dark
One of the biggest complaints about Batman Returns is that it was too dark. This doesnt only come from over-protective parents and McDonalds executives who were pissed they werent selling enough Happy Meals, but also a criticism from a sizable portion of Batman fans. Personally, I dont agreeBatman Returns is my favorite of the original seriesbut I can see their point. More than that, Ive always said that the problem with Batman Returns is that its a good movie, but not a good
Batman movie. I think Burton pushed the envelope too much with the weirdness factor with things like Penguin being a mutant bird-man, Catwoman being resurrected by cats, andcommando penguins. That being said, I didnt think it was too dark. I can understand some things, like Batmans ease with killing people (he sadistically straps a bomb to one criminals chest and sets another on fire with the Batmobiles jet engine, just as two examples). Batman Forever could have found a more appropriate middle ground and taken the movie back towards the tone of the first Batman film. For that, you need to go back to the gothic-inspired architecture in the design of Gotham. I dont know who thought day-glo paint and neon lights in the Batmobile would be a good idea, but whoever did clearly needs to have their head bashed against a wall.