Kevin Smith's Batman Returns Commentary

[johnnygobbs]

I've always liked Smith but, yea, his critique is way over-the-top on this one. I could only make it through the first few minutes but I'll try to find time to listen to the rest.

As for what I heard:

I've actually always been a proponent of the "less is more" approach when it comes to villains but BR is an exception to the rule. For starters, it would be difficult to have Catwoman carry a movie alone without a "true" baddie also in the mix.

Unless you're taking a more avant garde approach (which WB would never allow) you're going to need someone to threaten the city in some way and Catwoman is not that type of villain.

How many villains appeared in that 'Daredevil' film that Smith featured in again? 

[The Dark Knight]

I've actually always been a proponent of the "less is more" approach when it comes to villains but BR is an exception to the rule. For starters, it would be difficult to have Catwoman carry a movie alone without a "true" baddie also in the mix.

Unless you're taking a more avant garde approach (which WB would never allow) you're going to need someone to threaten the city in some way and Catwoman is not that type of villain.

Indeed. All the characters are needed. Penguin wants to re-emerge and uses Shreck, who takes advantage of this, twisting things to his favour. As a result, the killing kids thing is shelved. When Shreck's mayor plot goes to hell, the plan comes back out. Shreck screwed up Penguin that extra little bit, sending him over the edge, and he did the same to Selina. Thus the two have a common enemy come the finale.