Batman Returns and McDonald's

"What kinda title is that?", you ask inquisitively, scratching your head in a cartoon like fashion. Y'see, 1992 was a strange time for both Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Several films were hitting theaters: Malcolm X, The Bodyguard, and most importantly.....Lethal Weapon 3 ;)

                       SAY NO TO JOE PESCI. I. DARE. YOU.

Back on track, since Warner had a certified blockbuster hit on their hands with the original "Batman" starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger a mere year prior to "Returns" production, it only made sense that a follow up film would continue the saga of Michael Keaton's rubbery Caped Crusader.

The way the film started was sort of this strange domino effect. Burton didn't want to do another film, but was drawn in by writer Sam Hamm's script. Micheal Keaton hopped on board when he heard Burton was back on, Danny DeVito was urged by his good friend Jack Nicholson to take the role of Penguin (after Jack himself starred as Joker in the last one), and.....Michelle Pfieffer and Christopher Walken were just there? Guess they just wanted in on it.

With the introduction of newcomers Penguin and Catwoman, the hype for this film was massive. People were so into this that Warner Brothers had to constantly supply city bus stations with new posters of Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman, since people kept breaking into the glass cases and stealing them. Pictured below is a fine example:

With the hype surrounding this thing, who better than McDonald's to jump in on this action and get themselves a nice slice of Batman pie? Well, they did, coming out with promotional toys to put in their Happy Meals. These small toys, little miniaturized characters riding around in adorable little race cars themed after them, would soon become the subject of a controversy that would rock the world (mostly on the behalf of the film, but more on that later).

So at this point, McDonald's is kicking back, thinking, "This is pretty great. New Batman film, more Happy Meal toys to cash in on, even more money in our filthy pockets." Move ahead to June 19th, 1992. Batman Returns hits theaters with full force, and everyone came out of it having to reconsider their life choices while simultaneously calling their mothers for comfort.

Adam West this was not, and as a matter of fact, not even the original Burton film. It was dark, violent, displayed disturbing imagery and has sexual undertones laced throughout the whole film. With a Batman that actually killed people, a loose cannon Catwoman on the prowl and a rather disgusting Penguin lurking beneath their feet, this movie had children bawling and adults with stomachs churning.

Naturally, McDonald's was about as furious as a curly redhead clown in a yellow jumpsuit can get, because they just lost out on that sweet promotional money. Yanking the toys from Happy Meals, the debacle between director Tim Burton and McDonald's became the subject of much speculation. In his own words, Burton even quoted in a Yahoo interview,

"I think I upset McDonald's. They asked, 'What's that black stuff coming out of the Penguin's mouth? We can't sell happy meals with that stuff!'"

Burton then went on to explain that the divided reaction to Batman Returns would eventually lead to Warner Brothers looking for a director who didn't intend on scaring the living hell out of everyone. He said,

"It was a weird reaction to Batman Returns, because half the people thought it was lighter than the first film, and half the people thought it was darker. I think the studio just thought it was too weird. They wanted one that was more family or child friendly. In other words, they didn't want me to do another one."

Yes, folks. You can blame McDonald's, in part at least, for the creation of Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. In all seriousness, though, it's easy to see both sides. McDonald's wanted something to promote and make money with, which Batman Returns was not. On the other hand, Burton made a film the way he wanted to and didn't compromise his artistic vision for the sake of big business.

As the years went by, the passage of time was good to Batman Returns. What was once a mixed movie that had more negativity surrounding it than anything has since become a staple in Bat-Cinema. Michelle Pfieffer and Danny DeVito are praised for their outstanding performances and actors like Michael Keaton and Christopher Walken certainly didn't phone it in either. Believe it or not, it sits at a healthy 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of any of the 4 original Batman films.

And McDonald's is still bitter.