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Anything but ‘more of the same’, Tim Burton’s sequel dives into the troubled psyches of its headlining trio — Batman, Catwoman, and The Penguin.  Michael Keaton’s Batman still plays second fiddle to the villains, but what fascinating villains they are. Burton is careful to show us how they become their alter egos, giving each of them full character arcs complete with bittersweet resolutions. Danny DeVito’s performance as the Penguin is a little grating, and in the department of one-liners he can’t compare to Jack Nicholson’s Joker in the first Batman film. I’d like to have seen a bit less of the Penguin and more of Michelle Pfeiffer’s mesmerizing Catwoman. Once she pours herself into that latex suit and starts blowing shit up, she’s hypnotic.

The relationship between Catwoman and Batman is wonderfully kinky, especially when they recognize each other’s secret identities during a masquerade ball and can’t decide whether to keep dancing or start fighting. Overall, Batman Returns is an intriguingly darker, more psychologically sophisticated and provocative movie. But it’s also a less thrilling one. It starts of strong, but the third act gets disappointingly erratic, shifting focus from one villainous scheme to another so quickly, your head might spin. Once the plot is resolved, however, the characters each get a poignant resolution — the final showdown between Batman and the two super villains in the Penguin’s abandoned Arctic zoo pavilion is the emotional highlight of the movie. Bo Welch’s production design, Stefan Czapsky’s photography, and Danny Elfman’s music are also impressive.

With Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Michael Murphy, Pat Hingle, and Vincent Schiavelli.

Oscar Nominations: Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects