If theres a complaint that could be levelled at most big movies now, is that theyre often overloaded with special effects and subplots they dont really need. This apparently makes them more epic, but usually it just has a butt numbing effect. But when Burtons movies were made, there was no real template for how they should work. The formula seen now evolved over the years to what it's become, with the advent of CGI also making a big impact. Which is maybe why these Batman movies seem so nice and straight forward. The conflict is established, parallels are drawn between hero and villain, some romance happens and after an epic showdown they end. No CGI action, no robot fights, no pointless subplots featuring a shoehorned character to set up a future sequel. In fact, Robin was originally meant to appear in both movies, but was cut when he was deemed unnecessary, something that would never happen now. The films put character and world building over the action. Batman only briefly shows up in the first act of Batman Returns, with the rest of the time devoted to establishing the villains. And while the action definitely isnt as slick as it would be now, it seems to come organically, and not just because something has to explode every ten minutes to keep people awake.