10 Insanely Intense Scenes In PG-13 Movies
9. Batman Returns (1992) - Penguin’s Plan B
The darkest of the pre-Nolan Batman movies is Batman Returns. In the hands of Tim Burton, two of the Dark Knight’s most iconic villains are given truly macabre makeovers. Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) becomes Catwoman after being pushed out of a top floor window and brought back to life by being bitten by stray cats. The Penguin (Danny DeVito) is a deformed, green-blooded psychopath abandoned by his parents to Gotham’s sewers.
The 1960s' Adam West boogie-a-thon this is not.
The Penguin’s big plan during the movie is to become mayor of Gotham. When he is thwarted, he resorts to plan B, which he reveals in the movie’s darkest scene. Whilst Gotham’s elite attend a fancy masquerade ball, the Penguin decides to kidnap their sleeping firstborn sons, bring them back to the sewer, and drown them. When one of his clown henchman questions that such a plan might be a bit extreme (especially for a movie that will obviously appeal to children), he is swiftly shot and killed, and his body kicked into the murky sewer water.
What’s more is that all of the movie takes place during Christmas. Evil in a festive setting was the main reason that Gremlins was so frowned upon by the BBFC in the UK. Christmas is supposed to be a magical time for children, not utterly traumatising.
N.b. This will not be the Caped Crusader’s only appearance on this list, but more on that later…