Ranking Every DC Comic Book Movie From Worst To Best
3. Batman Returns
Taking what Tim Burton had already built in the exceptional Batman, Batman Returns dialled up the weirdness - much to Warner Bros' distress - bringing in a dominatrix Catwoman and a circus freak Penguin to replace Nicholson's Joker, and reaping the benefits.
Keaton continues to be excellent (he's the best, why even question it?), and Gotham continues to have its own identity in a way that no director has managed to capture since. The film oozes oddness and a theatrical, grand Gothic spirit that perfectly fits the idea of Batman as a symbol of fear and not just a blunt weapon.
De Vito is genius as the Penguin, but there's no topping Pfeiffer, who is deliciously feline, irresistibly alluring and wonderfully quick to instability. How I wish there had been a spin-off as initially planned.