Batman Returns

The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she's transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.

Burton's follow-up is a genuinely stranger and more personal film than its predecessor, with spectacular design work and committed villain performances — but critics split hard on whether its darkness and narrative sprawl are features or flaws. The film gives Catwoman and the Penguin far more psychological texture than Batman himself, which delighted some reviewers and frustrated others.