The studio rushed into making a follow-up to Batman (1989) after its huge success pulled them back from financial ruin. For this one, Tim Burton had full artistic freedom, and that’s evident throughout. Batman Returns amplified the bizarre elements present in the first film, which the studio had previously kept in check. The narrative prioritizes Danny DeVito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, to the point where Michael Keaton almost feels like a secondary character alongside Pfeiffer and DeVito. While this might seem negative, Pfeiffer embraced the exaggerated nature of her Catwoman and created an unforgettable portrayal, and DeVito did something similar with his part. I thought it was good that Batman Returns didn’t fall into the comic book movie pattern of having the entire world or population in danger. Instead, the story centers on corrupt business leaders and politicians trying to stop massive beams of light from appearing. The final confrontation puts a larger portion of the city at risk, but it's still more limited than what you usually see in those kinds of movies. Batman Returns isn’t perfect, but the Christmas atmosphere, Michael Keaton’s return to a role that significantly shaped his career, and Pfeiffer and DeVito’s exceptional performances outweigh the excessive silliness and the reduced focus on Batman, making it an acceptable addition to the Dark Knight's 1990s series.

Source on TMDB