"Returns" is why Burton wasn't welcome back for the third installment.

Rating: 4/10 (29 January 2010)

The first, but not best, follow up to the successful "Batman" includes two villains: Catwoman (Pfeiffer) and an unnecessary hideous rendition of The Penguin (DeVito). Keaton puts the cape on a second time for a wonderfully meek Batman/Bruce Wayne. Director Tim Burton, however, appears to be more interested in doing things the way he wants, instead of even attempting to continue a good story. The first was a darker and realistic take on a superhero that most be associated Adam West with — but the darkness and reality of the 1989 film worked well. Here, however, Burton tries to make "Returns" darker, uglier and less realistic. Instead of The Penguin being a beak-nosed mobster who wears a tuxedo, he's a mutated human living in the sewer. Instead of Catwoman being everybody's favorite anti-hero, she's wicked enough to be the main villain. Instead of Billy Dee Williams reprising his role as Harvey Dent, he's replaced with Christopher Walken as the evil Max Shreck — a new character who looks more like a mad scientist than a corrupt businessman. Even the art design of Gotham City is significantly different and less believable than the first. Burton completely ruined the wonderful world he made in the previous film. Danny Elfman's score is the only thing this and the first film are equal at; everything else is significantly inferior. A huge disappointment.
** (out of four)