How do you rank the modern day Batman movies?

[Riffster]

I'd say voice aside my 1 and 2 would be the current movies.
then 89 Batman
the others kinda get lumped together, I didn't hate them but tend to remember them as one movie.

[EMCE Hammer]

Tom, I agree with your listing verbatim....spot on!

Same here.

I don't understand why it's so hard to cast Bruce Wayne.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I really like Bale as Wayne. He plays the real Bruce well and also pulls off the smarmy bored playboy. Plus, he looks like a Neal Adams Bruce Wayne come to life.

Chris

[david_b]

I agree, the 89 one was and is still the best Batman movie

I thought it was fairly good at the time, remembering that at THAT time, there was nothing Bat-related (or superhero-related) 'cept for the Superman film.. That gave it a lot of points of distinction.

The following films, not worth my time. The new films..? Interesting work, but I personally still like the '66 film best. Sorry.

david_b

[kingdom warrior]

1. Batman 89- I still like it for what it was/is. The first Serious Batman on film. Batman is still very good and holds up well still. Honestly after watching 89 and DK again....I like Jack's Joker Better. Plus I loved the whole Batmania from that time....everybody was into it. Plus the film looked like a dark comic book movie from the 80's

2. Batman Begins- I really enjoyed this one more than DK..I like how everything was explained and made sense. Plus it was nice to see other villans

3.Dark Knight- solid film noir, Great story. Ledger was really good but for me no one has captured the Dark Insanity of the Joker yet on film.....Ledger's just seemed insane but never scary. Bales Robo suit and voice killed it for me....

4.Batman Returns- Catwoman saved this movie. It has it's moments but the Penguin killed it for me.......

5.Batman Forever- ugh!!!! Kilmer as Batman what a joke! Jim Carrey an annoying Riddler, Tommy lee Jones as jokerrrrr I mean Pepto Bismal errrr I mean Two face ugh!!!! Chris O'Donnell as Robin Bleh clearly a *** moment when casting him!!!!! Schumacher is the Devil

6.Batman and Robin- Damn it I like Clooney!!! But seriously this was clearly a *** moment as I watched this Mess....I should have known better after seeing Batman forever

[toys2cool]

I agree Steve
Keaton looks the best in the costume but didn't look good as Wayne(Come on he's suppose to be this hot guy right?)

Clooney was the best Bruce Wayne(He had the looks) but sucked as Batman

Bale was the over all best if you combine both Batman and Wayne(He has the looks and looks good in the Batman suit,but that voice does kill it)

and I Liked Jacks Joker a lot better then Heath's just cause that's the way i always imagined the Joker being

[kingdom warrior]

I agree Steve
Keaton looks the best in the costume but didn't look good as Wayne(Come on he's suppose to be this hot guy right?)

Clooney was the best Bruce Wayne(He had the looks) but sucked as Batman

Bale was the over all best if you combine both Batman and Wayne(He has the looks and looks good in the Batman suit,but that voice does kill it)

and I Liked Jacks Joker a lot better then Heath's just cause that's the way i always imagined the Joker being

I understand D, In the Comics he's a Dashing figure. Keaton's Bruce was the average joe who becomes bigger than life at night a Bit more believable. One look at Keaton and you're saying no freeking way he's Batman.

Clooney Looked Like wayne had the whole dashing thing going on but Schumacher ruined it with the Nipples and everything else.

Bale is cool except when he talks......

[HardyGirl]

Frankly, I was done after the first one w/ Michael Keaton. Being raised on Adam West, Filmation and SuperFriends, I've always thought Batman was more campy and less dark. My mom saw Batman and Robin on TV once. She said she kinda liked it.

[kryptosmaster]

Well aren't the 60's still modern times?
In that case I pick the 1966 Batman movie. I can watch that over and over and over and never get sick of it.

But I know you weren't counting that so:

89 Batman
batman begins
Batman returns
batman forever
batman & robin
dark knight

yeah, I put dark knight last. I still havent been able to sit through this dreck without falling asleep. I hate ledger's joker, I hate the batmobile, etc. The only reason batman begins is up high is because I actually liked the movie otherwise it'd be down near the bottom as well.
Rich

[filmation batman fan]

Being a lifelong DIE HARD Batman fan, I must say, I like ALL the Bat movies, even the worst ones. But here's my Bat Rankings:

1: The Dark Knight: 2008: To me, it's the ultimate Batman film of all time to this date. Christian Bale is the ideal Batman. He seems perfect to me since he is convincing as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The right actor has to be able to look and act both parts. Bale's only flaws are: They did overdo the Bat voice in this one. And the only actor who could do better than him as Batman is someone who looks similar to him and can play the same parts AND be open minded to Robin eventually showing up. Bale's hatred of Robin is the only lack of perfection as far as I'm concerned. Heath Ledger to me, was THE best Joker of all time in terms of performance, but in terms of costume and make up, old Jack's got him beat. But this whole movie, despite it being a long movie was ideal in every way. All the casting was excellent.

2: Batman Begins: 2005: The first and completely told origin story and for once, Batman was not upstaged by the villains. Since I already praised Christian Bale, I want to say that for the Nolan films, Gotham City finally looked like a real city since they filmed in Chicago. Both the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films all looked like they were filmed on back lots and the city scenes looked anything but real. Michael Caine was great as Alfred. Gary Oldman is the only actor who truly looked like Jim Gordon. I can't say the same for the late Neil Hamilton (TV series) and the late Pat Hingle). Morgan Freeman was ideal as Lucius Fox and although I didn't like the outfit being merely a burlap mask, I did enjoy Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow. The only things I did not like in the Nolan films were the Batmobile (The Tumbler) and Kaitie Holmes. I'm glad Maggie Gylenhal replaced her in the Dark Knight.

BATMAN: 1989: The first film to me, captures the feeling of the original 1939 issues of Detective Comics and Batman's first comics appearances. Jack Nicholson's Joker gave a great performance and his make up and appearance I prefer over Heath Ledger's. While the Nolan films are more grounded in reality, both the Burton and Schumacher films delve more into fantasy. And Michael Keaton was great in the dual roles of Batman and Bruce Wayne. And I love Danny Elfman's scores the best, especially since it's Elfman who has a main title.

BATMAN FOREVER: 1995: You may shake your heads huh?, but I love this one next, despite what Joel Schumacher did. My reason: Robin. I am a Batman and Robin fan and despite that he was virutally an adult, Chris O Donnell was the best thing in this movie. Val Kilmer was good as Batman, but could not convince me that he was Bruce Wayne. Bruce is not blonde. Kilmer looked more like Azrael from the comics. I enjoy the comedy of Jim Carrey and he did make me laugh in this movie, but after enjoying Batman: The Animated Series for several years at that point, I was not used to Tommy Lee Jones portraying Two Face like a second Joker, especially after watching the animated version of the villain voiced over by Richard Moll. And if I were Schumacher, I would have paid Danny Elfman a fortune to continue the Bat scores. Elliot Goldenthal's score was so so. But nowhere near as good as Elfman and the composers of the Nolan films.

BATMAN RETURNS: 1992: This movie was too dark in a sense. Sure, Batman is a dark character, but Tim Burton got carried away. This movie is where Gotham City looked the least like a real city. It looked like something out of the Nightmare Before Christmas. Keaton did great in this movie and he was sorely missed when he bowed out of doing Batman Forever. The Penguin's story was just purely pathetic. Now I can understand him being a mutant in looks, but the whole sewer, Red Triangle Circus Gang, thing was too much. At least on Batman: The Animated Series, he had that Danny Divito look, but at least, the character was treated with respect as a rogue who felt he should be high class. Michelle Pfeiffer was probably the best element of this movie as Catwoman.

BATMAN AND ROBIN: 1997: Great title, but that was it. This movie killed the Batman franchise. It was too toyetic. I bet it was the toy company's idea for the worst looking Batmobile ever invented. A one seater that looks like a racer. While Kilmer was convincing as Batman and not as Bruce Wayne, George Clooney was the complete reverse. I could not believe him as Batman, but he looked and had the part of Bruce Wayne down much better. Chris O Donnell's Robin was great acting wise, but he went through a costume confusion. Although he wore a cape and called himself Robin, he sported the mask and costume of Nightwing. My question is, What gives?
Batgirl: This was NOT the real Batgirl. Alicia Silverstone is pretty, but she was not the ideal choice. Let alone, she was Alfred's niece Barbara Wilson instead of Barbara Gordon. She was a blonde who wore an eye mask instead of a cowl. What I said about Tommy Lee Jones' Two Face, the said can be said about Arnie as Mr. Freeze in that after seeing the animated version voiced over by Michael Ansara, I was totally thrown off guard by Arnie's sillly performance. Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy was way too campy and Bane was just a mindless mute brute who sounded like the TV Incredible Hulk when he roared.
I love the title, Batman and Robin. Too bad it was the title of movie where Joel Schumacher, who was openly gay, added lots of his lifestyle preferences in his Batman movies with all those butt and crotch shots and nipples on the Bat Suit, and Dick Grayson wearing earrings in Forever. If Dr. Fred Wertham were alive, he'd have a field day with this movie. He was the psychologist who claimed Batman and Robin were gay, and that's why the TV show added Aunt Harriet to the cast to stop those rumors.
Long story short, Batman and Robin is the worst in that
1: It's too campy. It took forever to convince fans of the Dark Knight version of Batman and this was a major step backwards.
2: Too toyetic. Catered to the toy companies a little too much.
3: Bat Suit nipples and Bat Crotch and Bat Butt shots. Way too much.
4: Just too silly to be believable.

That's my two cents.

Cheers.

[Captain]

I'm still waiting for somebody to make my favourite Batman film. I think it would be a kind of cross between the sixties series (without the camp) and the Dark Knight (with the violent aspects toned down).

If I had to pick from the 80's to current crop of existing films....I would put DK at the top. It was a good film, but I still dont like Bale, or the way the Bat franchise has grown to exclude children. I've been jumped on here for that comment before, but lets face it, Batman was created for kids. We all fell for the character as kids....think about it!

Batman 89' and Begins would be a tie, Batman Forever, and then the other two stinkaroos. Even 89' isnt wearing well. I watched it again for the first time in a few years and found it kind of dull....that, and I noticed they repainted and used the same set for just about everything!!! (You know the one..with the two vent things).

[Earth 2 Chris]

If I had to pick from the 80's to current crop of existing films....I would put DK at the top. It was a good film, but I still dont like Bale, or the way the Bat franchise has grown to exclude children. I've been jumped on here for that comment before, but lets face it, Batman was created for kids. We all fell for the character as kids....think about it!

As much as I love the Dark Knight, I agree it's sad to see Batman unaccessible to kids. But then all the movies thus far had some elements that were a bit much for kids. This one just felt more real.

At least WB gave the kids The Brave and The Bold toon.

Christian Bale is the ideal Batman. He seems perfect to me since he is convincing as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The right actor has to be able to look and act both parts. Bale's only flaws are: They did overdo the Bat voice in this one. And the only actor who could do better than him as Batman is someone who looks similar to him and can play the same parts AND be open minded to Robin eventually showing up. Bale's hatred of Robin is the only lack of perfection as far as I'm concerned.

I'm a big fan of Bale's portrayal. He's the first actor to truly take the role seriously, and treat it with complete sincerity (like Christopher Reeve was to Superman). The voice is a choice he made to establish the difference in character, and I understand why he did it. I do feel he over-did it some what in DK, but not as much as some. I think he had a good take on it in Begins, and I hope he goes back to that if the plays the role again.

As for Robin, I think if Nolan could come up with a plausible take on Robin, Bale would be fine with it. I'm a big Robin fan myself (obviously) but I think it will take some thinking to work Robin in convincingly to Nolan's Gotham.

Chris

[kept back]

As far as making sure everything in society is accessible to children, I can't help but think of George Carlin's comments as they pertain to "helping the children."

Something else I'm getting tired of in this country is all this stupid talk
I have to listen to about children. That's all you hear about anymore,
children: "Help the children, save the children, protect the children." You
know what I say? **** the children!

They're getting entirely too much attention. And I know what some of you are
thinking: " Jesus, he's not going to attack children, is he?" Yes he is!
He's going to attack children. And remember, this is Mr. Conductor talking;
I know what I'm talking about.

And I also know that all you boring single dads and working moms, who think
you're such ****ing heros, aren't gonna like this, but somebody's gotta tell
you for your own good: your children are overrated and overvalued, and
you've turned them into little cult objects. You have a child fetish, and
it's not healthy. And don't give me all that weak ****, "Well, I love my
children." **** you! Everybody loves their children; it doesn't make you
special. : : : John Wayne Gacy loved his children. Yes, he did. That's not
what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is this constant, mindless
yammering in the media, this neurotic fixation that suggests that somehow
everything--everything--has to revolve around the lives of children. It's
completely out of balance.

Listen, there are a couple of things about kids you have to remember. First
of all, they're not all cute. In fact, if you look at 'em real close, most
of them are rather unpleasant looking. And a lot of them don't smell too
good either. The little ones in particular seem to have a kind of urine and
sour-milk combination that I don't care for at all. Stay with me on this
folks, the sooner you face it the better off your going to be.

Second, premise: not all children are smart and clever. Got that? Kids are
like any other group of people: a few winners, a whole lot of losers! This
country is filled with loser kids who simply...aren't...going anywhere! And
there's nothing you can do about it, folks. Nothing! You can't save them
all. You can't do it. You gotta let 'em go; you gotta cut 'em loose; you
gotta stop over-protecting them, because your making 'em too soft.

Today's kids are way too soft. : : : For one thing, there's too much
emphasis on safety and safety equipment: childproof medicine bottles,
fireproof pajamas, child restraints, car seats. And helmets! Bicycle,
baseball, skateboard, scooter helmets. Kids have to wear helmets now for
everything but jerking off. Grown-ups have taken all the fun out of being a
kid. : : : What's happened is, these baby boomers, these soft, fruity baby
boomers, have raised an entire generation of soft, fruity kids who aren't
even allowed hazardous toys, for Chrissakes! What ever happened to natural
selection? Survival of the fittest? The kid who swallows too many marbles
doesn't grow up to have kids of his own. Simple stuff. Nature knows best!

Another bunch of ignorant bull**** about your children: school uniforms. Bad
theory! The idea that if kids wear uniforms to school, it helps keep order.
Hey! Don't these schools do enough damage makin' all these children think
alike? Now they're gonna get 'em to look alike, too? : : : And it's not even
a new idea; I first saw it in old newsreels from the 1930s, but it was hard
to understand, because the narration was in German! But the uniforms looked
beautiful. And the children did everything they were told and never
questioned authority. Gee, I wonder why someone would want to put our
children in uniforms. Can't imagine.

And one more item about children: this superstitous nonsense of blaming
tobacco companies for kids who smoke. Listem! Kids don't smoke because a
camel in sunglasses tells them to. They smoke for the same reasons adults
do, because it's an enjoyable activity that relieves anxiety and depression.

And you'd be anxious and depressed too if you had to put up with these
pathetic, insecure, yuppie parents who enroll you in college before you've
figured out which side of the playpen smells the worst and then fill you
with Ritalin to get you in a mood they approve of, and drag you all over
town in search of empty, meaningless structure: Little League, Cub Scouts,
swimming, soccer, karate, piano, bagpipes, watercolors, witchcraft, glass
blowing, and dildo practice. It's absurd. : : : They even have "play dates",
for Christ sake! Playing is now done by appointment! But it's true. A lot of
these striving, and parents are burning their kids out on structure. I think
what every child needs and ought to have every day is two hours of
daydreaming. Plain old daydreaming.

Turn off the internet, the CD-ROMS, and the computer games and let them
stare at a tree for a couple of hours. Every now and then they actually come
up with one of their own ideas. You want to know how to help your kids?
Leave them the **** alone.

[samurainoir]

1. The Dark Knight
2. Batman Begins
3. Batman Returns
4. Batman 1966
5. Batman
6. Batman Mask of the Phantasm
7. Batman Forever

Never saw Batman and Robin.

[huedell]

As far as making sure everything in society is accessible to children, I can't help but think of George Carlin's comments as they pertain to "helping the children."

I don't know what that Carlin rant has to do with us guys wanting the
DCU featuires to be accessible for children.

It's not like we're trying to "help" them or "cater" to them
as much as recalling our childhoods full of the same superheroes
and wanting them to experience the same PLUS the idea of being able to SHARE that with adult and child together in one theatre like
we did with Reeve and Keaton....Maguire is accomplishing that in present day.

Carlin in that rant...as usual...is just t'eed off