Rate Your Favorite Batman Films

[Hector]

^^^ Too bad we never got Burton's pick for the Joker, Willem Dafoe. Jack was forced on him by the suits.

DaFoe would have been the PERFECT choice.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Ray Liotta was another contender, according to Comic Scene magazines of the time.

To me, Nicholson represents the Englehart-type Joker who is a prankster in a additon to a cold-blooded murderer. This is also the version used on BTAS. Ledger's Joker harkens back to the very earliest version of the character, who is actually fairly mirthless. It's also similar to O'Neil and Adams Joker in "The Joker's 5-Way Revenge".

Chris

[Mikey]

I don't like the new Batman movies.

Personally, I think they're very boring.

My faves are

1966
batman 89
batman forever

[Dark Shadow]

Interesting that few of us agree on which is the best, but most of us agree on the weakest effort.

I agree that 1989's version was ground breaking and helped open the door for today's guilty pleasures. I also remember all the excitement, hype & tie ins (Taco Bell cups, toys, cereal). At the time, it was the coolest thing since Star Wars.

Batman Returns, IMO, surpassed the original in that I found it to be a better story, with a more even flow, more action, just the right amount of dark humor (She looked pretty scared to me...DeVito at his most loveable), memorable dialogue, and last, but certainly not least, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman.

I remember being surprised when the studio pulled an about face with Batman Forever. If it weren't for the intro of Robin, I would not have liked the movie at all. Batman & Robin? Well that really needs no elaboration.

I didn't have very high expectations for Batman Begins, I didn't hear much about it prior to seeing it. I ended up watching that movie 4 times on the big screen. Because I enjoyed it that much, I had very high expectations for The Dark Knight...which were exceeded.

I have to agree with you MIB41 regarding your take on the two Jokers. Jack's was more comic book oriented, and Heath's was more of a real world take on psychosis. Two completely different interpretations, each hold their own.

Batman 1966 is in a class all of it's own, and will always have a spot in my personal collection & viewing rotation. I wonder if any of us will live long enough to see the official release of the TV show? And, if so, what format will it first be released in? Digital implant?

[Dark Shadow]

Some of you have listed animated Batman movies in your post (which is perfectly AOK).

I have only seen part of one animated Batman movie (with a vampire or Dracula maybe?) on Cartoon Network. I caught it about midway through and stopped watching it after about 20 minutes because I would like to watch it all the way from the beginning w/o commercials. I have since forgotten about it. Anyone help me out with the title?

Also, knowing my preferences, which animated movie would you recommend as a "must see"?

Thanks!

[emeraldknight47]

Some of you have listed animated Batman movies in your post (which is perfectly AOK).

I have only seen part of one animated Batman movie (with a vampire or Dracula maybe?) on Cartoon Network. I caught it about midway through and stopped watching it after about 20 minutes because I would like to watch it all the way from the beginning w/o commercials. I have since forgotten about it. Anyone help me out with the title?

Also, knowing my preferences, which animated movie would you recommend as a "must see"?

Thanks!

Must see[s] would be BATMAN: Mask of the Phantasm and BATMAN: Sub-Zero as it will give you an entirely different appreciation for Mr. Freeze.

[MIB41]

Must see[s] would be BATMAN: Mask of the Phantasm and BATMAN: Sub-Zero as it will give you an entirely different appreciation for Mr. Freeze.

Very true! Those were classic animations!

[Dark Shadow]

Thanks guys...I'll put those two on my list!

[The Bat]

In my mind, I just pretend that the first four never existed.

HATED-Batman89
Batman Returns
Batman Forever
Batman and Robin.

They're like an ugly stain on my favorite character.

[Werewolf]

I like the animated Batman Superman team up movies The Batman/Superman movie, Superman/Batman public Enemies and Superman/Batman Apocalypse.

[megoscott]

This IS an interesting topic and seems to be generating a lot of issues with various members, so here's my two cents worth...

I'll probably be presenting this in several parts as I'm verbose about Batman movies, so please bear with me....

NUMBER ONE:

BATMAN 1989 - I mean, this is where the current age of comic book movie was really birthed. Had Burton not made this and proven that comic book characters could translate to the big screen, I don't know that we would ever have seen some of the films that many of us have come to know and love in later years. PLUS, it was such an EVENT. I remember the June it opened, it was like Bat-mania was rampant everywhere and for those of us who were/are comic geeks, it kind of gave us a little justification for our interest. Did it have it's flaws? Heck yeah, but name me one comic book that hasn't had it's flaws.

Was Keaton perfect as Batman? No, but he came pretty damn close because he had that semi-crazy approach I think someone would need to go out at night dressed up like a giant bat. Plus, despite the fact that Keaton couldn't really turn his head at all, that batsuit [and the one in Batman Returns] came the closest to capturing the actual comics feel of his outfit, including the all important trait of making his cape as much a character as he was.

Nicholson's Joker was not the Joker from the comics any more that Ledger's Joker was, but I think it hewed closer to the source material than Ledger's did, plus, come on, it was f*****n Jack Nicholson, a man who virtually has the copyright on crazy in movies.

That is a good post. I forget how excited I was for that movie, reading everything I could about it in magazines (how much does the internet make us cynical and jaded with these movies now?), buying all the new Batman merchandise that was suddenly everywhere. I loved it and saw it a few times, it may have been the last time I felt like a kid anticipating and enjoying a movie. Nicholson was brilliantly cast, Jack Palance was a hoot, and after all that fan-boy whining Michael Keaton delivered.

1. Batman89
2. Dark Knight
3. Batman Begins
4. Batman Returns

That's it. To me, Joel Shumacher never happened, and Batman 66 is a TV show.

[The Toyroom]

I forget how excited I was for that movie, reading everything I could about it in magazines (how much does the internet make us cynical and jaded with these movies now?), buying all the new Batman merchandise that was suddenly everywhere. I loved it and saw it a few times, it may have been the last time I felt like a kid anticipating and enjoying a movie. Nicholson was brilliantly cast, Jack Palance was a hoot, and after all that fan-boy whining Michael Keaton delivered.

Those were good times indeed....I was very proud to be a Bat-fan back then and didn't really care who knew it

[emeraldknight47]

The things I remember the clearest about Batman '89 was the fact that the lobby of the SHOWCASE CINEMAS [which was THE movie theater in Louisville in '89) was fully (and I mean fully) packed out and it was a big donkey lobby. I hadn't remembered seeing it that fully loaded since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It was a hot, sweaty, way-cool experience!

Then I remember all the clapping and cheering as the credits came to a close and the camera pulled out to show us we had been touring a stone bat symbol. It was a true geek moment.

But----a couple of weekends later, my friends Robert, Steve, Lon and I were up in Chicago for the Chicagocon and went to see BATMAN up there in 70 mm and that was a completely different experience because the picture was sooooo much bigger and brighter and the sound was phenomenal! We came out probably more wowwed than when we saw it the first time.

And Prince---I drove around with the Prince soundtrack in my car for probably two weeks at least!

Ahhhh----the good old days, when movies WERE events....

[Hector]

I have to admit...I had a blast on opening night of Batman 89...it was at the Grand Lake theater (with my late best friend). I was wearing a cartoon Joker T-Shirt and a nylon Batman windbreaker...and yes...count me in as getting hooked on that Prince stuff...I even bought the soundtrack and everything...along with Danny Elfman's score. That's why I remember Batman 89 as more of an event...but I still prefer Dark Knight as a stand-alone movie.

[jds1911a1]

Some of you have listed animated Batman movies in your post (which is perfectly AOK).

I have only seen part of one animated Batman movie (with a vampire or Dracula maybe?) on Cartoon Network. I caught it about midway through and stopped watching it after about 20 minutes because I would like to watch it all the way from the beginning w/o commercials. I have since forgotten about it. Anyone help me out with the title?

Also, knowing my preferences, which animated movie would you recommend as a "must see"?

Thanks!

"The Batman vs Dracula" funny I had forgotten all about this one it would certainly be at the lower end of my scale. That was the direct to video/tv movie for the WB "THE BATMAN" cartoon which was on in the mid 2000's after BAS was off the air.

if you like Batman the Animated series you have to see Mask of the Phantasm it's the only animated one which was a theatrical release and it is excellent. and it's like 5.00 at walmart I think in a double set with Sub Zero