Sosokrates
Report me if I continue to console war
So Bat fans what have you, which do you think is the best batman film.
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What do you think is the best Batman film?
- Thread starter Sosokrates
- Start date
FunkMiller
Member
The Dark Knight, of course. It’s the only Batman film that goes beyond the narrow confines of the comic book movie genre. It completely changed the movie landscape in terms of what kind of subject matter could be taken seriously by the wider audience. It contains possibly the greatest villain performance of all time. Every performance is of a high quality. It deals with mature themes never before handled in a ‘superhero‘ film. It’s expertly filmed by a director and cinematographer at the height of their talents.
In the context of 2008 when it was released, it was a massive step up in every way about how comic book characters could be presented in live action. It changed the whole movie industry.
It‘s why to this day, it’s still the only comic book movie that ranks in the top five or ten in every film poll ever conducted.
It’s the greatest comic book movie, and one of the best movies ever made.
It’s ‘cool‘ for some edgy types to dunk on it, because it’s quite old now, but it’ll never be bettered.
In the context of 2008 when it was released, it was a massive step up in every way about how comic book characters could be presented in live action. It changed the whole movie industry.
It‘s why to this day, it’s still the only comic book movie that ranks in the top five or ten in every film poll ever conducted.
It’s the greatest comic book movie, and one of the best movies ever made.
It’s ‘cool‘ for some edgy types to dunk on it, because it’s quite old now, but it’ll never be bettered.
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Rest
All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
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West Texas CEO
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
My personal ranking would be:
The Dark Knight - Strong contender for best superhero movie ever made, and by far my favorite Batman film. The villains are excellent of course, but this is probably also Bale's strongest outing as Batman.
Batman Begins - Doesn't quite have as many iconic scenes as the Dark Knight, but is very well-crafted, solidly executed film. There's a reason that season 1 of Netflix's Daredevil cribbed so shamelessly from this movie, it really set the standard for how to do a grounded and "realistic" superhero origin story.
Batman Returns - Despite questionable faithfulness to the comics, Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal really defined my mental image of Catwoman in a lot of ways because she's just that good in the role. Overall I think this is a more ambitious, stylish, and just plain fun movie than the first Burton Batman.
Batman - I have a lot of issues with this film (Jack Nicholson's Joker feels like he really misses the mark, particularly when he starts obsessing over Vicky Vale), but its style is nevertheless iconic and I love Keaton's vibe of being subtly...off.
The Dark Knight Rises - Extremely messy and overstuffed, but nevertheless entertaining, Hardy's Bane is nothing like the comics but is pretty entertaining in his own right, and I love when Gotham goes full No Man's Land. The sort of movie that is easy to pick apart, but which still lands some solid emotional beats.
Batman vs Superman - Not a great film, but has a number of really great Batman scenes. The opening, with Bruce running through Metropolis trying to save people, is perfect. And the scene where he bursts in and goes full Arkham Asylum is the Batman fighting scene I've been waiting my life to see.
Batman Forever - O'Donnell's Robin is eminently hateable, but I actually like Kilmer's Batman. Shame the villains always feel far too goofy to be genuinely menacing.
Batman and Robin - A genuinely terrible film on almost every level.
The Dark Knight - Strong contender for best superhero movie ever made, and by far my favorite Batman film. The villains are excellent of course, but this is probably also Bale's strongest outing as Batman.
Batman Begins - Doesn't quite have as many iconic scenes as the Dark Knight, but is very well-crafted, solidly executed film. There's a reason that season 1 of Netflix's Daredevil cribbed so shamelessly from this movie, it really set the standard for how to do a grounded and "realistic" superhero origin story.
Batman Returns - Despite questionable faithfulness to the comics, Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal really defined my mental image of Catwoman in a lot of ways because she's just that good in the role. Overall I think this is a more ambitious, stylish, and just plain fun movie than the first Burton Batman.
Batman - I have a lot of issues with this film (Jack Nicholson's Joker feels like he really misses the mark, particularly when he starts obsessing over Vicky Vale), but its style is nevertheless iconic and I love Keaton's vibe of being subtly...off.
The Dark Knight Rises - Extremely messy and overstuffed, but nevertheless entertaining, Hardy's Bane is nothing like the comics but is pretty entertaining in his own right, and I love when Gotham goes full No Man's Land. The sort of movie that is easy to pick apart, but which still lands some solid emotional beats.
Batman vs Superman - Not a great film, but has a number of really great Batman scenes. The opening, with Bruce running through Metropolis trying to save people, is perfect. And the scene where he bursts in and goes full Arkham Asylum is the Batman fighting scene I've been waiting my life to see.
Batman Forever - O'Donnell's Robin is eminently hateable, but I actually like Kilmer's Batman. Shame the villains always feel far too goofy to be genuinely menacing.
Batman and Robin - A genuinely terrible film on almost every level.
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ManaByte
Member
Just going off "pure Batman" and not just the quality of the movie. When I see a Batman movie, I want to see BATMAN. Not another genre of movie that just happens to have a guy in a batsuit in it.
The Batman
Batman 89
LEGO Batman
Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Begins
Batman Returns
The Dark Knight
Batman Forever
The Dark Knight Rises
Batman 66
Batman & Robin
The Batman
Batman 89
LEGO Batman
Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Begins
Batman Returns
The Dark Knight
Batman Forever
The Dark Knight Rises
Batman 66
Batman & Robin
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.1
Batman 2022 is doing a lot of stuff, sharing intel with the police (Commissioner Gordon), Batman 2022 makes being a super hero look possible, protecting citizens etc.
Every batman fan deserves to watch Beyond, it's amazing.
Every batman fan deserves to watch Beyond, it's amazing.
DetectiveBananas
Member
I would say the better movie is The Dark Knight (haven’t seen the newest one yet) but the one I love rewatching the most would Batman 1989 Burton film. Unless you’re throwing animated movies into the ring cause I would have to rethink my order.
OmegaSupreme
advanced basic bitch
89 for me.
Hawking Radiation
Member
SafeOrAlone
Banned
The Dark Knight for reasons listed above. It’s a near-perfect silver bullet of a movie.
I think there is a pinch of fat during the boat scene/final fight, but the movie perks right up for the closing scenes, leaving me breathless every time.
“The Batman” is great too. I adore it already. It’s a feast of a film, with just the type of tone I like. The performances are on fire. It’s the coolest portrayal of Batman & Gotham, imo.
The number one weakness in comparison to the Dark Knight is the pacing - I think it can be overindulgent and oddly structured in parts. That and lacks a secret-weapon to the caliber of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Can’t even blame it for that.
I think there is a pinch of fat during the boat scene/final fight, but the movie perks right up for the closing scenes, leaving me breathless every time.
“The Batman” is great too. I adore it already. It’s a feast of a film, with just the type of tone I like. The performances are on fire. It’s the coolest portrayal of Batman & Gotham, imo.
The number one weakness in comparison to the Dark Knight is the pacing - I think it can be overindulgent and oddly structured in parts. That and lacks a secret-weapon to the caliber of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Can’t even blame it for that.
Hawking Radiation
Member
The Batman has best portrayal of Batman yet. The type of ghostly entity that you genuinely fear.
His entrance where he emerges from the dark and all you hear is his thumping footsteps was just all sorts of epic. Reminded me of how Valak from The Nun emerges from the dark. Just fucking hair raising shit
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poodaddy
Member
Easily The Batman. It's not just the best Batman movie by a long shot, but it's probably up there with Logan for best comic book movie of all time.
It pulls off being a long form graphic novel in cinema form, and the cinematography exceeds the genre by such a measure that other great comic book movies now seem corny in comparison.
It pulls off being a long form graphic novel in cinema form, and the cinematography exceeds the genre by such a measure that other great comic book movies now seem corny in comparison.
DangerDiabolik
Member
Mask of the Phantasm. At only 78 minutes it is astonishing that it manages to tell a more engaging story with greater depth and fleshed out characters than the majority of the live action films.
Live action? Probably the Burton films. They are certainly flawed and suffer from poor plotting and weak world-building, but they're still the closest to what I want from a Batman film. I do enjoy the Nolan trilogy, or the first two at least, but they're not Batman enough for me. Batman's identity is rooted so much in the visuals and the atmosphere. To strip it of that, and to turn Gotham into a generic American city, is to really strip Batman of what makes it so great and unique. Not to mention I've just never got the Nolan hype. I like a lot of his films, but do often find his direction quite stilted or pedestrian. I'm really not entirely sure how he's managed to achieve this kind of "auteur" status.
I also have a real nostalgia for Schumacher films. Growing up in the 90s, I had the Burton and Schumacher films and the Animated series on regular rotation on VHS. I know it's not popular to like Forever, and definitely not Batman & Robin, but I ate that shit up as a kid and I still get a kick out of them. And Nicole Kidman and Uma Thurman are absolutely worth watching those films for...
Have to give a shoutout to Batman 66' too. Some people still talk about Adam West Batman like it's some embarrassing footnote and not the absolute genius camp comedy that it really is. Adam West is just a brilliant straight man against some of the best scenery-chewing villains ever put on film. The Cold War satire is sublime and I still maintain Lee Meriwether is still the sexiest Catwoman of them all.
I'll skip the Snyder nonsense and also say The Batman was excellent. Pattinson proved to be great casting, with Dano and Colin Farrell making great villains. It felt very much like watching a great Batman graphic novel play out on screen - finally Batman gets to be the great Detective he is in the comics!
Live action? Probably the Burton films. They are certainly flawed and suffer from poor plotting and weak world-building, but they're still the closest to what I want from a Batman film. I do enjoy the Nolan trilogy, or the first two at least, but they're not Batman enough for me. Batman's identity is rooted so much in the visuals and the atmosphere. To strip it of that, and to turn Gotham into a generic American city, is to really strip Batman of what makes it so great and unique. Not to mention I've just never got the Nolan hype. I like a lot of his films, but do often find his direction quite stilted or pedestrian. I'm really not entirely sure how he's managed to achieve this kind of "auteur" status.
I also have a real nostalgia for Schumacher films. Growing up in the 90s, I had the Burton and Schumacher films and the Animated series on regular rotation on VHS. I know it's not popular to like Forever, and definitely not Batman & Robin, but I ate that shit up as a kid and I still get a kick out of them. And Nicole Kidman and Uma Thurman are absolutely worth watching those films for...
Have to give a shoutout to Batman 66' too. Some people still talk about Adam West Batman like it's some embarrassing footnote and not the absolute genius camp comedy that it really is. Adam West is just a brilliant straight man against some of the best scenery-chewing villains ever put on film. The Cold War satire is sublime and I still maintain Lee Meriwether is still the sexiest Catwoman of them all.
I'll skip the Snyder nonsense and also say The Batman was excellent. Pattinson proved to be great casting, with Dano and Colin Farrell making great villains. It felt very much like watching a great Batman graphic novel play out on screen - finally Batman gets to be the great Detective he is in the comics!
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Sleepwalker
Member
Batman 2022 was awesome. I need to rewatch the nolan trilogy and the older ones to actually make judgement. it's been a while.
I actually liked the batfleck character a lot but overall the movies weren't that great.
I actually liked the batfleck character a lot but overall the movies weren't that great.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
1. Dark Knight (hands down)
2. Batman Begins
3. Original Batman movie
4. Dark Knight Rises
5. Batman 2022
6. Batman Returns
Last. Forever/B&R
Never saw the Batman vs Superman movie, so cant rank that one.
2. Batman Begins
3. Original Batman movie
4. Dark Knight Rises
5. Batman 2022
6. Batman Returns
Last. Forever/B&R
Never saw the Batman vs Superman movie, so cant rank that one.
FunkMiller
Member
The new one is a great movie, but it's not as good as The Dark Knight. Maybe a little under Batman Begins, but over The Dark Knight Rises.
Hawking Radiation
Member
True. Dark Knight is top of the charts. They're going to have a tough time topping that
"even with a new joker"
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Revolutionary
Gold Member
Begins is still the best IMO. Brilliantly remixed Year One. Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow and Neeson's Ra's were top-tier. Also, I always loved that Gotham actually looked like the dingy Gotham it's supposed to in Begins, as opposed to blue-tinted Chicago in TDK (or literally just NYC in The Batman).
The only blemish in Begins is Katie Holmes' casting.
But really, aside from Batman & Robin, you can't really go wrong with any Batman movie. They're all varying degrees of good/great.
The only blemish in Begins is Katie Holmes' casting.
But really, aside from Batman & Robin, you can't really go wrong with any Batman movie. They're all varying degrees of good/great.
FunkMiller
Member
I eternally swing back and forth on which movie I prefer out of the two. Depends on the mood I’m in.
But put the two together, and it’s a double header that absolutely is the best adaptation of Batman and his mythos.
Doom85
Member
Going from highest to lowest:
1. The Dark Knight - intense, mind-blowing, the cast kills it, really the film has been praised to death so what else needs to be said.
2. Batman Begins - solid origin story that truly dives into how Bruce decided to become the legendary vigilante
3. The Dark Knight Rises - I know it has its haters but I loved it. Nolan truly did a fantastic job condensing Bruce’s journey into a trilogy
Joker’s a Joker film obviously, not a Batman film, but it’d be ranked here.
4. The Batman - solid film. I do like the heavier focus on detective work, though I do feel this came at the expense of Bruce’s development as a character compared to Nolan’s Bruce as the movie focused more on the story whereas Begins focused more on Bruce’s growth. It is hard to judge this one against Nolan as we’re talking one movie versus three, so I can’t say for sure which version has the better Bruce, Alfred, Gordon, etc. until the sequels come out
Also, they keep taking elements from Long Halloween, I just want a live action Long Halloween at this point. Casuals always go Dark Knight Returns as their favorite Batman comic, but I say Long Halloween is far better. The animated two-parter could have sufficed, but then they fucked up the ending because, “what?! A mystery that Batman didn’t 100% solve? Why, that’s unique, fuck that, let’s have him figure everything out so it’s just a standard ending, throw in a random new backstory for the culprit, and have Batman let them go despite that being hugely out of character because the culprit pinky sweared they were done killing!” Geezus Christ, talk about looking at an ending perfectly gift wrapped for you and then not opening it but rather proceeding to set it on fire.
I’m only doing solo Batman films here but I do want to shout out Affleck. The script didn’t always do him favors but he gave a solid performance. While I would have been pissed that Flash‘s first movie isn’t an actual solo movie, seeing Affleck one last time will make it worth it. Would be nice if Cavill got one proper send off as well but we’ll see.
5. Batman’89 - ssssooooo, I like the film alright, but there are changes I can’t deal with personally. Joker being the Wayne’s killer is terrible. Why Burton thought it was a great idea to dumb Batman’s origin into a “main villain kills the hero’s parents” cliche is beyond me. Also hate seeing Joker so much pre-Joker. Especially with an iconic actor so when he does become Joker I can still only see Nicholson and the makeup barely hid his recognizable face. Even in 2019 Joker, Phoenix’s face wasn’t as recognizable when he had all the makeup on. The romance with Vicki is bleh. I like the music and style, but the actual substance I found lacking.
6. Batman Retuns - not really a fan. I prefer Catwoman as a seductive thief, but here she was a little too nuts and the whole supernatural element was unnecessary and dumb. Penguin having a sympathetic angle could have been interesting, but then oh wait he’s not sympathetic so ha, we wasted your time on all that. Hated that bullshit in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake too, don’t tease doing something different with the character like that and then follow through (I’m not counting Spider-man’s Mysterio as him being an actual hero would have been TOO big a change). It’s like Burton just was like, “well, if it’s dark, that’s Batman, so good enough, right? Who cares if it actually sticks the landing.” I like the Christmas feel though, I’ll give it that.
7. Batman Forever - I hate this one the most personally due to wasted potential. Schumacher wanted to keep it dark but the executives told him to sell a family film. Kilmer could have been good. Tommy Lee Jones would have been great as Two-Face but he acted like Joker the whole film. Carrey could have played the smart yet smug asshole Riddler but instead we got his usual comedy shtick. Robin was the only one that was doomed, you need to cast a 15-16 year old or someone who looks that age as Dick (as 12 would be dumb looking to see him beating up criminals even with his staff), not a dude who looks like he’s about to graduate college. Why did Bruce even need to adopt this grown ass man? Also, yes lecture Dick to not kill Harvey, and then kill him yourself at the end. Way to stay consistent on your morality pushing there, Bruce.
The only good moment in this turd was Two-Face saying he’ll kill everyone in the circus if Batman doesn’t reveal who he is and Bruce immediately yells out he’s Batman but the crowd screaming drowns him out. Fucking hero moment right there. Movie sucks shit but I’ll acknowledge the few seconds of cool.
8. Batman and Robin - it SUCKS, nuff said.
1. The Dark Knight - intense, mind-blowing, the cast kills it, really the film has been praised to death so what else needs to be said.
2. Batman Begins - solid origin story that truly dives into how Bruce decided to become the legendary vigilante
3. The Dark Knight Rises - I know it has its haters but I loved it. Nolan truly did a fantastic job condensing Bruce’s journey into a trilogy
Joker’s a Joker film obviously, not a Batman film, but it’d be ranked here.
4. The Batman - solid film. I do like the heavier focus on detective work, though I do feel this came at the expense of Bruce’s development as a character compared to Nolan’s Bruce as the movie focused more on the story whereas Begins focused more on Bruce’s growth. It is hard to judge this one against Nolan as we’re talking one movie versus three, so I can’t say for sure which version has the better Bruce, Alfred, Gordon, etc. until the sequels come out
Also, they keep taking elements from Long Halloween, I just want a live action Long Halloween at this point. Casuals always go Dark Knight Returns as their favorite Batman comic, but I say Long Halloween is far better. The animated two-parter could have sufficed, but then they fucked up the ending because, “what?! A mystery that Batman didn’t 100% solve? Why, that’s unique, fuck that, let’s have him figure everything out so it’s just a standard ending, throw in a random new backstory for the culprit, and have Batman let them go despite that being hugely out of character because the culprit pinky sweared they were done killing!” Geezus Christ, talk about looking at an ending perfectly gift wrapped for you and then not opening it but rather proceeding to set it on fire.
I’m only doing solo Batman films here but I do want to shout out Affleck. The script didn’t always do him favors but he gave a solid performance. While I would have been pissed that Flash‘s first movie isn’t an actual solo movie, seeing Affleck one last time will make it worth it. Would be nice if Cavill got one proper send off as well but we’ll see.
5. Batman’89 - ssssooooo, I like the film alright, but there are changes I can’t deal with personally. Joker being the Wayne’s killer is terrible. Why Burton thought it was a great idea to dumb Batman’s origin into a “main villain kills the hero’s parents” cliche is beyond me. Also hate seeing Joker so much pre-Joker. Especially with an iconic actor so when he does become Joker I can still only see Nicholson and the makeup barely hid his recognizable face. Even in 2019 Joker, Phoenix’s face wasn’t as recognizable when he had all the makeup on. The romance with Vicki is bleh. I like the music and style, but the actual substance I found lacking.
6. Batman Retuns - not really a fan. I prefer Catwoman as a seductive thief, but here she was a little too nuts and the whole supernatural element was unnecessary and dumb. Penguin having a sympathetic angle could have been interesting, but then oh wait he’s not sympathetic so ha, we wasted your time on all that. Hated that bullshit in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake too, don’t tease doing something different with the character like that and then follow through (I’m not counting Spider-man’s Mysterio as him being an actual hero would have been TOO big a change). It’s like Burton just was like, “well, if it’s dark, that’s Batman, so good enough, right? Who cares if it actually sticks the landing.” I like the Christmas feel though, I’ll give it that.
7. Batman Forever - I hate this one the most personally due to wasted potential. Schumacher wanted to keep it dark but the executives told him to sell a family film. Kilmer could have been good. Tommy Lee Jones would have been great as Two-Face but he acted like Joker the whole film. Carrey could have played the smart yet smug asshole Riddler but instead we got his usual comedy shtick. Robin was the only one that was doomed, you need to cast a 15-16 year old or someone who looks that age as Dick (as 12 would be dumb looking to see him beating up criminals even with his staff), not a dude who looks like he’s about to graduate college. Why did Bruce even need to adopt this grown ass man? Also, yes lecture Dick to not kill Harvey, and then kill him yourself at the end. Way to stay consistent on your morality pushing there, Bruce.
The only good moment in this turd was Two-Face saying he’ll kill everyone in the circus if Batman doesn’t reveal who he is and Bruce immediately yells out he’s Batman but the crowd screaming drowns him out. Fucking hero moment right there. Movie sucks shit but I’ll acknowledge the few seconds of cool.
8. Batman and Robin - it SUCKS, nuff said.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Two awesome movies. I picked Dark Knight because it just seemed more consistent with Joker. And I'll never forget the pencil scene.
Begins is a great movie too and I loved Katie Holmes in it. Such a sweetheart. I know someone in real life I used to work with who reminds me of her but think of Katie Holmes blonde. The same personality and voice. So maybe that's a reason too. lol. If there was more Scarecrow in it (his fear parts are awesome especially when he confronts a pitch black Batman himself), I would had rated that movie possibly better than Dark Knight.
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IDKFA
I am Become Bilbo Baggins
I haven't seen the new Batman yet. The UK rating of a 15 means I can't take my son to see it (he's 14 and I don't want to risk him getting challenged to prove his age with ID), so I'm going for The Dark Knight at the moment.
The votes for Batman Forever and Batman and Robin must be troll votes........right?
The votes for Batman Forever and Batman and Robin must be troll votes........right?
Rockondevil
Member
The Batman followed by Batman.
Affleck is my favourite Batman though I don't count BvS, or any others he was in, as a Batman movie.
I can appreciate the Nolan films, though I place them far lower on my list. I don't believe they did any justice to the comic characters, though as I said I appreciate them as that isn't what they were going for.
As a comic fan I prefer a hint of comic style in my movies based on comics.
I also don't hate Batman and Robin, and anyone who does must also hate Adam West's take.
Batman and Robin was quite obviously not a serious take on Batman and if you relate it to West's version it has that fun campy vibe.
Affleck is my favourite Batman though I don't count BvS, or any others he was in, as a Batman movie.
I can appreciate the Nolan films, though I place them far lower on my list. I don't believe they did any justice to the comic characters, though as I said I appreciate them as that isn't what they were going for.
As a comic fan I prefer a hint of comic style in my movies based on comics.
I also don't hate Batman and Robin, and anyone who does must also hate Adam West's take.
Batman and Robin was quite obviously not a serious take on Batman and if you relate it to West's version it has that fun campy vibe.
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TheInfamousKira
Reseterror Resettler
The Dark Knight. Boring answer, but I mean...
The original movie was camp, and camp is cool, but it's not something I go out of my way and spend 90+ minutes to see. The Tim Burton stuff was cool aescethically. Like, if Gotham were a real city, I could easily see that man being am architect, but it just didn't do much for me.
The George Clooney shit was...well...shit. it was far and away my favorite as a child, because it's dumb, flashy and ADHD, but as soon as movies became something I could consume like an adult, the story is just...ahhh.
I think The Dark Knight works best with the other two parts of the trilogy, because Batman Bevins was my favorite variation of the origin story, and I thought Bruce's character, and Batman's character, got some good development and closure. But as it stands, TDK had punchy action sequences, pretty great cinematography, remained largely focused. It was a pretty great take on the "multiple villains," angle that most superhero films struggle with. The Joker and Two-face didn't feel like they were competing for screen time or relevance, but instead felt like two very different but integral parts of the theme of the movie. And obviously casting Heath Ledger was one of those bizarre but absolute genius out of nowhere moves, and he remains my favorite incarnation of the dude, bless Mark Hamill, but sorry Luke. Such a solid film.
Haven't seen any of the Justice League or Pattinson stuff. Can't comment on it.
The original movie was camp, and camp is cool, but it's not something I go out of my way and spend 90+ minutes to see. The Tim Burton stuff was cool aescethically. Like, if Gotham were a real city, I could easily see that man being am architect, but it just didn't do much for me.
The George Clooney shit was...well...shit. it was far and away my favorite as a child, because it's dumb, flashy and ADHD, but as soon as movies became something I could consume like an adult, the story is just...ahhh.
I think The Dark Knight works best with the other two parts of the trilogy, because Batman Bevins was my favorite variation of the origin story, and I thought Bruce's character, and Batman's character, got some good development and closure. But as it stands, TDK had punchy action sequences, pretty great cinematography, remained largely focused. It was a pretty great take on the "multiple villains," angle that most superhero films struggle with. The Joker and Two-face didn't feel like they were competing for screen time or relevance, but instead felt like two very different but integral parts of the theme of the movie. And obviously casting Heath Ledger was one of those bizarre but absolute genius out of nowhere moves, and he remains my favorite incarnation of the dude, bless Mark Hamill, but sorry Luke. Such a solid film.
Haven't seen any of the Justice League or Pattinson stuff. Can't comment on it.
Prison Mike
Banned
Alcibiades
Member
I used to think it was Batman (1989), but have revaluated recently and I think it may be Batman Returns (saw it a couple of times in theaters last, last holiday season). Then again I haven't seen Batman in ages so it may be a bias due to being the ones I watched more recently. I also saw Dark Knight again in theaters during the pandemic, was fine but still prefer the Burton films.
I just saw The Batman in theaters (IMAX), which was fine and I enjoyed, but I don't think it's in the Top 3 of Batman films. I'd probably place Mask of the Phantasm or Dark Knight there. Maybe it'll grow on me, but the it didn't jive with me as much as I thought it would. I did love the realism of it.
Oh and Joker should definitely get a mention. For some reason I enjoyed that one more than The Batman. I'd say though for me Batman Returns is one of the more rewatchable ones.
I just saw The Batman in theaters (IMAX), which was fine and I enjoyed, but I don't think it's in the Top 3 of Batman films. I'd probably place Mask of the Phantasm or Dark Knight there. Maybe it'll grow on me, but the it didn't jive with me as much as I thought it would. I did love the realism of it.
Oh and Joker should definitely get a mention. For some reason I enjoyed that one more than The Batman. I'd say though for me Batman Returns is one of the more rewatchable ones.
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mansoor1980
Gold Member
batman FOREVER
Unpopular opinion here. The nolan trilogy is just good because of its awesome villains. Bale´s Batman is simply horrible (that voice is ridiculous) but he saves it by being the best Bruce Wayne.
Havent seen The Batman yet (going this friday) but i love Jim Carrey´s Riddler!!
another unpopular opinion ...Affleck´s Batman is awesome. I really loved the old angry against the world batman we got in the snyderverse.
Havent seen The Batman yet (going this friday) but i love Jim Carrey´s Riddler!!
another unpopular opinion ...Affleck´s Batman is awesome. I really loved the old angry against the world batman we got in the snyderverse.
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DispatchNinja
Banned
“ERM NOT WRRING HERCKEY PADS!” I really really dislike bale’s Batman after begins. Cringe all the way through. Pattinson is so much better on every level. I liked begins last time I saw it but the next 2 Nolan ones don’t really hold up at all.
Revolutionary
Gold Member
That's part of why I prefer Begins: he doesn't start doing the stupid voice regularly until TDK. In Begins, it's only ONE single scene and it actually sounds quite intimidating, rather than silly like in the sequels.
Also, I just noticed there's no Batman '66 in the poll. Wtf OP??
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AlteredForms
Banned
The real question is. Are YOU old enough to watch it?
ZywyPL
Banned
Would be easier to tell which one is the worst really...
I grew up with Batman/Batman Returns and I still resprct those movies despite how they aged (especially Nicolson's Jocker), they were great at the time and are still decent.
Then there were Forever/B&R and I simply adore their comic-like approach, I still think the makeup and costumes are second to none, the Jocker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Bane, Mr. Freeze as well as all the vehicles, equipment and environment looks like a comic came to life.
Nolan's trilogy is as we all know brilliant, except for Begins - this movie did absolutely nothing for me, it's basically 7 Years In Tibet where Pitt decides to fight crime once he cames back... Nor the Batman himself nor the vilians are any interesting (I'm not a fan of Neelson, quite the oposite), and the plot is simply boring.
TDK is obviously one of the best superhero movies ever made, not just Batman movie, there's no argue about it, and it's not just about Ledger's legendary performance, everyone did fantastic job, and the plot is engaging from the get-go since the robbery scene and never lets go, backed up with great cinematography and music.
Rises is also great but let's be honest, Bane completely steals the show, without him the movie would sit right between Begins and TDK.
Snyder's movies are also great, not as good as Nolan's, but I feel they were trying way too hard to follow MCU with the multiverse and connecting individual movies together, where DC forget to establish the individual entries and popularize the characters first. And Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was just terrible, but again, I don't like the actor in general.
And now we got The Batman, which I got to see yesterday, and honestly, I'm not sure if I won't go back to the cinema this week to see it again, it was just that good. I was concerned about Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, and really, he just doesn't fit, but luckily there are like 3-4 very short scenes with Bruce, all the rest is about Batman which he did such a good job at, the lack of retarder modulated voice Bale and Affleck did alone makes it so much better. Kravitz' Catwoman is as well so much more believable than Hathaway. Farrell's Pinguin and Dano's Riddler are on par with Ledger's Jocker, if not better, especially Dano's performance. The score is just epic, the shots are arso amazing, I mean, even if you'd scrap all the Batman universe parts from the movie it would still be a 10/10 cinematography masterpiece.
So my vote goes to The Batman, I just cannot recall the last time I wanted to go back to see a movie again, let alone such Batman movie.
I grew up with Batman/Batman Returns and I still resprct those movies despite how they aged (especially Nicolson's Jocker), they were great at the time and are still decent.
Then there were Forever/B&R and I simply adore their comic-like approach, I still think the makeup and costumes are second to none, the Jocker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Bane, Mr. Freeze as well as all the vehicles, equipment and environment looks like a comic came to life.
Nolan's trilogy is as we all know brilliant, except for Begins - this movie did absolutely nothing for me, it's basically 7 Years In Tibet where Pitt decides to fight crime once he cames back... Nor the Batman himself nor the vilians are any interesting (I'm not a fan of Neelson, quite the oposite), and the plot is simply boring.
TDK is obviously one of the best superhero movies ever made, not just Batman movie, there's no argue about it, and it's not just about Ledger's legendary performance, everyone did fantastic job, and the plot is engaging from the get-go since the robbery scene and never lets go, backed up with great cinematography and music.
Rises is also great but let's be honest, Bane completely steals the show, without him the movie would sit right between Begins and TDK.
Snyder's movies are also great, not as good as Nolan's, but I feel they were trying way too hard to follow MCU with the multiverse and connecting individual movies together, where DC forget to establish the individual entries and popularize the characters first. And Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was just terrible, but again, I don't like the actor in general.
And now we got The Batman, which I got to see yesterday, and honestly, I'm not sure if I won't go back to the cinema this week to see it again, it was just that good. I was concerned about Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, and really, he just doesn't fit, but luckily there are like 3-4 very short scenes with Bruce, all the rest is about Batman which he did such a good job at, the lack of retarder modulated voice Bale and Affleck did alone makes it so much better. Kravitz' Catwoman is as well so much more believable than Hathaway. Farrell's Pinguin and Dano's Riddler are on par with Ledger's Jocker, if not better, especially Dano's performance. The score is just epic, the shots are arso amazing, I mean, even if you'd scrap all the Batman universe parts from the movie it would still be a 10/10 cinematography masterpiece.
So my vote goes to The Batman, I just cannot recall the last time I wanted to go back to see a movie again, let alone such Batman movie.
IDKFA
I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Lol. Sure. But I don't want to rock up to the cinema alone.
AlteredForms
Banned
Why not go with the wife? You must be in your 30s if your kid is 14. Most people are happily married by then.
IDKFA
I am Become Bilbo Baggins
True, I could go with the wife. We both have a few days off next week. We're going out for the day on the Friday, but the Thursday we were probably just going to "stay home" all day, so might as well hit the cinema. Thanks for the tip. I just won't tell the boy
I have. Dark Knight is leagues better.
Pagusas
Elden Member
oh that’s hard.
Best Overall: Dark Knight
Best Batman: The Batman
Coolest Batman: Batman 89/Returns
Best Wayne: Christian Bale
Best Gotham: Batman Returns
Best Soundtrack: Batman Returns
Best Villain: Dark Knight
Hottest Villain: Batman Returns Catwoman
Best Batmobile: Batman 89/Returns
Coolest Single Scene: Opening Monologue of The Batman
Best Title Scene: Batman 89
Best Overall: Dark Knight
Best Batman: The Batman
Coolest Batman: Batman 89/Returns
Best Wayne: Christian Bale
Best Gotham: Batman Returns
Best Soundtrack: Batman Returns
Best Villain: Dark Knight
Hottest Villain: Batman Returns Catwoman
Best Batmobile: Batman 89/Returns
Coolest Single Scene: Opening Monologue of The Batman
Best Title Scene: Batman 89
InfiniteCombo
Banned
Agree with everything here, very well said.
For every step forward that movies like The Dark Knight and (to a lesser extent) Logan take to make superhero movies be artistic cinema... The MCU and (to a greater extent) the DCEU take several steps back.
ResurrectedContrarian
Suffers with mild autism
lol even Batman & Robin has more votes here than Batman v Superman
I voted for the first Michael Keaton Batman, but it's hard for those in younger generations to realize just what an event it was in its own time. There had never been any kind of Batman of that style; we had only seen the 1960s campy take on it, and nothing else in all the years between. Today, 1989 Batman might look predictable in its gothic noir vision of Gotham City, its glorioiusly dark-tech Batcave, the brooding eyebrows of the hero, etc -- but it was the inventor of that entire style, taking it over from the comics and finally giving it life.
If not for 1989 Batman--and then Batman: The Animated Series which took its momentum and overall style--the entire franchise wouldn't be recognizable today. And MIchael Keaton is a perfect Bruce Wayne, IMO, bested only by Kevin Conroy's voice.
I voted for the first Michael Keaton Batman, but it's hard for those in younger generations to realize just what an event it was in its own time. There had never been any kind of Batman of that style; we had only seen the 1960s campy take on it, and nothing else in all the years between. Today, 1989 Batman might look predictable in its gothic noir vision of Gotham City, its glorioiusly dark-tech Batcave, the brooding eyebrows of the hero, etc -- but it was the inventor of that entire style, taking it over from the comics and finally giving it life.
If not for 1989 Batman--and then Batman: The Animated Series which took its momentum and overall style--the entire franchise wouldn't be recognizable today. And MIchael Keaton is a perfect Bruce Wayne, IMO, bested only by Kevin Conroy's voice.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Call me nuts, but even though I like Bale movies the best, I'd put Batman TAS above all the movies.
The original is still a campy (I rewatched some clips lately on YT in prep of the new movie), but for what it was at the time it was so good. And Michael Keaton played it great even though at that time, I best remember him from Mr. Mom and Gung Ho.