That too I suppose, but I was referring to its aesthetic, obviously. It also has one of the all time great TV show theme songs.
EDIT: And Batman/Bruce Wayne sholdn’t be portrayed as insane. He is deeply mentally disturbed and emotionally crippled to the point that he can’t live a normal life in any other context than a charade to enable him to live out his night life as what he has become. It’s what makes Batman the most interesting comic book character. He’s tragic and awesome.
Not sure if this is a response to my comment, but there’s a difference between “a touch of insanity” and “insane.” I think if you are motivated to put on a bat suit and go beat up criminals, you are probably a rather strange and maladjusted person (as you yourself seem to acknowledge), and I thought Michael Keaton embodied that well. On the other hand, Adam West went with a satiric version of the “utterly strait-laced lantern-jawed man of action” approach, and that worked for what the '60s show was doing.
Burton’s Batman films sucked. They sucked as Batman movies, they sucked as just plain movies. Batman (1989) did have three things going for it; musical score, production value, and most other superhero movies of the time were far worse. That is an opinion that developed over time. When the first Batman movie came out, I saw it at least five times times in the theater. As time went on, I started to get more and more disillusioned. The Batman Returns came out. A terrible film with some interesting moments but without value.
The Schumacher are interesting. Batman Forever is still my favorite Batman film. Yes there are a lot of problems such as the costumes sucks, Two Face was completely botched, and Robin fails on many levels. Val Kilmer was the perfect Bruce Wayne and an effective Batman (more so than anyone else to date). The story line feels more like a Batman comic story line than anything else done in live action. Sounds all well and good until you get to Batman & Robin. One of the worst films ever made.
Batman: The Animated series and movies. What can I say? They are virtually perfect.
Then we get to Batman Begins… which isn’t very good either. It starts off good. The year one origin and training segments were excellent. Soon as we get back to Gotham, the movie falls apart faster than a waterlogged subway sandwhich. The casting of Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in Batman & Robin seems almost decent compared to Katie Holmes as “the almost girlfriend” in Batman Begins. Makes the miscasting of Michael Caine as Alfred almost forgivable. No one has clear logical motivations. Worst, the Batman costume is an ugly piece of stiff rubber that is shot in shadows because its as gay as the Batman & Robin outfit.
I would like to throw in the 1940’s Batman serials. They are really low budget but the over all tone and story and acting are quite good. Especially the 1949 Batman & Robin series.
In the history of wrongness Rob Merritts views on superhero movies takes being wrong to a new level.
Why don’t you just link to your list?
Whatever, you guys just aren’t comic fans.
Here it is. My list is out of date though.
I was probably reading comics before you were born and your list sucks donkey ass, Rob. No offense, you’re entitled to your opinions and all. I mean, hey, I didn’t hate I Am Legend’s ending and I loathe the Jackson LotR films so what do I know.
Michael Keaton may be unremarkable in the batsuit, but he’s my favorite Bruce Wayne, after BTAS. (Yes, I know, I’m a fangirl. Move along.) IMHO he and Michael Gough nailed the Bruce/Alfred relationship and I really enjoy Keaton’s affable “Give him a grant” Bruce Wayne, much moreso then Kilmer’s icy Lord of the Manor, Clooney’s idiot with money, and even Bale’s happy hedonist.
Athryn, that link should come with a seizure warning. I’ve never had one, but I feel it’s possible.
I remember when Batdance was on MTV heavy rotation. I thought Prince was saying “Get the fuck out!” and wondered if you could say that on TV.
Also, dry ice ftw.
Oh, Secretary, that does remind me. Michael Gough was the best Alfred and the best part of the Burton movies
I thought the best part of the Burton movies was that bit where the batplane flies up out of the clouds and silhouettes against the moon, making a Bat logo. I really liked that.
I saw Batman 8 times in the theater. =/ Still the most times I ever saw any film on its first run (with Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, and Jurassic Park, tied for 2nd with 6 viewings each).
89 was the summer of the Bat. The logo on Times Square and everything. The hype machine was running full blast. I fell for it, but I still think it’s an okay movie.
Christian Bale, eat your heart out. Nothing can compare to the tension, the drama, the exploding shark!
I find it highly amusing that there is not only shark repellent batspray, but it also comes in barracuda, whale, and manta ray formulae
I thoroughly enjoyed Tim Burton’s Batman when it came out. I didn’t think the casting of Michael Keaton worked, and I still don’t, but it was still better than having Kim Bassinger in the movie. But the movie had a wonderful visual style, and captured a dark and moody atmosphere. Is it a great movie? No. But is far from suckage.
I very much enjoyed Batman Begins. I thought Christian Bale worked the role very well. On the other hand, Katie Holmes? WTF? And like others here, the movie was tremendous until the return to Gotham. It seems the writers didn;t know what to do at this point and kind of just threw stuff together.
I also have fond memories of Adam West’s Batman. I don’t care that it was campy. It was still wonderful. And perhaps it’s just the filter of nostalgia, but even when I watch the show today, it’s still a great experience. It’s outlandish and it knows it, so it’s played up.
Didn’t they say that this was the first Batman that could turn his neck- the first that could look to the side without twisting his torso?
That Bat Copter wasn’t no chintzy special effect, either. It was an actual helicopter outfitted with bat wings. That’s back when they really knew how to make movies, consarnit! (Shakes fist at kids on my lawn.)
I’ve been reading comics since I could read, and you are out of your fucking mind.
Oh. Yeah. Totally.
That “devil in the moonlight” line? That was just silly!
Hate Spider-man II that much or did you just love Steel?
I was actually referring to your Batmanian opinions. Your top three on the list, now that I look at it, are good picks. After that it kind of falls apart.
No, but as a film fan I can happily say that there’s nothing wrong with Burton’s Batman films that can’t be put down to age. The first film is, after all, 18 years old now.
I don’t really understand that… there are plenty of much older films (decades older) that are better than Batman, so I don’t particularly see why it should get freebie points because of being a wheezing 18 years old. Writing and acting and camerawork are nothing new; the only area where you might make concessions is special effects, and on that front I’d say Batman holds up fine anyway.
I suppose you could say that the particular art of making superhero films is something that has matured only recently… there might be something to that, although I think the first Superman (1978) is note-perfect until Gene Hackman’s Luthor walks onto frame. (Good performance, but the campy conception doesn’t really work for me.) I’ll take the first hour of Superman over any other superhero movie I have seen except for The Incredibles, which is by far my favorite film in the genre.
I think it’s because it looks ‘dated’ already. I was watching the “Batdance” video I linked earlier and thought to myself “damn, viki vale had some ginormous shoulderpads.”