Batman was surprisingly earnest at the time. I considered it the partner of Supermen: The Movie and wondered what had taken so long.

I refuse to take this thread seriously.

Don't care for fat Joker. Returns was sooooooooooooo boring. Jim Carrey is too annoying for words.

The only good thing to come out of these movies is the first comic adaptation by Jerry Ordway. I wish I still had mine.

Watching the "making of" special features on the first Batman now... seeing Kim Basinger reminds me of how her ex-husband would have been a great Batman in the 90s.

Word.




I consider the two franchises to have vaguely similar paths... the first one blows the doors off and becomes a revelation for the mainstream audience; the second one ups the ante with more villains; the third one delves into comedy and features the number one comedic actor of the time (Richard Pryor and Jim Carrey); the fourth one is a misguided flop that turns the whole thing into a joke.

Still like the first movie.Not perfect (didn't think so at the time) but it got more things right than not,and Keaton's still the best Batman.
Batman Returns has a better story.It actually has a story,which the first one doesn't quite have.It suffers from an overdose of Burton's Goth pretensions,and the DeVito Penguin,but it has Pfeiffer's Catwoman,who is teh hawtness.Quite.
The Schumaker stuff makes the Adam West show look straightlaced.

I'm sick of Batman movies.

Returns. No competition.

And what jokester voted for Batman & Robin?

Was that you, Flameboy?

I'm not even sure I've ever seen Batman 2 from start to finish. I know I skipped it in first run at the theater, then I think I fell asleep when we rented it (or something).

I'll go with the first one, for nostalgia's sake. Back when it came out, I was obsessed with it.

Batman Forever.

Burton's first one.

I voted the first one. I'm surprised Returns is doing so well.

For those who voted BR, what's the appeal?

A lot actually. Burton and DeVito's demented Tarzan of the sewers take on the Penguin. The romance with Catwoman was probably the best Bat-flick romance until Nolan took the reigns. Christopher Walken's role as sort of the Anti-Wayne, a billionaire who uses his money and power for evil. There are a few over the top cartoony moments, but there were a fair few of those in the first Burton Batman too.

Of the four pre-Nolan Bat-flicks I feel it is the best crafted story wise. The story is weird, but well put together. It is a Burton spectacle without shame and if you don't like his work you probably won't like it, but if you do like his work then it is one of his best.

I can't believe Batman & Robin is up to two votes now. Who is doing this?

All I do is think of the flaws of all these movies.

Tim Burton's Batman -- Too much Joker. Kim Basinger is annoying. Keaton is not all that good.
Batman Returns -- I think Pfeiffer is hot, but I never cared for the stiches in her costume and I hate her origin. The Penguin by DeVito did nothing for me, either.
Batman Forever -- I liked Clooney as Bruce Wayne. There I said it. I can do without Carrey or Two Face.
Batman and Robin -- Nothing is good about it.

Nice penis hook on Superman, there.

Clooney was not Bruce Wayne in Forever. Fake Bat-Fan.

It took me awhile, but all the elements that bothered you with Returns grew on me. Very different from the comics, but interesting in their own right.

Your other points I agree with though, except for Forever because I just haven't seen it in way too long. They are very flawed movies. Nolan is the first one to get it right.

Full disclosure: I loved Batman, Forever, and even Batman & Robin as a kid. I never owned Batman & Robin on VHS, but I did own Burton's first Batman as well as Forever and I watched them both a bunch. I don't enjoy watching the first Burton Batman much anymore though. I just find it boring.

I think Batman has the same thing, but it's harder to see because it blends in with the costume.

I enjoyed Batman Forever. It started with a heist, like a Haney B&B story. I liked that. The villains chewed the scenery, but Batman didn't. I liked that too.

It has it's flaws, but I loved seeing it in the theater. I thought it was a much needed diversion from Burton's ridiculously dark Batman Returns.

And I like that Alfred brings Robin a cheeseburger with a big fried onion ring sitting on top.

Me too. It's so much of a Tim Burton movie that it becomes something else and enjoyable on their own. It's the only one of the series I would ever watch again.

The rest? I guess I can find good things in all of them, but why I would I bother watching them when I have the Nolan trilogy?