I liked II also, loved the first, was very disappointed by Val Kilmer in III & didn’t think George Clooney sucked in IV but that Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl did (and not in the good way). They totally changed the character (she’s not Commisioner Gordon’s daughter Barbara, but Alfred’s pseudo-niece.)
Soooo, definitely go for the first two w/ Michael Keaton, check out III if you love Kilmer so much, & IV is totally up to you.
I know they aren’t titled I-IV, but that’s how I list them.
Batman Returns is easily my favorite. It’s a lot more fun than the first one (which has aged terribly) and Michelle Pfieffer’s Catwoman alone is reason enough to watch it.
The first one is okay, but mostly it’s just boring. There are some standout scenes, but also a lot of time spent with characters that you really don’t care about.
The third one could have been very good if they’d bothered to actually use The Riddler and Two-Face instead of ressurecting the Joker, cloning him, and having him wear different outfits. I don’t think this one has aged really well, either. It looks way too 1995 with its goofy neon colors and dumb Riddler TV thing. Chris O’Donnel is hot, so there’s that.
It’s worth noting that none of the live-action movies really have anything to do with the Batman you’d know from reading comic books. Burton’s Batman kills people without a thought, can barely move, and isn’t a very impressive physical specimen. The Batmen from the last two movies are basically just updated versions of the Adam West Batman (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’m just saying that it has little if anything to do with Batman the comic book character).
If you want to see a more “authentic” Batman, check out the animated series and animated movies (including the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker DVD) if you haven’t already.
Wow! I’m a young, red-blooded male as hetero as they come and even with all the eye candy in that movie I could barely stand to watch it through to the end.
My favorite part of the movies is that Batman’s secret identity and secret hideout are well-kept secrets from everyone in the entire world except EVERY FUCKING CITIZEN OF GOTHAM.
The only good version of Batman ourside of the comics is the animated series. The first season is available on DVD, and you must go buy it, not rent, so that Warner will release the other seasons, and I can buy those.
I have very high hopes for the new one, “Batman Begins.” Christian Bale is a great actor, the other casting looks great, and Christopher Nolan is an excellent choice to direct. The treatment is supposed to be more serious than the last few movies, which is key if you’re trying to sell the idea that dressing up like a bat and beating people up is a neato thing to do.
If I remember correctly, Keaton’s Batman killed some thugs he strictly speaking didn’t have to kill with some exploding hubcaps.
Thank, plus he kills the guy in the clocktower in the first one by letting him fall to his death, at least one member of the clown gang in the second one (the one with the bomb strapped to his chest) and indirectly causes the death of Two-Face in the third one. Yeah, they were villaisn, but comic book Batman (or animated Batman) would never, ever do that.