15 Reasons Tim Burton’s Batman Is Better Than Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight
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That list paints a highly unfair picture of those 15 raised points. Most of these could be very easily turned around in Nolan's favour, showing only strenghts of his approach, while ignoring the postivies of the other one (just like the author here is doing).
It's nice to see though, that this thread hasn't derenged into yet another face-off with contrarguments thrown around. We've all been there, done that
Though not equaly, but I do love both approaches. Both my feet are planted firmly in Nolan's camp, but Burton's Bat-flicks are still the movies that made me totally mesermised as a kid. The sound of the main theme still makes me shiver to this day.
Burton revolutionised the blockbusters of that era with his gothic sensibility and mature content, while Nolan's "The Dark Knight" - despite its imperfections - is still to date the best comic book film ever made, in my opinion. Time for a third guy to take on the Bat formula. Here's a great pitch for a reboot:
(from wired.co.uk) "Hawk moths may be jamming bat sonar signals by rubbing their genitals. The behavior, reported in Biology Letters on 3 July, creates an ultrasonic noise that could be used to scare off an attacking bat and to jam the bat's sonar."
And Khev, You're not the only one who loves "Returns".
Well said. I too am in Nolan's camp. Sorry guys, my mother has been a fan of the Bat for over 50 years. As a result, I grew up loving and respecting Tim Burton's vision. Even as a child I could see the comics come to life. It was Batman, Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman come to life. 89 Batman is a classic. Obviously its sacred in the hearts of hardcore fans but even people I know who are only causal fans or just movie goers in general love that film. I do too.
I was about 17 when I saw Batman Begins. After the scene where he shows up for the first time at the docks and straps Falcone to the spotlight, and the camera pans as he's standing on top of his city, I knew immediately that this was the Batman I had been waiting my entire life for. At that point its only about halfway through and my only concern was if it would make enough money to warrant a 2nd movie. I needed there to be a 2nd movie. Batman Forever was "fun and cheesy" but ultimately disappointing. Batman and Robin is an utter piece of ****. So, that movie may have killed the franchise but without it, there may not have been a Nolan trilogy. To that, i'm grateful. Anybody who paid money to see the Schumaker films in theatres, i'm sorry. But thank you for braving the storm.
The Dark Knight was everything I could've asked for. The Dark Knight Rises, although not perfect, brought me to tears. Still does.. The Nolan trilogy is the benchmark for Batman films in my opinion. I didn't even read that article after reading the first point about his cowl being too big around the neck and the suit looking rubbery.. Nolan may not have "perfected" the art of making a Batman movie, but he brought back a sense of credibility and seriousness to the character that he deserved.
rushmore223
Super Freak
If so, then why is he always referred to as "Billionaire Playboy Bruce Wayne" instead of "Weird Recluse Bruce Wayne"?
Hmmm, I just watched the original 1989 Batman all the way through on Blu-ray for the first time in many years. I'll give it to DiFabio and some of you other guys, it really does hold up when you give it a chance.
I was also surprised at how much Nolan lifted from Burton. Batman using his plane to toe away toxic devices that were killing the city, the Joker making his presence known at a mob meeting before shocking everyone by killing one of them, of course the whole final ledge thing and causing the Joker to fall, and so on.
I was also surprised at how much Nolan lifted from Burton. Batman using his plane to toe away toxic devices that were killing the city, the Joker making his presence known at a mob meeting before shocking everyone by killing one of them, of course the whole final ledge thing and causing the Joker to fall, and so on.
'Bout time you came around. 
Also, still one of the best teaser trailers ever. No music. No narration. Just simple, raw on-set footage cut together:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyozzozRsCk[/ame]
I must have watched that at least 6,000 times when I worked at a movie theater back in late '88, early '89.
And you have to remember... before this trailer the only live action Batman people knew was the Adam West one. This blew our minds and kick-started the comic book movie craze that is still going on today.
Also, still one of the best teaser trailers ever. No music. No narration. Just simple, raw on-set footage cut together:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyozzozRsCk[/ame]
I must have watched that at least 6,000 times when I worked at a movie theater back in late '88, early '89.
And you have to remember... before this trailer the only live action Batman people knew was the Adam West one. This blew our minds and kick-started the comic book movie craze that is still going on today.
Magpie 7
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Its where the later comics and the Schumacher and Nolan films evolved, Miller retconned Batman brilliantly but i'm not 100% everything he wrote was for the better.
Up to the Schumacher films Batman is very much an edgy recluse, attending only various charity events of Wayne Enterprise's.
'Bout time you came around.
I admit I was unfairly lumping the Burton flicks in with Schumacher.
Not completely of course. Batman and BR were obviously superior, but I considered them of the same "ilk." Not even close. I was in high school when Batman came out (like many here I'm sure) and I got caught up in the hype (in a good way I'd say) but I was really into the harder stuff at the time: Aliens, RoboCop, Die Hard, Total Recall (which came shortly after Batman), was just discovering John Woo films and so on and Batman wasn't as hardcore intense as those pictures and at the same time wasn't as all around awesome as the SW OT so it struggled somewere in the middle for me. I watched it over and over and over of course but for whatever reason it wasn't something that I had to pour through and let into my soul.
You could even say I was bothered then by some things that bother me in superhero films today. Using the batmobile as a "drone" or his plane going down too quickly. But now when I watch it I'm caught up in the whole flavor of the thing, am reminded of so many iconic images (and there are SO many) taken back to the fun of all the hype, and since Nolan fills in where Burton was lacking now I can enjoy ALL of Burton on a level that might even be equal to Nolan. Crazy. But after watching Returns and Bats 89 I really have the urge to watch them again and...take a look at aftermarket prices for HT Nicholson Joker and Keaton (I preordered the batmobile through BBTS.)
I always loved that first teaser you mentioned though and that never wavered through the years. I forever associate the igniting of the batmobile afterburner as my introduction to that "world."
rushmore223
Super Freak
Now I may be wrong, cause I dont live, eat and breathe Batman, but I seem to recall him always being referred to as the Billionaire Playboy.
I'm not very young either, I watched the Adam West TV series growing up (on reruns) and am in my early forties now.
Can someone else confirm this? Has Bruce Wayne always been referred to as a "Billionaire Playboy" or am I imaginig things?
Same here. There's almost nothing more nostalgic for me.
I watched it last year for the first time in a long time, and actually had the opposite impression in some ways. In my mind I was expecting it to hold up better than it actually did. But it succeeds on some levels and fails on others IMO. The fact that I never cared much for it to begin with means I couldn't be too let down by whatever it was that I saw.
Are picking up the HT car?
Interesting. Out of curiousity what are its greatest strengths and shortcomings in your eyes?
I think it holds up extremely well. Almost nothing came across as dated or cheesy. Except the Prince mucic. 
Now Superman in the other hand.....
Its funny, someone was having this conversation in the HT Superman thread. They felt the opposite. That Supes hold up great and Batman is cheesy. I couldn't even comprehend that. It just goes to show you how differently we look at things.
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Now Superman in the other hand.....Its funny, someone was having this conversation in the HT Superman thread. They felt the opposite. That Supes hold up great and Batman is cheesy. I couldn't even comprehend that. It just goes to show you how differently we look at things.
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I think with Burton's Batman it just presents this world that is so off-kilter from our own that you either accept all of it or none of it. In that way its pretty timeless. Even in 1989 it almost came across as a period piece.
Absolutely! I pre-ordered that thing the second it went up.
Also still helping my best friend build his lifesize Keaton Batmobile. We should be road-ready (finally) by the Fall.
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The first half of Superman up until after the rescue of lois(helicopter scene) is immortal. The second half by today's standard for the most part is cheesy. But that could be said about a lot of older films too
Absolutely! I pre-ordered that thing the second it went up.
Also still helping my best friend build his lifesize Keaton Batmobile. We should be road-ready (finally) by the Fall.
Watching both 89 and Returns this past week I couldn't help but think "mother of God if that isn't the coolest car in the history of cinema."
Yeah, it's unquestionably the best Batmobile ever. It just has all of the qualities a Batmobile needs. Such an amazing, truly timeless design.
And I love how everything seems so functional on it, even moreso than the tumbler! Okay maybe aside from the hydraulic lift that magically appears but otherwise Burton's batmobile was more "realistic" than Nolan's once you account for the ridiculous "flying on rooftops."
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