Batman Returns (1992) Written by Daniel Waters Directed by Tim Burton Runtime 126 min. 3.5 out of 5
A mysterious “penguin man” surfaces and takes the city by storm, so much so that evil business tycoon Max Shreck, played by Christopher Walken, thinks he can turn Penguin into the city’s new mayor. But Penguin is not all what he seems and he secretly controls the Red Triangle Gang, who are wreaking havoc across the city.
Adding to the mix is one Selina Kyle, Shreck’s lowly assistant, er, secretary, who, after a bad night with her boss, becomes Catwoman.
The Bat Signal shines and the Dark Knight returns to once again rid Gotham of chaos and restore order.
Michael Keaton is back as Gotham’s Guardian and brings to the role all the mystery and edge that made the ’89 movie so popular. What’s even better is that this movie actually has Batman in it and the vigilante appears, clad in black armor, more than just four times like in the previous flick.
Danny DeVito as the Penguin does a great job given what he had to work with. Though the Penguin in this film is not the same as the one in the comics, DeVito still did well portraying a man who was born . . . a little different.
Michelle Pfeiffer pulls off the dual role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman nicely. In fact, she plays four distinct roles in this film, all in one character: nerdy Selina, hip Selina, crazy Selina and Catwoman.
This film is filled with action, darkness and fun, all set in Tim Burton’s eerie Gotham City, which was a character on its own in this film and its predecessor.
It’s the hokey plot that’s earning this film a lower rating than the previous one. Had the story been better, this movie had the potential to be one of the best superhero flicks ever.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) Written by Michael Reaves Directed by Curt Geda Runtime 75 min. 5 out of 5
There’s a new superhero in Gotham, one who wears silver-gray tights and a cape.
And she’s a woman, a bat-woman.
At first it appears she’s here to help, but when she begins targeting the Penguin and Rupert Thorne’s secret arms operation, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder step in to solve the mystery of the Batwoman.
Who is she? What does she want? And why is it each time Batman thinks he’s solved her secret identity does he find himself back at square one?
As Batman and Batwoman put the strain on the Penguin’s operation, the bird man calls in a deadly force to eliminate them: Bane.
The Bruce Timm-designed Batman series is a staple on the animated superhero genre. The sleek yet angler style’s been used in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Superman: The Animated Series,Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. And in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, it’s delivered in spades. The art is just simply amazing straight through.
The story is terrific, with twists and turns right up ’til the end, and no punches are pulled in giving each and every character a level of depth not usually achieved in animated features.
Kevin Conroy is Batman and has the greatest Batman voice out of them all, both live action and animated. His line delivery as the Dark Knight forces you to respect the pointy-eared vigilante and take him seriously. The dude’s got major authority.
Likewise, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred? Wow. Between him and Kevin, these two hold down the film and set the tone for the entire movie. The relationship Alfred and Bruce Wayne share is beyond close and is a stark contrast to the relationships the bat-women suspects have with their own family or loved ones.
You know what? All the voices were terrific, not a one out of place. Each suited the character they portrayed, the acting and tone behind their voices never missing a beat.
The stakes are high, the danger’s real and Batman is better than ever.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) Written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm Runtime 76 min. 5 out of 5
A mysterious costumed phantasm haunts Gotham City, knocking off mob bosses thus drawing the Batman out from the shadows to stop him. Only when the Dark Knight starts to uncover clues as to who this person might be does he discover how deeply personal this phantasm’s crusade has become, not just to the phantasm himself, but to the Batman as well.
Pulling out all the stops with top-notch storytelling, animation and direction, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a hallmark in Batman’s movie history that’s guaranteed not to disappoint!
This movie is unbelievably amazing and rivals even the almighty Dark Knight Trilogy that would begin on the big screen twelve years later. Actually, Mask of the Phantasm was in theatres and I remember going there with a friend and being stunned start to finish at this masterpiece. I also remember being anxious for it to hit home video—and back then, flicks took a looong time to get to video—and the day it came out, I went to K-Mart straight after school, spent some big bucks for the VHS (over twenty, I’m sure), then biked home in the rain so I could watch it. It was totally worth that brutal and soaked-to-the-bone bike ride.
This is a serious Bat-flick, both in tone and scope. Brought to life by the same team that managed Batman: The Animated Series—Bruce Timm and Paul Dini—I’m pretty sure this was the first animated superhero movie to ever hit the big screen. This was also at a time when animated superhero movies never happened. There were only half-hour shows—twenty-two minutes, technically—and that was it.
The story is enthralling, right from the introduction of the mysterious phantasm through Bruce Wayne’s heartbreaking journey both in the present day and in the flashbacks that showcased his rise as the Dark Knight, all the way to the intense, sobering and heart-wrenching finish.
To this day, Mask of the Phantasm stands as a benchmark of Batman storytelling in my book. It’s right up there with the Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman 1989, and the other recent animated efforts. Personally, it’s the finest superhero animated effort ever brought to screen.
The storyline is mature and, probably due to it hitting theatres, was geared toward adults as it clearly contained those kinds of markings (i.e. a hinted-at sex scene between Bruce and Andrea, something that was never in superhero animation before). The violence level was also a notch above the animated series, complete with blood, hard-hitting brutality, and a glimpse into the kinds of real-life physical ordeals Batman would have to go through if he truly existed.
The real strength of the story lies in the fact that as much as it’s Batman solving a mystery, it’s Bruce Wayne’s story, showing us a part of his journey to becoming Batman, what made him finally put on the cape and cowl, and how those events from his past had a direct and painful impact not just on his future, but on the future of Gotham City as well.
The animation is perfect, moody, stylized and has become the benchmark even all these years later of what superhero animation can be.
This isn’t a kids movie. This is a serious Bat-movie for the serious Bat-fan who wants to take their Bat-flick experience to the next level.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) Written by Brian Azzarello, Josh Olson, David S. Goyer, Greg Rucka, Jordan Goldberg and Alan Burnett Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, Yuichiro Hayashi, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Hiroshi Morioka, Jong-Sik Nam and Shojiro Nishimi Runtime 75 min. 4.5 out of 5
Okay, now this is how you do something new with a character and do it right and totally change the formula. Not only was the style of Batman animation changed—this whole movie is done in anime by genuine Japanese anime directors—but also instead of giving us one big story, why not give us six shorter ones in the same universe?
This flick was meant as a bridge between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, giving audiences an in-depth glimpse into Batman’s past and what he’s been up to between those two movies. To make it even sweeter, Kevin Conroy voices Batman for all six short films.
They are (and what I thought):
Have I Got a Story for You –
Premise: A bunch of skater kids relate to each other firsthand encounters with the Dark Knight.
Really good, each story seeming to center around Batman chasing the same thief. The art direction is ridiculous! Did you see the backgrounds in this thing? While the character designs for this vignette were so-so, the backgrounds were insane. What makes this vignette special is it shows how the Batman legend was born, that is, people swapping stories, relating what they thought they saw versus what really happened, and how one tale leads to another until, eventually, Batman is myth and man combined.
Of course, sometimes the facts get straightened out, as per the ending of this story. You’ll have to see for yourself what I mean.
Crossfire –
Premise: Two cops take a recently-dropped-off-by-Batman felon to the Narrows for incarceration. There they encounter tons of trouble and Batman comes to the rescue.
This one is much grittier than the previous story, focusing heavily on the cops and gangs. The art is superb and while the backgrounds are more classical animation, the character design is top notch and I really dig how everyone looks in this tale. Batman is boss in this: big, powerful, sleek, tough—wish he looked like this all the time. Well done.
The main point of the story is the question: is Batman an ally? One cop thinks so, the other is skeptical, and the conclusion reached? Well, you’ll just have to see this wicked cartoon for yourself.
Field Test –
Premise: Lucius Fox shows Bruce Wayne some new gear he can use as Batman and he gets a chance to do just that.
How does anyone draw this good? The backgrounds are so realistic it’s upsetting (in that good way). The character design is very classic anime: pointier noses, smaller eyes, very realistic body proportions.
Batman definitely has a unique style to his suit in this; not your classic uniform but it works. I also like the change of pace by showing his eyes instead of having just whites. I think this is the first time Batman’s been animated that way.
All in all, this vignette was great and there is a moral to the story about Batman’s stance on guns and how he understands the need to defend himself against them . . . but not at another’s expense.
In Darkness Dwells –
Premise: When a congregation starts going crazy during a church service, Batman thinks the Scarecrow is to blame. Instead, he’s greeted by someone far more dangerous: Killer Croc! However, Scarecrow is still waiting in the wings.
Visually, this vignette is very comic-book-like. I see glimpses of Mike Mignola’s—Hellboy artist and creator—style though I doubt that the animators were trying to imitate that. It’s just what it reminds me of.
This one was pretty exciting. Lots of action, lots of danger, lots of Batman stopping baddies and getting out of tight situations. Dig it.
Working Through Pain –
Premise: Suffering from a gunshot wound, Batman flashes back to before he donned the cowl and reflects on pain and what it means in his life physically and emotionally.
This one’s pretty gory, but that’s to further cement the point of this tale: pain . . . and what it does for Batman, how he deals with it and how he overcomes it. Giving glimpses into Bruce Wayne’s travels and the training he picked up along the way, we get to see the lengths he went to to perfect his body in the areas of enduring through pain—physical and emotional—something he no doubt knew he needed to do if he was to succeed in his mission. Except, there is one pain he can’t overcome.
Visually, I liked the art style of this one as well.
Deadshot –
Premise: Deadshot comes to Gotham and the word is he’s going to assassinate Jim Gordon. When the GCPD catch wind of this, they let Batman know. Batman becomes Gordon’s shadow and resolves to keep his friend safe.
The art direction in this is like a high-end comic book come to life. Really, really liked it. Great line work, crisp images, solid colors, dark and bleak like a Batman comic. Awesome. And that train tunnel? Gotta be a 3D background but it looks unbelievably cool.
The Batman-vs-Deadshot battle is a sweet one, high speed on a train.
The main thrust of this story is about guns and how Batman feels about them. Since it was a gun that killed his parents, it’s a touchy area for him.
All six of these stories were well done, well thought out and well written. I’m proud to be a Batman fan while watching these and I’m equally happy DC tried something new with the character and succeeded in spades. By tying this animated flick into the live action ones, it added a whole new dimension to those stories and to these animated shorts as well.
Batman Forever (1995) Written by Lee Batchler, Janet Scott-Batchler and Akiva Goldsman Directed by Joel Schumacher Runtime 121 min. 3 out of 5
Two Face has been terrorizing Gotham for a while and after executing a terrible sentence at Gotham Circus, he inadvertently changes the life of the Dark Knight forever by setting in motion a chain of events that lead to the birth of Batman’s legendary partner, Robin.
Continuing in the “double villain” trend as established by Batman Returns, a disgruntled—and stalker-ish—employee of Wayne Industries, Edward Nigma, gets revenge on his boss by becoming the Riddler, and steals his way to the top of the technology enterprise game.
It’s two-on-two in this third installment of the Batman franchise.
Riddle me this: what do you get when you cross Adam West and Michael Keaton? You get Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Batman, one who is part serious and part humorous. This is the film that I’ve always viewed as the “transition piece” between the dark Bat-flicks done by Tim Burton and the all-out camp-fest that is Batman & Robin.
Though a bit over the top, the story of Batman Forever is a good one and if you watch it just for that, you’ll highly enjoy it.
It was the humor that brought this film down.
First, Batman ain’t funny. He’s so serious and dry he makes Al Gore look like Superman.
Second, Two Face isn’t funny. Tommy Lee Jones, as much as I enjoy him as an actor, got the character wrong. Two Face is a gangster not another version of the Joker.
Third, Riddler isn’t all whacky and zany, though by director Joel Schumacher’s choice to cast Jim Carrey in the role, it’s evident he was after Frank Gorshin’s Riddler from the ’60s instead of the comic book Riddler. Jim also got this part shortly after he became super famous so obviously this role was playing to his strength of being a rubber-faced whack job.
Fourth, though it was a neat thing to add Robin to the mix, Chris O’Donnell was too old, but, I suppose, having a kid running around in an anatomically-correct rubber suit would have raised too many questions.
This film was 50/50 for me. Had its pluses and minuses. I’m going to leave this in the “decide for yourself” category.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) Written by Paul Dini Directed by Curt Geda Runtime 77 min. 5 out of 5
He was thought dead. The laughter was supposed to have ended.
But evil never dies.
The Joker is back!
His mission? Why, give Gotham a wedgy again!
But this Gotham is different than the one the Joker left behind. It’s a new Gotham with a new Batman.
Plenty of surprises abound in this thrilling chapter in the Batman Beyond universe.
This movie is brilliant, pure and simple.
I’ve seen both the regular and the uncut versions of this film and it’s the uncut version that’s being reviewed here (the regular is virtually the same and has only a few altered scenes).
The uncut version doesn’t hold back and isn’t sensitive to the viewer’s eyes. This one’s much more violent than the regular version. In the original release, certain events were only implied. In this one, they are shown. (If anything, I was surprised at how graphic this cartoon was compared to the Batman Beyond and Batman: TAS episodes.)
The Batman in Batman Beyond, Terry McGinnis, is real. You care about him, you relate to him. You want to be him even when the tension mounts between him and his mentor, Bruce Wayne.
The Joker’s nasty in this and once more Mark Hamill, with that creepy laugh of his, reminds us why he was born to play the Joker. The dialogue, the jokes—utterly fantastic!
The story is stellar, with multiple plots going on at once. It also answers the questions you have about the fate of the characters from Batman: TAS, which had a series finale that fell flat. (It was just another episode, really.)
The first time I saw this film I couldn’t believe what happened to one of the Bat regulars. It still blows me away every time I see it. Wow.
Batman Begins (2005) Written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer Directed by Christopher Nolan Runtime 140 min. 5 out of 5
Bruce Wayne’s parents are brutally murdered right before his eyes. He is only eight years old. His father holds his hand. His mother lays in her own blood beside them. His father’s dying words: “Don’t be afraid.”
Vowing vengeance, Bruce travels the world, learning all that he can to become a one-man army against crime. He leaves behind the life of a billionaire playboy and instead seeks to find the man rooted in pain and anger, the one inside him.
Trained by a man named Ducard, a representative of Ra’s Al Ghul, Bruce learns how to harness his rage and use it to exact vengeance on those who would dare break the law.
But to do so as Bruce Wayne would only put those he cares about in danger and would not be the symbol required to get the job done, and so is born . . . the Batman.
Drugs are secretly being pumped into Gotham City’s waterways, the underground crime circuit somehow connected to a mysterious figure overseas who has big plans for Gotham. No one knows his face . . . until it’s too late.
Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow, uses his position in Arkham Asylum to get the inmates gathered for what’s to come, and when the moment finally arrives, all hell breaks loose on Gotham’s streets.
The night grows dim, the knight grows dark.
Batman is born.
Wowser.
This flick was amazing.
After the disaster that was Batman & Robin, I was so scared about how this would turn out. Sure, the trailers looked cool, dark, and edgy, but studios always put the best bits in the trailers anyway. All we had were hopes and good-sounding quotes from those involved in the film’s production.
And, man, did they deliver!
This stuff was real. Real-real. Batman Begins was grounded in reality in a way I hadn’t seen since X-men. This stuff could really happen. It was that tone that brought a level of seriousness to the movie that the other Bat-flicks—except Batman in 1989—didn’t have. This wasn’t a superhero movie, but a story about a man lost in rage, darkness and needing a way out. It was about the very real contrast between revenge and justice, and making right what once went so terribly wrong.
It’s a story about redemption, love, and fighting to protect strangers in a city where crime, filth and evil are the everyday norm.
Christian Bale is Batman. Period. When the mask was on, you could tell Bruce was channeling pure rage and distaste for evil, focusing all that anger on the task before him. When the mask was off, he was the Bruce Wayne who was a spoiled rich boy, dumb, and no one took seriously. Excellent duality.
Katie Holmes as Bruce’s childhood friend/love interest, Rachel Dawes, was a good thing. The other Bat-movies always had a girlfriend for him. Though there was romantic interest here, it was rooted in friendship, which was a nice change.
Michael Caine as Alfred—brilliant. He was your loving father-figure, yet was stern with Bruce when the need arose, and even got behind him despite reservation when Bruce told him his grand plan for saving Gotham. Only the love of a friend would allow such a thing: to believe in an ideal and not necessarily the method.
Cillian Murphy was downright creepy as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. I only knew him from 28 Days Later so wasn’t sure how he’d play this. Let’s just say I was happy.
Liam Neeson as Ducard/Ra’s Al Ghul was all right. As Ducard, sure, made sense. He did a great job as Bruce’s mentor. The two were the same at heart. Just chose different paths. As Ra’s—that twist didn’t surprise me (solely because I stumbled upon the script online before I saw the actual movie), but it did surprise me in the sense that Liam Neeson will always be Qui-Gon Jinn to me. It was hard to see him as a bad guy.
Gary Oldman is James Gordon. He looked the part, acted the part, and I fully sympathized with him being pretty much the only good cop in a bad town.
Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) Written by Boyd Kirkland and Randy Rogel Directed by Boyd Kirkland Runtime 70 min. 4 out of 5
In an effort to save his dying wife, Nora, Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) kidnaps Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter because his wife needs an organ transplant and Barbara possesses the same rare blood type as his ailing wife. Batman and Robin are quickly hot on his tail and soon it’s a game of cat and mouse between the Dynamic Duo and Mr. Freeze as our heroes seek to find Barbara before it’s too late and she falls victim to Mr. Freeze’s evil plan.
After the amazing thrill that was Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and when I heard they were making another Batman animated movie, I was pumped. Mask of the Phantasm was insanely good and since SubZero was to be done in the same style by the same people, my expectations were high. While not as good as Phantasm, SubZero is still a solid flick. What makes it cool is it’s a team-up movie because Batman’s joined by Robin, something Phantasm didn’t have. You also get to briefly see Batgirl in costume in this one as well.
Mr. Freeze is a tricky bad guy because while powerful, you take away his freeze gun and he’s got nothing and it’s easy to turn him into a one-trick-pony that way and diminish the complicated character that he is. Not in SubZero. You get to see Mr. Freeze for who he is under that armor and, well, he’s just a heartbroken guy who’s doing what he believes is the right thing. So distraught over his wife’s fatal illness but brilliant enough to figure out a cure, he’s willing to stop at nothing to save the woman he loves, even if that means killing an innocent person in the process. For those who have gone through immense heartbreak, you know how easy it is for unclear thinking to reign and how nothing but emotion takes over.
This flick also showed how Batman and Robin feed off each other and work together, and not in that “Way to go, chum” way that was the staple of the 1960s Batman series. You see two professional crime fighters playing off each other’s strengths, giving each other ideas, each keeping the other encouraged and balanced as they fight the good fight.
There was also some 3D animation in this movie, back when 3D was a new thing. While the 3D parts didn’t blend against the 2D as seamlessly as they do nowadays, it did add a “wow” factor to the flick—for its time—and kept Batman on the cutting edge of animation.
I’m really pleased with this movie and it gets better with each viewing, and with an ending that is both sad but satisfying, Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero is a Bat-movie that should be part of any Bat-fan’s collection.
Batman & Robin (1997) Written by Akiva Goldsman Directed by Joel Schumacher Runtime 125 min. 2 out of 5
A freeze is coming.
Gotham is under siege, this time by not one but three supervillains: Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and Bane (Jeep Swenson).
The Dynamic Duo (George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell) is called to the rescue despite the tension growing between them. Complicating things, Barbara Pennyworth (Alicia Silverstone), Alfred’s niece, has come to Wayne Manor to liberate her ailing uncle from a life of servitude. She also has a secret: a wild side that needs to be tamed.
When an all-out assault is declared on Gotham by Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, the caped crusaders rise to the occasion, and this time they have a little help.
If you took the cheesy, camp-filled ’60’s Batman series and shot it with a huge budget, tons of effects and modern day equipment, Batman & Robin is what you’d get (and is what we got).
Clearly this was the film that killed the Batman franchise. It took eight years for Warner Brothers to recover from the disaster that was this movie.
The story—the “what it’s about”—though farfetched, is bearable. It’s the dialogue and stupid jokes that catapult this Bat-flick a zillion miles into the campy canyon.
On the plus side, if you watch this movie solely for the bright colors, glitter and action, you’ll have a good time.
If you’re looking for substance, go back to the beginning, namely Burton’s ’89 triumph.
Batman (1989) Written by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren Directed by Tim Burton Runtime 126 min. 4 out of 5
There are rumors of a six-foot bat in Gotham City. Whispers. Suggestions. Nothing concrete. But all that changes after the Batman confronts Carl Grissom’s men at Axis Chemicals and Grissom’s top hood, Jack Napier, gets dropped into a vat of chemicals, transforming him into the maniacal Joker. Discovering he had been set up by his boss to take the fall at Axis, Joker takes over Grissom’s operation, in turn allowing him to try and take over Gotham City itself, with only the Dark Knight to stop him.
This was the film that gave us the “movie Batman” we know today: dark and armored. If it wasn’t for director Tim Burton’s gothic and grim vision of crime-ridden Gotham City and its brooding protector, I suspect the edgy superhero movies of today wouldn’t exist.
Michael Keaton takes on the title role as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his rubber-clad alter ego Batman, delivering one of the greatest Batman performances that many, at the time, hadn’t expected from “Mr. Mom.” And after his memorable line during the opening rooftop scene, “I’m Batman,” from that moment on he had you sold that his version of the Dark Knight meant business and quenches any lingering thought that Batman, thanks to the 1960s TV series, is a campy superhero.
Stealing the stage is Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Basically take the Jack from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and crank it up to a hundred and you have the Joker. Nicholson does a brilliant job of blending the serious and twisted Joker while also playing the crazy, laughing, psycho killer. I’m sure when Batman: The Animated Series came along, Nicholson’s Joker was the template for Mark Hamill’s performance when he voiced the character. Awesome.
Danny Elfman’s haunting and lonely score only adds to the movie’s eeriness.
My only problem with the film was there wasn’t enough Batman. I remember that bothering me as a kid. Batman shows up all of four times in the film, the first being something, like, only for a minute. Each subsequent time gets progressively longer, thankfully.
Bold, atmospheric and downright fun, Batman is one for the ages. It was where the modern dark superhero movie started.
