Do you prefer Tim Burton's first Batman movie or Nolan's Batman Begins?

[Lunar_Wolf]

http://www.squishedfrog.com/images/batman-pucker.jpg BURTON'S BATMAN?
OR

http://batman-on-film.com/bbimages/smbalebatman1.jpg NOLAN'S BATMAN?

[Lunar_Wolf]

I voted for Nolan's....much much better:batman: :up:

[Da Docta]

Why 2 threads?

[The Question]

Nolan's main problem is that he kind of forgoed with logic for the sake of the story, which gave his films a really trippy feel.

[Lunar_Wolf]

Why 2 threads?


I hit the post button by mistake instead putting the poll up my bad :o I have a habit for doing that.

[Donnie Darko]

I grew up with Burton's, but I think Nolan's is head and shoulders above it. I watched them both, basically back to back, on hbo one day not too long ago.

[french joker]

BURTON

i hate nolan's version (this script, my god how awful it was!)

[The Chairman]

This has been done so many time it's sickening.

Both are excellent interpretations of the characters, but I go with Burton's. I grew up with Keaton, so there's that sentimental value. But Bale was excellent. They were equally perfect for the part, just in different ways.

[blind_fury]

B89

It had far more memorable scenes, dialogue, characters, and music. Batman Begins was just meh.

[Spike_x1]

Begins.

Even when I was a kid, I always thought B89 was kinda bland.

[CConn]

This is always a bit of a difficult question for me to answer. I'm very...emotionally attached to B89 - that's what made me a Batman fan, afterall - so it's sorta on a level for me, personally, that no other film will really be able to top. Quality-wise though, I realize BB is the better film.

[IKnowSomeJudo]

Batman Begins in everything except for the music. Elfman's score absolutely and utterly crushes Hans Zimmer's monotone wankery, which is why BB2 needs a new composer.

[zer00]

Batman Begins in everything except for the music. Elfman's score absolutely and utterly crushes Hans Zimmer's monotone wankery, which is why BB2 needs a new composer.

or

I could rip out my bladder

[Spike_x1]

Can't we have both?

[zer00]

if ALL of us were logical

now let's all hold hands and cry

[Spike_x1]

I'm already crying.

And I have no hands.

[cryptic name]

nolans film was the best batman to date, it was a great interpretation of the character with the perfect actor for the role of bruce wayne/batman.

that being said, i prefer the burton movie. it's a personal thing and i can't really explain it.

[The Kid]

both are the best batman movies ever right now.

[Katsuro]

Batman Begins in everything except for the music. Elfman's score absolutely and utterly crushes Hans Zimmer's monotone wankery, which is why BB2 needs a new composer.

Howard and Zimmer's theme was amazing. Elfman had a great theme that worked for the Burton films, but it would've just been out of place in Begins. And besides, even if you like Elfman's them over Molossus (the main Begins theme), you have to admit the enitre rest of the Begins theme is miles above... Prince.

[BatJeff7786]

This is always a bit of a difficult question for me to answer. I'm very...emotionally attached to B89 - that's what made me a Batman fan, afterall - so it's sorta on a level for me, personally, that no other film will really be able to top. Quality-wise though, I realize BB is the better film.
Same here.

[Steelsheen]

i really cant choose one over the other.

stylistically they are very different from each other. B89 and BR have the gothic, fantastical element to it, BB has the realistic, gritty feeling of a detective movie. both elements are things that i love about the Batman franchise.

[The Kid]

I'll list what i liked and didn't like about both films. Maybe one will be the winner if it has more likes. Let's go:

Batman 89

Likes:
-The Music. It's as if the stars aligned the night elfman composed it. it's perfect for batman.
-Keaton. He sold me the dark character of batsy the first time ever in my life. I would not give a crap about batman if it weren't for his cool performance.
-that noir-ish feel. I think this might have been helped by the music. Even my cat likes it. I love how dark and gloomy the atmosphere is in this and glad they went that way for BTAS. It just feels right for a character like batman, the great detective. He's a hardboiled and flawed sort of hero like in a film noir methinks.
-"where ya bin spendin your nights." RIP porkins.:(
-The Batmobile. I want one.
-battle in the bell tower, just brutal, and nicely coreographed
-"You wanna get nuts? come on! Let's get nuts!"
-All the moneyshots.(like batman's batplane sillhouetted on the moon) Like a comic come to life. Well played, burton.
-Billy Dee as harvy dent. Lando is the man.
-Batman portrayed as an unstopable monster who haunts criminals. well done.
-Bruce wayne seeming naked and uncoordinated without the batman suit on.
I thought that was cool.
-Bob The Goon. He's The Joker's Numba One Guy.
-Alfred and his line about not wanting bruce to follow his parent's fate.
-Batmobile driving on it's own.
-The whole entrance to the cave sequence.
-"this isn't really a normal world is it..." might not be exact quote.
-"He stole my balloons!"
-"give me your gun, bob." bob hands his gun to joker. Joker shoots bob.


Dislikes:
-the reporter guy. He's not terrible, but not funny or interesting or anything. why give him so much screen time...
-Jack overplayed the joker. Yeah, I know, that's supposedly impossible to do but its what I feel he did. I just wasn't feeling the 'insane' vibe and more of just an actor hamming it up though he played it well enough to live with. I'd have preferred robin williams since it seemed like the role was specifically written for him; just listening to the rub rubbarb line makes me think of williams saying it and it actually being sorta funny but creepy... oh well.
-gordon. He's just underused, and never really interacts with the batman. a waste.
-Prince song. Some days I see why they used it in that scene. some days, I just wish they didn't.
-Vicky Vale. Lois lane ripoff. I didn't care for her that much.

O here it comes...

Batman Begins

Likes:
-Katie Holmes. http://www.tiscali.nl/images/9/8/Katie_Holmes0121.jpg I thought she did a swell job playing a strong, compassionate young woman here. she gets pissed on by people for no really good reason, I think. she did amazingly well up there with some of hollywood's best talents, and played Rachael with the proper grace and maturity it required... yunno, some people see her as the weakest part of begins... but not so, to me. Even if she's the weakest link though, it could have been alot worse if they cast someone like dunst.
-ScareCrow. This guy was great. He mumbles a line or two, but it's forgiven. I really enjoyed his performance. that's why I didn't like how he was treated in the end. He could have been the only villian, cuz this guy played it so well.
-Beginning in the jail cell. that was cool.
-Batman portrayed as a horror movie monster. well done, nolan.
-Oldman as gordon. Perfect casting. perfect acting.
-"Excuse me"
-bruce Wakes up full of Bruises after a night of batmaning... Drinks some green stuff and like a badass starts doing some early morning pushups.
-Neeson is god.
-Every scene between bruce and rachael.
-Morgan Freeman is really God.
-"Nevah" ;)
-the idea of fear of bats causing batman to blame himself for his parents death though it ultimately goes nowhere special.
-Using the best stuff from batman forever. (The young bruce falling into the batcave. Seeing into batmans mind and seeing lots of bats.)
-"Swear to me!" (the new wanna get nuts.)
-Bruce at the party, being a jerk. well done, bale. It's like you pulled that character from shaft out again. I hated him...

Dislikes
-Origami Mobile. This is an ugly car, batman and you have to lay down to drive it. lay, down, to, drive, it... weird.
-Can you drive stick :confused:
-If you can see the fights, please tell me what's going on.:O
-Fear. It's like the man can't even go one day of his entire life without hearing 'something' about Fear. That's just Overkill on the fear theme, nolan...
-Vaporizor microwave. this thing doesn't make the sense at all.
-Batman the grouch. I didn't much like the grouch imitation bale does as he plays batman. Just listen to conroy and imitate him instead please.
-Not really much Sherlock Batman here. He's basically another unbeatable kung-fu hero we see in every martial arts movie by bruce lee or someone like that. Jean Claude Vandamme = Batman?:(
-Batman kills. or tries to even though he says he's no executioner. what?
-Bruce acting foolish and jumping in pools with model friends. (why's he doing this?)
-Scarecrow's comical defeat. Terrible. way too Batman & Robinish. I thought they learned their lesson.
-Bruce's father's acting when he dies. What is this... come on...
-Sonic-bat-calling-shoe-thingy. Where'd he get this do-hicky?
-The sudden shift into over-the-top action-movie spectacle after all the serious realistic drama was a little jarring.
-The cute kid batman gives his nightvision goggles to. Hellboy did it first and that time there was some cookies and milk. this kid's whole role was cheesy and probably demanded by the studio to make batman seem literally more kid friendly or whatever...
- the whole sup plot, side plot, whatever it's called, with the sleezy business guy trying to screw wayne... blah, it felt like an extra added for nothing but the memo part.
-They left the lines out from the teaser about "I traveled the world in search of something lurking in the darkness... yadda yadda yadda, I found ME." That was a nice line...
-It's bit boring...sry.
-"nice coat."
-Bruce's dad is the only parent who seems to matter.

I think that's everything. Ill add more if I think of it.

thanks for reading. bye.

[IKnowSomeJudo]

Howard and Zimmer's theme was amazing. Elfman had a great theme that worked for the Burton films, but it would've just been out of place in Begins.I never said Elfman's theme would work with Begins, but that it works much better for B89 than Zimmer's banal, recycled three-note noodling for BB. Howard's parts were great, but they were far few in between. I would have been ok with it if he did the entire thing, but BB would have greatly benefited from someone like Alan Silvestri as the main composer.
you have to admit the enitre rest of the Begins theme is miles above... Prince.Umm...no. Zimmer is Uwe Boll of film scoring. Prince is quite a genius in his own way. Granted, I don't wanna hear any of his stuff in a Batman movie, but I'll take Purple Rain over any Zimmer lamefest, thank you...

[Warhammer]

Crap, I voted for Burton's Batman.
I love the movie, but it is garbage compared to Batman Begins.
I grew up with Batman, but Batman Begins was more smarter, etc.

Begins had so much substance to it, that Batman did not have.

I do like Keaton, a bit more than Bale, but I think that's because Keaton has been Batman for 2 movies.

[Eddie Dean]

Nolan's

[batmaluco]

They are so different films that I can love both takes almost equally.
And sometimes when I'm on the right mood, I can even love Batman Returns above all.

[CConn]

i really cant choose one over the other.

stylistically they are very different from each other. B89 and BR have the gothic, fantastical element to it, BB has the realistic, gritty feeling of a detective movie. both elements are things that i love about the Batman franchise.That is true. After watching BB for the first time I couldn't help but think BB got right everything B89 didn't do well or didn't do at all, and B89 got right everything BB didn't do well or didn't do at all.

Granted, I think BB got more right, but watching them back to back really gives you an excellent sampling of Batman.

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I'll choose other: Batman: The animated series. Mark Hamil is the Joker, Kevin Conroy is Batman/Bruce Wyane and ever single voice actor is that character. The Stories are more awsome than anything either of the movies did.

I'd rather watch the ClayFace and TwoFace two parters over any of the movies any day of the week.









I pick Batman Begins since BTAS is in the poll.

[Bruce_Wayne29]

burton's but i like nol@n's @lot @s well just not @s much

[Kroc1138]

To me, both films had their merits and their flaws. I enjoyed both but I find that both still miss the mark on Batman. BB portrayed Batman as a bit too goody goody for my tastes, and severely underplayed all major villains until a later part of the movie which is a bad thing. B89 wasn't very deep in telling Batman's story, but it told enough of it to get by. To me, if both were combined, that would make the definative Batman movie.

Oh and I hated Zimmer's score, Elfman wins by far in the score category.

[Superman]

Nolan's Batman puts all the others to shame.

[Lunar_Wolf]

Thats the thing that bothered me about B89 there was not dept into the origin of the character. It was like boom I'm Batman and thats it. While BB dealt mostly with the origins.

[Steelsheen]

that's why its Batman Begins dude ;), its central theme is about the orgins of Batman :)

[batmaluco]

that's why its Batman Begins dude ;), its central theme is about the orgins of Batman :)
lol, for a brief moment I did misread your post and what I saw was:
"its central theme is about the orgies of Batman"...

Whoa, Bat-p1mp! :(

[Gogo Bananas]

It's nice to watch Batman as a sequel to Batman Begins.

[Ben Urich]

I prefer Nolan's Batman because it's a more faithful take on the character. The focus was on Batman and how he came to be, not his colorful rogue's gallery.
That's not to belittle Burton's films, which were great Gothic spectacles, but they just didn't feel like Batman to me. They were too twisted. I still enjoyed them, though.

It's nice to watch Batman as a sequel to Batman Begins.

It isn't
In Batman (89), we see Jack Napier transform into the Joker at the hands of Batman. At the end of Begins, the Joker is already established.
Totally new franchise.

[The Kid]

Wrrrrroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnggggggg gggggg. sry, but the avatar.. yaknow...

All we know about the Joker at the end of Begins is that he's some guy who has a taste for theatrics, and leaves joker cards at the scene of his crimes. So he's not fully established as the acid bathed clown prince just yet. Maybe he is, but we just don't know for sure right now...

With a little stretching, you could view batman as a sequel, hell, we even see Jack playing with a joker card in a scene... Gordon's sudden weight-gain though and memory-loss... well... that's the stretching part...

[Katsuro]

It's nice to watch Batman as a sequel to Batman Begins.

Really? I can imagine it would get confusing. Would you then watch the 1966 Adam West Batman as another sequel?

[Steelsheen]

It's nice to watch Batman as a sequel to Batman Begins.

vague sequel ;)

[The Kid]

... ;)

[The Kid]

Really? I can imagine it would get confusing. Would you then watch the 1966 Adam West Batman as another sequel?

it could work:confused:

[J.R.]

Nolan's Batman

[Lunar_Wolf]

I could never think of B89 as a sequel. Too much of a difference between both movies plus in 2 years time BB sequel will be out so you won't really be able to think B89 as a sequel.

[Gogo Bananas]

It isn't
In Batman (89), we see Jack Napier transform into the Joker at the hands of Batman. At the end of Begins, the Joker is already established.
Totally new franchise.

Actually, during Batman Napier plays with his deck of cards and pays special attention to the Joker as it turns up. Obviously it's foreshadowing, but he's already a criminal - no reason he couldn't leave Joker cards at his crime scenes. Nothing in Begins says Joker is established.
And to say can't be a sequel - Gordon's too fat - well, in the actual sequel to Batman Returns Bruce wayne sprouted another 6 inches or so in height, got younger, and then aged between Forever and B&R.

And that comment about 60's Batman is so obtuse it doesn't bear commenting on.

Never said it was an actual sequel. Never said Nolan did a prequel rather than a reboot. Know why I don't mind sitting down to watch them as two parts in a single storyline? Because I can. When BB2 comes out then I won't have to bother - there'll be new entertainment around.
Some of you obviously have never heard of a No-Prize.

[halfapple]

Nolans.

no contest.

[CConn]

Really? I can imagine it would get confusing. Would you then watch the 1966 Adam West Batman as another sequel?Y'know, I've done that once or twice (watching B89 as a sequel...not the West thing). If you just let go of all of the specifics of the films (I know, asking a fanboy that is like asking royality to stop commiting incest), and pay more attention to just the characterization and motivation of Batman, BB really makes B89 all the better.

Obviously, B89 wasn't nearly as introspective as BB was, but because you get that look into Batman, into Bruce in BB, it's that much easier to connect and empathize with him in B89. In short, we get all, or most, of the psychological analyzation of Bats out of the way in BB, and that leaves B89 to just be a fun movie with this Batman we know have a good understanding about.

I'm not saying we should all consider B89 a vague sequel or anything, but using BB as a piece of...supplimental material before watching B89 is quite rewarding, I think.

[Batman1939]

Nolan's.

[LostSon88]

Nolans w/o question...as far as i'm concerned Batman 89' doesn't exist.

[GreenLantern1]

Nolan.

I cant stand Tim Burton.

[Manic]

Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman movie of all time, but it's not on the poll.

Between Burton's and Nolan's, it's a real mixed bag for me. Burton's movies had more style, but Nolan's had more grit. If these two could somehow fuse into one super-director, I think I'd finally find a Batman film that gives Phantasm a run for its money.

[JBElliott]

Collora's Batman RULES!

http://www.collorastudios.com/projects/bde/bdepics/bde-4.jpg

The rest DROOL!

[Lunar_Wolf]

Man Batman Dead End rules. The guy who played The Joker was fantastic.

[Ben Urich]

Dead End was lame.
Cool visuals (especially the cape scene), but Batman vs. Predator? And Aliens?
Stupid :down
On the other hand, the World's Finest thing he did was ****ing awesome :up:

[Lunar_Wolf]

http://www.komiksai.com/lietuviski/images/straipsniai/batman_vs_predator.jpgDead End was lame.
Cool visuals (especially the cape scene), but Batman vs. Predator? And Aliens?
Stupid :down
On the other hand, the World's Finest thing he did was ****ing awesome :up:

Batman faced Alien and another time Predator in the comic books and I read the Predator vs Batman, thats why Dead End appealed to me.

http://www.highlightzone.de/comic/comic_bilder/batman_alien.jpg
Superman vs Alien was pretty good as well.

[Ben Urich]

Just because it happened in the comics doesn't make it cool.

[Addendum]

I enjoy both immensly.

Though Batman Begins would be better without Katie Holmes.

[Zilleraut #66]

Nolan made a Batman film. Burton made his version of a Batman movie.

[Secret_Riddle]

nolans owned burton

[nolan's roll'n]

Burton's Batman was good but Nolan's was great. I'd prefer Nolan's.

[Aren]

I liked both, but my vote goes for Nolan, still trying to figure out why ^^

[Two-Face]

I like both as well but Nolan's is just way better.

[raybia]

Nolan's is the best but Burton's will always have a special place in my heart.

I except for someone to one day top Nolan's 1st. Hopefully in 2008.

[jaydawg]

Nolan's Batman rapes Burton's incredibly weak interpertation. And for the record, Dead End was worse than Batman and Robin. Thats right, I said it.

[co2]

Both are great. Definitely the best of the Bat-films. Hard choice but I think that I prefer Begins.

[The Caped Knight]

Nolan's BATMAN

[Darthphere]

Nolan's. I think a lot of us look at Burton's movies now and realize how crappy they really are. Thats my opinion.

[raybia]

Nolan's. I think a lot of us look at Burton's movies now and realize how crappy they really are. Thats my opinion.


Yeah, it also shows how undemanding we all were then.

[Darthphere]

Yeah, it also shows how undemanding we all were then.


I was like 10 when Batman and Robin came out and I loved it back then, I think that pretty much sums it up.

[32CAGE]

Nolan's Batman Begins

[Lex Luthor]

I like Burton's Batman, and I enjoyed the performances of Jack Nicholson, and Michael Keaton immensely, but Nolan's Batman is by far the better of the two.

Batman Begins > Batman

[Logan Reynolds]

Nolan's Batman.

[xxshady]

-Vaporizor microwave. this thing doesn't make the sense at all.

----

So since you dont understand it or what it does... its a bad part of a movie?

lmao...

[CConn]

-Vaporizor microwave. this thing doesn't make the sense at all.

----

So since you dont understand it or what it does... its a bad part of a movie?

lmao...No, it's the fact that he probably does understand it and know what it does that makes it a bad part of the movie.

The vaporizor worked by using focus microwaves to evaporate the water in pipes. The problem is, it is scientifically impossible for microwaves to travel through the lead the pipes are made out of. It just wouldn't work. That's fact. Ask anyone with a half-decent background in science, and they'll tell you exactly the same thing.

[Warhammer]

Nolan's Batman had substance, something that Burton's Batman lacked.
Try watching them both back to back, then you'd compare them and see what I mean.

[Hunter Rider]

BB for me:up:

[Mrh7448]

I prefer the Nolan version.

Although I loved Burton's version when it came out as I began to watch over again there were many things I didn't like about it, the foremost being Nicholson as the Joker. At first I thought he was fantastic but as I've watched it again I realized he's just playing a psychopath. There wasn't enough of the zany Joker moments IMO. I mean really zany. Also I didn't like the origins they potrayed in Burton's. Bruce's father came of a stupid git, I mean there aren't any theatres in uptown he has to go downtown and get lost end up in an alley and then get shot? Nolan's take on the origin story was much better and worked for the wealthy Wayne family better than Burton's did.

Katie Holmes was the worst thing in Nolan's and some of his designs were bad, but as it was really Batman starting hopefully they'll change some of that stuff. I like the way he showed him getting set up as Batman and the training.

Although Batman 89 is still enjoyable I think Batman Begins is the better product and for the first of a new franchise I think it will only get better and stronger.

[CConn]

Nolan's Batman had substance, something that Burton's Batman lacked.
Try watching them both back to back, then you'd compare them and see what I mean.I have. And as I said on the previous page, I actually found BB gave B89 a good deal more substance than it had before, interestingly enough.

[Dr. Fate]

I like both. I don't want to choose between them.

Shouldn't this be in one of the Batman forums?

[Captain Gandalf]

Batman Begins is far better, both in quality and casting.

[Savage]

IIII'm gonna go with Nolan on this one. I grew up on the first two Batman and Superman movies but their recent incarnations seem to blow them out of the water. I was even watching the Burton Batman with my girlfriend on saturday and she said "Bale did it better". And I have to agree. No particular reason. I still love the original. I just...enjoy Nolan's more.

As for the score, Elfman's was great and it fit that movie but I have to admit half the time I end up humming the B:TAS theme or even the Batman & Robin theme because I have trouble remembering it and I actually have to take a moment and try to remember it. Zimmerman's pops in my head every time. It's just a very well done score. I especially like the part where it kicks in after he says "Hold on." during the car chase and when he said "I'm Batman.". Gotta admit those two moments brought smiles to my face.:)

Oh and the reporter guy in Batman '89 sucked. I hated him every time he came on screen because that just meant less Batman.

[Mee]

Shouldn't this be in one of the Batman forums?
Hah, it has been. Many times.

[criticalcasting]

Nolan's Batman Begins is the definitive Batman for me. I grew up watching B89 and collected toys and whatnot and watched that flick over and over , but I'm not convinced Bruce Wayne is a curly haired short guy (Keaton). Danny Elfman's music was memorable (I even bought that score that same year), but now I realize (after watching Spider-Man, although I do highly regard 1 & 2) that Elfman gives a circus-fanfare-like atmosphere when the villains are on screen. I'm not entirely disturbed by Nicholson's Joker or Molina's Doc Ock in the films because I think the music turned into "goofy-villains time" once it was their screentimes. However, I think the Zimmer-Howard score frames Batman in that epic-drama-grandiose ambience, and The Scarecrow and Ra's had music that was fitting and terrifying and serious that these guys weren't just "characters". The Scarecrow music/scenes I could take that psycho seriously. And cmon Bale's Batman would kick Keaton's Batman's ass anyday. B89 was great (for kids), but I cannot idolize that. Bale, on the other hand, he is believable; makes me want to go out buff up even more and scare the living crap out of people! It's all about facial expression "You never learned to MIND your surroundings!". Nolan's Batman/Bale = definitive Batman, (Donner's Superman/Reeve = definitive Superman!); Nolan's Batman all the way.:batman:

[ToddIsDead]

Definitely Nolan's for me. I'm just not a fan of Batman's characterization in the Burton movies.

[lordofthenerds]

Batman Begins. Batman was way cooler in that one.

[jusblaze21]

They both are great films. But for some reason I still favor Batman89 over Begins.

[Galactical]

I'll go with the safe choice. Batman89

[kpjoon]

I grew up with Burton's... loved it as a kid
But after watching Nolan's and rewatching Burton's... man... pretty crappy.
The only thing I liked About Burton's Batman was Keaton and Catwoman oh, and Christopher Walken hahaha.

[Ben Urich]

"Bottom line: she tries to blackmail me, I throw her out a higher window."
:D

[kpjoon]

I thought Batman Returns needed a little more Cowbell hahaha

[xwolverine2]

burton is **** compared to nolan

[Robot Komakino]

Nolans

[britrogue]

I wasn't too keen on Batman Begins. I preferred the campness of the original.

[Cyberella]

While I grew up with Burton's vision of Batman, when I watch his version again I realize just how over-the-top it is. The only things going for it are Keaton's performance, Nicholson's performance, and the set design. Nolan's vision is far superior and I believe it is the best film version to date. Oldman's Gordon, Murphy's Scarecrow, Caine's Alfred, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer, and Neeson's Raz Ahl Guhl. Definitely one of the best casts for a film adapatation of a comic to come along in years. Batman Begins was a breath of fresh air. Unlike Burton's 1989 Batman, Nolan's film never became cartoonish. His re-imagining of Gotham City was also spectacular. I also believe that Christian Bale is the best cinema Batman ever cast.

[Irony-Man]

Burton's Batman films are Batman as seen thru the eyes of German expressionism.

Nolan's Batman film is Batman as seen thru the eyes of early 70's realism - they are akin to Scorcese or Coppola's work in their attention to gritty realisim and somewhat morally ambiguous heroes.

Both interpretations are valid and should be enjoyed as expression's of their creator's vision. Burton imagined a wourld full of grotesque (meaning larger than life) characters inhabiting a city which was itself a character in the film. Burton's films could not stray from their Gotham setting, or indeed acknowledge the existence of the outside world because Gotham was the films' only reality.

Nolan's approach, rather than make a film where Batman fit in as another player in a hyper-realistic world, was to make a world as close as possible to our own reality and then see how a character like Batman would function in that world.

As they are interpretations and wholly independant from one another they can be compared only on a superficial level. They don't have to fit with each other or even into the larger Batman canon. Like Hamlet, Batman is a character whose story could be told over and over again by different filmakers' each adding their own unique spin to him.

BTW, Schumacher's Batman films represent Batman as portrayed by 1960's gay cinema.
__________________
"There is no off ramp from the one-track mind!"

"The Batman franchise mirrors Elvis: It starts with a raw brashness in Batman; achieves maturity and depth in Returns; experiences it's Las Vegas stage (entertaining but empty) in Forever; and ends up bloated, irrelevant and dying on the toilet in Batman & Robin."

"Quoting yourself is a form of intellectual masturbation"

"Wat den een sun uul is den annern sin nachitigall" (One man's owl is another man's nightingale).

[Cyberella]

Wow, that is a very interesting response to Batman in all his cinematic forms. It's refreshing to see a response like that as opposed to 'Batman 89 sucks', ad nauseum. :up:

[jaydawg]

I hate it when someone says you cant compare two films. Thats always a bs response. You can always compare two films, whether it be between two batman films or the difference between titanic and joyride.

[Irony-Man]

I hate it when someone says you cant compare two films. Thats always a bs response. You can always compare two films, whether it be between two batman films or the difference between titanic and joyride.


However without a common frame of reference you are not engaging in a comparison but rather a relativistic expression of subjective evaluations such as enjoyment or preference, which is what this thread is about.

For example, if we take what is often regarded as the best and worst films from American cinema, "Citizen Kane" and "Plan 9 from Outer Space" you absolutely could compare then on objective factors, such as screenplay, direction, acting, production design, cinematography etc., however, I would contend that that comparison is meaningless because of the disparate nature of the two movies. Realistically, the only thing that the two films have in common is that they are movies.

However, to compare them on a subjective basis, such as enjoyment or preference is simply an expression of opinion, and while you may use objective elements to support your opinion, you still are siimply stating a personal preference. On an objective level, "Citizen Kane" is obviously the much better film, however, on a subjective level, I get more enjoyment out of watching "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

Firstly, just because you can compare 2 things doesn't necessarily mean that you should compare them. Secondly, any comparison is only meaningful when all parties understand the frames of reference in which it is to be carried out.

[Bullseye]

Batman Begins is what I will regard as the true Batman film and the true beginning of the story of how Bruce Wayne became what he was destined to be: BATMAN.

[TheGrayGhost]

Oh my God. I accidentally voted for Burton. I meant Nolan. I am going to go throw up now and take multiple showers.

[Lunar_Wolf]

Just use the anti-batvote:up: :p

[Chris Wallace]

Not to slight anything Burton & Keaton did; they did a great job overall. But I gotta go with Begins.

[Majik1387]

I honestly like Burton's Batman movies better. I still love Batman Begins though.

[dpm07]

I definitely prefer Nolan's Batman. Keaton himself was a great Batman, but I like the approach that Nolan took. Nothing against Burton though. He did a good job.

[kedrell]

Nolan's Batman for me. Burton's Batman was hardly even about Batman. It should have been titled "The Joker, and Batman came along too".

[Spoarz™]

As much as I love Batman Begins, I prefer Tim Burton's Batman. It's hard to explain what it is, but there is just a feeling to Burton's film which seems to be missing from Nolan's movie.

[Agentsands77]

I prefer Nolan's Batman. I'm hoping BB2 is even better (and by all accounts it's shaping up to be).

[Cyrusbales]

I prefer Burton's, it has a much more stylised feel, it isn't just an action film like nolan's, I even prefer Returns to begins, I love burton's gotham city scape, a lovely piece of recognition of metropolis by fritz lang. Can't argue with the Oscar!!!
I think Nolan could do a lot better, I think BB2 will be ok, but BB3 will be best because two-face hasn't been done properly in live action, so that should be fresh and exciting.

[flash13]

the only Burton film i like is Big Fish. his Batman is:down Batman Returns was a little better than Batman. but i still like Nolan's Batman Begins best:up:

[Caliber]

Nolans because I used to love Burtons Batman but it isn't Batman now that I have read Batman comics. I wasn't into comics too much as a kid and I loved Burtons Batman. But now that I see Begins and Batman, its obivious that Begins is a Batman film. Nolan gets Batman and Bale is better as Batman than Keaton could have ever been. Everything felt like how the comics are. It is the only Batman film made to date. I just wish Superman would have learned from Batman Begins

[Saint]

This is kind of a non-issue for me. I know a lot of people have attachments to a certain treatment of Batman, but I don't. Some people like the realistic approach (used by Nolan), and some like the gothic fantasy approach (used by Burton), but when it comes down to it I just like Batman. I like almost any approach available. I'm rather grateful that in my twenty years I've been able to see not just one, but two great interpretations of Batman on film.

The truth is, I want to see as many good version of Batman on film as possible. The downside is that occasionally I'll suffer through failures like Schumacher's films, but if two bad Bat-movies is the price to pay for three great ones (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins), then it's a price I'm willing to pay.

B89 will always be special, because I saw it when I was three years old and it made me a Batman fan, and a comics fan, which ultimately resulted in me becoming an artist and a writer. But if I was forced to choose, I would have to go with Batman Begins, because it is closer to my interpretation of Batman.

For the next incarnation of the franchise (following Nolan's trilogy), I would love to see an approach that takes the style of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and implements it with the mood and atmosphere of Batman: The Animated Series. Burton gave us gothic Batman, Nolan gave us urban Batman, so I think the only major interpretation missing from film is the truly fantastical, impossible, hyper-stylized world that we've seen in sprinkled throughout the Batman mythos. A world where Clayface could exist, where Batman wouldn't need to wear body armour because he can dodge bullets. We've had goth, now we have realism, next I want to see myth.

[xii22_loop]

is there a difference between which one was a better movie and which one was closer to the comics? Cause you can have a bad movie that captures the essance of the comics but still be a bad movie, and have a good movie that strays from the comics.