'78-'87 Superman series vs. '89-'97 Batman series

DX

DX

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Inspired by the Raimi's Spider-Man vs Nolan's Batman thread.

Two superhero film series' that both started off successfully and then went into similar declines as each other. But which one did you think was overall better.

Vote away! I'd vote too but I'm still trying to figure out which one to go for. There both so similar in terms of quality, IMO.

EDIT: In the end, I voted for Batman. I looked at it like this:

S:TM = B'89
SII > BR
SIII < BF
SIV < B&R (This was like picking Chlamydia over AIDS)

So, yeah. Bats wins.
 
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I can actually sit down to watch Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. I can't sit down to watch Superman III and IV, and that's the difference maker.
 
The '89-'97 Batman franchise has one excellent movie (Batman), one good movie (Batman Returns), one mediocre movie (Batman Forever) and one bad (yet still entertaining) movie (Batman and Robin).

The '78-'87 Superman franchise has one excellent movie (Superman), one good movie (Superman II), and two bad movies that aren't entertaining at all (III and IV).

Batman wins.
 
Very tough one, but in the end i went with Superman. Christopher Reeves was just awesome as Sups.
 
Superman, to me while the last 2 films were a joke that doesn't erase the first two.

where as I didn't like any of the 1st four Batman movies. Too much of the villain(s) hijacking the movie that's supposed to be about the hero going on in that series.
 
I still really like the first two Superman movies. I think they still hold up as a general thematic template for how to adapt superhero comics into films.

I still really like Batman & Batman Forever.

I felt Batman Returns had some glaring plotholes, like how the heck did the Penguin get the batmobile's blueprints, of all things? Pfeiffer as Catwoman was hot, but her origin was not hot. Too nutty and quasi-mystical. The Max Shreck addition made for too many villains. I didn't find him compelling at all. As for DeVito's Penguin, the choice to make him misshapen was... too bizarre for me.. biting people on the nose, ravenously eating raw fish, etc. It was just too gruesome thematically, for me. I did get a kick out of hearing a Rick James song being played at one point, though..

Despite the groans of bringing in Schumacher, I felt that Forever was a welcome semi-lightening of the series, certainly compared to Returns. Carrey really made the movie for me, and unfortunately Tommy Lee Jones didn't get to add much as Two Face. I would have liked a much younger Robin, but O'Donnell did fine enough I guess, as a college-aged Robin. The "holey (sic) twisted metal" line was stupid, though.
 
Batman series for sure, as much as I love the first Superman.
 
Here's an unpopular opinion, S1 was crap and S2 was great until the ending. So Batman because I consider B89 one of the best CBM there is.
 
The only film out of those original Batman movies that I like is Batman Returns, but even so, I would still place that series well above above the Superman series. The first Batman movie was okay for it's time, but it feels very dated and just kind of boring. Same thing for the first two Superman movies. However, where the latter two Superman and Batman movies are all bad, the Batman movies are bad in way that you can laugh at and still get something out of them, whereas those Superman movies are just hot garbage.
 
I am going to have to go with Superman. I adore the first two Superman movies while I just enjoy Batman '89 and Batman Forever but I don't find them on par with Superman I & II.

I dislike every other movie from these franchises though (Superman III, Superman IV, Batman Returns, and Batman & Robin).
 
Batman. Quest for Peace is one of the worse movies ever made. Unwatchable. Superman 3 was bad but maybe if you just have absolutely nothing else in the world to do.

Have the same list as DX for the movies
 
You forgot to include the spin-offs. Supergirl is way better than Catwoman, that's for sure..
 
Surprised it's this close? The superman series was two good films with two sequels that should just have not been made period.

The batman series had two good films, 1 average sequel and one notoriously bad 1.
 
Whew, after watching some of Batman and Robin on ABC the series might be a little closer than I thought. Clooney is simply terrible
 
Superman wins, just for Nuclear Man, the greatest villain the the history of cinema.
 
495052-mark_pillow.jpg
 
Always found that funny that he has Luthor's voice eventhough he was cloned from Supes' DNA.
 
It's even funnier to imagine Gene Hackman in a sound studio doing all Nukie's ADR lines. Silly roaring and all.
 
Superman '78 [***3/4] > Batman '89 [***]
Superman 2 [***1/2] > Batman Returns [*1/2]
Donnor Cut [****1/4] >> Batman Returns [*1/2]
Superman 3 [*3/4] < Batman Forever [**1/2]
Superman 4 [1/2*] = Batman & Robin [1/2*]


Superman Wins!
 
Hypestyle said:
I still really like the first two Superman movies. I think they still hold up as a general thematic template for how to adapt superhero comics into films.

I still really like Batman & Batman Forever.

I felt Batman Returns had some glaring plotholes, like how the heck did the Penguin get the batmobile's blueprints, of all things? Pfeiffer as Catwoman was hot, but her origin was not hot. Too nutty and quasi-mystical. The Max Shreck addition made for too many villains. I didn't find him compelling at all. As for DeVito's Penguin, the choice to make him misshapen was... too bizarre for me.. biting people on the nose, ravenously eating raw fish, etc. It was just too gruesome thematically, for me. I did get a kick out of hearing a Rick James song being played at one point, though..

Despite the groans of bringing in Schumacher, I felt that Forever was a welcome semi-lightening of the series, certainly compared to Returns. Carrey really made the movie for me, and unfortunately Tommy Lee Jones didn't get to add much as Two Face. I would have liked a much younger Robin, but O'Donnell did fine enough I guess, as a college-aged Robin. The "holey (sic) twisted metal" line was stupid, though.
Click to expand...

Agreed, in a film full of WTF?!? moments, that was arguably the one that stood out the most.
 
Superman '78 = Batman '89 (both groundbreaking)
Superman II = Batman Returns (can't fault either one really)
Superman III < Batman Forever (I saw one scene of SIII and I was like "wtf did I just watch?")
Superman IV < Batman & Robin (at least Mr. Freeze was meant to be funny even if it was lame, Nuclear Man was just a joke)

BATMAN WINS (like always :woot: )

Hypestyle said:
I felt Batman Returns had some glaring plotholes, like how the heck did the Penguin get the batmobile's blueprints, of all things?
Click to expand...

It's quite obvious, if you even bothered to watch the movie.

"Remember Max. You flush it. I flaunt it." - Penguin (to Max Schreck)

He simply got them the same way he got the shredded documents from Max Schreck..
 
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