DC Films Better three films featuring Batman? (Keaton, or Bale?)

[Milk Tray Guy]

The Flash saw the return of Michael Keaton's Batman, finally giving him/us that long-awaited third film. So, how does do Keaton's 'trilogy' 'three films featuring Batman' stack up against Christian Bale's?

For me it's close... Both are 'of their time' and take a distinctive approach - with Keaton's Batman existing in far more of a 'comic book' world than Bale's. Both start off strong, with an arguably even better second entry, and a divisive final one that nevertheless gives closure.

My ratings;

Keaton
Batman '89 ~ 8/10
Batman Returns ~ 9/10
The Flash ~ 7.5/10

Bale
Batman Begins ~ 8/10
The Dark Knight ~ 9/10
The Dark Knight Rises ~ 7/10

Totals:
Keaton ~ 24.5/30
Bale ~ 24/30

Keaton wins - just. How about you?


Edit ~ 15/10/23: I know Keaton's wasn't actually a trilogy. I thought using inverted commas around the word made that clear, but it seems not. So I've substituted the term 'three films featuring Batman'. Question remains the same.

 

[Captain Tired]

I'm hesitant to call Keaton's films a trilogy tbh. Our desperation for a proper Burton/Keaton finale is what leads us to refer to The Flash as the third of a trilogy lol. My thinking is essentially the same as yours. Both 'trilogies' feature a first two fantastic movies and a third which, although still decent, lets its side down a little imo. I go for Keaton's films simply because of their fantastical and quasi-camp, overtly 'comic-book' style that's generally more up my street.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I'm hesitant to call Keaton's films a trilogy tbh. Our desperation for a proper Burton/Keaton finale is what leads us to refer to The Flash as the third of a trilogy lol. My thinking is essentially the same as yours. Both 'trilogies' feature a first two fantastic movies and a third which, although still decent, lets its side down a little imo. I go for Keaton's films simply because of their fantastical and quasi-camp, overtly 'comic-book' style that's generally more up my street.

I agree Keaton's isn't truly a trilogy. Sadly, it now seems it's the closest we'll get!

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Dark Knight might be the best superhero film ever made. The Flash, the worst. The only actual trilogy on the list has the three best movies of the 6. So yeah, that one.

 

[The Batman]

Putting aside that Keaton didn't have a trilogy, and that the Dark Knight trilogy dog walks Batman/Batman Returns/The Flash...

TDKR got great reviews, made a billion dollars, and has a particularly iconic performance in Tom Hardy's Bane. Overall, only a vocal minority in the fanboy bubble seem to regard it as less than good.

The Flash got middling reviews at best, and is one of the biggest bombs in superhero movie history.

They are not the same.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

OP edited.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Bale, we got really lucky with those.

 

[Boom]

I mean, this isn't close.

Bale in a landslide.

 

[DeadlyWest]

The Dark Knight trilogy is literally one of the best movie trilogies ever made for consistent quality.

Obviously your take is as valid as mine or anyone else's and I don't want to try to downplay it but I legitimately find it difficult to see how this is even a question

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The Dark Knight trilogy is literally one of the best movie trilogies ever made for consistent quality.

Obviously your take is as valid as mine or anyone else's and I don't want to try to downplay it but I legitimately find it difficult to see how this is even a question

Well, rating Batman '89 8/10 and Batman Returns 9/10 isn't unusual, likewise with rating Batman Begins 8/10 and The Dark Knight 9/10. So I guess it comes down to The Dark Knight Rises and The Flash.

I've gone backwards and forwards with Rises over the years. There are things I love and things I don't. With The Flash, its highs don't hit the highs of Rises, but there's nothing in there I dislike - and (most importantly) I had a blast watching it.

 

[DeadlyWest]

Well, rating Batman '89 8/10 and Batman Returns 9/10 isn't unusual, likewise with rating Batman Begins 8/10 and The Dark Knight 9/10. So I guess it comes down to The Dark Knight Rises and The Flash.

I've gone backwards and forwards with Rises over the years. There are things I love and things I don't. With The Flash, its highs don't hit the highs of Rises, but there's nothing in there I dislike - and (most importantly) I had a blast watching it.

I mean I'd personally rate 89 an 8 and Returns an 8 at best. Returns I rarely if ever see as being regarded as one of the best Batman movies, I moreso see that with 89. Meanwhile Begins and TDK I rate both as 9/10 while TDKR I'd give a 7 at absolute worst. Flash meanwhile I mean like...

a 6?

Maybe?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I mean I'd personally rate 89 an 8 and Returns an 8 at best. Returns I rarely if ever see as being regarded as one of the best Batman movies, I moreso see that with 89. Meanwhile Begins and TDK I rate both as 9/10 while TDKR I'd give a 7 at absolute worst. Flash meanwhile I mean like...

a 6?

Maybe?

I've always preferred Returns over 89, ever since I first saw them in the cinema. But our ratings are pretty similar. It's just at The Flash we part company.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I have no particularly deep affection for either movie outside of Keaton's performance but Returns is for sure better. It is a very funny, weird, horny, satirical movie with some great writing by Daniel Waters. 89 is fun and more classic "Batman" but it doesn't have a whole lot going on under the hood, Returns is a much richer movie thematically.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Live Action movies featuring Batman:

1. The Dark Knight *****
2. The Batman ****1/2
3. Batman Begins ****1/2
4. The Dark Knight Rises ****1/4
5. Batman Returns ****
6. Batman and Robin ***1/2
7. Batman Forever ***1/2
[BGCOLOR=initial]8. Batman ***1/2[/BGCOLOR]
9. Batman the Movie ***
10. Justice League *1/2
11. Batman v. Superman *1/2
12. The Flash -*****

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Mine,

1. The Batman ~ 9/10
2. Batman Returns ~ 9/10
3. The Dark Knight ~ 9/10
4. Batman '89 ~ 8/10
5. Batman Begins ~ 8/10
6. The Flash ~ 7.5/10
7. The Dark Knight Rises ~ 7/10
8. Batman v Superman~7/10
9. Batman '66 ~ 6.5/10
10.Batman Forever ~ 6.5/10
11.Justice League ~ 4/10
12.Batman & Robin ~ 3/10

 

[Spider-Fan83]

got to go with Keaton

tho, I wouldn't really say the Flash made for a complete trilogy for Keaton's Batman... the Batman scenes of it alone I enjoyed enough to call it a third movie of Keaton's appearance that I prefer to Bale's third appearance in Raises (which didn't do that trilogy Justice for me)

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

got to go with Keaton

tho, I wouldn't really say the Flash made for a complete trilogy for Keaton's Batman... the Batman scenes of it alone I enjoyed enough to call it a third movie of Keaton's appearance that I prefer to Bale's third appearance in Raises (which didn't do that trilogy Justice for me)

Agreed, that why I replaced 'trilogy' with 'three films featuring Batman' in the OP.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

@Spider-Fan83 Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Keaton actually spent more time suited-up in The Flash than Bale did in Rises!

 

[B]

If Burton/Keaton had actually made a third film together it might actually be close because I hold Batman 89' & Batman Returns collectively not far off Batman Begins & The Dark Knight, although I think of those 4 films TDK is the best film.

The Dark Knight Rises is arguably the weakest of Bale's trilogy, however at worst I'd still call it a solid film & because Keaton's third outing was a supporting character in The Flash, which was mediocre, Bale's run was 'better', however I do think had Keaton made a trilogy it could have been closer.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I do think had Keaton made a trilogy it could have been closer.

My dream is that Burton and Keaton got talking on the set of Beetlejuice 2 and came up with a solid idea for Batman 3, which they successfully pitched to Gunn and Safran. Still, maybe in a parallel universe they already made Batman Beyond and it broke box office records!

 

[Batman95]

Bale

 

[BoredGuy]

while I'm no huge fan of TDKR, Flash was dogs*** so I gotta give it to Bale too

 

[Gothamsknight]

Bale and it's not close

 

[Awest66]

got to go with Keaton

tho, I wouldn't really say the Flash made for a complete trilogy for Keaton's Batman... the Batman scenes of it alone I enjoyed enough to call it a third movie of Keaton's appearance that I prefer to Bale's third appearance in Raises (which didn't do that trilogy Justice for me)

Bale actually got some pretty solid emotional material to work with in Rises whereas Keaton was essentially just there for fan service (you could literally swap him out with any other Batman and it would make zero difference)

Anyways, for me. It's very easily Bale by considerable distance. I know many will never cut The Dark Knight Rises a break for one reason or another (Lack of Ledger Joker, Having it be an actual conclusion instead of another open-ended installment in a series) but it's on a whole other level of film making compared to the utter mediocrity of the Flash. I'll take Hardy's Bane over Shannon's phoned-in return as Zod any day of the week.

 

[The Joker]

Bale by a wide, wide, WIDE margin.