Batman on Screen
Intro: Batman (aka The Dark Knight) has been portrayed on the silver screen and in home formats more than just about any other character in history. From the early serials (which influenced elements of the comics) to the '60s camp series (a piece of unforgettable pop culture kitsch) and on to Tim Burton's 1989 event movie (featuring Jack Nicholson's unforgettable portrayal of The Joker) fans have never had to wait long before a new take on Batman hit one screen or another. Even as Joel Schumacher threatened to bring the character to his knees after 1997's positively dreadful Batman and Robin, the resilience of The Dark Knight would pull through in the form of a new animated series (and related feature films) that proved the rich storylines of the troubled crusader were still ripe for interpretation, whatever the form. Finally, Christopher Nolan brought the live action series back from the dead with 2005's Batman Begins, widely regarded as the finest comic movies ever made. Early word is that the follow-up, The Dark Knight, might be even better.
But the titles mentioned above are far from the complete list of Batman's adventures on screen. Our exhaustive guide takes you through (almost) every incarnation of Batman on screen, from the '40s serials to the '60s silliness to the animated shows and on up to The Dark Knight. Is anticipation for The Dark Knight killing you? Well give our guide a read through and pick up some of the releases below to tide you over until July 18th!
Feature-Length Batman
Directed by Leslie Martinson
Cast: Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin; Cesar Romero as The Joker; Burgess Meredith as The Penguin; Frank Gorshin as The Riddler; Lee Meriwether as Kitka/Catwoman; Alan Napier as Alfred; Neil Hamilton as Commisioner Gordon
The Lowdown: A fun-spirited example of '60s camp that is more a mockery of the Dark Knight's legend than a true telling of the stories from the comic. Still, it's fun if you can see it as totally separate from the darker themes of the books. Expect anything more and you are sure to despise this lighthearted take. Filled with sound effects like "KAPOW!" and "BLAM" that literally fly at the screen in cartoon bubble letters and ridiculous Batman gadgets such as shark repellent. Adam West and Burt Ward can cheese it up with the best of them, delivering some of the hammiest lines of dialogue ever committed to celluloid. There are also more than a few knowing winks such as Batman's line "Bon Voyage, Pussy." Unlike the atrocious Batman and Robin (1997), at least this gang knew it was supposed to be silly.
Directed by Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/The Joker; Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale; Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
The Lowdown: Up until 2005's Batman Begins, widely considered the finest live action Batman movie. It still holds up well, especially when viewed more as a Joker tale than a Batman one. As with the three follow-up films in this series, The Dark Knight himself takes a back seat to the colorful cast of villains. Nicholson's take on The Joker is one for the ages. This is truly a role he was born to play and he relishes the opportunity. It's a shame we never got to see him do it again. Michael Keaton offers an excellent, understated take on the Bruce Wayne character and brings a darker edge to the tales of Batman and his many demons. Still a classic of the genre and the movie that gave birth to the modern superhero event movie.
Directed by Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin; Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle/Catwoman; Christopher Walken as Max Shreck; Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
The Lowdown: Burton returns again for his final Batman tale and the result is a mixed bag. Surely better than the two Batman movies to come, Returns suffers from the same problem as the future films in that there are simply too many villains and too much going on at once. Although it's nothing compared to the ensemble of crapola Batman and Robin (1997) would unleash, focus constantly shifts between Batman's story, Catwoman's story and the story of The Penguin. It's a shame because Pfeiffer and DeVito were inspired casting choices as Catwoman and The Penguin, respectively, and it would have been nice to see more of them as the featured villain in their own film. Burton still brings his distinctive vision and visual flair to the project and, while it isn't as good as the first, it still holds up well.
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Cast: Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Jim Carrey as Dr. Edward Nygma/The Riddler; Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face; Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian; Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin; Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
The Lowdown: A respectable entry into the Batman pantheon. Although there are some hints of the cheese that would follow at Schumacher's hands in Batman and Robin, Forever is a much closer cousin to the Burton Batman movies than the debacle that would follow. Generally dark with hints of humor, the two-villain format from Returns continues and, yet again, two strong choices are made to portray The Riddler and Two-Face. Carrey is the perfect Riddler and gives a spirited performance hindered only by his costume, which is a bit too loyal to the pages of the comics. Tommy Lee Jones is also an interesting choice, although his character design is also a bit too literal. Val Kilmer is ho-hum as the caped crusader. He fills the role suitably enough, but has been largely forgotten for his one film donning the cape and cowl.
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Cast: George Clooney as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze; Uma Thurman as Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy; Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson/Robin; Alicia Silverstone as Barbara Wilson/Batgirl; Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
The Lowdown: Not only the worst Batman movie ever made, but one of the worst movies in the history of cinema. Whether the blame falls on Schumacher (as the studio claims) or on WB's rush to bring out a movie with plenty of toy tie-ins (as Schumacher claims), this is a painful movie to sit through unless attached to some sort of drinking game. Perhaps every time Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze mispronounces a word or every time a new character is introduced? That might kill you though... Batman and Robin tries to bridge the gap between the camp of the '60s show and the darker Tim Burton tales. The result at a movie that's neither dark nor fun in a campy way. Everyone is terrible. Uma Thurman is generally a good actress, but her work here is bad enough to have killed her career prematurely. George Clooney tries to make the best of what he has acknowledged as a big career misstep, but even his likability fails to shine through. Batman and Robin killed the series and nearly prevented Batman from ever returning to the big screen. It also put a blight on characters like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Batgirl and Robin -- classic characters from the comics whom future directors may stray away from simply for fear of association with this dreadful movie.
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth; Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes; Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon; Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox; Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard; Ken Watanabe as Ra's Al Ghul; Cillian Murphy as Dr. Joanathan Crane/The Scarecrow; Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone
The Lowdown:The movie that rejuvenated the franchise and was immediately proclaimed the finest Batman movie and one of the finest superhero movies of all time. Chris Nolan takes elements from the darker Batman work of the '70s along with Jeph Loeb, Frank Miller and Alan Moore's darker graphic novel work to create a more subdued, gritty take on the dark knight. Casting is pitch-perfect. Bale was a fan choice for years before actually landing the part; Michael Caine is as good an Alfred as one could ever imagine; Morgan Freeman; Liam Neeson; Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy -- all perfect. And Katie Holmes? Well, at least Maggie Gyllenhaal has taken over in the sequel. Nolan's work here is nothing short of extraordinary, a comic tale that crosses over to all audiences, be it the comic faithful or simply fans of intelligent cinema.
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Heath Ledger as The Joker; Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth; Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes; Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon; Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox
The Lowdown: Already being called the greatest superhero adventure of them all. The tragic death of Heath Ledger nearly threatened to overshadow the release, but praise of Ledger's performance and the movie as a whole has catapulted The Dark Knight from merely another comic movie in a summer awash with spandex and chest symbols into a legitimate contender for Best Picture and Best Actor Oscar nominations.
Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm
Voice Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Dana Delany as Andre Beaumont/The Phantasm; Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth; Bob Hastings as Commisioner Jim Gordon; Mark Hamill as The Joker
The Lowdown: Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski's highly-praised, Emmy Award-winning series makes its way to the big screen. After the disappointing Batman Returns and the fall of the franchise that was to follow, Batman's new animated adventures offered another take on the legendary superhero. Although not directly connected to any particular comic, this incarnation was as close as anyone had come to bringing a comic book to life on screen. Mask of the Phantasm was well-received and is given high placement by fans on the list of top on-screen Batman adventures.
Directed by Curt Geda
Voice Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Angie Harmon as Commisioner Barbara Gordon; Mark Hamill as Jack Napier/The Joker; Tara Strong as Batgirl; Mathew Valencia as Timothy Drake/Robin
The Lowdown: Bringing Batman into the future and allowing someone beside Bruce Wayne to don the cape and cowl left loyalists skeptical at the outset. But considering the same team behind the acclaimed Animated Series was behind the creation, fans eventually tuned in. The series would go on to last almost as long as the original show it spawned from. The animation is highly creative and colorful while still preserving the dark overtones of Bruce Timm's original designs on The Animated Series. This 2002 feature offers a futuristic joker to go along with the new Batman and is regarded fondly by fans, just a notch below Mask of the Phantasm.
TV, DVD, and Serials
Batman Serial (1943)
Cast: Lewis Wilson as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Douglas Croft as Dick Grayson/Robin; J. Carroll Naish as Dr. Daka; Shirley Patterson as Linda Page; William Austin as Alfred.
The Lowdown: Shot on the cheap only four years after Batman's 1939 debut in Detective Comics # 27, these creative serials took the action and tales of crime seriously. Sure, they are dated, but they are actually far more loyal to the darker elements of the comics than any other incarnation of Batman on screen up until Burton's 1989 movie. Originally aired in a 15-part series of shorts at movie theaters on Saturday mornings. An interesting note is that up until this point, the Alfred of the comics was a stout, undistinguished man with hopes of becoming a detective himself. Austin's portrayal of Wayne's loyal butler as a dignified Englishman with a pencil-thin mustache was soon applied to the pages of the comics. Alfred's portrayal, in all forms sense, owes a continued debt of gratitude to Austin's work 65 years ago.
Batman Serial (1949)
Cast: Robert Lowery as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Johnny Duncan as Dick Grayson/Robin; Jane Adam as Vicki Vale; Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon
The Lowdown: Batman returns for another 15-part serial. All in all, not as well-regarded as the 1943 serials but offering slightly higher production values and more action. Robert Lowery was mocked a tad for his less-than-fit status at the time of production. A Batman with a gut instead of six-pack chest plate is just a bit less intimidating.
Batman (1966 - 1968)
Cast: Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin; Cesar Romero as The Joker; Burgess Meredith as The Penguin; Frank Gorshin as The Riddler; Lee Meriwether as Kitka/Catwoman; Alan Napier as Alfred; Neil Hamilton as Commisioner Gordon
The Lowdown: Like the movie, a piece of '60s camp that has its place in the time capsule of Batman's history. It was fun for its time and is interesting as a relic, but this one gets tiresome about halfway through an episode.
The Adventures of Batman and Robin (1968)
Voice Cast: Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Burt Ward as Dick Grayson
The Lowdown: Basically the animated version of the 1966 TV show. Each 15-minute short is primarily action-based with Batman and Robin squaring off against the classic villains.
The New Adventures of Batman (1977 - 1978)
Voice Cast: Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin; Melendy Britt as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl'; Lennie Weinrib as Commissioner Gordon; Lou Scheimer as Bat-Mite/Bat-Computer
The Lowdown: A short-lived Saturday morning series aimed more at selling sugary cereals than telling anything terribly timeless. West and Ward have a good time vocally reprising their roles.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992 - 1995)
Voice Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth; Bob Hastings as Commisioner Jim Gordon; Mark Hamill as The Joker; Loren Lester as Dick Grayson/Robin
The Lowdown: A classic of the Batman legend. As the live action movies declined in quality, loyalists pointed to this series as the truest representation of The Dark Knight. Still popular on disc and available in season sets, the series would spurn a sequel series and the inventive Batman Beyond.
Batman Gotham Knights (1997-1999)
Voice Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth; Bob Hastings as Commissioner Jim Gordon; Mark Hamill as The Joker; Loren Lester as Dick Grayson/Robin
The Lowdown: Originally aired alongside Superman as part of WB's The New Batman/Superman Adventures, the creative team behind The Animated Series offers up a new tale in which Robin has become Nightwing has joined the Batman team.
Batman Beyond (1999 - 2001)
Voice Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Angie Harmon as Commissioner Barbara Gordon; Mark Hamill as Jack Napier/The Joker; Tara Strong as Batgirl; Matthew Valencia as Timothy Drake/Robin
The Lowdown: Batman in the future? Bruce Wayne as an old man? Someone else in the batsuit? Say it ain't so! Fans were a bit gun-shy of this inventive new twist on the classic Batman storyline, but after the initial weirdness of all the changes wore off, fans of the Animated Series (whose creators also developed Batman Beyond) were soon eagerly tuning into every episode. Highly regarded by fans and considered almost on par with the original animated series.
Cast: Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman; David McCallum as Alfred Pennyworth
The Lowdown: An interesting little project similar in tone to the Animatrix DVD that served as a primer for the Matrix sequels. Although there is no official connection between Knight at the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, the overtones of Batman Begins are clear with a few of the stories directly referencing elements of Nolan's films (such as the look of the Batmobile). Batman Begins and Dark Knight scribe David Goyer writes one of the tales as do Josh Olson (A History of Violence) and Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). The animation is different for each tale. Some are stronger than others and none are particularly groundbreaking, but if nothing else Gotham Knights serves as a nice warm-up for The Dark Knight.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our 3-part Batman Guide.
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