With The Flash movie slated for a November 4th release, fans of Michael Keaton's Batman are eagerly awaiting the big-screen return of what many deem the one and only true Dark Knight. Whether it was the script, music, cinematography, direction, Jack Nicholson, or Prince's "Batdance," the 1989 Batman movie remains a timeless masterpiece that many fans regard as the best Batman film ever made.
It has been the subject of much contention amongst Batman enthusiasts over the years, but the excitement around Keaton's return may settle the argument once and for all; Michael Keaton is the best Batman.
It can escalate to school yard fights between fans. You'll often hear people use the term "objectively" to try and remove themselves from the equation of having an opinion. They'll claim it's a conversation about aesthetic science! The truth is it will always be a matter of opinion, and everyone is entitled to one. That being said, one should examine the word entitlement. If someone were to claim the 1943 Batman was the best, they may be criticized for having a false sense of entitlement. The 1943 Batman also aged poorly with horrific racial stereotypes, but should a fan claim it is their preferred version of Batman, who are we to judge? Or maybe that's exactly what we should be doing — judging content based on its merit. After all, having a discerning opinion is important in order to identify what works and what doesn't.
Will The Real Batman Please Stand Up
1992's Batman Returns divided audiences more than some people may remember or realize. A lot of fans were turned off by how grotesque Burton went with the Penguin, and found some of the banter between Catwoman and Batman cringy and awkward. Over time, it has cemented its place as another amazingly stylized entry in the Batman mythos. It is distinctly Tim Burton's and features a lot of what made the '89 film work so well.
Keaton was set to appear for a third time in 1995's Batman Forever but left the project due to creative differences when director Joel Schumacher wanted to brighten things up a lot. In the end, Val Kilmer dawned the suit instead, splintering the franchise off into what felt like another dimension altogether. The stability of Batman's time-space continuum completely collapsed after George Clooney dawned the cowl in what is regarded by many as one of the worst superhero films of all time.
Too Much Fun
Circa 2005, in a sound mix session somewhere in Hollywood, director Christopher Nolan sat there with a team of people as Christian Bale's voice was manipulated by a sound engineer. One must ponder, was there anyone who disagreed with the decision? Was there someone who felt strongly about it but didn't have the courage to speak up in fear of disagreeing with the director? Many fans to this day think that Christian Bale's voice manipulation single-handedly ruined the entire trilogy. Others outright reject such a claim and point to the less than stylized Gotham Chicago for pulling them out of the Batman universe. Others may claim the action sequences felt rushed and difficult to follow. Some have pointed to the scripts claiming they feel more like serialized TV writing than well-paced feature films.
All of that said, what you probably hear most is that Nolan's trilogy is an impeccable masterpiece. It all depends on who you're talking to, but in terms of re-watch value, Burton's original trilogy (if you include Forever, which he helped produce) is hands down the winner. As a form of escapism and fantasy, Burton's films take the cake.
Batman Forever, For Everyone
Similar to a political spectrum, Batman has a far left and right. On the far left, you have Adam West and Burt Ward fighting great whites with Shark Repellent Bat Spray, and on the far right, you'll find Paul Dano weeping in a corner while Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson scream at one another over who's more depressed. In the center you'll find Michael Keaton standing in front of George and Val, keeping an eye on Ben Affleck who wanders back and forth trying to find his place.
At this point, there's something for everyone, but most fans agree Keaton brings balance to the Batforce. 2017 seemed to be a year in review for Batman as we got both The Lego Batman Movie and Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders which saw the return of Adam West. Both offered humility and commentary on Batman's tonal spectrum. In Caped Crusaders, the tone becomes part of the plot itself. There's a great moment where West echoes Keaton's line, "You wanna get nuts, let's get nuts!" For Keaton fans, this was validating. Sadly, Adam West passed away that year, but before he died, perhaps in a coded way, he was telling us his opinion; "Micheal Keaton was the best Batman!"
This is a Flash Movie, Not Batman
While the implications of Keaton's return to Batman run the risk of overshadowing Ezra Miller's Flash movie, it's important to keep in mind this is hopefully the first of many theatrical Flash films. Miller's performance as the Flash was a key ingredient in making Zack Snyder's Justice League work. The only trouble is that any self-respecting Flash fan knows John Wesley Shipp is objectively the greatest Flash of all time. That's just science.