Which screen version of Batman is your favourite?

[saturn5]

Just to qualify, screen only, not comics

1. Adam West, we all grew up with him and even today this show is great fun, the villains are especially good and the best ep is the political satire when the Penguin runs for Mayor. The film is especially good, benefitting from the bigger budget for the Batcopter, Batbike etc sorry Eartha, Julie Newmar for the best Catwoman

2. Tim Burton's Batman, lot's of gothic and like a modern day fairy tale but with kick-ass action (they always described The Punisher as Batman-who-kills-people but Burtons Batman doesn't hesitate to do that). Favourite scene is where we first see Bruce Wayne at the beginning of Batman Returns, sitting alone in a huge dark cavernous room staring off into space. You see him and think 'This guy could dress up as a giant bat in his spare time'.

3. Joel Schumacer's Batman, less dark, more colourful, more set in the real world with none of the 30s noir touches but keeping the overall comic book tone. Val Kilmer is actually my favourite in the role, some sexy ladies, terrific villains and great action scenes. George Clooney is ok but saddled with a terrible script and fat Batgirl. No offence to Robin but he works better as a solo act

4. Christian Bale's Batman, stripped of all it's comic book trappings and set very much in the real world, impressive but maybe not as much fun as what's been before.

5. Other, the old black and white serials and the various cartoon incarnations (I'm actually old enough to remember the late 70s cartoons)

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

TDK, BB, Batman Returns, Batman, Mask of the Phantasm, 1960s Batman, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin. In that order.

 

[bigdaddy]

Yeah it's hard to say which one is best.

Most enjoyable movies...

The Dark Knight
Batman Returns
Batman Begins
60s Batman
Batman 1989
Batman Forever

 

[The Evil Dead]

I'm a Kevin Conroy guy, in my mind that's how Batman sounds. Nobody else comes close. I like Michael Keaton and Christian Bale a lot as well.

 

[Christopher]

Why are the poll choices split between actors in two cases and directors in the other two? And why limit it to live action -- while excluding Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowery from the '40s serials?

The definitive serious Batman is Kevin Conroy, though Bruce Greenwood is doing an awesome job on Young Justice (and before that in Under the Red Hood). The definitive comic Batman is Adam West, though Diedrich Bader on Batman: The Brave and the Bold has been doing a fantastic job -- and proved in "Chill of the Night!" that he could give Conroy a run for his money in the serious-Batman department as well.

If we're talking about the productions rather than the actors -- it's not very clearly defined what we're actually being asked here -- then The Dark Knight certainly stands as the best Batman movie ever made and probably the best superhero movie ever made, even if Christian Bale's Bat-growl undermines his rating. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm would be the second-best Batman movie, though it wasn't the best story of the Conroy/DCAU Batman. And the 1966 Adam West Batman feature film is a comedy classic, along with the first two seasons of the television series (the third was inferior, though it benefitted from Yvonne Craig's presence).

 

[BlobVanDam]

I do love the Adam West Batman movie. It may not be good, but it is just so entertaining. I like that campiness.

I haven't seen any of the Tim Burton Batmans recently enough to remember them, so I can't comment on those.

As for Batman and Robin, I know everyone hates it, and it is an awful movie without question, but that's why it's just so hilarious to watch. It's so bad that it's awesome.

And I know I'm alone here, but I haven't been a fan of Christopher Nolan's Batman at all. The first one wasn't bad, but I didn't find it all interesting, and I didn't like TDK at all.

So when it comes to Batman, I like them silly

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Favorite? Probably Batman. The best overall quality? The Dark Knight.

 

[Kirkman1987]

^

Yeah, Kevin Conroy is the voice of batman to me. He is just perfect in the role. I'm not a huge fan of the show, but Conroy is fantastic.

my favorite is the Adam West 1960's series. It has a wonderfully sharp wit and is just so colorful and fun. Adam West makes a great Batman considering the tone of the series. I think he's able to maintain the dignity of the character even with all the silliness around him. I would have loved to see West return a few years after the show in a more serious screen version.

 

[ClayinCA]

The definitive serious Batman is Kevin Conroy, though Bruce Greenwood is doing an awesome job on Young Justice (and before that in Under the Red Hood). The definitive comic Batman is Adam West, though Diedrich Bader on Batman: The Brave and the Bold has been doing a fantastic job -- and proved in "Chill of the Night!" that he could give Conroy a run for his money in the serious-Batman department as well.

If we're talking about the productions rather than the actors -- it's not very clearly defined what we're actually being asked here -- then The Dark Knight certainly stands as the best Batman movie ever made and probably the best superhero movie ever made, even if Christian Bale's Bat-growl undermines his rating. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm would be the second-best Batman movie, though it wasn't the best story of the Conroy/DCAU Batman. And the 1966 Adam West Batman feature film is a comedy classic, along with the first two seasons of the television series (the third was inferior, though it benefitted from Yvonne Craig's presence).

I had written my own post, and then I realized that I actually agreed with every single thing Christopher said.

 

[Brikar99]

Conroy, fer sher

 

[Christopher]

Favorite? Probably Batman.

Do you mean Batman (1966) or Batman (1989)?

 

[Greylock Crescent]

^ '89 ... prolly should have clarified that. Though, I fondly remember watching the Adam West series and film as a child.

 

[captcalhoun]

Christian Bale.

and anyone who disses his growl needs to know: in Dennis O'Neil's novelisation of the Broken Bat/ValleyBatman story, he actually said Batman has a growly low voice which Gordon finds as intimidating as thugs do. he also mentioned Batman's proclivity for vanishing when your back's turned like Bale's Batman.

so, if Denny goddamn O'Neil says he growls, he goddamn growls.

plus which, it's ridiculous to think that he doesn't alter his voice somehow to disguise it. the mask may hide his face, but someone should have gone 'Hey, you should like Bruce fuckin' Wayne!' by now if he didn't do something with his voice.

 

[bigdaddy]

plus which, it's ridiculous to think that he doesn't alter his voice somehow to disguise it. the mask may hide his face, but someone should have gone 'Hey, you sound like Bruce fuckin' Wayne!' by now if he didn't do something with his voice.

I agree, however it does sound bad at times, they could have done it a little better, but it's smart they changed it.

 

[Janus VI]

Just to qualify, screen only, not comics
The film is especially good, benefitting from the bigger budget for the Batcopter, Batbike etc sorry Eartha, Julie Newmar for the best Catwoman

To give credit where it's due; Lee Meriwether portrayed Catwoman in the 1966 movie.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Batman has a growly low voice which Gordon finds as intimidating as thugs do.

Problem is, rather than being an intimidating tone, Bale's growl induces fits of laughter from me. Sure, maybe Batman is supposed to growl, but it still has to work within the context of the film. And for me, and others, it just doesn't. It's one of the few things in Nolan's versions that don't work -- which is probably why it gets discussed so much.

 

[Set Harth]

This

 

[Christopher]

so, if Denny goddamn O'Neil says he growls, he goddamn growls.

And that's exactly what Kevin Conroy did. His Bruce Wayne had a clear, high, light and breezy voice, and his Batman had a deeper, more gravelly voice. The point is that it worked when Conroy did it. His Batman voice was low and growly, but it was also an effective character voice, strong and imposing, but also clear. The problem is not that Bale growls, the problem is that he doesn't do it well. His growl is overdone and it makes his lines harder to understand.

 

[saturn5]

Why are the poll choices split between actors in two cases and directors in the other two? And why limit it to live action -- while excluding Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowery from the '40s serials?
QUOTE]

In my mind it's a question of tone. Joel Schumacher's Batman films were identical in tone, they had the same vision of the character and style but had a different lead actor. They are however two peas in a pod.
And I did leave the 'Other' option free for all the cartoons and old B&W serials

I often think in these we should have some kind of handicap system so that those released in the last 10 years should be slightly penalised, it would eliminate the advantage of the new

And yes, much love to Lee Meriwether, my second favoutie Catwoman. Julie still number 1 though

 

[Servo]

The '66 Batman film was on TV the other day. I'd forgotten how utterly ridiculous it was. The final straw for me was when they claimed a fucking porpoise leaped infront of one of Penguin's torpedos, sacrificing itself to save Batman and Robin. I turned it off right there and then. There's camp fun, and then there's just taking the piss.