And none exemplifies this more than the sleek but powerful Batmobile introduced in the first film. Everything from the atmospheric, gothic themed set design of Gotham City by the late Anton Furst to the costumes of both Batman and the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) have become iconic. The artistic vision of the Burton Batman films was one of the key elements that made them both unique and popular. Many still consider the 1989 Batman movie to be the best, even with the popular Dark Knight film trilogy reboot in the 2000s under the helm of Christopher Nolan.

Released in 1989, Batman would break box office records and set the tone for the new era of superhero films onward. In particular, his choice of Michael Keaton for the role of playboy billionaire and caped crusader Bruce Wayne/Batman was one of the most controversial, receiving massive negative responses from hardcore fans. Burton was known for his quirky and unusual creative choices, as seen in films such as Beetlejuice and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Thanks to the efforts of Michael Uslan and other creators with a similar vision, the new Batman film would be more grounded and emulate the darker tone of both Batman’s original version and the gritty new take.īut it would be thanks to director Tim Burton that the film would find its unique flavor, with the gothic and post-modern designs for Batman and the city of Gotham. Things changed when the mid-1980s saw a resurgence of Batman’s popularity, thanks to the grim and gritty approach in stories such as Batman: Year One, The Killing Joke, and The Dark Knight Returns. However, initial attempts did not push through due to the campy reputation that the character gained after the Adam West live action television series from the late 1960s.

had been working for a long time to recapture the magic of the Christopher Reeve Superman: The Movie for over a decade, but with the Dark Knight as the main character. The first Batman film from 1989, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, is considered a masterpiece and one of the most influential films of all time.

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