ROTTEN TOMATOES: Total Recall: It's the Bat!

Total Recall: It's the Bat!

A complete history of Batman's theatrical releases.

by Tim Ryan and Alex Vo | July 16, 2008

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In Batman's universe, what's the only thing scarier than Heath Ledger as Joker? The fact that Christopher Nolan will one day not be at the directorial helm. The Bat has seen more hands pass through it than any other comic book franchise, guided as low as the final days of the Joel Schumacher era, and reaching peaks like Nolan's successful attempts in legitimizing the genre. With The Dark Knight dropping this Friday, evacuating America of its pent-up superhero demand like teenage timebombs, Rotten Tomatoes is exploring the storied theatrical history of Batman.

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Batman: The Movie (1966, 80%)
Who's the Bat? Adam West
The villains: The Penguin, The Riddler, The Joker, Catwoman. (Holy multiple conundrum!)

For a Batman interpretation frequently derided for its campiness, Batman: The Movie has a surprisingly high number of quotable lines and memorable scenes. Remember how the dynamic duo deduce that all their archenemies -- Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, and The Joker -- are working together to take over the world? Or the insane logic Robin consistently applies to Riddler's questions that always turn out to be right? But the best bit has to be the one highlighted below. It involves bat ladders, shark repellent Bat-spray, and a high seas encounter with an exploding Megalodon. "Holy Cornball Camp, Batman!" exclaims Scott Weinberg, "This movie's a hoot!"

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(1-20 of 50 posts) | Reply

NEO-NOIR2X2 writes:
on Jul 16 2008 06:26 PM

WOW its amazing looking back at the many "BATMAN" films that has graced the big screen. Out of all of these Batman classics and flops (Batman & Robin) my favorite one will have to be definitly BATMAN RETURNS that was such a great movie Tim Burton did a bang up job with this sequel. It captured the dark and errie atmosphere of Gotham City and who can forget Michelle Pieffer as Catwoman I know I cant. Oh and thanks Rottentomatoes for including the animated film BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM that ranks among my list of the best Batman films but of course on July 18th The Dark Knight Iam sure will be my all time favorite Batman film.

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CaptainFalcon writes:
on Jul 16 2008 07:28 PM

Epic.

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Bruce Campbell writes:
on Jul 16 2008 07:44 PM

Wow 12 Batman movies... And not one Flash, Wonder Woman, Lobo, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Aquaman or Green Airow movie. Way to be a team player, Batman.

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Ice Monkey writes:
on Jul 16 2008 08:18 PM

Heh, I remember when I was 5 and Batman and Robin was mind-blowing. 10 years later, I think it is terrible. Batman Begins is the best one of course. Until The Dark Knight comes out that is.

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tuswraith writes:
on Jul 16 2008 08:19 PM

So goood......I'm just appalled at Batman and Robin........and Batman Forever.......who thought Joel Schumacher could ever do a good job?

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Wallcloud writes:
on Jul 16 2008 08:42 PM

Tim Burton's Batman is the most iconic cuz the dark superhero had not been done before that so I LOVE everything about Batman and Batman Returns - can't wait to see TDK tho!!

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duckmanx88 writes:
on Jul 16 2008 09:49 PM

honestly these were all just not good, except of course for batmanbegins and mash of the phastam w/e. i watched the cartoon and found it to be pretty good it's just the animation felt dated. but honestly, i didn't like tim burtons movies. i used to. but they fail epicly in comparison with batman begins.

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Zeppelin047 writes:
on Jul 16 2008 10:01 PM

the batman movies and the cartoon provided me alot of entertainment when i was growing up in the 90's. I was 7 when Batman Forever came out and at the time, that was the biggest thing ever and i loved that movie. The cartoon was also amazing and i watched it as often as i could, thank you for reminding me that Mask of Phantasm existed, i remember really enjoying that movie. Batman and Batman Returns were not that memorable for me at the time, cause well frankly those damn penguins scared me when i was 6 or whenever i watched it for the first time.

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KingSigy writes:
on Jul 16 2008 11:11 PM

I remember seeing Mask of the Phantasm when I was about 6. I was scared since it was definitely more violent than the TV series. It was an awesome movie though and was crazy with how it showed the cops chasing Batman for half of it.

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PlanBFromOuterSpace writes:
on Jul 16 2008 11:16 PM

As horrible as "Batman and Robin" was, the commentary on the DVD is pretty fascinating. Schumacher rightfully accepts part of the blame for the flick, but he also gives a pretty good explanation of how pretty much EVERYONE at Warner Brothers was out their minds when it came to what to do with the movie, as it seemed to exist solely for the purpose of selling merchandise, which explains the dozens of costume changes, the 48,000 new characters, and why everything in the movie looked like it could be made into a toy.

Having not seen the movie since it's theatrical release, I can honestly say that I didn't remember like 80% of it or so when I finally saw it again on DVD when the Batman Legacy set came out a few years back.

In the movie's defense (OK, not really), I still think that Clooney could have been a decent Batman. It's just that the movie wasn't even ABOUT Batman. He would have been alright in any of the previous installments...

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buttamack writes:
on Jul 16 2008 11:45 PM

69 percent for BATMAN? Really? That is kind of surprising. I thought that was the best "super hero" movie until Spider-Man (and subsequently, X2, Spider-Man, Batman Begins and Iron Man) came out. Well My favorite Batmans are in this order

Batman Begins
Batman
Batman Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Returns
Batman Forever
Batman (Adam West)
Batman and Robin

and on a side note, that planned 4th sequel would have been trash. The title alone makes me sick!

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digi writes:
on Jul 17 2008 02:44 AM

In reply to this comment (#1881112)
yes batman returns was awesome. not to mention the first batman,too.

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duonayoyo writes:
on Jul 17 2008 04:33 AM

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mightyfooda writes:
on Jul 17 2008 05:22 AM

Joel Shumacher, what the hell was up with Batman and Robin?? I think that The Dark Knight will be far and away the best, but I do love the old Tim Burton ones and anything to do with the Animated Series.
The thing that drives me nuts is how people are fawning over these new comic books movies, being so different and full of new ideas, like the way they are portraying the Joker. When in reality this is the way that the comics have been for years and how the characters have been in the books. Don't praise guys like Nolan, Favreau and Raimi for thinking of "new ways of telling a superhero story", praise them for actually telling the stories they were told in the comics!! That's why the ones that are great lately are great is because the source material was great and they were being true too it, and I think that all 3 of those guys did a great job of doing that.
Anyone who doesn't believe me should read the Killing Joke by Alan Moore Frank Miller's the Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year one.

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Sly Shaitan writes:
on Jul 17 2008 06:04 AM

I think that the Batman movies have very much been reflection of the times they were made in. The same thing is true for the other film franchise that spans over four decades - James Bond. Once again, we see a transition from a good (well great actually - Sean Connery the best Bond hands and all other limbs down) start to a campy mid term to a bold new beginning with a darker and more realistic tone. And in this sense, these movies are increasingly becoming an actor centric affairs as opposed to solely effects driven flicks, which I think is a very good thing.

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fullmetalnek writes:
on Jul 17 2008 07:13 AM

Awesome list guys!!!! I love the 1966 movie. The scene where Adam West tries to get rid of a bomb is so hilarious; one of my all time favorites!!!

I'm seeing TDK tonight!! yay!!! Greatest thing about living in a latin-american left-winged third world country is that big premiers are on thursdays!!!! Can't Wait!!!!

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opTIMus Nerd writes:
on Jul 17 2008 08:22 AM

Man o man, I have blocked out most of my memories of 'Batman & Robin' the movie is so terrible that I can't even watch it MST3K style because it just hurts. 'Batman Forever' is also painful but at least is semi-watchable ESPECIALLY in comparison to 'Batman & Robin.' Though I agree with Plan B above that Clooney could've been a good Batman had the series maintained any style or script and so on.

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Zed'sDead writes:
on Jul 17 2008 09:20 AM

I thought Batman Forever was ok...Tommy Lee Jones' and Chris O'Donnell's poor, poor acting killed that movie. And to think that he has an Oscar... But I will testify to how great Batman Returns was...great acting, action, and villains. Plus Pee Wee Herman was in it!

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Scorpio82 writes:
on Jul 17 2008 09:22 AM

Man, look at Sega CD Batman waste that thing with the axe! The live-action film versions are never that bad-***!

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~*Admiral Snowstorm*~ writes:
on Jul 17 2008 09:28 AM

You know Saitan, that's a pretty apt comparison. I never thought of it like that.

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