Batman: Rating the cool and the dark

1989 - “Batman (the Movie)”
After years in development hell and with "Dark Knight" as precedent, the first Batman movie since the TV show finally got made under the supervision of uber-spooky director Tim Burton. There was much concern over the casting of usually comic actor Michael Keaton as Batman, but his emotionally minimalist performance succeeded just by getting out of the way of Jack Nicholson's over-the-top turn as the Joker. Some of the TV campiness creeped out but Burton did a generally excellent job of making Gotham City gothic. Bat-purists were disturbed by two liberties taken with the Joker, killing him off at the end and making him responsible for the death of Bruce Wayne's parents.
Coolness: 8
Darkness: 9

1992 - 1995 “Batman Returns”/the Animated Series
Burton's second Batmovie featured a sexy Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, a grotesque Danny DeVito as the Penguin and creepy-cool movie icon Christopher Walken, just for the hell of it. Conflicted critics considered this outing darker — but also campier, putting a lot of stress on the Cool-meter.

DC greenlighted a new Batman cartoon — excuse me, animated series — that featured a stylized dark Deco look, stories from veteran comics authors and former Jedi hero Mark Hamill voicing the villainous Joker. Between official big-screen Batmans, they made and released an animated feature, “Mask of the Phantasm,” that was as profitable (relative to budget) as any of the other Batman movies.
Coolness: 7
Darkness: 8

1995 - “Batman Forever”/“Batman & Robin”
Joel Schumacher, an action director known for explosions and car crashes more than characters, took over the movie franchise and drove it into the ground deeper than the Batcave. The studio celebrated that they had reduced the weight of the Batcostume from 70 pounds to 15, but what everybody noticed was that the anatomically sculptured suit had nipples! Neither Val Kilmer nor George Clooney could add anything positive to Keaton’s stripped-down performance. Jim Carrey recycled several wacked-out performances as the Riddler. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze made Otto Preminger look good and Chris O'Donnell's career is still recovering from his two appearances as Robin.
Coolness: 4
Darkness: 5

1999 - 2001 “Batman Beyond”
This animated version, set umpteen years in the future, featured a Bruce Wayne too old to come out of retirement and his new Batman-in-training, Terry McGinnis. Fortunately, after the Robin II and Az-Batman disasters, Wayne's recruiting had improved; while young and impulsive Terry makes a good Batman. Using yet another different visual style (dark high-tech?), “Beyond” stretched the world of Batman a little farther without breaking it.
Coolness: 7
Darkness: 7

The same can't be said about Frank Miller's 2001 “The Dark Knight Strikes Again,” a three-part graphic novel series set after the successful “Dark Knight Returns” and dismissed by comic book aficionados for way too much cyberpunk sci-fi and overt political commentary and way too little superheroism.

2004 - 2005 “The Batman”
Not just Batman, THE Batman. The latest Saturday Morning Bat-toon goes back to “Year One” for variations on the Batman backstory set in the current day, complete with new first encounters with many familiar villains. With Robin occupied on the current “Teen Titans” cartoon, the show will take a revisionist turn for its next season, introducing Batgirl (or The Batgirl) as sidekick.
Coolness: 6 (4 for Bat-purists)
Darkness: 7

So, will the latest addition to the Batman legacy, “Batman Begins,” be totally cool and dangerously dark, or luke warm and poorly lit?  If this movie can just help us to collectively forget Bat-Mite, the Holy Everythings or the nippled batsuits, then it really will be good to be Bat.

Wendell Wittler is the alias of an online writer in Southern California.

MORE FROM MOVIE OPINIONS

Whatever happened to grown-ups on film?

Whatever happened to grown-ups on film? Is Ryan Reynolds just another Ken doll? Newsweek: Has Michael Moore jumped the shark? Newsvine: Who should play Mr. T's role in 'A-Team'? 10 must-see John Travolta performances Reel of fortune: Movies can’t leave Las Vegas ‘Lost’ in translation: 10 of the best lost lands Do you see what I twee? How precious Drown me in horror movie goo ... please Old folks rarely find a good home onscreen   Add Movie opinions headlines to your news reader: