Three Batman Films You Haven't Seen but Should

Obviously everyone knows who my favorite superhero is. Since the end of the 1930's, Batman's only had one actual contender as the most recognized superhero.  And he's blown up in popularity so much in recent years that he seems to be pretty much everyone's favorite.

As a result of this, or because of this, Batman far and away has more films than any other hero. And we've all seen them, or at least are aware of them. However, with seven movies in the past twenty-five years, with one more iteration on the way, none of them are quite exactly what I most want to see in a film version of Batman.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Chris Nolan films. The Dark Knight, in particular, is a masterpiece that transcends the genre. And I appreciate some of the earlier ones, though Batman Returns is as bad as the black bile that Danny DeVito drools, and Batman and Robin is the one Batman film I've never been able to watch beginning to end. But, while I've enjoyed most of them to some degree or other, none of them are quite what I want to see. 

Why is this? Because none of them are truly faithful to what I view as the comic book Batman. Or to the spirit of it at least. So where do I go for a faithful Batman movie viewing? Animation, obviously. Since the animated films are pretty obscure, all but one being straight to video, chances are you haven't seen them. Since I know you wont be wanting to go through every DVD or Blu Ray like I have, I'll just tell you which three I think are the best so far.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Let's get the obvious pick out of the way right now. Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series was amazing. It revolutionized animated television in general and, more than just true to the comic source material, it influenced Batman comics. Batman comics followed the show's lead when they recreated the origins of characters like Mr. Freeze, and introduced the ever popular Harley Quinn to the comic world. Naturally, it spawned a feature length film. This one was even released in theaters.

Featuring the unique "dark deco" style of the series, and having animation just on par with the better episodes of the show, I wont tell you that I think this movie hold's up to today's animation. Honestly, it doesn't. But that doesn't diminish it. It enhances it. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a work of art that I would claim is a classic animated film. That's Right. There's Snow White, Bambi, and Batman.

Mask of the Phantasm is actually quite nuanced and mature. It's a mystery involving a new vigilante who has come to town, picking off gangsters. His style is similar enough to Batman's that the city believes the Dark Knight has finally crossed the line and gone on a murder spree. It's up to Batman to stop the culprit and clear his name.

I can't tell them apart either.

Simple enough. But there's more to it. The appearance of the Phantasm (though never actually referred to by that name, interestingly enough) brings back old ghosts from Bruce's past, and coincides with the return of a woman with whom he fell in love years before, just as he was just beginning to bust faces as a crime fighter. No longer a simple "who dunnit," we now explore unresolved emotions that threaten Bruce's present, while simultaneously glimpsing into the past at a young Bruce who very nearly decided not to take up the cowl.

"Even if I decide not to wage a war on crime, I'm keeping this badass costume."

What has Batman's war on crime cost him, and what more is he willing to sacrifice to stop this killer? And to make things ever more complicated, Joker just can't help but become involved. The reason why is one of the stand-out moments of the film.

Perennial favorites Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker are joined by Dana Delany as Bruce's lost love Andrea, Stacy Keach as the Phantasm and, holy crap, Tessio himself, Abe Vigoda as decrepit gangster Salvatore Valestra.

There those silly moments that age this film, but do yourself a favor and see it. You wont meet a Batman fan who doesn't swear by it.

Edited: I forgot to rave about the score from Shirly Walker. It's my favorite Batman film score. It has a "march" style theme that many thought were missing from the Zimmer score, and the emotional weight that many thought were missing from the Elfman score. Basically, it has everything and is better than any that came before it. Feel free to listen to it while reading the rest of this.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

I can already hear the doubts. "What is this? Future Batman?" Well shame on you, poopy-pants. Batman Beyond was awesome. Also the brainchild of Bruce Timm, Batman Beyond was, yup, future Batman. 

I'll get you up to speed. Batman Beyond takes place in a Gotham that resembles a combination of future Los Angeles from Blade Runner and future Tokyo from Akira. Bruce Wayne is in his eighties and has long since retired from crime fighting. One day, troubled teen Terry McGinnis finds himself at Wayne Manor, yada yada yada, he's Batman now. Not having honed his mind and skills as Bruce did, he relies on a high-tech batsuit and communication with Bruce via earpiece. Boom. Caught up.

In Return of the Joker, a villain surfaces in Gotham claiming to be, you guessed it, the infamous Joker. Appearing to be just as young as he was in Batman's hay-day, he certainly looks and acts the part. But how could this be? Right away, Bruce tells Terry that it couldn't possibly be the real Joker. That he died years ago. When asked how Bruce could be sure, he responds "I was there." The plot thickens.

Dun Dun DUUUUN!

While investigating the series of crimes perpetrated by Joker(?) and his gang, Terry unearths the truth behind Bruce's final encounter with The Joker years before when a horrific act Joker committed pushed Bruce to the absolute limit of his moral code. Then we get back to the future (great Scott!) to catch up with some of the bitter former members of Batman's entourage, and hopefully crack this case before this new Joker wrecks up Gotham. The film was originally rated PG-13, but was edited down to PG to be more accessible to kids. But fear not! WB was kind enough to release the far superior PG-13 version.

Finally allowing them to include creepy red eyes.

Let me be clear, I don't refer to the PG-13 version as superior just because it's awesome to have violence in a Batman movie. In order to tone the movie down to a more inclusive rating, they didn't simply cut out a bit of blood. They completely changed an integral aspect of the story. In fact, I'd say the very heart of the drama to this movie hinges on the events transpiring the way they do in the PG-13 version. The first version I saw was the PG rated, and it was good. It really was. The original cut, however, is one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. It's one tweak little tweak to the story that makes all the difference.

What makes this movie so great? Well, the animation is perfect, utilizing a more streamlined version of The Animated Series artwork, and the story and dialogue actually respect the intelligence of the audience, willing to take grim and tragic turns without sacrificing its humor. By setting a Batman film in the future, we get more than just cool sci-fi tech. We get to see just what kind of a lasting toll a career in crime fighting vigilantism can have, physically and psychologically. 

Perhaps above all, this movie has, in my opinion, the finest performances by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in their respective roles to date. Plus we get a cameo from Henry Rollins as the lovable Joker henchman "Bonk." Also Will Friedle does do a pretty good job as Terry McGinnis.

Stop bringing up Boy Meets World!

Portraying the final confrontations between the Batmans (Batmen?) and their respective Jokers (Joker?) was a gutsy move. In the wrong hands, it could turn out like Tim Burton's complete misunderstanding of the characters. Fortunately, in writer Paul Dini's skillful hands, the story is immensely satisfying. It also features music from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Static X. So that's fun.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

This is the only entry that's a direct adaptation of a comic book story line. It's the only one that isn't a Bruce Timm creation. It's the only one that doesn't star Kevin Conroy. How could it possibly be on this list? Well, it's really freakin' good!

This movie is also PG-13, and boy does it earn it. The film opens by portraying perhaps the most pivotal moment in Batman's comic career. The death of Robin. Specifically, Jason Todd, who was the second child to take up the mantle of Robin - or to have it placed upon him, depending on how you see it - after Dick Grayson left it behind. For any who haven't read the "Death in the Family" comic book story arch, it came out in 1989, so I'm not bothering with a spoiler warning. In it, Jason was murdered by Joker, who beat him senseless with a crowbar and then abandoned him in a building with a bomb set to explode. Typical "villain-leaves-the-hero-alone-in-a-deathtrap" scenario that was made a cliche by the 60's series, right? Maybe a tad more brutal, but same shtick. Only, Batman does not make it in time. There is no rescue. Robin is dead. Cue opening credits. 

Tune in for the next adventure of the Dynamic Duo! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

Fast forward years later, a new villain has come to Gotham (noticing a trend?). An incredibly skilled assassin, he begins cutting into the empire of a crime lord known as Black Mask, who's portrayed primarily as comic relief rather than seriousness by voice actor... Wade Williams. Nope, that's not a joke. Enjoy, Deadpool fans.

I snuck into your movie!

This new villain is calling himself Red Hood, which, incidentally, is the alias Joker used during that fateful, botched heist wherein Batman failed to prevent him from dropping into a vat of chemicals and cracking his psyche. No way that's relevant.

I wont lie. There's not much mystery in this one. It's pretty obvious who's under that Red Hood, and the movie doesn't bother trying to throw any red herrings in the way. But that's not the point of this story. The mystery really lies in what this guy is up to and why he does what he does. Is he a criminal making a name for himself? An anti-hero using murder to clean up Gotham? Maybe just some pissed off, gun-toting psycho trying to ruin Batman's day? It's a lot of fun finding out.

The movie is harmed by a few pieces of clunky, forced dialogue. "Death-worshiping?" "Goth-loving?" ...Thesaurus-missing? There's even some repeated dialogue that may or may not have been intentional. I hope you enjoy Joker's gag about Red Hood having a motorcycle fetish enough to hear it twice!

But it was at two different venues!

Despite the flaws, Under the Red Hood tells a Batman story that all of the live-action films were too afraid to tell. While Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan couldn't bring themselves to portray a child Robin - instead giving us 30-year-olds in Chris O'Donnell and Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Under the Red Hood doesn't just do it, but explores the very concept of Robin, along with the consequences. A lot of writers don't know how to handle Robin. They often find him too whimsical or far-fetched an idea, and not suited for a modern interpretation of Batman. Great Batman writers don't shy away from Robin, but jump at the chance to throw in their take. This is one of the more stand-out examples of such story-telling.

Under the Red Hood explores, as stated, the far reaching consequences of Batman's mentoring of young crime fighters, but also tells that time-honored familial tale of a fractured relationship between, essentially, a father and son. It's worth pointing out that Under the Red Hood deviates from the voice-acting one-two combo of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. They went a different direction with a different cast. And the cast was excellent. Particularly Jensen Ackles as Red Hood. Not being too familiar with his work on CW's Supernatural, I was surprised and impressed at the range and depth of emotion he brought to the character. His performance, more than Bruce Greenwood's Batman, elevates this movie.

Smoothly animated, with great action and set-pieces, solid voice work, and an emotionally moving story make this another one of the best Batman films yet. The final scene, in particular, left me just emotionally rocked. Check it out sometime. Also Neil Patrick Harris guests as Nightwing and since everyone loves NPH and everyone loves Nightwing, you just gotta see it!

Well there they are! They're definitely better than the stuff Burton and Schumacher spat our way,