10 Times Less Was Definitely More In Movies

10. Batman (1989) - The Joker's Transformation

It’s one of the most intense debates among comic book fans. Which actor has given the best performance as the Clown Prince of Crime on the big screen?

Are you partial to Mark Hamill or is Heath Ledger more your speed?

For many, the definitive Joker portrayal is none other than Jack Nicholson’s take on the character in 1989. And one of the things that makes vile gangster Jack Napier’s transformation into Batman’s arch-nemesis so chilling is the way that director Tim Burton chooses not to show him to us right away.

After being pushed into a vat of chemicals by Batman, Napier is fixed up by a surgeon who shakily gives him a mirror so he can see his new appearance. But we only see the horror in silhouette and hear the Joker’s insane laughter as he smashes the mirror. We don’t fully see his new scarred face until the next scene where he guns down his old boss in a fit of laughter.

Holding off on giving us the full picture makes this perhaps the best reveal of the famous character ever put on screen.