Ranking Batman's Entrances In All 13 Batman Movies From Worst To Best

2. Batman (1989)

A duo of thieves robs a rich family in an ally. As the duo counts their spoils, they talk about a rumored bat figure that hunts down criminals. One of them is scared of the rumor, while the other does not believe it. Unbeknownst to them, the shadow of the figure is nearing them. They look up, and there it is with intimidating bat wings. They run away, but as the creature goes near them, they fire shots at it. Just when they thought they can rest, the creatures get back up like the undead. The creature kicks one of them. The other one tries again to run, only to be roped back by the creature. The creature puts the man at the edge of the building. As the man begs for his life, the creatures tell him that he will not kill him. Instead, he is counting that the man will spread the word about him. The man asks what he is, and the creature, who is just a man in a bat suit, tells him, “I’m Batman.” Batman lets the guy go free, and disappears without a trace.

Imagine a world where the only Batman anybody knows in live-action is the Adam West version. Then you seat back and watch Tim Burton’s first Batman movie… Then out of nowhere, a true creature of the knight enters the foggy atmospheric rooftop of Gotham, scaring the hell out of the cowardly and suspicious lot.

For the first time in Hollywood history, Batman is not some silly man wearing a unitard, he is a larger-than-life figure stalking gothic towers that remind us of the horrors that can befall us if ever we choose the path of crime. When Batman held that guy over the ledge, ADULTS had their jaws hanging as they weren't sure whether they were about to witness Batman kill a criminal or not. This one small step for Hollywood is one giant leap for all superhero movies, a true moment where we can finally believe a man in a bat suit can be taken seriously.

When Michel Keaton said “I’m Batman” for the first time, we believe him one hundred percent.