The Movies: Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992) Nobody seems to take Tim Burton seriously anymore, which is a bit of shame, given that pretty much every single one of his movies throughout the '80s and the '90s showcased a brilliant auteur working at the top of his game. Still, given Burton's recent overindulgence in CGI monstrosities and a questionable love affair with casting Johnny Depp in everything, what did the man expect? But let's think back to better times, when Burton was working certified cinema magic with his brilliantly-rendered Batman movie and its sequel, Batman Returns. It was a risky move, of course, taking Batman into his darkest territories yet - especially so, given Burton's insistence on casting Michael Keaton, who - at the time - was best known as a comedic actor. Burton's Batman has since been overshadowed by the great success of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight saga, but it's essential to remember that with his own ventures, Burton pretty much set the mould; his movies are dark, visionary, exciting, and hilarious. Most importantly, though, they actually feel like the pages of a comic book have exploded onto the screen.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
