10 Best Joker Movie Moments

3. You Can Call Me... Joker! (Batman 1989)

Jack Nicholson Joker
Warner Bros.

Nicholson's Joker was genuinely funny throughout Burton's Batman, but he never lost that dangerous, murderous edge that's so vital for the character to have. This is shown perfectly in the early stages of the movie, with the introduction of The Joker in truly spectacular fashion.

The Clown Prince, entering the office of his soon-to-be-victim, gleefully fires off bullet after bullet, dancing around to the tune of an orchestral circus beat. Upon emptying the gun with numerous trick-shots - at one point, he turns away from his victim and fires the gun blind - The Joker spreads his arms wide and looks around the room, celebrating his own arrival. Why wouldn't he?

There aren't many villains - or many characters in general - that would celebrate a murder in such a hilarious fashion. This scene plays like a comedy skit, but it completely nailed The Joker's psyche - he's happy when he's murdering and killing.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.