13 Biggest Mistakes The Batman Movies Ever Made

When The Lego Batman Movie's opening narration declares DC 'the house that Batman built,' that's not just some idle boast. For almost 30 years, dating back to before superhero/comic book movies were really a fully-fledged genre in their own right, the Caped Crusader of Gotham City has been one of the most bankable box office properties around.

Not only that, but the Batman movies have also tended to go down just as well with critics. Tim Burton's initial two Bat-movies were widely acclaimed for their unique vision and tone, whilst Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy rank among the best-reviewed - and, for a time, most commercially successful - comic book movies ever.

Wait, was there another Batman director in between those two, and another one since...?

Oh yes; Batman may have barely been off the big screen since 1989, but the franchise has definitely had its share of ups and downs - and a good few creative decisions that have left many Bat-fans shaking their heads in disbelief.

We're not talking about simple lapses in logic (e.g. where did the Penguin get the blueprints to the Batmobile in Batman Returns), or blatantly impossible physical feats (take your pick): these are part and parcel to comic book movies, and should largely be accepted.

Instead, our focus here is on the moments when the Bat-movies brought in the wrong people, struck the wrong tone, or seemed to fundamentally misunderstand the characters and the world in which they exist.

Although Jack Nicholson is unquestionably one of the finest screen actors of all time, he long presented a bit of a problem for filmmakers. So larger than life is his persona, Nicholson spent the bulk of his career playing roles which were essentially variations on himself.

This was a particular issue when it came to him playing iconic villain The Joker in 1989's Batman. Not only was Nicholson a considerably bigger star than the actor in the title role, Michael Keaton, he was also over a decade older; and, unlike Robert Downey Jr and his younger co-stars in The Avengers, this age gap was readily apparent.

As such, someone got the bright idea that The Joker could have, in his younger days as a criminal, been the one who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents when the future Batman was a child. Hand-in-hand with this came an all-new backstory for The Joker as a Gotham mafioso named Jack Napier (again, how much closer could they get to the man himself?).

It can certainly be argued that this worked dramatically within the context of the film itself, but it's a far cry from The Joker of the comics, whose true identity was generally shrouded in mystery (The Killing Joke notwithstanding). Also, as The Joker's ultimate death might give Bruce Wayne some closure over his parents' murder, it feels like it defeats the object somewhat.

Happily, these were both problems that the Dark Knight movies would fare better with.