9 Terrible Movie Deaths That Ruined Great Villains
9. The Joker - Batman (1989)
Tim Burton, the man who kickstarted the Batman franchise in 1989 and paved the way for superhero movies to take over the world, famously doesnt like superheroes very much. Recently, he went out of his way to complain that todays superhero movies are too dark:
Yes, we all know that superheroes are damaged individuals. Maybe we need to see a happy superhero?"
Thats pretty rich, considering that he started the trend for cinematic adaptations featuring dark, morose, damaged individuals. But nowhere could his disinterest in the source material be more apparent than in his casual dismissal of The Joker at the end of his first stab at Batman. Falling to his death from the top of a ridiculously tall cathedral (since when were cathedrals the height of tall skyscrapers, even in Gotham City?) while attached by the leg to a gargoyle, the Joker Batmans arch enemy, the yin to his yang, and in this iteration, the man who killed his parents simply splats to the pavement. Burton cant even give us the possibility that, somehow, the iconic villain survived: were given a clear close-up of the corpse moments later. Thats a hell of a stupid way to start a franchise, or to treat one of the most memorable comics villains in the history of the industry. Oh, and what happened to Batmans vow never to kill?
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
