5. Batman (1989)
Even a die-hard Batman fan might argue that Tim Burton's original
Batman venture encompasses all that is best about the Dark Knight, and one that admirably sews together an entire canon of the caped crusader's source materials. And though by comparison of Christopher Nolan's gritty and grounded Batman trilogy, this flick may look a little too comic book-bound, it successfully embodies the spirit of several comic book takes on the iconic Gotham hero and transforms them into a completed hole. It isn't with flaws, of course, as Jack Nicholson threatens to overtake the picture with his manic portrayal of the Joker, and Keaton could be seen as a relatively uninspired choice for Batman. Aside from some minor gripes, though,
Batman is a Burton success, one which is also aesthetically-pleasing on every level, and inclusive of an excellent Danny Elfman score.