These are pretty much my thoughts as well. I'm not a huge fan of the first Batman but I still like it better than Superman. Without bias or nostalgia getting in the way, I would give Superman a rating of C and Batman a rating of C+/B-.

Batman is better, although both films have their flaws. Batman has some pacing problems, not enough focus on the Batman character. Superman is dated by the 70s and the third act is weak.

Superman all the way for me. Batman is just a bit too much Tim Burton kitsch and zaniness for my taste, whereas in Superman the character comes through in a more clear and classic manner, IMO.

I remember I waited in line over a hour for the the 1989 Batman movie and fell asleep through it. I will take the 1978 Superman movie over it any day, in fact I will take the 1966 Adam West version over the 1989 movie anyday. holy moly Robin! lol. :)

I was sort of going to start a thread about something similar to this.

I just rewatched Superman 1 & 2 this past week. No question, those are horrible, horrible flicks. I'm sorry, but they just don't hold up in this day in age w/ Spiderman flicks and X-men flicks. Batman from '89 is a bit cheesy, but it's still better than Superman by a long margin.

Okay, altogether now,

one...two...three...


"SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE"!!!!!

"I'm Batman."

Batman, for sure.

thats the same thing i did, and i agree

No question.

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo...ermanstand.jpg

Agreed, agreed, agreed. Superman is a much more accomplished film than Batman. Batman '89 feels like Burton trying to figure out how a blockbuster works. Now, I would probably say Batman Returns is better than Superman, although neither Batman film has a moment that gives me goosebumps like the scene where Superman saves Lois from the copter crash.

Now, Batman Begins is better than any previous Batman and Superman film.


*Spits out coffee* Are you NUTS?! As good as the Superman theme is, the Batman '89 theme completely tops it. Superman is big and sweeping, but Batman has suspense and excitement and while so much of that film is dated now, that theme is timeless and will, in my mind always evoke "Batman."

Superman: The Movie, it falters toward the end but the first 2/3 of it are classic. Superman II is even better.

Jack Nicholson completely threw out the comic book Joker and just played himself, disgusting. Let's NOT dance with the devil in the pale moonglight.

yeah and who cannot forget 'Can You Read My Mind?'



Can you read my mind?
Do you know what it is you do to me?
Don't know who you are
Just a friend from another star

Here I am like a kid at a school
Holding hands with a god, I'm a fool
Will you look at me quivering
Like a little girl shivering?
You can see right through me

Can you read my mind?
Can you picture the things I'm thinking of?
Wondering why you are
All the wonderful things you are

You can fly, you belong to the sky
You and I could belong to each other

If you need a friend,
I'm the one to fly to
If you need to be loved, (to be loved)
Here I am, read my mind!

Will you look at me quivering
Like a little girl shivering?
You can see right through me

If you need a friend,
I'm the one to fly to
If you need to be loved,
Here I am, read my mind!

Read my mind!

that Prince score was hideous IMO.

Actually, Donner all but threw out the Puzo draft. Tom Mankiewicz wrote the script(but could only be credited as the "creative consultant"). He sat in with Donner on the DVD commentary and appeared in the recent "Look Up In the Sky" documentary.

And while I stand by my original vote for Superman: The Movie and do prefer the Williams score, let's not shortchange Elfman's work in Batman. That movie had a damn good score, and Batman Returns(although a mediocre film IMO) had even better music.

While the Zimmer/Howard collaboration on Batman Begins has grown on me over time, the lack of any great motifs in that movie helped keep it from reaching the level of greatness that Superman: The Movie achieved.

Also I do believe that the SUPERMAN score is used for some NBA introductions or in the game. I do remember hearing the score being used for Mike Jordan during the 90's and on other sports arenas. I have NEVER EVER heard the Batman 1989 score, now the Batman 1960's score I've heard at the ball parks when a batter loses his bat.
But Batman 1989 score is forgettable by pop culture and that's a fact!

I would say Batman is the better of the two. The movie builds to it's climax really well. The "big reveal" was much better in Batman than Superman. The only quibble I have with Batman is that Micheal Keaton doesn't make a really good Bruce Wayne.

Forgettable by pop culture? So now we're judging music's artistic merit by whether or not it's remembered by people who can't remember anything past the last Britney Spears single?

The reason that the '89 Batman theme isn't used for anything else is because it is identified so closely with Batman! Heck, portions of the Superman score are used in Delta Airlines ads. That's how little the score is actually identified with Superman. I have no problem with the Batman score not being plundered by the NBA or Delta or P. Diddy or whatever. When I hear that theme, I think of Batman as a character. When I hear the Superman theme, I think of the Donner film. That, to me, is a much bigger deal than what you hear at a baseball game. Yeesh.

Thank you. I feel like everyone in this thread is on crazy pills. Superman is a bad movie. It must be a nostaglia thing for some folks cause I missed out on that being 23 or everyone is just nuts.

Superman had the radder pit-stains, but Batman had the sweeter toys like the car, the plane, grappling gun, and the spatula that shot out of his wrist that he used to defeat the crazy sword guy. Plus there's so much cool quotable stuff in that movie. Superman is laughable and I'm sorry, but Marlon Brando stunk up the screen. You can tell he didn't want to be there. Batman 1989, with all of it's flaws is still one of my favorite movies ever. I honestly must have watched it about 100 times when I was a kid and can still speak every line of dialogue while watching the movie.

I wasn't alive when Superman came out, and I was alive when Batman came out, and I still think Superman is better. It's more sincere. Batman '89 is more ironic. And in the end, Christopher Reeve was just an amazing Superman. Michael Keaton was a serviceable Batman. Batman Returns is a huge improvement over Batman '89. And Batman Begins is a bigger improvement over both.

Why is it a bad movie? Because of the time travel? Bad acting? Poor story? Gene Hackman was a poor villain? What?

The film was groundbreaking, and yes, it was a large part of many people's childhood, but I still think the film holds up. Reeve had an amazing performance, Lex was great, and the whole thing continues to work for me.

It's Superman for me.

Yeah, we heard you the first time. You didn't like it. Hooray for you.


My vote goes to Superman

Yeah! Which one sucked the least - now that would be a poll!

It's a close call, both movies have too much camp for me. I hate stupid humor. mainly from the over the top villians but also from clark kent. I would go with Batman, love the art direction, the movie is beautiful to look at, great sets. Tim Burton is master of the look of movies. Love the batsuit, batmobile and batwing. Superman spinning the world backwards kinda dumb. better ending to an operatic score in Batman. love superman's score as well though. I love Reeves echoing scream when he sees lois after the earthquake. I have to go with Batman. I like Superman 2 more than Superman, better villians and action in Superman 2.