I think that the Batman Returns villains are definitive. Not a big Jack fan all-around, so I voted for Caesar Romero.

Cesar Romero really captured the spirit of the comic book Joker back in the 60's. He's silly, goofy, but twisted and angry, and he has a mean streak.

Nicholson was good, but Ledger seems too far removed from the source material. It isn't the same character we've seen for the last 60 or so years.

So I've got to go with Romero. He just nailed it.

It isn't the character we saw 60 years ago, but is the one we've been seeing from nearly 30 years ago to current. It may or may not be the Kane's idea of the Joker, but man, Ledger was the most successful at bringing any rendition of the character to life.

Ledger's Joker is the revisionist version, which didn't show up until 20 years ago. And even then the comic book version still had a bit of a sense of humor.

Romero's Joker is iconic. He's so over the top, and yet still menacing and dangerous. I don't think Ledger could have played him that way if he wanted to.

Sorry you're right, it was 87/88, I got my number backwards.

I liked Romero's Joker when I was younger but revisiting it a few years ago was a mistake.

I thought the movie version had a sense of humor too. Really, Ledger seemed very much the version from The Killing Joke.

Easily Nicholson.

1. Jack Nicholson
2. Ceasar Romero
3. Ledger

Can I have some of what you are smoking?
It's some good shit.

you guys make me laugh. romero? that whole movie and that version of the joker are fucking weak.

Now if it's that 60's BATMAN movie maybe you have a point, but on the t.v. episodes he was great. I believe the 1st Joker episode was when the cliff-hanger is the Joker is dressed like a oprea singer and is about to un-mask Batman. That performance was pure evil.
I do remember the Batgirl episodes of Joker performances were somewhat lame.

What is about Jack's that people like?
I never understood what the fuss was all about back in 1989.
The only time in the movie he made me laugh was when he exits Vicky Vale's place and makes like a fart noise as he leaves.
The face make-up looks like Meg Ryan's face job now.

Ledger by a landslide. Nicholson was Nicholson in make-up... really nothing more.

In July 21 Chicago Sun-Times Roeper writes about how there have been movie review critics that have been giving Heath's performance a bad review.

1.Ledger






2.Jack




3.Romero

I just wish I didn't have to wait 2 weeks to see this thing so that I could trash Ledger's performance....

Be fair , dude!
If Heath is bad state why you think so.

So you haven't even seen it yet, what are you doing voting ** in the reviews thread?

Just trying to be a sour puss about everything over and over again, from the looks of a few Dark Knight threads

I didn't vote. I merely expressed my praise for the great Cesar Romero!

You did vote in the movie review thread. Care for proof?

-Doc

Ledger.

I enjoyed Nicholson's performance, but as another poster said it was basically Jack playing Jack, albeit in some heavy makeup. Ledger completely disappeared into the role and only The Joker remained on screen. His performance was a complete transformation, and for that I think he undoubtedly did the best job.

Yeah, Jack seemed to walk through the role and never understood why they wanted him to get an Oscar back in 1989. Heath changed his voice and used sloppy makeup.
Ceasar Romero kinda changed his voice and that laugh he developed was very good.

I love them all. They are each unique in their own way, but I chose Heath Ledger.

Something about Heath's performance that reminded me of James Cagney in those 1930's gangster movies and Al Pacino's DOG DAY AFTERNOON performance. Can't give Heath a better complement than that.

what about whoever the hell that guy was who played the Joker in WB's "Birds of Prey"?