1) “I’m Batman” – Batman
It’s tough to pick the greatest Batman movie moment of all time, but today we’ve gone for the character’s introduction in modern cinema. Discounting the earlier serials and the 1960s movie, 1989’s Batman was the first time that the Dark Knight as we know him today was depicted on the big screen. And the film kicked off in pitch-perfect fashion.
We begin with a husband, a wife and their small boy being cornered by a couple of muggers in a Gotham alleyway. As the muggers celebrate their loot, a terrifying figure emerges from the mist. The apparently bullet-proof vigilante confronts them, causing one mugger to whimper: “What are you?” Cue the immortal line: “I’m Batman.”
This one is a tremendous scene all around. The beginning is an ingenious bit of subversion of our expectations (as we believe we’re watching Batman’s origins) and the reveal of the hero is simply spine-tingling. Tim Burton’s direction, Danny Elfman’s score and Michael Keaton’s whispering delivery all combine to make this a truly outstanding opening to Batman‘s contemporary cinematic career.