9) Brooding Bruce – Batman Returns
Arguably, the best thing about Tim Burton’s take on Batman is the terrific visual flair he brought to his two movies at the helm of the franchise. Storytelling has never really been the quirky director’s strong point, but boy, can he produce some iconic imagery.
Take Batman’s entrance in Batman Returns, for example. As the Penguins’s gang hits Gotham City, we cut to Wayne Manor where Bruce Wayne is sitting in his study, alone and in complete darkness. Thanks to a complex system he has set up on his rooftop, the Bat signal then shines through into the room as he finally springs into action.
It’s not a particularly subtle scene, but this is a fantastic quickfire introduction to who Batman is. A brooding, lonely man, Bruce Wayne is a bit of hollow person – but he comes to life when Gotham needs its hero.
