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Adam West said that Michael Keaton's Batman was ''off-putting''
He was not a fan of the Tim Burton movie at all.
Look, we're each entitled to our opinion. One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's what makes the world an interesting place to live in. If we all agreed on what's good, then the media landscape would be absent of anything challenging. Instead, we have a many-shaded tapestry of shows and movies to pick from. Some are to our liking, and some make us go, "Oh, so that's why I prefer scripted content over reality."
Very few pieces of media are without their critics. But few types of stories are scrutinized more than comic book movies. For whatever reason, the comic book movie is a constantly debated subject, with preferences, theories, and controversies surrounding each one.
Nowhere is this more true than with Batman. The character is treasured and revered by fans everywhere, and each has their favorite incarnation. Batman has been around for decades, and as he's evolved, so too have opinions and depictions.
For an entire generation, Adam West will always be the definitive Caped Crusader. His interpretation of the role, as seen in the 1966-68 television series and tie-in movie, was a light-hearted, "campy" creation. However, tastes shift and so does Batman. By 1989, Batman was back in theaters, with Tim Burton helming a darker, more brooding Bat-movie.
Here are West's thoughts— as collected in his book Back to the Batcave— on the '89 Batman, starring Michael Keaton:
"In the recent Batman, Bruce [Wayne, Batman's alter-ego] ranged from psychotic to addle-headed: unfocused, inattentive, shallow. I found that off-putting. And Batman shouldn't work solely for his own satisfaction, but for the good of Gothamites. In the film, he destroyed those first two hoods but did nothing for the people they'd mugged. He did more damage fleeing from the museum in his Batmobile and, later, with his crashing Batplane than the Joker did in the entire film."
West's public problems with Batman '89 may have been the result of some bad Bat blood between the actor and the powers that be.
"I'll admit I was angry and profoundly disappointed when I was not asked to reprise the role," West admitted. "I would have played the part differently, a new Batman for a new era."
This dismay could've kept West from viewing the movie subjectively, as nothing could live up to his idea of himself back in the cowl.
What are your thoughts on the 1989 Tim Burton movie? Let us know in the comments section below!
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39 Comments
I watched, somewhat, the TV show Batman, when I was a KID......and could never get into it, even AS A KID (it was TOO CHILDISH!).
Then along came MICHAEL KEATON (as Batman) when I was an adult! Since then.....I became a Batman (KEATON ONLY) fan! I've watched the 'other' Batman movies.....the 'other' Batmen didn't do it for me either.
And, the Batmobiles just get far more ridiculous, as well.
Adam West was right.
Times, and audience tastes change -- maybe not for the better, but they must be served by what will sell.
Now The Honeymooners are still hilarious. MeTV needs to schedule these classic reruns daily and on a much earlier time. Like substitute just one episode of the many scheduled back-to-back Perry Mason reruns. Or BETTER YET, replace Batman with it. Cannon is another good one that should be shown at a much earlier (or later) time than 3:00 am.
