Over the years we’ve had many interpretations of Batman, his villains, Gotham city and just the whole aesthetic of the movies in general. From camp to dark, corny to realistic and each feature has come with its fair share of memorable moments, from the vigilante himself and his infamous foes.
However, some scenes certainly stay with audience members more than others. Whether it be convenient cans of spray used to warn off aquatic predators, a Batmobile that can drive up walls, a real-life hospital destruction mishap that totally paid off or something as simple as an introduction by The Dark Knight himself.
So, with that, we will be looking at those particular moments from The Caped Crusader’s history, that you’ll never forget – from the badass to the outright ridiculous… Holy Memorable Movie Moments, Batman!
Wall Drive – ‘Batman Forever’
Although very different in tone, Batman Forever is technically a sequel to Tim Burton’s franchise. With this third instalment, we are met with a new Batmobile which encompasses the neon vibe of Joel Schumacher’s new Gotham City.
Schumacher’s Batman movies have often been compared to the 1960 originals in terms of tone, and with this scene, it’s easy to see why. Similar to when Batman and Robin would scale a building with rope, Batman Forever’s Dark Knight accomplishes the same feat… With his car!
That’s right, after bombing it down an alley – whilst being chased by Two Face’s goons – it seems all is lost for Batman when he reaches a dead end. Luckily, he shoots a grapplehook from his Batmobile which allows him to drive up the wall to safety, leaving his villainous (grapplehook-less) foes to perish beneath him.
Knightmare Joker – ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’
There were multiple reasons why 2017’s Justice League missed the mark, namely due to a change in directors which caused the movie to just be all over the place in general.
Thankfully, the original director, Zack Snyder was able to pick up where he left off and bring his vision to fans in 2021. Not only did he fix the issues with his franchise, but he was also to redeem a character from another DC movie… Jared Leto’s Joker.
Leto’s character, previously featured in Suicide Squad (2016), wasn’t a favourite amongst fans that’s for sure. However, during a nightmare sequence foreshadowing the future, The Joker (minus the pimp coat and tattoos) reminds Batman of how many loved ones he’s lost over the years. This causes Batman to slide off to the deep end as he declares to his arch-nemesis that he will one day execute him.
Make no mistake, I will f*cking kill you.
Not only does this back and forth feel like it belongs within the pages of a Comic Book, but by giving fans a grittier interpretation of The Clown Prince of Gotham, Snyder and Leto managed to wash out the bad taste that Suicide Squad left in a lot of peoples mouths.
The Bat Credit Card – ‘Batman & Robin’
When Joel Schumacher took over Tim Burton’s universe after Batman Returns, he definitely lightened things up a bit. However, following Forever, Schumacher delivered Batman & Robin, which is filled with tropes and gimmicks, making it resemble the original Adam West series more than anything else. Rubber nipples, bat skates, (numerous) ice puns, this movie has it all.
However, the pièce de resistance is when Batman and The Boy Wonder go to a dating auction where Poison Ivy is also in attendance. The two end up falling victim to her love dust and begin bidding against one another for the villain’s hand. Now, it’s no secret that Bruce Wayne has money, but what surprised fans most, was when he whipped out his personalised BAT CREDIT CARD! Not only that, it also never expires!
The Penguin’s Nose Bite – ‘Batman Returns’
When Batman Returns first donned the silver screen, it definitely had aspects that resembled a horror movie… Namely Oswald Cobblepot AKA The Penguin.
No longer a cheeky huckster with a monocle and top hat, but now the thing of nightmares, after Oswald was tossed into the sewers as a (deformed) baby and raised by penguins. However, the scene which truly shows he is more creature than man is when he is mocked by one of his campaign runners – whilst running for Mayor.
Oswald responds to the dig with:
Still… could be worse. My nose could be gushing blood.
When the comment is met with puzzlement, The Penguin proceeds to sink his teeth into the mocker’s nose, causing quite a mess but certainly alleviating any confusion.
Batman vs. Bane – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
The Dark Knight Rises isn’t everyone’s favourite instalment in the Nolan trilogy, but one thing’s for sure, the villainous Bane, is a force to be reckoned with. The second act sees Batman encounter this musclebound foe who is his match both physically and mentally. Bane makes easy work of Batman after revealing he too trained with the League of Shadows. However, Bane has somewhat of an advantage over The Caped Crusader, citing the iconic line:
You merely adopted the dark; I was born in it.
The Dark Knight is then bested when his back is brayed across Bane’s knee. Thankfully – unlike the comics – the injury is only temporary.
Someday’s You Just Can’t Get Rid Of A Bomb – ‘Batman: The Movie’
After being lured into a trap set by Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler AND The Joker, Batman finds himself in possession of a bomb (with an extremely long fuse).
Try as he might, Batman is unable to dispose of this explosive device without putting someone in danger, whether it be babies, band players, even ducklings, to which he quips:
Someday’s you just can’t get rid of a bomb.
Thankfully, Batman is able to dispose of the bomb at the last minute and shield himself behind some iron pipes. Not only that, but he imparts some wisdom to his sidekick and informs him why he didn’t dispose of the bomb in the bar, full of riff-raff, where it was found:
They may be drinkers, Robin, but they’re also human beings.
Cheers, Batman!
Alfred’s Burma Story – ‘The Dark Knight’
There have been many interpretations of The Joker over the years and with that have come numerous motives for each version of the character. During The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne is trying to find out the reasoning behind The Joker’s actions when Alfred lends his two cents on the matter.
He proceeds to tell Master Wayne about a bandit who stole diamonds during his time in Burma. However, this was not for financial gain as they discovered this individual was discarding the diamonds after taking them. To which Master Wayne asks, “Then why steal them?”. Alfred goes on to explain that it was just for good sport and that some people aren’t interested in money, before delivering the iconic line:
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
And with that, it quickly becomes apparent what type of villain they’re dealing with.
Bruce Wayne Becomes Batman – ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’
Batman: Mask of The Phantasm is a movie spinoff from the popular ’90s TV show, Batman: The Animated Series. This feature not only gives us an insight into how Bruce Wayne became Batman but also, how he nearly didn’t.
After a trip down memory lane, we see Bruce vowing to fight crime after the tragic loss of his parents. Only, there was one thing he wasn’t counting on… Being happy.
After meeting Andrea Beaumont, Bruce decides not to pursue a life of crime-fighting and instead live a normal life with the girl of his dreams. However, one day Bruce receives a note from Andrea, advising she can never see him again, adding even more heartbreak to Batman’s origin story.
Shortly after this Bruce first dons the cowl and we are given one of the most badass moments in Batman movie history, even Alfred is taken aback when he is addressed by The Dark Knight’s stare!
Shark Repellent Bat Spray – ‘Batman: The Movie’
Adam West’s Batman had many trusty gadgets over the years, but the most convenient of all was featured in Batman: The Movie. Whilst lowering down onto a boat – which turned out to be a projection – from his Batcopter, Batman has an unfortunate encounter with a shark. It latches onto him and all seems lost for our Caped Crusader. Thankfully, Batman instructs Robin to pass him down the Shark Repellent Bat Spray. With one quick spray, the shark relinquishes Batman… and explodes.
And just in case you’re wondering “what if it was something else other than a shark?” don’t worry, Batman came prepared with a variety of sprays for multiple types of sea-based predators. This included a barracuda, a whale and of course, the infamously sinister manta-ray.
Hot Under The Collar – ‘Batman’
Although Jack Nicholson’s Joker was more theatrical than his successors, that didn’t stop him from being totally unhinged.
The scene which demonstrates this most – in Batman – sees him shake hands with mafia boss, Rotelli, after a failed negotiation. What Rotelli doesn’t realise is that The Joker is wearing an electric hand buzzer and unlike the ones at your average joke shop… it packs quite the punch.
Not only does it burn Rotelli to a crisp but all the while the Joker sings along, showing us how dark his humour really is.
After he lets go of the charred hand, The Joker begins a back-and-forth conversation with the crispy mob corpse (answering for him too of course), who instructs him to commit mass genocide. This causes the Joker to respond with:
You are a vicious b*stard Rotelli, and, uh, I’m glad you’re dead!
He then proceeds to laugh out loud, repeating the joke to himself as he exits the room, showing us that the cheese has well and truly slid off The Joker’s cracker.
The Batpod – ‘The Dark Knight’
Prior to the release of The Dark Knight, a few teasers revealed that as well as the Batmobile AKA The Tumbler, viewers would also be getting Batman’s motorbike AKA The Batpod. However, what fans weren’t expecting was the Batpod being built into the Batmobile itself!
The reveal came after the tumbler suffered a blast from The Joker’s bazooka. With the click of a button and some mechanical manoeuvring from Batman, the Batpod ejected itself from the wreckage. Not only that, but a notable feature of this motorbike is how the wheels roll over three-hundred and sixty degrees sideways, accomplishing one of the coolest skids in cinematic history.
Arthur Tells Murray A Joke – ‘Joker’
After being coaxed onto a chat show to be (more or less) made fun of, Arthur Fleck’s Joker admits to being the gunman who executed three businessmen.
Rather than being arrested there and then, the host of the show, Murray, chooses to engage Arthur and put him in his place… Which ends up being his undoing.
The conclusion of the debate sees Arthur shoot Murray between the eyes after the delivery of a pretty dark joke regarding his mental health:
What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? I’ll tell you what you get! You get what you f*cking deserve!
The Joker Has The Last Laugh – ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’
People will always argue when it comes to the best Clown Prince of Gotham but when it comes to the best Joker laugh, the votes are generally unanimous, Mark Hamill’s Joker from Batman: The Animated Series (1992). Thankfully, this fan favourite finally made it to the big screen in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
The scene which sums up, not only the laugh but how psychotic The Joker is in general, takes place in an abandoned theme park in the final act. After a victim from The Joker’s past catches up with him, he is beaten to a pulp. However, just when it seems he has been bested, the theme park around them begins to blow up, causing him to burst into hysterics and demonstrate his insanity in the best way possible.
Despite the vengeful victim disappearing in a cloud of smoke with Mr J, his laughter continues to echo in the wind, signifying that regardless of what comes next, he had the last laugh.
Meow – ‘Batman Returns’
Michelle Pfieffer certainly gave audiences a darker version of Selina Kyle in Batman Returns. Tim Burton’s origin for the character sees Selina pushed out of a skyscraper window to her fate, before being revived by a group of stray cats and becoming the infamous anti-hero, Catwoman.
Donning S & M-like attire and mastering a whip, this interpretation is definitely up there amongst fan favourites. However, her most notable moment is easily when Batman and The Penguin have their first run-in with the feline femme fatale. After sabotaging one of her boss’s stores, she elegantly flips over to the two and introduces herself with:
Meow.
This is instantly followed by a ginormous explosion as the store ignites behind her.
I’m Vengeance – ‘The Batman’
Here we have a Batman movie moment that was memorable before it even hit theatres! After it was announced Robert Pattinson would be donning the infamous cowl in The Batman, audiences waited with bated breath for that first teaser trailer to drop and when it did… it certainly didn’t disappoint.
It showed us a quick look and Matt Reeves’ gothic Gotham City accompanied by a narration from Paul Dano’s Riddler who sounded like he belonged in a horror movie. However, what made everyone’s jaws hit the floor was when a rough and ready Batman had an altercation with a street gang. When asked who he’s supposed to be, he lands a couple of brutal blows to the leader, sending him to the floor and keeps on punching before announcing:
I’m Vengeance.
Needless to say, this moment set up the gritty kind of Dark Knight we were in store for perfectly.
Batman’s Warehouse Fight – ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’
Although there were some things left to be desired with Batman v Superman, one of the highlights is that we got to see a more aged and darker version of The Caped Crusader. In short, Ben Affleck’s Batman had Frank Miller’s Dark Knight written all over him
The scene which showed just how brutal this Bruce Wayne is, sees him burst into a warehouse where Superman’s mother, Martha (the name is very important) is being held hostage. Here we see how much of a unit Batman truly is as he conducts himself like that of a bodybuilding wrestler. He takes on multiple opponents and throws some insane punches (as well as crates). Rest assured, after the state he left them in, if any of the enemies survived Batman’s beatdown, their hospital bills alone will make them wish they hadn’t.
The Stairs Dance – ‘Joker’
Joker sees the origin of The Clown Prince of Gotham himself, following the story of wannabe comedian, Arthur Fleck. Although this was a very dark adaptation – which touched a lot on mental health – one scene which saw the character have fun and let loose is in the final act. Here we see Arthur dawn the classic look as he finally becomes The Joker, before dancing down the stairs in quite a manic fashion (just ignore the Gary Glitter part).
Definitely one of the more memorable scenes featuring The Joker and it became such an iconic part of the movie that it was used for posters, DVD covers, promotion campaigns and even the stairs themselves have since become a tourist attraction.
Batman Chases The Penguin – ‘The Batman’
Unlike its predecessors, The Batman runs more like a detective noir, and a lot of fans were delighted to see an interpretation that finally resembled the comics. Not only that, but the slow pacing just made the epic Batmobile reveal all the more enjoyable.
After Oz AKA The Penguin tries to make an escape, he halts in his tracks as the demonic sound of a car’s engine omits from the shadows. Shortly after the blue flames ignite from behind Batman’s wheels, we are met with one of the greatest Batmobile chase sequences ever.
And to top it off, the entire scene was shot practically, making that particular explosion stunt even more impressive.
The Interrogation – ‘The Dark Knight’
The Dark Knight saw Heath Ledger give an iconic performance of the Joker, to say the least, bringing mystery, intelligence and a new kind of crazy to the character. However, the scene which shows just how much he can’t be intimidated or reasoned with is when he is interrogated by Batman.
After failing to disclose the location of two hostages [Rachel and Harvey Dent], our Caped Crusader loses it and begins beating The Joker to a pulp. Unfortunately, each blow is just met with more manic laughter, before the villain advises Batman:
You have nothing, nothing to threaten me with! Nothing to do with all your strength!
Thus demonstrating what it’s truly like when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
The Docks – ‘Batman Begins’
In 2005 audiences were met with a movie that took one of DC’s greatest heroes very seriously, Batman Begins. Adding a lot more realism to the character we see the origins of Batman and the training Bruce Wayne had to endure in order to become Gotham City’s protector. In fact, Bruce’s backstory is so in-depth, that he doesn’t appear in full Batman attire until two thirds into the film… but the buildup is definitely worth it.
The scene sees a group of criminals and corrupt cops awaiting the arrival of some illegal goods. All of a sudden, their numbers start reducing as they get pulled into the shadows one by one. We then get our first glimpse of the Dark Knight as he hangs upside-down alongside a henchman, before surrounding him with his cloak. After the leader of the operation, Carmine Falcone tries to make his escape, Batman intervenes, allowing us to see his new terrifying look in all its glory.
A badass introduction for sure but what strengthens this scene is Bruce’s training prior to this moment. By showing us how he got to this point, there’s more believability when he’s combining all these skills to take out his foes.
The Joker’s Surgery – ‘Batman’
After falling into a vat of chemicals, Jack Napier seeks the assistance of a plastic surgeon. The surgeon tries his best but once he sees what he has created, he apologizes before gesturing to his bloodied, below standard tools. After being handed the mirror and seeing his reflection, Jack slowly begins to laugh, before smashing the mirror and bursting into complete hysterics. And with that, we have the birth of Jack Nicholson’s Joker. We may not have seen the surgeon’s handiwork (at this stage anyway) for the duration of the scene, but that just made it all the more sinister.
Now, outside of the comics and before this movie, all viewers had to go on when it came to an onscreen Joker was Caesar Romaro. This scene from Batman not only set up that this was going to be a much darker interpretation but also started a trend for actors who would take on the character in years to come.
The Joker’s Detonator Mishap – ‘The Dark Knight’
Heath Ledger changed the game with his interpretation of The Joker and his dedication to the role, that’s for sure. Although there are numerous memorable moments with Ledger in The Dark Knight, the scene that demonstrates his commitment to the role most is in the second act.
The scene sees the Clown Prince of Gotham walking out of a hospital (in female nurse attire) before blowing it up. The important thing to note was that a real hospital was blown up, so it was literally a one-take deal. However, while walking away from the blast – whilst filming – there was a problem with the explosives, causing a delay. Ledger actually managed to stay in character whilst investigating the trigger, before being greeted by the rest of the explosion, causing the whole scene to flow organically.
I’m Batman – ‘Batman’
In 1989 Batman fans everywhere were met with Tim Burton’s dark interpretation of The Caped Crusader and were thrown straight into the deep end with the opening scene. We come across two crooks counting their loot after robbing a family. They start having an argument regarding the existence of “The Bat” when Batman emerges from the shadows and puts their debate to rest.
Whilst The Dark Knight serves some serious justice to these law-breakers, there’s not a POW or BIFF in sight. And with that, it quickly becomes apparent that this Batman differs a great deal from the Adam West series that proceeded it.
Batman then grabs one of the criminals – who is scared stiff by this vigilante’s appearance – and asks that he tell his friends about him. When asked what he is, we hear – for the first time ever – a gritty voice respond with the now-iconic:
I’m Batman.
A catchphrase that has since gone on to become a calling card for any Dark Knight that graces the screen. Not only that, but it was actually Michael Keaton who invented the infamous Batman voice, suggesting that he alter how he speaks in order to keep Bruce Wayne’s identity a secret.
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