This year, if you did not know already, there is a fresh take on Batman and Superman at the movies, but the characters have been separate identities at the movies, for a generation.

There have been seven Batman feature films. The previous three movies were the more complex and interesting, but a Batman feature film ‘circuit’ began in 1989.

Batman (1989)

Cleaning up the city from crime is a theme in the first Batman feature.

Zero tolerance on crime is on the police department’s mind in the fictitious city of Gotham, but there are people who are bent on delivering mayhem and disorder. The city needs something extraordinary to bring down this crime wave. Batman’s vigilante justice is interpreted by the police as just that—vigilantism—but Batman the caped crusader has the stuff required to punish out-of-control offenders causing much of the disorder.

Batman is still very much in the shadows, but the police of Gotham are coming around to see Batman’s worth to their cause—of keeping the city clean and its citizens safe.

Maybe that is a strange indictment on the inefficiency of police at delivering on their job or just another concept or idea.

Batman Returns (1992)

Not so much Batman returns, although he does turn up, but is more like the emergence of three bad-nosed villains.

A lot of time is spent on the villains. There are stories explaining Penguin and Catwoman.

Before they turned, they could have been saved if they were given a bit of goodwill rather than being ignored and rejected, which is a worthwhile touch in an otherwise ineffective movie.

Batman Forever (1995)

When you’re famous, there may be the temptation to think fame isn’t wonderful. Bruce Wayne ala Batman is one of those, but he is famous for being two people, Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Fame as two people is quite a drag when he does not care anymore. He would sooner solve why he is Batman. The riddles that are going on in his mind give him cause to ponder, and pivot on a primal incident that caused him to become Batman in the first place.

Batman and Robin (1997)

Mr. Freeze, formerly known as Dr. Victor Fries, tries to finish making a life-saving formula for his dying wife. He needs money, so holds Gotham city ransom.

Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Begins was the first real serious Batman movie and leaps ahead in development of theme.

There is a strong sense of Bruce Wayne forging an identity as Batman. The first half is devoted to unraveling character.

The movie brings all the former movies description of Bruce Wayne’s personal problems to greater light.

The Dark Knight (2008)

This is the most controversial Batman movie ever because it is more violent, more on the edge and eerily touching on real life, but was the unprecedented Batman hit of all time.

As a movie, it is lacking in my opinion, and the violence and subject matter were off putting factors for me.

But it is disturbingly interesting.

The theme of showing compassion for deranged criminals, because of their horrendous backgrounds, was controversial and unsettling, because where that may lead a justice system.

However, it was the first Batman movie to really bridge the gap between cinema and society, and the first Batman film to really function as an artistic statement, which makes it a watershed or landmark film though not recommended by me.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises became the most notorious Batman film because of a cloud of controversy in its first week of release, but the film had been hotly anticipated yet marred by the events surrounding the film.

The film itself is not controversial, but The Dark Knight Rises as a movie has not as much spark and energy as the two previous films.  I may call it entertaining, but that seems an insufficient description, for a film that appears better than just mere entertainment, though.

Still, the new Batman trilogy ended on a low-light rather than a resounding triumph because there is less complexity of character and theme than the two former films.

At the end of the day, society still needs a crime fighter, albeit better adjusted than before, and one who can rise to the occasion.