WorkShed's Top Five Lists

[jmcc]

Top Five Moments Deleted From The Star Wars Trilogy in 1997
Top Five Video Games Based On Movies

I'm interested in these.

About the second, I have found this on the past days:

(source)

What do you think?

[WorkShed]

There wasn't a clear winner so I'll just choose one. It'll be up shortly...

[WorkShed]

Okay, no one picked this one but I really wanted to write it... so there.

5. Batman: The Movie



I’m sure that I’m in the minority by including this in the list. The thing that’s great about this film is that it does a great job at capturing some of the ideas present in the early incarnations of the Batman books. Sure, the Wayne murder which is the whole crux of the man donning the mask has been removed, but Adam West makes such a great Bruce Wayne that his inconsistencies as Batman are almost forgivable. Plus, what’s not to love with the late great Frank Gorshin as The Riddler? Jim Carrey only wishes he was this good. The film is loaded with great absurd comedic moments. The shark attack and the “some days you just can't get rid of a bomb” sequence come to mind. Of course the dialogue is some of the wittiest banter that has ever graced the silver screen:

Commissioner Gordon: [reads] What weighs six ounces, sits in a tree and is very dangerous?
Robin: A sparrow with a machine gun!

4. Batman



When Tim Burton put his gothic stamp on the Batman film franchise, the comic film world was forever changed. The effect that this film has cannot not only be seen in the presentation of Batman in any other medium, but the presentation of any hero on the big and small screen. While I prefer Batman Returns to this film, the importance of this film cannot be denied. Great credit must not only be given to Burton, but to writer Sam Hamm, composer Danny Elfman for creating a theme that competes with the Williams theme for Superman, and lead actor Michael Keaton. While he may not look it, Keaton exudes the tortured soul of Bruce Wayne very effectively. However, some truly awful acting from many co-stars keeps this film from the top spot.

3. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker



The best representation of the Joker (of course Mark Hamill) returns to the animated screen with this direct-to-video release following the lore of the Batman Beyond cartoon series. While many critics are quick to write it off as a Spider-man clone (which it is), Batman Beyond holds its ground, thanks mostly to the brilliant inclusion of an elder Bruce Wayne. This film pulls no punches in providing a darker tale than what was ever presented by Joel Schumacher’s two films. The highlight of the film is no doubt the haunting flashback sequence which harkens back to the “cape and cowl” days of Batman. There are two versions available, but the uncensored film is by far the best.

2. Batman Begins



One of my top picks for 2005 returns here in this list. The absolute seriousness conveyed to the mythos of the character provides the most legitimacy to the franchise, even above and beyond most episodes in the fantastic animated series. Very few moments bog the film down and while Katie Holmes provides some of the worst moments of the film (she’s no where close to how bad Kim Basinger was), she’s rather forgettable in the grand scheme of the film. A realistic visual style infuses the live-action Batman with some much-needed gravitas. Even though some of the plotlines shamelessly borrows from episodes of the animated series, Batman Begins is by far the best live-action version of the character to date.

1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm



Sure the film is mostly in flashback, but the flashback sequences are quite striking and provide the some of the best emotional backdrops to what made Bruce Wayne become Batman. The moments where Bruce pleads over the looming tombstone of his parents are the best of the entire animated series. Hamill as the Joker is also in top form here, doing much more with the character than even Jack Nicholson could in Burton’s Batman. I will say it here: Kevin Conroy IS Batman. There has never been a performance before or since this film that can top the drama that his voice brings to the saga. Some truly powerful and unforgettable moments are provided through Conroy’s conviction to the mythology and his voice work as the confused younger Bruce Wayne (pre-Batman) is truly awe-inspiring.

[WorkShed]

I have some new Top Five lists coming up... or should I say Top 007?