Out of All Batman Movies This Old Gem Had the Best Opening
Tim Burton's Batman came 33 years after Adam West donned the cowl in a feature-length movie. And it signalled a far darker dive into Gotham City than had been seen before.
From the outset, Gotham was depicted as a bustling city with its fair share of miscreants.
The movie opens with a typical family just trying to get across the city and choosing to take a back-alley route to get there after failing to get a cab ride. The dad even tells his son to put away the map so they don't "look like tourists".
It's a scene anybody who has been to a city at night can recognise. And as soon as they head down the alley, things turn a little seedy. It becomes quieter.
And all at once, the noise of the city can no longer be heard. Worse than that, the only people down there are just the type you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.
After the family is robbed, the story picks up the two offenders as they share the spoils. One is jumpy. Worried because of the rumours going around that Johnny Gobs was killed by 'The Bat'.
The other, dismissive of such talk, assures his partner in crime that "There ain't no bat".
This statement comes just seconds after viewers have had their first glimpse of Michael Keaton as Batman as he descends in the back of the shot.
It's a fantastic way to introduce this iteration of the Caped Crusader and does exactly what Bruce Wayne would want; it puts us at ease. We immediately know this situation is going to be fixed.
The first the criminals know of his presence is when they hear footsteps. Cut to Batman's view of the two as they turn to see this figure in black looking down at them from above, and we see them for what they are.
Two scared petty thieves. They're small fry. And they know they're about to get fried. Without even having Batman in the shot, his dominance over the criminals is obvious.
Then we see him raise his cape like a peacock showing his feathers to prove his strength. Then he descends on them, making them scatter and leave behind their loot.
The action is quick and firmly cements Batman as a law enforcer not to be messed with. After being shot, he quickly rises and grabs the doubting criminal by the scruff of his neck.
Hanging the mugger over the side of the building, we see Batman's power.
He is in complete control of this situation. Then, after telling the criminal that he's not about to die, Keaton delivers the iconic line "I'm Batman".
It's widely considered the strongest opening of any Batman movie. And it set a high standard for the franchise. Some subsequent movies might be considered better overall by some, but nothing beats this one for an opening sequence.