Batman

1 9 8 9 (USA)

1989 Box Office receipts in the USA totaled a record five billion dollars; Batman, Tim Burton's incredibly over-hyped adaptation of the DC comic, accounted for roughly half of that. 

With one hundred and sixty varieties of merchandise on the shelves (including T-Shirts, coffee mugs, action figures and separate soundtracks by Prince and Danny Elfman), it was impossible to go anywhere without having a stylised Batman logo shoved in your face.

The film featured atmospheric sets and Jack Nicholson in fine scenery-chewing form as The Joker, but suffered from a lousy script and a wooden performance by Michael Keaton in the title role. Still, Batman's runaway success ensured that a sequel would be along shortly.