Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s film collaborations highlight how strong the pairing works together in both their best and worst films. Tim Burton’s early successes as a Disney animator and his big break helming Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure pushed him into the spotlight as a filmmaker around the same time Michael Keaton established himself as a comic star. The pair first came together on a project with Beetlejuice, with Keaton playing the titular comedic undead bio-exorcist. The success of that film led Burton and Keaton to the cast and cast of 1989’s Batman, a defining film of the superhero genre and one of cinema’s biggest successes.
Since then, the pair have worked together on sequels and remakes, highlighting a strong familiarity with one another’s strengths. Even in their weakest film, Keaton is able to key into perfectly to Burton’s trademark sardonic perspective, elevating some of Burton’s weaker material. Their latest reunion in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters over three decades since their first one, but their collaborations remain impressive as ever. Here are all of Michael Keaton and Tim Burton’s movies together, ranked.
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5 Dumbo (2019)
A Weak Burton Film With A Good Michael Keaton Performance
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Tim Burton’s movies with Michael Keaton have ranged in quality over the years, with their skills complimenting each other even in their weakest collaborations — like 2019’s Dumbo — in comparison to the likes of Batman Returns and Beetlejuice. The director’s most recent film with Walt Disney Studios (and likely his last, given how Screen Rant reports about how Dumbo almost led to Burton’s retirement) was a remake of Dumbo that didn’t connect with audiences. Dumbo was a deeply dull film that failed to match the heights of the animated classic or the stronger entries in Burton’s catalog.
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Dumbo (2019) |
Score |
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46% |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer |
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47% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Despite the titular character being one of Walt Disney’s oldest stories, the modern take is far less interested in Dumbo as a character. The film is largely focused on Holy Farrier, Colin Farrel’s well-meaning but troubled single-father who is a circus caretaker caught in Dumbo’s orbit. His plot, along with his children, is a boring family drama that never elicits much excitement. Keaton is arguably the best element of the film, going big as the villainous amusement park owner V.A. Vandevere, a cynical reimagining of the kind of mogul Walt Disney has represented for the better part of a century.
Dumbo is most engaging when it embraces this satirical edge, elevating beyond the standard Disney “live-action” remake in all too brief flashes that feel reminiscent of the harsh satire that appeared in his previous films like Mars Attacks!. However, the muted period-piece approach to Burton’s typical artistic style feels disappointingly drab, and the CGI-Dumbo is an unmemorable creation that removes some of the cartoonishly innocent personality of the original. Dumbo is the weakest of Burton and Keaton’s collaborations, but they remain ideal creative partners as evidenced by some of the film’s best moments.
4 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
A Fun (If Overstuffed) Return To Form For Burton
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Released thirty-six years after the original, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun if somewhat surface-level return to the world of the Deetz family. Bringing back Michael Keaton (along with Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara), the film also welcomes a perfectly game Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid. The film follows the three women during a tumultuous time in their lives, struggling to survive a new series of complications following the death of Jeffrey Jones’s Charles Deetz. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is overstuffed to an extent, with too many ideas that don’t go anywhere.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) |
Score |
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77% |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer |
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82% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Strong concepts like Lydia’s manipulative fiance Rory, Astrid’s deceptive love interest Jeremy, and Delia’s grief all get too crowded alongside the return of Betelgeuise’s ex-wife, and an undead police sergeant. However, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds as a charm offensive, filled to the brim with the kind darkly wacky comedy that Burton has long perfected across a storied career. The colorful realms of Beetlejuice‘s afterlife are fleshed out in charming (if somewhat basic) sequences. There’s a brightness and kookiness to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that jusitfies the positive reviews, which feels like a love letter to the early stylings of Burton’s career.
While it lacks the compelling characters at the heart of his best films, the earnest emotion is still present amid the crowded plot. The real strength of the film is in the earnest presentation and performances, with everyone returning to their characters with full gusto. Keaton is clearly have a blast resuming the monstrous role, playing him big and broad in the best way possible. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice may be weak on story and not be at the same level as its predecessor, but it’s a solid sequel that doesn’t fail to disappoint fans of the original.
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3 Batman (1989)
A Victory Of Style Over Substance
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Michael Keaton and Tim Burton’s second collaboration remains one of their most important from a cinematic standpoint. Batman is an entertaining if deeply flawed film, with Burton’s distinct directorial touches elevating certain scenes while running afoul of a coherent story. This was certainly the critical reception at the time of release, with figures like Roger Ebert calling it “style over substance” even while celebrating the visual elements of the film. The script is lackluster, with particularly memorable scenes and minor characters like the reporter Alexander Knox or Bob the Goon fleshing out an overstuffed script.
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Batman (1989) |
Score |
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77% |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer |
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84% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
One of the problems is Bruce Waye aka Batman, who is let down by a script that can’t decide on a core character. Keaton elevates a character who feels like a cipher instead of a fully fleshed out figure. He doesn’t have much help with Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale, who does her best with a thinly written character. By contrast, Jack Nicholson’s Joker is a bizarre creation, a character with about four different motivations that jump around almost scene to scene. Nicholson’s infectious take on the Clown Prince of Crime remains a fun creation.
The Joker is a flashy, inconsistent, and entertaining heel to center the film around, and is clearly Burton’s primary focus in the film. Thankfully, Burton fleshes out the world around the character in his distinctly visual way. Burton’s version of Gotham is perhaps its most memorable element, a sprawling gothic skyline that feels wholly unique even after decades of inspiring different Batman adaptations. Coupled with a stunning score by Danny Elfman, Batman is a movie that works best on the surface level, even as the internal story is relatively weak.
2 Batman Returns (1992)
A Burton Film Full Of Great Performances & Memorable Designs
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After the massive success of Batman, Burton returned to the character in 1992 for Batman Returns. This time though, audiences were treated to a far more idiosyntic version of Gotham City. The characters and designs were far more aligned with the kind of cartoonishly grim energy that fueled his other work like Beetlejuice, while his interpretations of Catwoman and Penguin felt more aligned with his archetypes over anything that had previously been in the source material. This actually benefits Batman Returns, which is a far more entertaining and consistent film than the original.
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Batman Returns (1992) |
Score |
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82% |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer |
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73% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Batman Returns is a far darker film, and generated more controversy than its predecessor because of its content. However, the tragic and horrifying interpretation of the Penguin (played by Danny DeVito) is haunting, especially in contrast to the more ruthless droll comedy of Christopher Walken’s Max Schreck. The MVP of the film is the purposefully bizarre and enthralling performance from Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle. Her transformation into Catwoman gives Burton another engaging collaborator, who proves to be a idealized compliment for Keaton’s Bruce Wayne.
Better fleshed out as a checked out playboy whose mission to save Gotham is thrown off by the arrival of someone he can truly empathize with, Keaton gives a far better performance in Batman Returns than in the previous film. While some critics and audiences were put off by the darker plotline and characters of Batman Returns over the more broadly appealing Batman, Batman Returns feels like a genuine effort that reflects the strengths of the director instead of the more surface-level approach he brought to Batman.
1 Beetlejuice (1988)
The Epitome Of A Tim Burton Film Is Elevated By A One-Of-A-Kind Michael Keaton Performance
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Beetlejuice is the best collaboration between Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, and one of Burton’s best films period. The macabre and campy horror/comedy is the best example of Burton’s specific style and approach to filmmaking. It’s full of subversive swings at suburbia, the art scene, and conceptions of death, all filtered through a colorful but consistent palette. It’s not overloaded with themes though, finding a perfect cast to ground the story around. The breakout role for Winona Ryder, Beetlejuice is also the first collaboration between Keaton and Burton, and highlights why’d they continue it for several other films.
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Beetlejuice (1988) |
Score |
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83% |
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer |
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82% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Keaton fits neatly into the role of the disgusting Betelgeuise. A bio-exorcist delivering grim gags with the delivery of a Looney Tunes character. Keaton’s performance reflects the tone of the film, which manages to be emotionally earnest while also sardonic about several aspects of society. It speaks to universal themes that have been at the core of youth culture and parental fears for decades, and has quietly aged very well as a condemnation of the predatory and casual cruelty embodied by Betelgeuise. This is coupled with the film’s comical approach to German expressionism, a consistent element of Burton’s filmmaking style.
Beetlejuice feels like the purest form of Burton, a director in-tune with the tone and tenor of the film around him. Beetlejuice is a terrific example of Burton’s distinct style and Keaton’s comic skills, serving as an ideal showcase that was so popular, it spawned decades of shows, musicals, and sequels. This is despite the fact that the character is barely in the movie at all, highlighting a disciplned approach to the character. Beetlejuice is one of the best entries in either Burton or Keaton’s filmography, and a wonderfully entertaining dance with death for audiences of all ages.
Source: Screen Rant, Roger Ebert
Beetlejuice 
4.5 19
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Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
Director Tim Burton Release Date March 30, 1988 Writers Michael McDowell , Larry Wilson , Warren Skaaren Cast Catherine O’Hara , Michael Keaton , Geena Davis , Alec Baldwin , Winona Ryder , Jeffrey Jones
Batman (1989) 4.0 9
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Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s trusty butler named Alfred.
Director Tim Burton Release Date June 23, 1989 Cast Michael Keaton , Jack Nicholson , Kim Basinger , Billy Dee Williams , Robert Wuhl , Pat Hingle , Michael Gough
Batman Returns 4.5 7
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Batman Returns sees the return of Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne after his victory over the Joker. This time, the Dark Knight faces a new threat in the form of The Penguin, an outcast who wants revenge on Gotham City. Featuring Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot, Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman, and Christopher Walken as Max Schreck, Batman Returns is Tim Burton’s second and final movie based on the iconic DC comics character.
Director Tim Burton Release Date June 19, 1992 Writers Bob Kane , Daniel Waters , Sam Hamm Cast Michael Keaton , Danny DeVito , Michelle Pfeiffer , Christopher Walken , Michael Gough , Michael Murphy
Dumbo (2019) 2.0 1
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Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton, is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s classic 1941 animated film. The story centers on a young elephant with oversized ears that enable him to fly, captivating audiences and saving a struggling circus. Starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Eva Green, the film delves into themes of family and personal growth while showcasing Burton’s signature visual style.
Director Tim Burton Release Date March 27, 2019 Writers Ehren Kruger Cast Colin Farrell , Michael Keaton , Danny DeVito , Eva Green , Alan Arkin
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 3.5 50
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Director Tim Burton Release Date September 6, 2024 Writers Alfred Gough , Miles Millar , Mike Vukadinovich , Seth Grahame-Smith , Michael McDowell , Larry Wilson Cast Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Winona Ryder , Monica Bellucci , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Catherine O’Hara