Burton, 53, who also had his own Batman trilogy, said that he always thought his own Batman trilogy were very dark until he saw Nolan's gritty take on the Caped Crusader story, reported Ace Showbiz.
"I always get told that my material is dark, but nowadays my version of Batman looks like a lighthearted romp in comparison to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight," he said.
Burton also compared Michelle Pfeiffer to Anne Hathaway in their portrayals of Catwoman. The longtime partner to Helena Bonham Carter said that she prefers Pfeiffer's performance as the alter ego of Selina Kyle in "Batman Returns".
"For me, her version of Catwoman was one of my favourite performances on any movie I had worked on. I remember how she impressed me by letting a live bird fly out of her mouth, learning how to use a whip and dancing around on rooftops with high-heeled shoes on. She did all that stuff for real," he added.
Burton had directed 1989's "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns", as well as produced 1995's "Batman Forever".
Nolan, meanwhile, had helmed critically acclaimed "Batman Begins" in 2005 and "The Dark Knight" in 2008. His final Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises", will hit the theatres in the US on July 20. PTI JCH
AGL