Batman (1989)

126 Minutes

Directed By: Tim Burton

Written By: Bob Kane and Sam Hamm

Batman… Batman… Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema! -The Joker

Synopsis

Batman finally meets his greatest foe, The Joker, a man who was once an average criminal, but turned homicidal murderer after falling into a giant tub of acid.  Disfigured and even crazier than before, he takes over his mob bosses syndicate and begins wicked plan of destroying Gotham and all those in it, but first he wants to rid himself of Batman, who is busy juggling normal life and the grief of his parents death with being a caped nighttime vigilante.

Review

Tim Burton completely captured the feel and darkness of Gotham City and it’s caped crusader.  His Gotham actually felt like you had jumped right into the comic and were living it.  The visuals were dark, but the off beat comedy of Burton was always alive, and the Joker was the perfect representative of Burton’s adoration of something bright amidst the darkness.  For 1989 the action sequences were pretty impressive, along with the Bat Toys, specifically the smoothest of all the Bat-mobiles.  They only went downhill after this film, and while I enjoy Christopher Nolan’s tank, there is some childlike fun I release at the site of this Bat-mobile.

The character interpretations were right on.  There was time spent developing each, making them fully fleshed and their interactions that much more tangible.  The final scene when Batman climbs the cathedral, which visually is absolutely outstanding, his connection to Vicki conflicted with his need to find justice in punishing the Joker for his parents murders contains an immeasurable amount of tension and empathy.  It ends the film very symmetrically.

Cast

• Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman
• Jack Nicholson as The Joker/Jack Napier
• Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale
• Robert Wuhl as Alexander Knox
• Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent
• Jack Palance as Boss Grissom
• Jerry Hall as Alicia Grissom
• Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth
• Pat Hingle as Commissioner James Gordon

When you look back and actually read the lines the Joker has in this film, it’s not sensational writing, but Nicholson’s performance made each and every delivery of those lines into something more.  The Joker was larger than life, but Nicholson’s interpretation walked that fine line between being a cartoon and something completely different.  He was sadistic and homicidal, but also charismatic and hilarious.  Nicholson’s Joker is one of the best character interpretations ever onscreen.  However, I wouldn’t dare compare his Joker to Ledger’s.  Each carry a genius that is very separate from one another, and the likeness only remains in the name.

Michael Keaton as Batman on the other hand is still my favorite Batman.  Who would have thought Mr. Mom would be the best choice for the dark and brooding Bruce Wayne/action super hero Batman?  He played the role just the way Batman should be.  Calm, cool, and with the true spirit of Batman making him the perfect emblem of Gotham’s fight against crime.

The rest of the cast was great, but this show belonged to The Joker and Batman.  After you watch it, it’s easy to say you’ll be quoting the Joker for days on end.

Wait till they get a load of me!(followed by maniacal laughter) -The Joker

Ratings and Suggestions

I was lucky enough to catch this film in the theatre as a kid, and I can tell you there weren’t too many movies that were as exciting, fun, and smart as Burton’s Batman, and that still holds up today.  Watching it after ten years have passed I still find myself enjoying it with the same excitement as I did in my youth.  This is a movie for everyone and more important and movie that is lasting in it’s creation.  Even with the new Batman’s out there today, they are very unique, but they both share one important quality: the focus on the psyche of our hero.  The character’s are all very real.  This one belongs in your DVD collection.  Four out of Four stars.