Batman (1989) is a superhero film directed by Tim Burton, which marked the first feature film adaptation of the Batman character from DC Comics. Having witnessed his parents’ brutal murder as a child, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) fights crime in Gotham City disguised as Batman, a costumed hero who strikes fear into the hearts of villains. But when a deformed madman who calls himself “The Joker” (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham’s criminal underworld, Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis ever while protecting both his identity and his love interest, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger).
Review by Ben Dover:
Batman (1989) – 4.5 Brooding Batarangs
Well, holy cinematic renaissance, Batman! Just when I thought superhero movies were deader than my first wife’s meatloaf, along comes Tim Burton’s “Batman” to prove that a man dressed as a flying rodent can indeed be taken seriously.
Michael Keaton plays Bruce Wayne/Batman, and let me tell you, this ain’t your daddy’s Adam West. Keaton’s Batman is broodier than a teenager who’s been grounded from their smartphone. He skulks around Gotham like he’s perpetually constipated, but damn if he doesn’t make it work.
Then there’s Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Sweet suffering succotash, this man chews more scenery than a termite on steroids. He prances, he dances, he kills people with novelty items – it’s like watching a homicidal Walmart greeter on acid. And I loved every minute of it.
Gotham City looks like what would happen if H.R. Giger designed a metropolitan area after a three-day bender. It’s all gothic spires and art deco nightmares – you half expect Dracula to pop up and ask for directions to the nearest blood bank.
The plot? It’s more twisted than my arthritis-riddled fingers, but who cares? We’re here for the spectacle, baby! We’ve got bat-planes, bat-mobiles, and more bat-gadgets than you can shake a utility belt at. It’s like watching James Bond in a Halloween costume.
Danny Elfman’s score hits you harder than Batman’s fist to a henchman’s face. It’s grand, it’s gothic, it’s got more brass than a Salvation Army band. You’ll be humming it for weeks, much to the annoyance of everyone around you.
Now, let’s talk about those action scenes. They’re more over-the-top than a Cirque du Soleil performance, but with 100% more explosions and leather. The final showdown atop the cathedral had me on the edge of my seat, and I haven’t been that excited since I found a quarter in my couch cushions.
Is “Batman” perfect? Nah. Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. And some of the effects are dated enough to collect social security. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. This flick’s got more style than a Milan fashion show and twice the substance.
So, if you want to see where modern superhero movies got their dark, gritty roots, give Burton’s “Batman” a watch. It’s the kind of film that grabs you by the cape, dangles you off a gargoyle, and says, “Welcome to Gotham, chump. Enjoy the ride.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go brood in my basement and practice saying “I’m Batman” in a gravelly voice. It’s cheaper than therapy and way more fun.
Michael Keaton will always be Batman to me as he plays the haunted and lost Bruce Wayne so fantastically well that I doubt it will ever be bettered. Jack Nicholson was born to play the joker, the score is epic, the set design is wonderful.
Notes:
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours 06 minutes
Gross worldwide: $411,569,241
Budget: $35,000,000 (estimated)
Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office take, he took home around $60 million. When adjusting for inflation, this equals roughly $152 million in 2022.
Michael Keaton came up with the famous “I’m Batman” line. The line in the script was “I am the night”.
Robin Williams was offered the role of Joker when Jack Nicholson hesitated. He had even accepted the role, when producers approached Nicholson again and told him Williams would take the part if he did not. Nicholson took the role, and Williams was released. Williams resented being used as bait, and not only refused to play Riddler in Batman Forever (1995) but also refused to be involved in any Warner Bros. productions until the studio apologized. His next project with the studio would be Fathers’ Day (1997).
Tim Burton explained, “the whole film and mythology of the character is a complete duel of the freaks. It’s a fight between two disturbed people”, adding, “The Joker is such a great character because there’s a complete freedom to him. Any character who operates on the outside of society and is deemed a freak and an outcast then has the freedom to do what they want… They are the darker sides of freedom. Insanity is in some scary way the most freedom you can have, because you’re not bound by the laws of society”.
Batman creator Bob Kane drew and signed the “Batman” sketch used by reporters to tease Knox
Tim Burton has a cameo at around 1h 1 min in as one of the Joker’s goons in the museum scene.
Quotes:
The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Bruce Wayne: What?
The Joker: I always ask that of all my prey. I just… like the sound of it.
Batman: I’m Batman.
Bruce Wayne: LIGHTS OUT! Now you wanna get nuts? Come on! Let’s get nuts.
The Joker: Never rub another man’s rhubarb.
The Joker: Now comes the part where I relieve you, the little people, of the burden of your failed and useless lives. But, as my plastic surgeon always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile.
Vicki Vale: You’re insane!
Joker: I thought I was a Pisces!
The Joker: “Winged freak terrorizes”? Wait till they get a load of me!
[Joker reaches for a pair of glasses in his pocket and puts them on]
The Joker: You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses on, would you? Huh?
[Batman punches him]
The Joker: Shall we dance?
Alexander Knox: Maybe it should be Bruce Vain!
Critics Consensus:
Critics 77% Audience 84% Rotten Tomatoes
An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson’s Joker too often overshadows the title character
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