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Director
Tim Burton
Cast
Michael Keaton - Bruce Wayne/ Batman
Jack Nicholson - Jack Napier/ Joker
Kim Basinger - Vicki Vale
Robert Wuhl - Alexander Knox
Pat Hingle - Commissioner Gordon
Billy Dee Williams - Harvey Dent
Michael Gough - Alfred Pennyworth
Jack Palance - Carl Grissom
Kim Basinger - Vicki Vale
Robert Wuhl - Alexander Knox
Pat Hingle - Commissioner Gordon
Billy Dee Williams - Harvey Dent
Michael Gough - Alfred Pennyworth
Jack Palance - Carl Grissom
I reviewed the 1992 movie "Batman Returns" - the sequel to Tim Burton's 1989 movie "Batman" - back in 2022. Well, after hearing some negative comments on the '89 Batman, I felt compelled to comment. I wanted to write something up about this movie after seeing Michael Keaton return as Batman in "The Flash." So, I'm just now getting to this.
I was a month short of being nine-years old when I saw Burton's "Batman" in the theater. That theater was the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, California and it was one of the most intense movie experiences I've had.
I still remember the parts where the audience laughed.
I remember the entire theater cheering at the scene with the Batwing flying above the cloud cover to juxtapose against the moon creating the bat emblem before soaring full-speed back down to Gotham City to take out the Joker.
Above all, I recall the Bat-hype this movie caused back in 1989. It got a hold of me, too. My nine-year old self grew obsessed with Batman thanks to this movie. Of course, it has subsided quite a bit since then.
I have a special place in my heart for the 1989 "Batman."
In this movie, the masked vigilante, Batman, is just beginning to grace the dark crime-ridden streets of Gotham City.
News reporter, Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) is covering Batman sightings around Gotham, with little to no cooperation from Commissioner Jim Gordon (Pat Hingle), Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) and Mayor Borg (Lee Wallace).
Photojournalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) wants to work with Knox in covering the Batman.
They both attend a fundraiser at Wayne Manor hosted by billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) as Gordon, Borg, and Dent will be in attendance.
Knox and Vale hope to find out what the police and city hall know about "the bat." And Vale wants to meet with Wayne, whom she's never seen.
When they finally meet, Wayne becomes infatuated with Vale.
When they finally meet, Wayne becomes infatuated with Vale.
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| Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in "Batman." |
Meanwhile, mob leader Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) sends his psychopathic top henchman, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) to raid the Axis Chemical Factory and steal incriminating evidence. What Napier doesn't initially realize is that Grissom is setting him up for murder by police in retaliation for sleeping with his mistress, Alicia (Jerry Hall).
Grissom has corrupt Lieutenant Max Eckhardt (William Hootkins), whom he has in his back pocket, to conduct an unauthorized police raid in order to shoot and kill Napier.
However, Commissioner Gordon receives an anonymous tip about what's going on and shows up to take over.
Batman also shows up as he eavesdropped on Gordon receiving that anonymous tip during the fundraiser.
While being chased by police, Napier has a clear shot at Gordon. Just as he's pulling the trigger, Batman kicks the gun out of his hand. They scuffle before Napier's goon, Bob (Tracey Walter), threatens to shoot Gordon unless he let's go of Jack, which Batman does.
Napier ends up shooting Eckhardt in revenge. Right after, he fires a shot at Batman who blocks it causing the bullet to ricochet off some metal and hit Napier through both of his cheeks.
He stumbles around before falling over a railing and into a large vat of chemicals.
While Grissom thinks he's dead, Jack actually survives and has some plastic surgery done to correct his facial disfigurements. This procedure leaves him with a permanent grin across his face.
Grissom has corrupt Lieutenant Max Eckhardt (William Hootkins), whom he has in his back pocket, to conduct an unauthorized police raid in order to shoot and kill Napier.
However, Commissioner Gordon receives an anonymous tip about what's going on and shows up to take over.
Batman also shows up as he eavesdropped on Gordon receiving that anonymous tip during the fundraiser.
While being chased by police, Napier has a clear shot at Gordon. Just as he's pulling the trigger, Batman kicks the gun out of his hand. They scuffle before Napier's goon, Bob (Tracey Walter), threatens to shoot Gordon unless he let's go of Jack, which Batman does.
Napier ends up shooting Eckhardt in revenge. Right after, he fires a shot at Batman who blocks it causing the bullet to ricochet off some metal and hit Napier through both of his cheeks.
He stumbles around before falling over a railing and into a large vat of chemicals.
While Grissom thinks he's dead, Jack actually survives and has some plastic surgery done to correct his facial disfigurements. This procedure leaves him with a permanent grin across his face.
The chemicals also turn his skin completely white and his hair green. His new appearance makes him insane, which Napier embraces.
Now, calling himself "Joker," he immediately pays Grissom a visit, kills him and takes over his operations.
Joker unleashes a wave of terror over Gotham City when he takes over the Axis Chemical Factory.
He starts manufacturing beauty and hygiene products at the chemical factory with chemical agents that, when different products are used together, create a lethal gas call Smylex. This causes victims to laugh uncontrollably until they die, leaving a permanent grin on their faces just like Joker's.
Joker also becomes infatuated with Vicki Vale, trying to lure her to his side.
However, once Batman breaks the Joker's deadly plans and hands his findings over to Vicki to be printed in the newspaper leaving Gotham to wonder if this Batman is a friend or foe, the Joker unleashes his fury on all of Gotham.
As the mayor postpones Gotham's 200th anniversary celebration parade, the Joker decides to hold his own parade.
He lures Gotham residents to the downtown area by promising to dump $20 million in cash during his parade. And, of course, the people come.
What they don't know is that the Joker's parade balloons are actually filled with Smylex which he begins releasing into the crowd.
But Batman doesn't waste time in fighting for Gotham City and taking out the joker.
This movie is entertaining right from the credits. The opening soundtrack by Danny Elfman couldn't fit the movie any better.
The dialogue and entire production quality design is amazingly unique and unforgettable. The time of release is worth mentioning.
As the popularity of the "Superman" movies waned after "Superman II" - the worst of the Superman movies of course being "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" followed closely by "Superman III" - a Batman movie must have been a major risk.
While comic book enthusiasts might have been very familiar with dark Batman stories as seen in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" (1986) and "Batman: The Killing Joke" (1988) by Alan Moore, the general public were much more familiar with the campy television series "Batman." The show ran from 1966 to 1969, and starred Adam West and Burt Ward as the dynamic duo. The show was anything but dark. So, coming up with a dark, Dark Knight was certainly ambitious.
And Tim Burton's "Batman" sure has a lot of ambitious decisions behind it beginning with Michael Keaton as Batman/ Bruce Wayne, as mentioned millions of times before.
Now, calling himself "Joker," he immediately pays Grissom a visit, kills him and takes over his operations.
Joker unleashes a wave of terror over Gotham City when he takes over the Axis Chemical Factory.
He starts manufacturing beauty and hygiene products at the chemical factory with chemical agents that, when different products are used together, create a lethal gas call Smylex. This causes victims to laugh uncontrollably until they die, leaving a permanent grin on their faces just like Joker's.
Joker also becomes infatuated with Vicki Vale, trying to lure her to his side.
However, once Batman breaks the Joker's deadly plans and hands his findings over to Vicki to be printed in the newspaper leaving Gotham to wonder if this Batman is a friend or foe, the Joker unleashes his fury on all of Gotham.
As the mayor postpones Gotham's 200th anniversary celebration parade, the Joker decides to hold his own parade.
He lures Gotham residents to the downtown area by promising to dump $20 million in cash during his parade. And, of course, the people come.
What they don't know is that the Joker's parade balloons are actually filled with Smylex which he begins releasing into the crowd.
But Batman doesn't waste time in fighting for Gotham City and taking out the joker.
This movie is entertaining right from the credits. The opening soundtrack by Danny Elfman couldn't fit the movie any better.
The dialogue and entire production quality design is amazingly unique and unforgettable. The time of release is worth mentioning.
As the popularity of the "Superman" movies waned after "Superman II" - the worst of the Superman movies of course being "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" followed closely by "Superman III" - a Batman movie must have been a major risk.
 |
| Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale in "Batman." |
And Tim Burton's "Batman" sure has a lot of ambitious decisions behind it beginning with Michael Keaton as Batman/ Bruce Wayne, as mentioned millions of times before.
Putting Tim Burton in the director's chair was another ambitious task. Before "Batman" Burton was known for directing the comedies, "Beetlejuice" and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." And making Batman a complete revision, again for general audiences whose idea of Batman is what they watched on T.V., was a big one. How would audiences take to such a reimaging of their beloved Batman?
It's dark and dank, but with a little splash of color which adds to the contrast between the dark tone of Batman and the vibrant in-your-face personality of Joker. A lot of scenes and angles look like they're straight off comic book pages.
I love the tone of the film and atmosphere of this movie. The set often doesn't look like a set most of the time. The movie has a dystopian vibe to it, similar to movies like "Blade Runner" with a little fairy tale feel to it loosely similar (in my mind anyway) to something like "The Princess Bride." There's a broken main hero and a fair maiden whose affection is rivaled over by the hero and the villain. In "Batman," that's a side story that's also used to bring the hero and the villain into battle.
When Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" movies arrived, Burton's "Batman" remained appreciated by some, and pushed aside by others because something "better" was now among us.
It's dark and dank, but with a little splash of color which adds to the contrast between the dark tone of Batman and the vibrant in-your-face personality of Joker. A lot of scenes and angles look like they're straight off comic book pages.
I love the tone of the film and atmosphere of this movie. The set often doesn't look like a set most of the time. The movie has a dystopian vibe to it, similar to movies like "Blade Runner" with a little fairy tale feel to it loosely similar (in my mind anyway) to something like "The Princess Bride." There's a broken main hero and a fair maiden whose affection is rivaled over by the hero and the villain. In "Batman," that's a side story that's also used to bring the hero and the villain into battle.
When Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" movies arrived, Burton's "Batman" remained appreciated by some, and pushed aside by others because something "better" was now among us.
The story gets criticized for Alfred bringing Vicki into the bat cave. But Bruce was going to tell her the truth anyway. Why does Vickie's presence in the bat cave bother people?
With the presence of British actor Michael Gough as Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred, along with Jack Nicholson's performance that he surely borrows inspiration from his role in "The Shining," "Batman" is a movie that has improved over time. Maybe it's not as good as Nolan's films. But it doesn't need to be. It's a solid, foundational, superbly constructed and highly entertaining film. To be fair, if I must complain about one thing about "Batman," it's Prince's awful music video "Batdance" written for this movie. Cringe isn't a big enough word!
With the presence of British actor Michael Gough as Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred, along with Jack Nicholson's performance that he surely borrows inspiration from his role in "The Shining," "Batman" is a movie that has improved over time. Maybe it's not as good as Nolan's films. But it doesn't need to be. It's a solid, foundational, superbly constructed and highly entertaining film. To be fair, if I must complain about one thing about "Batman," it's Prince's awful music video "Batdance" written for this movie. Cringe isn't a big enough word!
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