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BATMAN FILM REVIEWS Part 1: Batman (1989)

I have decided to finish up my blog with six movie reviews. One of my nerdy aspects is that I am a big Batman fan. I was obsessed with the comics and animated series growing up as a kid, and I thought I would write about my own thoughts on the six feature films.

Before I begin with the 1989 Batman directed by Tim Burton, I want to briefly go back to the 1960s television series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. This was the series that really introduced Batman to a lot of the public. The tone of the series was about as far away from the Batman we know today as it can possibly get. It was a campy version that strayed away from the dark appeal of most of the comics. It was supposed to be fun, silly, and entertaining. However, for fans of the comics, the camp appeal of the TV series grew tiring, and it was time for Batman to take on a more serious tone to show to audiences. In 1989, they would get their wish.

Burton’s Batman was the first feature film based off the comic book series. It had a dark and serious tone and was a box office success, grossing $43.6 million. Cast as Batman was Michael Keaton, who gave a surprisingly outstanding performance portraying the mysterious Caped Crusader and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne. You can identify Bruce Wayne’s feelings rather nicely with Keaton’s facial expressions and dialogue. You can tell he’s hiding something from unsuspecting characters. There’s a scene where Bruce is trying to confess to his love interest, Vicki Vale, that he is Batman, but he has trouble getting his words out, and when she walks away, he’s whispering to himself “I’m Batman. I’m Batman.” This scene is an example of Keaton’s performance as Bruce Wayne.

The villain in the film is the Joker, played by Jack Nicholson. After falling into a vat of chemicals, criminal Jack Napier’s face becomes disfigured, appearing as so he has a permanent smile, and thus becoming the Joker. The Joker’s plot is to add chemicals to every hygiene products and causing people to “laugh to death.” The Joker then holds a parade through the streets of Gotham City, where he exudes lethal gases intended to kill all citizens nearby. Batman, however, crashes the Joker’s party, but the Joker then kidnaps Vicki Vale, taking her to the top of a tall cathedral church. Batman follows and fights the Joker, who falls to his death while attempting to be saved by his henchman in a helicopter.

The main plot is a simple and typical plot of a superhero story. However, the film also gives us the back-story of Bruce Wayne, which ends up connecting him to the Joker, making the confrontation of Batman and the Joker more meaningful. When Bruce was a kid, his parents were murdered by a criminal. As the film goes on, Bruce discovers that the criminal who murdered his parents was Jack Napier, who is now the Joker. This connection makes this hero-villain relationship more than just the hero trying to stop a random person from evil deeds.

Nicholson was an excellent choice to play the Joker. Nicholson has been known to play many psychotic characters in his films, notably in his role as Jack Torrence in the Shining. Nicholson does not disappoint as the Joker, for he is crazy and demented consistently throughout the film. The scene where the Joker is fighting Batman at the top of the cathedral demonstrates Nicholson’s performance very well.

Tim Burton’s Batman gave me all I could ask for in a film based of the comics. It delivered the serious tone perfectly, the acting by the main characters was great, the music was outstanding, and I really liked the development of the hero-villain relationship. It was satisfying and entertaining from start to finish.