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Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The Worst Film Ever

Excellent but underrated film

The acting in this movie is really good.

Jack and Michael were the best fit for this film! Jack is the best joker because he is not sadistic like the new ones. Good story and had humor, plus made me leaving the theaters feeling good, not wanting to kill myself like the new one.

Not many people knew quite the effect a Tim Burton and Michael Keaton Batman movie would have at the time, or the effect that would last arguably indefinitely. The fans panicked at the idea of Keaton donning the cowl of their beloved titular superhero. But wouldn't you if a comedic talent, (who you probably wouldn't have questioned much being cast as The Joker due to his star turn in the duo's previous collaboration Beetlejuice),was cast as the 6 foot plus, chiseled powerhouse of a man who beats criminals with his bare hands? Even Tim Burton himself, a rookie, tasked with such a big movie with even larger fan expectations, desperate to have a new defining image of their beloved hero that didn't involve surf sequences or shark repellent spray. And it was this risk alone, that forever set the benchmark for how comic book adaptations should be made. Filmed entirely in Pinewood Studios, London, featuring absolutely stunning set design courtesy of Anton Furst, Batman is gripping right from the opening, which actually toys with your expectations as to what this film is, but through Batman's incredibly effective introduction, it sets it straight that this isn't an origin story. Nor does it need to be. I do wonder why they didn't do the Superman '78 approach, but the story itself, essentially a Joker origin story, is strong enough as it is, everyone knows how Batman came to be, anyway. However it is established this is actually very early on in Batman's career. A Joker origin story this is, too. Which garnered criticism from fans alike that it didn't feature enough Batman, however I feel they crafted the Batman character so well, that you don't need to see him so frequently, as his presence is felt lurking throughout the film anyway, and any appearance he does make feels fresh and necessary. Also, when you have such a big name and Oscar winning calibre in Jack Nicholson, you're naturally going to be more inclined to centre the film on him and his character, even if just to show off the superb make up designed by the team. This is a very simple film and story when compared to the deep and layered Nolan trilogy, but this is all it has to be. It's straight up good vs evil, with beautiful architecture, incredible performances by the two leads,an iconic Danny Elfman score, (as immortalised itself as the character of Batman is) and the perfect balance between film and comic lore. Sure this film has faults, character's sway from the source material in terms of behaviour and origin, maybe it is too dark and grim looking (however I prefer this take) the Prince tracks date it or maybe the film just isn't deep enough for some, but for I, this is my favourite Batman interpretation. I feel this movie works brilliantly, if only for giving my beloved Batman character a new defining image, that didn't involve surfing sequences or shark repellent spray.

Hyped beyond belief at the time of release (1989), highly budgeted, and nerve wracking to comic book fans who did not want the movie to resemble the 1960's Batman TV show (who need to get their priorities in life straight), Tim Burton's first Batman movie leaves a lot to be desired. On the positive side, it looks great with moody cinematography, Gothic/art decoy baroque inspired sets and matte paintings. It also has insistent but generally effective music by Danny Elfman, who impressively succeeds in spite of having no formal training in orchestration.The actors seem to be earnestly trying, though Keaton and especially Basinger perhaps just are not suited to the material. Keaton isn't terribly persuasive with the angst of his character, and Basinger....Well, she looks good but her delivery and interaction with the other cast members is lacking. Jack Nicholson is charismatic and fittingly for the Joker his mannerisms and line deliveries are quirky and manic, but thankfully they avoid falling into shrill camp. Heath Ledger would go for a more conventionally "dark" take on the character, which in my opinion may be more believable but isn't as entertaining.The movie's story takes a long time to take shape and the movie overall definitely runs long for a 1980's action movie; you can get up and take a break without pausing the movie at the beginning of a more talky scene and trust me, you won't miss a whole lot. Stretching some of the story and "character" scenes out mostly is a drawback, as it emphasizes the inadequacies of the movie.The movie presents as stylistically dark, but the situation and behavioral logic of many scenes is not at all sophisticated. Verily, one could argue that the delicious camp of the 60's show was actually more witty than this ostensibly serious but of often poor workmanship movie.As the movie gains steam (at a glacial pace....), the film-makers start piling up one coincidence or defiance of common sense after another. Why isn't the Joker arrested? This isn't Robocop where the police are protecting the crime lord villain. Why don't other Gothamites run shrieking away from the Joker, or try and take on the Joker who must be widely hated by the last third of the movie? Why does the Joker have a massive supply of goons conveniently dressed in the same uniform, who also have a large supply of Joker themed vehicles? It's clear that Burton likes the aesthetics of the enterprise, but whether he's capable of handling a large scale action movie is debatable. Some of the problems are script related, but the script isn't primarily responsible for pacing, acting, action choreography , and the like, which are all lacking in the movie; it's really odd that an a year with some spectacular action scenes (the 3rd Indiana Jones, Lethal Weapon 2, Back to the Future 2, The Abyss, Black Rain, License to Kill, Roadhouse, etc.) the public would somehow not notice that the film's fight scenes are dull and the vehicle action scenes are mediocre (with the bat plane stuff being more goofy than Roger Moore era bond). The action often is lacking in both internal logic and a reasonable connection to the surrounding scenes.This might seem shocking, but I've yet to see a Batman movie that fully sells me on the character. And I'm not hard to impress. I grew up loving Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Rambo, etc. I'm not a snob and I'm not that hard to please. Perhaps it's that, oddly enough, I still find Adam West to be the most appealing actor in the role. Keaton lacks a heroic presence, a good actor all the same but not right for the role. Christian Bale has a cold and smarmy presence that suited him for Patrick Bateman, but is totally wrong for an action hero. Film-makers seem to think Batman is a complex, "dark" character and as such shy away from casting alpha males in the role. Dumb. Stallone hit a grand slam with Rambo, who in the first movie is a scarred loose cannon. Highly masculine actors can do dark as well as anybody.

It took several years for the producers to get the green light to make this first blockbuster "Batman" movie. All the hard work was certainly worth it. The tone and style of the film reflects that of the graphic novels "The Killing Joke" and "A Death in the Family." The Gothic look embues the film with power and imagination. There is no way that any fan of the comic book can call the 1989 movie self-mocking or camp. There is some humour but of a more dark and macabre kind. As the director Tim Burton wasn't yet established as a major talent in Hollywood, the producers didn't really permit him a long filming schedule or overly extravagant budget in order to make the film. As a result, it was decided to go to Pinewood studios in England where the production values would be of a high calibre and the producers could save money into the bargain. The set designers did a tremendous job of creating a Gothic-looking Gotham City. Photographing the sets with low lighting adds to the atmosphere that Tim Burton wanted and got. The Joker is the ideal villain with which to begin the "Batman" film franchise. You can't mention Batman without including the Joker in the same breath. Comic book sales are attributed to that particular villain. Jack Nicholson is the Joker personified. His evil and sadistic personality, along with his criminal activities are all executed with a twisted kind of humour. He is easily a match for Batman in the struggle in Good vs. Evil. Michael Keaton came under some criticism in his being cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Personally, I thought he did quite well but his lack of height is a handicap. As Batman, he is fairly effective and carries a hard edge. As Bruce Wayne, he is good enough. Michael Gough is excellent as Alfred (far better than that over- rated Michael Caine). Character actor Pat Hingle is ideally cast as Commissioner Gordon and Billy Dee Williams does well as District Attorney Harvey Dent. Jack Palance shows he can still be menacing at the age of 68 and he is, as the crime lord Carl Grissom. The screenplay is a fine one, with much memorable dialogue. The narrative is very good on the whole. The scene where Grissom is holding a conference in his office is a telling one. Jack Nicholson in his previous life as psychopathic thug Jack Napier, is casually flicking through his deck of cards. The moment he is entrusted with the job of robbing the payroll at the Gotham City chemical plant, he turns one card to see what it is. A Joker card is staring back at him. I noted how Napier stares at it, looks quickly to his colleagues, leans back to think for a moment, then dismisses whatever he was thinking. What the character may suspect but not know, is that his fate is beckoning....... The scenes at the Chemical plant are great as the gangsters shoot it out with the police. Of course, Batman intervenes to offer the authorities some assistance. I won't give away any more details of the plot but this is a film which any fan of Batman will enjoy.