Title: Batman
Year: 1989
Director: Tim Burton
Country: US
Language: English
In the 1980's comic book adaptations were God-awful, Howard the Duck (1988) levels of awful. Batman has also been a bit of a cultural joke considering the campy 1960's television series starring Adam West. It was thanks to Alan Moore and Frank Miller that Batman was transformed into a more brooding character, whose inner turmoil made for great stories about good and evil. Tim Burton, who had directed quirky gothic pictures like Beetlejuice (1988), was a decent choice to helm this film.
Grossing $400 million in 1989, Batman became a cultural phenomenon. It made an immediate impact on people & in many ways is still the ideal vision of our superhero. Tim Burton created a Gotham with gothic, almost German expressionist architecture; every building looms menacingly, every street has an atmosphere of danger. The noir shadows look surreal and adds to an imaginative set design.
Batman is so clearly Burton's vision. It's impressive to see such a big mainstream film have a director's trademarks all over it. Jack Nicholson's over the top performance as The Joker is also pretty memorable. Infact he completes his role so well, that many people get upset whenever its announced that somebody else will play the Joker in future batman movies.
Batman (1989) has the right combination of acting & visuals, but in terms of story and pacing its a fairly run of the mill Hollywood movie. There are plenty of fun moments, particularly when Nicholson is on screen, but it can crawl to a snail's pace & there isn't much emotional depth or nuance. Still, Batman is still a fun popcorn flick.
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