Batman (1989)

Title: Batman

Year: 1989

Genre: Action | Adventure |

Runtime: 125 min

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger

7,5/10

Gotham City. Crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) effectively runs the town but there’s a new crime fighter in town – Batman (Michael Keaton). Grissom’s right-hand man is Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), a brutal man who is not entirely sane… After falling out between the two Grissom has Napier set up with the Police and Napier falls to his apparent death in a vat of chemicals. However, he soon reappears as The Joker and starts a reign of terror in Gotham City. Meanwhile, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) is in the city to do an article on Batman. She soon starts a relationship with Batman’s everyday persona, billionaire Bruce Wayne.

 CHARMING YET WHIMSICAL INTRODUCTION OF BATMAN

Tim Burton’s incarnation of the mythologic and legendary character of Batman, elevates slightly in how the representation of the character are written today. Gotham City is presented as a grim, rotten city where crimes occur on the streets. Where injustice takes over and the crime rates surge each day.  As a righteous distinct proposition would to be call this film a classic in terms of music, modernize the mythologic character and the introduction of the Batmobile, which has been upgraded a few times since this film debut. The wrong side is with some few elements of how The Joker are introduced. For example, it is off-putting that he is name is Jack Napier and much of Jack Nicholson’s terrible performance. It is distracting and does not follow in the line of other interpretations of the classic villain.

Jack Nicholson drives on the whimsical and comedy-side of the character and the side of the lunatic. As with Tim Burton vision of a duel of the two leading freaks, it doesn’t really live up to the expectations. There is no clear vision on this version of the Joker, as both Batman and The Joker blames each other on their failing in lives. Jack Napier kills his parents and Batman drops Napier in the vat of acid, saying both made them for who they are. However, according to the Comics, Joe Chill were the murderer.

Vicki Vale aka Kim Basinger has a strong present during the movie just as much as Keaton’s Batman. She is also Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend and the only one beside Alfred knowing Wayne’s alter-ego. It would go against the policy to invite unknown guests to the Batcave. Harvey Dent’s are participating in the film but never an active character, as there’s no use for him. The film introduces some legendary and modernized attribute to the character that filmmakers still use today. But compared to Nolan’s masterpiece-trilogy on the character, it falls bleak behind. But at least, it’s better than Zack Snyder interpretation of the character just like Suicide Squad.