I have gotten into countless debates on here about who's take on Batman is better: Burton's or Nolan's. Some feel that Burton's is closer to the comic book vibe, others that Nolan's faithfulness to the characters wins out. Personally I have always liked Nolan's movies more, but still have an affinity for this first film at lest from Burton. In this review I'll try to leave the "which is better" debate for the comments section, and just review the film as if Nolan's didn't exist.
Definitely a milestone in my young cinaphile life was going to see Batman with my older sister. Growing up with a comic loving family, I always had an interest from a very early age, but aside from Superman 4, this was the first CBM I had ever managed to see on the big screen. I loved it, it was amazing. Everything about it. When your a kid you don't notice the same type of problems an adult would, but watching it again recently, I did! Thats not to say Batman is unsuccessful at all, its still stands as a great movie, but while something like Superman really holds up as an almost flawless depiction of the character to this day, Batman does leave a lot to be desired for me. Burton creates a pretty impressive Gothic nightmare of a Gotham City, certainly more reminiscent of the dark cityscapes from the comics. He begins the story with Bruce Wayne already established as his batman persona and in the midst of cleaning up the city while the police and the reporters scramble to make sense of the criminal's cries of "Giant bat!". One such reporter is Mike Knox, who along with the gorgeous photographer Vicki Vale is determined to get to the bottom of the vigilantism. Enter Jack Napier, right hand man to Gotham crime boss Carl Grissom. When a raid at Axis Chemicals goes wrong, Batman sends Napier tumbling into a vat of chemicals, thus creating his most feared nemesis, The Joker.
I think that should do it for the plot recap, after all if there is anyone on CBM that hasn't seen this move I would be very worried! So, on to the performances. Michael Keaton was an outside the box choice to say the least for Bruce Wayne/Batman, but he does a great job, at least acting wise. Physically he is just too scrawny and short to be playing such an intimidating character. He almost makes up for it with intensity, but when you have a Joker that's actually bigger than Batman, something just looks out of place! That being said, his whispered tones and menacing stare as The Dark Knight are fantastic. His Bruce Wayne, less so. Keaton is charming, but not charming enough to disguise the fact that his handsome, debonair billionaire, isn't very handsome or debonair! He plays Wayne like a slightly less psychotic Batman, which as any fan of the character knows, is a no no. In private sure, but his public face should be a boozy, womanizing himbo. Keaton spends as much time brooding as Wayne as he does as Bats. But again, in this world that Burton has created, it works. Jack Nicholson is a riot as The Joker. In the comics, The Joker has been portrayed as a mischievous but dangerous clown, and an outright sadistic maniac. Nicholson goes more towards the clown. Sure he's ruthless, but never really intimidating. He's never shown as a real threat to Batman. He brings the laughs of course, I just always preferred a bit of a darker take on Mr J. The rest of the performances are meh. Kim Basinger is awful as Vicki Vale, and annoys in practically every scene shes in. Great to look at though! Blink and you will miss both Commissioner Gordon(Pat Hingle) and Alfred(Michael Gough) in this film. These two characters who have always been a huge part of the Batman mythology are reduced to about 3 scenes each, and through no fault of these great actors, are not given the chance to do anything but look old in them. Any big fan of the batman comic will also have a problem with this little tweak in the mythology. Burton's Batman kills. And not even only when he has to. Joyfully! From immolation to death by church bell, this Bats has no "one rule". Its something that pretty much every writer has always adhered to, even the most violent incarnations by Frank Miller never cross the murder line. Burton also has The Joker be the one responsible for Wayne's parents murders. Anyone who reads my stuff knows that I'm not a huge stickler for every little detail from the source material being adhered to, but these a big part of the character and also, I am sick of hearing that Burton's films are more faithful to said source material than Nolan's!(sorry, I did say I'll TRY:) Anyway, enough of that.
The story is a good one, faithful or not. It keeps you riveted at all times. The script is solid, if nothing spectacular. Obviously Nicholson gets the best lines! As the film hurtles to a final showdown in a church, it loses a lot of its quality. Burton's movie really plays out like a carnival ride, complete with somersaulting thugs springing from nowhere and The Joker gleefully dancing around Batman and Vale's fingers as they hand from the church ledge. You could say it hearkens back to the purposeful silliness of the old 60s tv show with Adam West, but for me, its just dated a little. But, flaws aside, I still enjoyed the Hell out of this again, and Danny Elfman's theme music and score will probably never be bettered for this character. Does it deserve its classic status? Not as much as something like Superman, but yeah, I think it should stand the test of time for another 20 odd years, a few scenes aside!.
Check out all of my other reviews and revisits here.
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