I first saw Batman 89 when I was two years old. My dad came home from work with a bright, shiny sealed Vhs in his hand. The only image on the box was a bat symbol and nothing else. My dad was a huge Batman fan and was so excited to see Batman become a serious movie. I didn't know who Batman was or the Joker. The only movie characters I knew at the time were Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I remember sitting next to my dad on the couch and watching this amazing movie. I didn't know what I was watching, but I loved every moment of it. I still have that old Vhs, but now its worn out and not so shiny. I was not one of those kids who cried or was scared of Batman and his dark world. The only thing I remembered at the age of two when I saw Batman was the incredible visuals and production design. My brother, who is five years older than me, was big into anything Batman. Both my father and brother introduced to the Caped Crusader and I so glad they did.
Michael Keaton will always be my favorite Batman. Again, I didn't know that Keaton was Mr. Mom. I accepted him as Batman and Bruce Wayne from the very beginning. I was too young to have read the comics so my only source of who Batman was came from this movie. Keaton's Bruce Wayne is a fascinating character study. I have always been a shy guy, especially around people, so I identified with Bruce Wayne. As much as I love the new Chris Nolan Batman movies, I just find Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne to be not as interesting. After reading tons of the Batman comics, I realized that Bale is more closer to the actual Bruce Wayne. Keaton doesn't really act like a foolish, handsome playboy.
My favorite villain has always been the Joker. Even though Heath Ledger was a great Joker, Jack Nicholson will always be the Joker to me. Even without the makeup, Nicholson in real life looks like the Joker. I'm assuming that at the time, Jack's portrayal of the Joker was just as scary as Ledgers. There are two things wrong about the Joker in this film. The Prince music is very outdated and doesn't fit the Joker's persona. The other thing that doesn't work well is that Batman's most famous villain dies at the end of the picture. If you look at the film as a stand alone feature, you can accept that the Joker killed Batman's parents and dies at the end of the film. Still, you have to really stretch your imagination to accept this.
There is always been a controversy over Vicki Vale entering the Batcave. I honestly didn't mind this scene. Kim Basinger made Vicki Vale intelligent and witty. She wasn't just a dumb blonde. As a reporter, it shouldn't be hard for Vicki to figure out that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person. I know this scene would never be put in the comic book series. The original screenwriter Sam Hamm even said that he didn't write this scene. I am glad that Kim Basinger played Vicki Vale than Sean Young. That woman is crazy.
The supporting cast is also exceptional. Michael Gough is a great Alfred, even though his character isn't really explored well enough. The same thing goes for Pat Hingle as Gordon. I wished that by four films, these characters would have been fully developed. There are numerous characters that were in the film that never appeared in the comics. Carl Grissom, Bob the Goon, Alicia, and Alexander Knox. I wished Alexander Knox would have appeared in the other Batman pictures. The one actor I feel sorry for is Billy Dee Williams. He was a great Harvey Dent and I wished they would have used him in Batman Forever as Two-Face. I personally think that he would have been better than Aaron Eckart or Tommy Lee Jones.
The score by Danny Elfman is amazing. I still think his music for Batman is the best in the entire series. The opening Batman march is unforgettable. I like Hans Zimmer's musical take on the new Batman films but every musical piece for Batman 89 is a pure gem. It still holds up today.
I think Batman 89 is a still an exceptional film. However it has aged more than the rest. This movie should never be forgotten. Before Blade was released, Batman 89 was the first comic book movie that took itself seriously.
Batman 89 gets a perfect 5 out 5 stars.