Batman (1989)

 Batman (1989)

Much in the veins of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tim Burton’s Batman is influential in terms of how movies are produced and operated today. I personally think it is the film which made comic book films popular despite the rousing success of Superman: The Movie. This is also the first Batman movie I have ever seen. The film’s visuals and production design gave the movie a distinct look, one that is reminiscent of a noir movie. If only the lead female was a femme fatale rather than a damsel in distress. The dark atmosphere and tone are what I associate with when I think about Batman, a shadow of the night. The film works not only with its tone, but Jack Nicholson’s spectacular turn as The Joker and Michael Keaton’s surprising work with the Dark Knight. Tim Burton, who was not originally a comic book fan, really captured the tone and spirit of what I always imagined Batman to be.

By the 1970’s, the popularity of Batman was waning. Bob Kane created Batman during the height of noir films in the late 30’s, early 40’s, which is where “the look” came from. The 60’s were known for its campy Batman series starring Adam West. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, a script was written for the definitive Batman as Kane had imagined. After the successes of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, Warner Brothers became more interested in Batman. Sam Hamm wrote the script and felt an origin story would be better suited for the character. The casting made comic book fans angry and even executives were troubled. Michael Keaton, a man of average build and known for his comedies, did not feel like the right move. Of course, he put fans at ease but there were initial plans of boycotts. Jack Nicholson, who nearly overshadowed everyone as The Joker, agreed to play the part for a long, long time. When he hesitated, producers actually casted Robin Williams…but Williams was only used as leverage to get Nicholson to finally sign on. That made Robin Williams angry. I thought that was an interesting casting note to mark.

People claim the film is style over substance. In essence, it is. The story is truly basic and character development is lacking in some departments. I mostly did not care. The production design is legitimately amazing thanks to the wonderful talent of Anton Furst. His design made the Joker’s antics even more troublesome visually. The scene where the Joker defecates the art museum comes to mind. I also liked the design of the bat cave/batmobile (but why on earth would Alfred allow Vicki Vale into the batcave?). The visual effects enhanced the action. Danny Elfman created one of the best Batman themes too. Something you can hum along with.

Gotham City, in all its despair glory, plays host to a corrupt police force. Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) and Commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle) do all they can to keep the city safe. Their hero may come into the form of one humanoid bat, known as Batman (Michael Keaton). Billionaire Bruce Wayne by day and criminal stalker mastermind Batman by night, criminals now have something to fear. Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) is a journalist who set out to uncover the secrets of “The Bat.” Then, there is Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), a former enforcer of mob boss Grissom (Jack Palance) who was grotesquely disfigured by a chemical bath. Now rising from the ashes, he is known as The Joker. Batman may be the only savior of Gotham City despite the resistance from authorities. Cue the Bat Signal!

I never had an issue with Michael Keaton because this was the first ever movie with him I saw as a child. To this day, he remains a great Batman. He uses his comedic skills well as Wayne and knows how to deliver a punch or two as Batman. My biggest grip is that he had no chemistry with Kim Basinger. Basinger’s character was weak overall. Watching Batman fly through a glass ceiling is fun, but what is even more fun? Watching Nicholson as the Joker. Over the years, there have been many iterations of the iconic villain. Nicholson may not be the best Joker, but he is the one who is the most fun to watch. The supporting cast is great even if they do not have much to work with. Michael Gough is a wonderful Alfred and seeing Jack Palance is always good enough to deliver nightmares.

Batman is a cultural influence. It shaped the future of superhero films and the modern blockbuster. This is the film that gave more focus to opening weekend box office numbers in terms of final gross. The summer of 1989 was a massive season for comic book lovers. The anticipation for the movie was through the roof and I think it met many fan’s expectations…especially since people hated the Keaton casting. It was also a personal influence on me. It made me fall in love with superhero and with movies in general. Like Superman, Batman is a cutting-edge movie. A dark, atmospheric film about the origin of the world’s most popular superhero. You can even hear Prince too!

My Grade: A-