Batman Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
In Gotham City, a dark knight known as Batman helps to defeat evil and keep the city's citizens safe. When Jack Napier is transformed into the evil, Joker, he promises to take over Gotham City it is up to Batman to stop him in his tracks before it is too late.
| Michael Keaton | Batman, Bruce Wayne |
| Jack Nicholson | Joker, Jack Napier |
| Kim Basinger | Vicki Vale |
| Robert Wuhl | Alexander Knox |
| Pat Hingle | Commissioner James Gordon |
| Billy Dee Williams | Harvey Dent |
| Michael Gough | Alfred Pennyworth |
| Jack Palance | Carl Grissom |
| Jerry Hall | Alicia Grissom |
| Tracey Walter | Bob the Goon |
| Lee Wallace | The Mayor |
| William Hootkins | Lt. Eckhardt |
| Richard Strange | Goon |
| Tim Burton |
7.60 out of 10 (88475 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Dark and Gothic
posted on 27 Aug 2009Tim Burton has successfully managed to recreate the original Batman comic books, and has tried to be authentic in his approach. To see Gotham city recreated on the big screen is great, i'm sure it fits in with everyone's idea of Gotham city; dark and Gothic, like it should be.The casting was also inspired, Michael Keaton brings a slight element of lunacy to the batman character (lets face it Batman can't be playing with a full deck) and Keaton convinces you that he is slightly mad and has suffered a troubled past.As for the Joker (Jack Nicholson) i defy anyone to top his performance, he is the Joker, he breathed life into a comic book badguy and played the role with exactly the right amount of madness to capture the imagination of every Batman fanatic.8/10
Before the X-men and Spiderman there was Batman
posted on 27 Aug 2009Every Decade has its memorable movies, and the 80's had Star Wars (Episodes V and VI), Aliens, Die Hard, and Indiana Jones, among others. This movie was definitely a great movie. Everything came together to form an almost perfect blend to create the comic city of Gotham. The acting was great in all parties, the music was terrific, the cinematography was awesome, and the visual effects were outstanding. The Bat mobile chase, axis chemicals explosion, and the vandelization of the museum, were all memorable scenes. But nothing was as insane as the man himself: Jack Nicholson. He's one of the most gifted actors ever, (12 academy award nominations) and was the best comic villain ever (Made AFI's Top 50 villains.) WB spent a lot of money on this project and put it all in the hands of director Tim Burton. A gamble, maybe, but did it pay off? I think so. This is even today probably his best movie and his first really dark movie. His Dark knight makes the old batman obsolete. This in my opinion is the best comic book movie ever made, and is still visually impressive today. The plot was deeper and more meaningful then other movies of the genre. Unfortunately all of the sequels got steadily worse. Batman Returns was almost as good, but Batman Forever wasn't nearly as good, and Batman and Robin just stunk. Danny Elfman composed a brilliant score that fits the tone of the movie perfectly, and I think its one of his best scores. It probably is the best super hero score. I haven't seen enough super hero movies to tell you. Hopefully Mr. Burton makes some more super hero movies, but until he does we still have the best in the genre! How it is so low on the IMDB is a mystery to me and I hope it moves up the ranks some.
The best of the series,and the darkest. Until "Batman Begins".
posted on 24 Aug 2009Around the time "Beetlejuice" was released in theaters,I was reading "Starlog Magazine". It was announced that they were going to film a "Batman" movie.The last time I remembered seeing "Batman" was from the 70s-the early 80s.The show was campy and really dumb to watch and the comics seemed to be more darker than the television series.At that time,the "Superman" films were dying,thanks to "Superman III" and "Superman IV:The Quest for Peace".It was hard for me to accept that a film like "Batman" was coming to the big screen.My only thought was how corny it was going to be.Almost a year later,I realized that I was wrong."Batman" works on all forms.It is a wonderful film which captures the darkness and the imagination of what I did not expect from the film.Tim Burton directs the film with such glee that I was having a good time just by looking at the film.The casting for "Batman" is appropriately well made for the screen.The art direction and costume design are given a 1940s noir style and the cinematography gives "Batman" a comic book look to the film.Michael Keaton is fierce as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson is gruesomely hilarious as The Joker."Batman" is a dark film with fantastic special effects with a totally different look that had me feeling that I was being part of the movie."Batman" is a film that is fun to watch.
The greatest Batman - kids: watch this one!
posted on 18 Aug 2009My nephew told me that he has never seen the original Batman and I couldn't believe it. His idea of Batman was based on the later films, and I think it's a tragedy that Joel Shulmacher and friends corrupted this poor kid's notion of one of the greatest anti-heroes of all time. Being young, I think he thought that it was too old of a film or that he wouldn't be able to relate to the characters. I put it on for him and he went nuts over it! It really is a timeless classic that hasn't aged at all and if you haven't seen it, go out and get it right now!Tim Burton has a reputation for making dark films, in the best sense possible. I think he understands the look and feel of this genre of comic books more so than any other director. Watching his other films is funny because I never feel as though I'm watch Tim Burton's style of film-making, rather, I feel as though I'm looking at Batman's look applied to other movies. That's how in sync I think Batman and Tim Burton are: he was a director born to make this movie.I would say the same about Michael Keaton as Batman. I don't think he has ever been in a roll that suits him like this one. It's a shame that he hasn't found more that work with his sensibilities this way because he's totally amazing to watch and completely daunting and mysterious in this roll! He pulls off both the debonair Bruce Wayne smolder and the dark, driven, somewhat silently crazy attitude of a man that dresses up like a giant bat. Jack Nicholson is truly a spectacle. His performance borders the obscene and is at times totally frightening and powerful in its strangeness. He understood that the joker was even darker and less of a caricature, more of a total lunatic in real life. The atmosphere in Gotham City is brilliant and perhaps was Burton handles best. Unlike the other Batman films, he plays the city as a character. The buildings and dress styles look like they're from the 1930's, but the gadgets and technology can look modern or even futuristic. Gotham here crosses all of the elements of a classic old world city with the danger and dirtiness of New York in the 80's.
The Best Batman Movie Of The Rest
posted on 12 Aug 2009That bat-mobile is so effn cool. watching this movie again for, i don't know how many times. i was 7 when this was released. there's been pt2,pt3,pt4,begins and dark knight.Without a doubt this is and always will be the best Batman.We are talking nearly 20yrs since this was made.the special effects,lighting,production are incredible for this time.acting perfect.Tim Burton is a genius. i love the darkness theme he gives his movies.realistic but still comic book style."Ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light".Thought batman begins was good,wouldn't watch it again though. i don't think c.bale is right for the role as batman,too much make up and not convincing as batman with his deep voice to fool people. i enjoy his other films though. will watch The Dark Knight just to see Heath Ledger as the joker,he looks fairly evil in the ads.No joker will ever be as evil as Jack Nicholson though. Release Batman(1989) today, it would go straight to no.1.
An outstanding breakthrough of the Dark Night into cinema!
posted on 03 Aug 2009Batman deserves great appraisal, as it emphasised more on the comic routes and dug the franchise out from a deepened grave that had been tunnelled by those cringing embarrassing and corny serials.Tim Burton was the perfect choice to direct, as he is the modern day master of Gothic cinema. As a result he brought Batman to a more darker level, which is exactly how it should be depicted, and his use of cinematography gave the film a surreal atmosphere and edge. This film would not have been anywhere as near as good if it was not for Danny Elfman's legendary score, which made the film bold, adventurous and climatic. To me this stands as is best score by far.The choice of cast, however, lost the film some credit and also gained some at the same time. Firstly, the choice of Michael Keaton as Batman has some pros and cons. The pros are that he did relate well to the character as he did provide a tormented, dark and yet serious portrayal. He also played the character of the millionaire Bruce Wayne convincingly and developed a well devised role as Batman by bringing about mysteriousness to the Dark Knight and managed to carry out believable action scenes. The cons are that he was not anywhere close to the characters frame and build (even if he did work out for two months) and his height (only 5'10). His presence also seemed too distant as he said very little throughout the film and played it with no sign of emotion. Jack Nicholson, even if he was paid a sickening some of money, played the Joker/Jack Napier exceedingly well. As his transformation from the serious criminal to a psychotic clown villain will remain memorable through the history of cinema. What made the character was the fact that he emphasised The Joker being psychotic and less as an entertainer, which was emphasised more at the start of the film and less at the end, which was a shame, but still the best portrayal of a Batman villain so far. It will always be Jack Nicholson's role. Kim Basinger's casting as Viki Vale, the main reason for this is that she is fit! as she did not provide much evidence of acting. Apart from providing the same pitch of pointless screams. Michael Gough developed a good presence as Alfred, but like Bruce Wayne showed little emotion. Comissioner Gordondid not depict the true character from the comic and therefore little emphasis was put upon him. Other characters, such as Carl Grissom, Harvey Dent and Lt. Ekhardt deserved more screen time.The design of gadgets, such as the Batsuit, the Batmobile and the Batmobile also deserves great appraisal.Three people therefore made the film for what it is: - Tim Burton - Danny Elfman - Jack Nicholson
Michael Keaton had the vision for the DARK KNIGHT
posted on 25 Jul 2009The first and best of the Batman films will never be matched. Michael Keaton understood the character so well it was scary. If you watch scenes in the movie, Keaton portrays an emotionally scarred Bruce Wayne so well that you'd think Keaton really was Batman. Nicholson as the Joker was the perfect casting as well. Nicholson's own insanity brought out the character, and he was the best Batman villain to date. If the Batman franchise is going to be revived I think Keaton needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Everybody wants him back. And if Keaton doesn't return then Batman needs to returns to his "dark" roots again. "Batman & Robin", which was the most shameful movie I've seen in years, shouldn't even be considered a Batman film. It was more of a mock-homage to the 1960s T.V. show. Anyhow, 1989's Batman will go down in my book as the best Batman movie. However Batman Returns (1992) was just as good, but for it's own reasons...
Wow
posted on 25 Jul 2009If I thought the new Spiderman movie was good i haven't seen anything yet. This movie was Spiderman's influence. Spiderman was a great film, but so was this one. I don't want to compare the two because both were fantastic. Keaton is VERY good as Batman and Tobey Maguire is actually very good as Spiderman as well. A+ Mr. Nicholson. I loved this film. Excellent ending! I definitely give this film a 10! Likewise with Spiderman though.
Still my favourite!
posted on 19 Jul 2009I finally decided to write a review on this after so many years and its about time. I watched The dark knight a few days ago and right after I went home, I rewatched this again for comparison and I have to say no doubt, this is still my favourite even though Dark Knight was good as well.Tim Burton's style is really unique and I loved the way he created Gotham city. Christopher Nolan's Gotham city was dark and modern, Tim Burton's one was probably more fantasy but there was still something eerie and lonely about it which I like.Comparing Christian Bale and Michael Keaton as Batman. Both tied in this sense although in terms of looks, Christian Bale is better because he is better-looking and taller. However, both captured the true essence of Batman: the struggles of being a superhero and a rich heir with duties.Now for the major comparison: Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholsan as Joker. As much as I applaud Heath's performance( I loved his version too!), Jack Nicholson is still my mainstay. He was the reason I started being a fan of Batman even though Tim Burton did as much. You may argue that if I had watch Dark Knight at that time, I would be a fan but no. I saw a wicked sense of humour, madness and intelligence as well as comedy for Joker in this movie. There are times where you can see his comedic side and times of madness. He killed people like Heath did in Dark knight. Intelligence of Joker was also included in this film as stated by Bruce as well as the invention of symalx gas and funny lines by the Joker like " where did he get those wonder toys?" and " You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses won't you?" are priceless. For Heath, I saw mainly madness and a little humour.These are the reasons why I prefer this over the highly acclaimed Dark Knight. The simplicity of the story of having just Joker as the bad guy, batman and the simple love story between Vicki Vale and Bruce Wayne was an added bonus as compared to Dark Knight which has too many plot lines and characters which could lead to confusion and diversion from the main plot line.Don't get me wrong though, The Dark Knight is still a wonderful film but this one is irreplaceable for me.
Greatest Comic Adaptation Ever
posted on 16 Jul 2009When Bruce Wayne's parents are killed he decides to avenge their death by becoming the dark knight, Batman. The Joker is putting chemicals into everyday products in Gotham city, killing people and only Batman can fight him. Great story. Very dark and you can easily see how Tim Burton stylized it with a very bleak looking Gotham city and his twisted sense of humor.
Excellent casting. Nicholson does some fantastic over the top acting with The Joker and it is great. ***1/2 out of ****
the best Batman movie
posted on 16 Jul 2009This is the best Batman movie ever made. Tim Burton did a really good job on this movie. In my opinion Michael Keaton is by far the best Batman. Jack Nicholson is just awesome at Joker. The plot is just excellent. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes a comic book brought to the big screen, or if you like a good action movie.
Elaborate, flashy, all on the surface
posted on 01 Jul 2009Elaborate production of the famous comic strip and television series, "Batman" the movie is technically impressive at best. This is a fifty million dollar film, and it shows. Costume design and special effects are good, but the sets are the real knockout.For all its visual splendour though, "Batman" is not much of a movie. Jack Nicholson, in his eccentric role of 'The Joker', steals the show completely. So much so that Michael Keaton's performance is bland in comparison. The plot lurches from one episode to the next, being at one time tedious and at other times ridiculous. Even "Batman" fans will be disappointed.Also, although some may disagree, I felt 'Robin' was sadly missing.Friday, April 17, 1992 - Video
Superb
posted on 23 May 2009What can I say about this classic - it's the film that brought Batman as we know him today to the big screen. Tim Burton does a fine job portraying the darkness in Batman, as he fights and battles throughout "gothic" Gotham City (which is in actuality New York City). Danny Elfman also deserves especial mention which his memorable score for this film - his theme for Batman will go down as one of the classic themes of all time, one that can be identified immediately even if someone just hums it to you. Michael Keaton also is the perfect actor to portray the Dark Knight, bringing with his acting the proper dichotomy that is required for the caped crusader. And who can forget the Batmobile (an ingeniously dressed up Dodge Viper). That said though, the film is hampered by little character development for Batman/Bruce Wayne (we won't know who Bruce Wayne really is until 2005's spectacular Batman Begins), and the main villain, Joker (portrayed by Jack Nicholson in a deliciously neurotic performance), is much more potent than Batman (in fact, you can even go so far as to say this film is about Joker NOT Batman). For this reason, I can only give an 8 out of 10 - a high score nonetheless for a superb and classic film that started the Batman film saga.
A great movie, but a bad Batman movie.
posted on 20 May 2009I have to say, this is a VERY good movie. But, that's about it, I have to say Burton butchered Batman. The Dark Knight Detective, The Bat Man, The Caped Crusader, whatever you'd like to call him. He did him wrong. Batman is not a comical fighter, as he is in the movie. I.E, when he fought The Joker, he says things like "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight" He wouldn't say anything like that. ALSO, The Joker was done TERRIBLY. The Joker, dancing to Prince? No. The Joker has a twisted, sick, sadistic mind. Ex, In The Killing Joke, a 1989 Batman Comic Book, he shoots Commissioner Gordan's daughter, paralyzes her, strips her down, takes pictures of her battered naked body, and then shows them to Commissioner Gordan. The Joker doesn't paint over museum art, dance to Prince, or send Asian Kung-Fu goons with swords on his enemies. So, if The Crown Prince of Crime doesn't do that in the books, why should he do it in the movies? He shouldn't.Again, don't get me wrong, I love this movie and it's sequels, but I only like them as movies, not Batman movies. Tim Burton made the movie to comical, and that's not how Batman or The Joker should be portrayed.
As good as Batman Begins
posted on 17 May 2009I won't claim this movie is better than Batman Begins, but in my opinion it is definitely just as good. Both movies have pros and cons. One thing I liked better about Tim Burton's film is the Bruce Wayne character. Chritian Bale's version, in public at least, is rather snobby and pretentious, whereas Michael Keaton depicts a likable man. On the other hand, Batman Begins tells the story of the Dark Knight himself whereas in Tim Burton's version the Joker rather than our hero is the focus of attention. Both movies though are very dark and heavily influenced by Frank Miller's comics Batman Year 1 and the Dark Knight Returns and are nothing like the monstrosities Batman Forever and Batman and Robin in which Joel Schumacher tried his very best to completely destroy everything that is Batman and that was brought to life so well in the 1989 and 1992 movies. If only Tim Burton would ever be given a chance to go ahead with his original plan to make a film out of the Dark Knight Returns starring Mel Gibson or, why not, a return of Michael Keaton.
Crowd-Pleaser
posted on 14 May 2009BATMAN (1989) **** A crowd-pleaser. Here, Burton isn't fascinated by grotesques to the extent of making it darkly overblown (something that can't be said of the next film), maybe since he didn't want to risk turning off too many viewers...at least without introducing a sequel. Good attributes - Roger Platt's darkly-toned scenery and Jack Nicholson's maniacally perfected performance as The Joker, for note - adds to the movie's enjoyment. It takes an entirely different approach to the Batman tale than those of the 1960s, something that I appreciate. Though Michael Keaton underplays the title character, he seems to fit the cape well.
Not the best Batman.
posted on 14 May 2009This movie sets up the Batman myth well, but Michael Keaton falls far short as Batman. I was never able to buy into his performance. It was obvious from the beginning that Jack Nicholson's Joker stole the movie from the outset and carried it through to conclusion. I will give director Tim Burton high marks for establishing the look and feel of Gotham City, and Pat Hingle makes an excellent Police Commissioner Gordon, and Michael Gough is wonderful as Alfred, the butler any gentleman would love to have. What ruined this film for me more than anything was the ridiculous sound score by the musician formerly known as "Prince." The second film did not fare much better, even with the genius of Tim Burton behind it. Having said all of that, this film is still a very watchable entertainment.
Very good movie, too bad the other ones had to suck(SPOILER-General Idea of ending is in the review)
posted on 11 May 2009After seeing "X-Men", I decided to go see the first batman becuase i was trying to decide which was the best comic book movie ever. After watching Batman again, there is no doubt that it is still the best comic book movie. it's not the greatest fil m of all time but it has some real good elements. Instead of the lame-ass Batman's 3 and 4 which relied on stupid fantasy violence and lots of oveblown special effects, "batman" relizes on some solid acting, terrific scenery, and some cold blodded violence to make it worthwild. Jack Nichilson is so superior to other Batman villians that it's not even funny. Who can ever forget "Where did he get all those wonderful toys?" They have yet to find a true Batman but after a slow start Michael keaton proved he was closest to it. The butler was also very good. The one weakness was Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale. She wasn't horrible but we only saw a couple scenes of the real eroticsm that Nicole Kidman showed a lot of in #3(one of the few things I liked about that movie) The backround is mind boggling and really sets the tone for the dark setting of the movie. There aren't many lights and glitter in "Batman" because well it's not really a movie full of light and glitter. And finally the thing I hated most about the future Btaman's is all the stupid non-realistic fantasy violence. There was a little of that in "Batman" but a lot of it was dark real and at times even a little scary(Several scenes had to be cut in order to get a PG-13) Kids may be interested in the movie but I don't think it's appropriate for anyone under 10. However, the violence and setting show that the movie can be powerful and realistic. The movie ends the way you expect it too but a lot of other things were in doubt for a while during the movie.If you want to see another Batman, #2 wasn't bad. I thought Keaton overall was better and Michelle Pfifer was tempting and most of the dark elemnst still existed. The real weakness to #2 is Danny Devito was a terrible bad guy. However, avoid #3 and 4 at all cost *** stars
THE BEST OF THE SERIES ABOVE BATMAN FOREVER!
posted on 20 Apr 2009Batman is a legendary movie, I bet many would've thought before they saw this "THIS MOVIE WILL BE YET ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING COMIC BOOK RIGHT OFF!" How did this comic book right off win an Academy Award? Sensational Acting, it was dark, The Joker of Jack Nicholson was EXCELLENT, Basinger's a babe, Keaton Is Batman and I gave this 2 BIG THUMBS UP! Let's hope Michael Keaton Returns in BATMAN 5! Final Score ***/***
Batman and Batman Returns were excellent
posted on 30 Aug 2009For those of you who wish to shun Tim Burton's vision in Batman and Batman returns, i would like to offer a rebuttal. Gotham City as Burton sees it, is often considered one of the most creative, dark, imaginative and beautiful cinema scapes in mainstream Hollywood film.It's truly cinema gothic, and psychologically fitting to the early comic book nature of batman. Michael Keating was an excellent Batman and his vulnerability lent a lot to the realism of Bruce Wayne. Jack was also (in my opinion) the only one who could have played the joker and well worth the wait in filming schedule to have him.There is a reason this film was THE top seller for Warner Bros and on most coffee mugs and badges around the world... It's a very very good watch! More than Goths and comic lovers (who already appreciate Burton's darker vision and meticulous misenscene) can see his talent in showing the dark night, DC comics Batman in his spectacular world.The likes of Mark Canton have been quoted as saying that batman was his favourite film of all time, trust the professionals, and please at least give it a go.