Rating:  -
I was originally only going to give this three stars, then I saw the Batman 4-movie box set. So, I gave this one-movie version one extra star each for NOT being packaged with Batman & Robin or Batman Forever.
Rating:  -
When Tim Burton put out Batman in 1989, comic book fans and movie fans alike were pleased with this movie about the caped crusader. Coming in at 2 hours in length, this was the first "modern" comic book movie. Starkly different from the optimistic Superman movies of Christopher Reeves with its bright colors and undercurrents of patriotism and American greatness, Burton's Batman was more of a drama than a comic book come to life. Good and evil often fought it out at night, in hidden places, away from the press and public. And so Michael Keaton's Batman set the standard for comic book movies for over a decade until the early 2000's when the Spiderman and X-Men franchises began.
Then came Christopher Nolan with Batman Begins and Dark Knight. Now, comic-book movie fans were treated to the pleasure of two separate, distinctly different movies about the same conflict; Batman versus the Joker. Therefore, this review of Tim Burton's original Batman is written from the POV of a judge who has seen both Nolan's and Burton's creations and is deciding on the better one. I will flat out declare that The Dark Knight is a better movie in just about every respect when compared to Batman. Now here's why.
First of, Michael Keaton and Christian Bale portray the same character, but whereas Keaton's dialogue is stiff and stilting, Bale's is reflective, emotive, and more polished; in total a better representation of his character - a wealthy man with many secrets and too many experiences for a person of his age. This comparison is best illustrated in their respective scenes with their love interest; played by Kim Basinger and Maggie Gyllenhall. Keaton's dialogue with Basinger is terse, monotonous and ultimately melodramatic, and Basinger's character screams too much. Contrast this with Gyllenhall's portrayal of Rachel Dawes; a seasoned DA whose balance of personal and professional goals reflects the lives of many modern woman. The dialogue between Bale and Gyllenhall are serious, introspective, with tinges of melancholy, hope, longing and regret all rolled into one.
The soundtrack of this movie is another letdown; no main themes carry the movie. Instead, we have a series of quirky tones punctuated by a lot of silence. Contrast this with the Dark Knight which has several musical motifs that drive the suspense and action.
Probably the most vivid contrast between the movies is the emphasis on ethics, morals, straw-men scenarios, and conflicts of interest. Burton's Batman is essentially a comic-book adapted to the big screen, a simple story with some action, some comedy, but no morality plays undergirding it. Nolan's Dark Knight is the exact opposite; the entire movie is about individuals being put into situations that challenge their morals, ethics, and judgements. The Dark Knight is a drama set against the backdrop of a comic-book world, and does for comic-book movies what Traffic did for movies about the drug war; i.e. make them deadly serious. And this difference is driven by the Joker. In Burton's Batman, the Joker is essentially that, a guy who fools around with people's lives to rouse laughter either in himself or those around him. Ledger's Joker is an altogether different creature; his evil is purposeful and precise, with the intent to force people to make tough decisions. This is where the original Batman got overshadowed by the Dark Knight, the Joker's portrayal.
So all in all, Keaton's first Batman movie is good, but not great. Its worth the watch, especially to see the progression of how Hollywood has done comic-book movies.
Rating: -
This is a solid Batman film, but falls short of The Dark Knight legacy of the original comics (thankfully, Christopher Nolan has brought that vision to life).
This is Jack Nicholson's best role. He (like Ledger just did) became this role. It suits him. And while he is an entirely different Joker than
Ledger, he certainly isn't inferior. This is an adaptation of this Joker
as a jolly ringmaster of death, and Nicholson is perfectly cast here.
He electrocutes, shoots and poisons Gothamites with a gleeful persona
that is simultaneously hilarious and chilling. The viewer almost feels sad once he dies.
What doesn't work in this film is Batman himself. Keaton does a decent job, but that doesn't make up for a lack of screen time or a lighter
approach to mysterious Batman.
Rating:  -
The product failed to be delivered and no response from the vendor was received after inquiries.
Rating: -
I believe I watched this movie six times in one week after it's release. I had always enjoyed Michael Keaton in comedic roles ( MR. MOM, and especially BEETLEJUICE ), and was curious to see what he'd do with a serious role. His low-key, brooding, portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman was excellent, and Jack Nicholson as the Joker was phenomenal, however I was even more impressed with Tim Burton's use of darkly operatic sets, and atmospheric shadows to heighten suspense. Danny Elfman's score ( with the use of only 6 minute's of Pince's songs ) added greatly to the mood of this classic.
I love BATMAN BEGINS, and THE DARK KNIGHT ( and I wholeheartedly agree that Heath Ledger was an even better Joker than Nicholson ), but this is the BATMAN movie to beat as far as I'm concerned.
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