“I’m Batman.”
We might look back at the original Batman (1989) with some nostalgia, especially in the light of Nolan’s reboot of the franchise. However, it’s a fun movie maybe though it ought to’ve been called the Joker as Nicholson’s homicidal prankster feels likes he’s given the most screen time.
Gotham City is a hotbed of crime and corruption and under the thumb of crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance). His right hand man in wrongdoing is Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) who is his second in command. Jack has also been “spending his nights” with Grissom’s mistress Alicia Hunt (Jerry Hall), so Jack thinks unbeknownst to Grissom.
The streets are abuzz with rumors that a winged avenger in the form of a bat is taking out his vigilante justice on evildoers. This brings photographer Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) to Gotham to try and get a picture of this mysterious figure. She teams up with reporter Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) to try and capture a picture of this dark knight.
The two attend the ball of billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) to try and get close to police commissioner Gordon (Pat Hingle) and district attorney Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) to try and get more information on the Batman.
Wayne and Vale seem attracted to each other, but Wayne’s faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) informs him that Axis Chemicals is being raided. When then realize that the playboy persona of Wayne is to cover up his nighttime duties as the Batman. Axis Chemicals is being raided by Napier and his crew to remove traces of Grissom’s involvement under the guise of industrial espionage since Dent and the police are getting too close to the front company.
The police have been tipped off to the raid since Grissom has known that Jack has been scooting boots with Alicia. A corrupt cop is supposed to off Jack, but Jack gets the better of him. The mayhem is interrupted by Batman and a stray bullet rips through Jack’s face as he goes over a ledge over a vat of nasty looking chemicals. Jack hangs on and the Batman reaches out to help, but Jack plummets into the chemicals.
It looks as if Jack has snuffed it, but he’s just been bleached by the noxious fluids and a trip to an underground plastic surgeon only has him end up with a permanent grin. He arrives at Grissom’s for revenge and a new crime boss is born in the form of the Joker – he gets a grin again and again.
The Joker sets out to avenge himself on the Batman and won’t mind if he takes all of Gotham down in the process. Never rub another man’s rhubarb.
I’d imagine that director Tim Burton has more in common with the Joker than he does Batman. That’s why I’d imagine that Jack Nicholson’s mad turn as the clown prince of crime is given so much screen time.
Burton’s film certainly looks more like a comic than it did before thanks to Christopher Nolan’s gritty reboot of the film series. It’s certainly more serious than the later Schumacher Batman films, but comparing it to the Nolan films is going to happen. A different Batman for different eras perhaps?
Nicholson certainly adds his own psychotic touch to the Joker, but he seems to pale in comparison to Heath Ledger’s award winning turn. Much negative press was made of Michael Keaton’s casting, but he succeeds in pulling it off in the final product.
I’ll try not to compare anymore, but Christian Bale seems to fit the role better. Burton’s film really doesn’t go into the origins of Batman much and makes Napier the one responsible for his parent’s death. The original comics didn’t make that association, but it works for this movie. The weak link to me has always been Kim Basinger.
I never noticed it on my first viewing of the film, but subsequent viewings have me finding little yelps and tics in her performance that make me not like her. The elements would come together a bit more in Batman Returns, but Batman is a fun film and was a big box office winner in the summer of 1989.
It was the first film I can remember trying to see and all shows of the day I went were sold out. The film was previously only available on Blu-ray in a set that contained all of the pre-Nolan Batman films. This single release allows you to only get the first film (though I’d ask where a separate release of all of those films are since some might want Batman and Batman Returns).
Batman is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1). This release comes in a book-like case that has fifty or so pages of production information. A separate disc in a sleeve provides a digital copy for your PC or portable device.
Special features include a commentary by director Tim Burton. All of the other special features are presented in standard definition. First is the 41 minute “Legends of the Dark Knight” that covers the history and origin of the character of Batman. The 72 minute “Shadows of the Bat” looks at the making of the film.
The 51 minute “Beyond Batman” looks at different aspects (cinematography, make-up, etc.) of the first film. The Heroes and Villains section contains about 20 minutes of video profiles on the characters of the film. A 4 minute “Storyboard Sequence” details the Robin cameo and is voiced by Mark Hamill as the Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman.
The creator of Batman, Bob Kane, has a 3 minute set interview. There are also around 14 minutes of Prince music videos. Finally you get the 2 minute theatrical trailer.
I prefer Nolan’s new vision, but Burton’s Batman holds up better than the director’s that followed him. It’s nice to have the first film available from the big, and more expensive, box set for those that didn’t want to buy the Schumacher Batmans. It’s probably a product the time period, but Burton’s Batman still is a fun film.
Batman [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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