When Batman came out in 1989 I was completely blown away by it and was taken away by the fact that I was finally seeing my childhood hero on the big screen. I thought it was THE perfect film . However today almost 20 years later Batman Begins and The Dark Knight have been released and I have realized that this movie has some flaws and as a Batman fan i appreciate this film less now than I did twenty years ago . However I still think that for a neutral cinema goer this film is Great and deserves a high rating.
Before I start praising the film let me get the flaws ( big flaws, there were some other flaws but I don't think it's fair to mention them) :
1. Who is Batman ? Why does Bruce Wayne, a billionaire dress up as a bat and fight crime at night ? OK his parents died when he was a child and then... ? Also as the Joker says ' Where does he get those wonderful toys ?' I don't even think the director knew how Batman really got his batmobile , batplane and all his gadgets !
2. The Joker is Bruce Wayne's parents killer -big mistake it ruins Bruce Wayne's ambition to become Batman.
3. Batman Kills -HUGE MISTAKE
4. The plot was pretty weak compared to the Dark Knight.
And finally :
5. It is true that Bruce Wayne is a little crazy , what do you expect from a guy that dresses up like a bat ? But in Tim Burton's world he is borderline physco. From sleeping upside down (what was Burton thinking ?) to shouting 'Come on lets get nuts ! ' .
Now that we got the flaws out of the way let us see why Batman is a great movie.
1. When you compare this film to the other 3 Burton/Schumacher films it is the biggest 'Batman' movie out of all of them .
2. Michel Keaton was an excellent Batman despite being a shabby Bruce Wayne. He proved doubters wrong with an excellent and dark performance as Batman.
3. I had believed that Jack Nicholson played the Joker excellently however when compared to Ledger's Joker I had second thoughts. Still they are two completely different types of Jokers. Heath's portrayal is unique and only briefly seen in the darker comics. Jack's portrayal was more like the lighter comics were the Joker was seen more of a comedian than a psychopath but Jack still passes the role with flying colours.
4. Great and exciting action sequences which would look good even today.
5. Excellent portrayal of Gotham City as a city haunted by crime and corruption.
6. Great portrayal of other Batman characters namely Vicki Vale , Alexander Knox , The Major and Harvey Dent. I was abit disappointed with Commissioner Gordon , I though he should have been more included in the film but compared to his usage in other films I can't complain that much .
7. Excellent Bat mobile which is my favorite in the entire series (even Nolan's)
8. It was good to see the Joker's origin even though it is quite unrealistic.
Anyway way guys when leaving the theater in 1989 I was in heaven , I Was delighted to see a hero who I had followed on the comic book be put on the big screen in such a professional way . I couldn't wait for more sequels to come out but as you know there were not as I expected .
Today 'Batman' still remains the best of the Burton/Schumacher film series but when you compare it to the Nolan series there is a big difference. But when you see Batman for the first time like I did back in 1989 you'll be completely blown away by a movie which is a thrill ride from start to finish
8.1/10
Before I start praising the film let me get the flaws ( big flaws, there were some other flaws but I don't think it's fair to mention them) :
1. Who is Batman ? Why does Bruce Wayne, a billionaire dress up as a bat and fight crime at night ? OK his parents died when he was a child and then... ? Also as the Joker says ' Where does he get those wonderful toys ?' I don't even think the director knew how Batman really got his batmobile , batplane and all his gadgets !
2. The Joker is Bruce Wayne's parents killer -big mistake it ruins Bruce Wayne's ambition to become Batman.
3. Batman Kills -HUGE MISTAKE
4. The plot was pretty weak compared to the Dark Knight.
And finally :
5. It is true that Bruce Wayne is a little crazy , what do you expect from a guy that dresses up like a bat ? But in Tim Burton's world he is borderline physco. From sleeping upside down (what was Burton thinking ?) to shouting 'Come on lets get nuts ! ' .
Now that we got the flaws out of the way let us see why Batman is a great movie.
1. When you compare this film to the other 3 Burton/Schumacher films it is the biggest 'Batman' movie out of all of them .
2. Michel Keaton was an excellent Batman despite being a shabby Bruce Wayne. He proved doubters wrong with an excellent and dark performance as Batman.
3. I had believed that Jack Nicholson played the Joker excellently however when compared to Ledger's Joker I had second thoughts. Still they are two completely different types of Jokers. Heath's portrayal is unique and only briefly seen in the darker comics. Jack's portrayal was more like the lighter comics were the Joker was seen more of a comedian than a psychopath but Jack still passes the role with flying colours.
4. Great and exciting action sequences which would look good even today.
5. Excellent portrayal of Gotham City as a city haunted by crime and corruption.
6. Great portrayal of other Batman characters namely Vicki Vale , Alexander Knox , The Major and Harvey Dent. I was abit disappointed with Commissioner Gordon , I though he should have been more included in the film but compared to his usage in other films I can't complain that much .
7. Excellent Bat mobile which is my favorite in the entire series (even Nolan's)
8. It was good to see the Joker's origin even though it is quite unrealistic.
Anyway way guys when leaving the theater in 1989 I was in heaven , I Was delighted to see a hero who I had followed on the comic book be put on the big screen in such a professional way . I couldn't wait for more sequels to come out but as you know there were not as I expected .
Today 'Batman' still remains the best of the Burton/Schumacher film series but when you compare it to the Nolan series there is a big difference. But when you see Batman for the first time like I did back in 1989 you'll be completely blown away by a movie which is a thrill ride from start to finish
8.1/10