Review of Batman (1989) by Kyle20Ellis — 14 Apr 2020

The only reason why I didn't give this a 10, was that the film itself is a bit too long. But putting that discrepancy aside, this is still a solid and sophisticated film, that is undoubtedly one of Tim Burton's better film efforts along with Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride.

The cinematography was spellbinding. The view of Gotham City from the air was brilliantly shot and very well realised. The music by Danny Elfman perfectly matched the cinematography, as that was outstanding. I also liked the mixture of darkness and tragedy wrought into the characters, as is so typical of Burton.

As for the acting, that was equally outstanding. I couldn't think of a better cast for this type of film. Michael Keaten was suitably brooding as Batman, and Kim Basinger matched him wonderfully in an innocent but sophisticated role as Vicki Vale. However, it is Jack Nicolson's mind-blowing performance as the rather sadistic joker that holds this film together. If I have to decide who was better as the joker between Jack Nicolson and Heath Ledger, it would be an extremely close call, but Jack Nicolson for me. He was both scary and comical, which reminded me of Tim Curry's(who was 2nd choice for the role of the Joker) Pennywise in It.

The direction by Burton was tight, and he assured us that the high-tension of this film rarely slipped. In conclusion, a must-see if you love sophisticated and dark films, with a touch of edge, because this film has plenty of that. 9.