Review of Batman (1989) by Mike C — 02 Aug 2016

Simplistic as it may have been plot Batman was the pinnacle of the dark comic book films that stretched beyond the Richard Donner Superman giving the caped crusader the bleakness he deserved while simultaneously preserving the feeling of fun one would expect from a comic book film.

Batman's strength is also its greatest weakness. A common one among Tim Burton films where its style supersedes its own plot. A Burton trope that Nolan later would capitalize on.

Donner's Superman for all its campiness had the stronger plot but lacked holing back more of its comic like elements that Burton did with this picture. For a man known to go all out in the ridiculous department this is a relatively reserved picture for Burton. Perhaps due to tight studio control that in my mind worked this time around against the director.

Where Batman held Burton let his style off the leash with its subsequent sequel Batman Returns where Michael Keaton takes shockingly even more of a back seat than he did in this film which was really this film's main issue. Returns was too reserved in back to back moments of being dramatically bombastic where the 1989 film knew when to keep itself at bay allowing itself to breathe.

Regardless of its flaws Batman is what taught me the fundamentals of mis en scene from a very young age as I would always compare this film to the old Adam West series. Here's hoping that one day we get to see Michael Keaton don the cape and cowl for a send off picture for HIS Batman character. But that's just fan fiction I know.