Review of Batman (1989) by Trevor R — 17 Apr 2013

This is basically Tim Burton doing his own twisted take on the 60's Adam West TV series, and it's far goofier affair than it would initially have you believe. It may be darker visually, but tonally it's all over the map (There's a Prince soundtrack, for crying out loud!). There's still an admirable audacity in the gorgeous art deco-inspired design with its distinctly Gothic fairy tale flair. Nicholson gleefully hams it up as The Joker, and Michael Keaton is an offbeat choice for the titular character that actually works pretty well.

Ultimately though, "Batman" isn't really a Batman movie at all-- he goes around killing people left and right, and his ultimate goal is revenge against the one man who killed his parents. It undercuts really all of the themes that make the character unique, and turns him into a pretty generic vigilante. But whatever. The script is a total mess, though Burton himself is the first to admit that narrative is not his primary interest. This is a movie about ambiance and visuals, and in that regard it works. Not my cup of tea (although I've got to give kudos to one of the best marketing campaigns in film history).