Review of Batman (1989) by Akus_1985 — 15 Feb 2017

Nostalgia can be a very powerful thing. I admit that. This was the first VHS I ever owned as a child, and I remember it very fondly, even the preceding Warner Brothers ad starring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

I have re-watched Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation of Batman several times, and even after re-evaluating the film as an adult, I still believe it to be the best Batman film to date. I was too young to comprehend or care about the controversy surrounding the casting of Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, or Nicholson working out a deal regarding the movie's profits.

I didn't care about any of that. And honestly, I still don't. This is simply one of my favorite comic book movies of all time that I rarely tire of watching. The tone is dark and brooding, which is a far cry from the campy Batman television show/movie that came before it, starring Adam West.

The story is quite grim, and Gotham City is a bleak, crime-infested place that is visually accentuated with hues of black and grey, a lot of grey. Nicholson and Keaton play their parts very well, with Nicholson being the stand out as Joker.

The supporting cast is also stellar, particularly Kim Basigner, as the determined photojournalist who is investigating Batman. The plot is straightforward, and the pace is good, if somewhat slow. But the action scenes are amazing, and are all accentuated with Danny Elfman's brilliant score, which sets the mood perfectly throughout the film.

Director Tim Burton did an extraordinary job with this movie, and as terrific as his sequel Batman Returns is, Tim Burton's first attempt at Batman was his best. There's not much to dislike here. Even though Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy was better received critically and by fans, I never cared for it that much.

For me, Batman 1989 is the only Batman movie I'll ever need.