It’s been a long time since I watched the Tim Burton Batman from 1989. I was worried it might not live up to my memories of the movie. Because back when it first came out, that movie was awesome. Then again, I was also 11, and there had been far fewer superhero movies to compare it to. So I’ve actually kind of avoided rewatching it, just in case I would be disappointed.
Daniela got into watching the new animated Batman series, however, and so she wanted to start seeing some of the movies. I debated starting her off on the 1966 version with Adam West, but decided that might be a bit too tonally off from what she’d be expecting. (Though again, when I was a kid, Adam West Batman was also awesome, just in a different way.) So last night we went back to Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, and I held my breath and hoped for the best.
Thankfully, it was still a good movie. Perhaps not as great as I remembered it being, but some of that is just due to the fact that action movies have changed a whole bunch in the meantime. First off, the good:
Keaton is a fine Batman/Bruce Wayne, but while watching the movie, I realized that’s a pretty low bar. You just have to appear emotionally conflicted at all times, and look broody. What really sets a good Batman movie apart is the villain, and Jack Nicholson continues to be a great Joker. The origin story, the outfits, the acting. All of them fit together very well, and I was impressed with how much Nicholson dove into the role. This is the man who’s been nominated for an acting Oscar 12 times, winning three of them. He does a great job and makes the movie what it is.
The gadgets are also great. The bat mobile, the bat plane. Batarangs. Zip lines. That was some of my favorite stuff as a kid, and I still enjoyed them today. The set design and costuming are both top notch, and the soundtrack by Danny Elfman (that Batman theme!) and songs by Prince(!) are also highpoints.
So what’s not so great? The fight sequences leave much to be desired. It didn’t help that the cowl Batman wears in the movie makes it so he’s unable to move his head at all. Every time he needs to look left, right, up, or down, Batman has to move his entire body. Once you see it, you can’t help but notice how awkward it is, and how little sense it makes. It looks comical at times, really. Plus, this was well before the time when actors would study for months to get the fighting moves down, and it shows. Lots of cuts thrown together to give the illusion of action without really showing the audience what’s happening.
The effects were good for the time, but show their age today, as is to be expected. The animation that was used as a crutch in a few spots was especially blah. The pacing is off from today’s standards, as well. The movie’s 35 years old, though.
Daniela enjoyed it, which speaks to how well it has held up. Not her favorite superhero movie by any stretch, but she liked the general vibe and how it all came together. Personally, I gave it an 8/10. Definitely still worth watching. (What a relief!)