Before Batman first premiered in the summer of 1989, my younger self was convinced that it was going to suck really badly. Here were my reasons: it was directed by Tim Burton--who, at that point, only directed Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and Beetlejuice--and it starred Michael Keaton, an actor, who, at that time, was best known for starring in comedies like Mr. Mom. Once I heard that ‘Mr. Mom’ was playing Batman, I was convinced that the then-new Batman film was going to be a disaster.
Of course, back when I held these firm convictions about Tim Burton’s Batman, I hadn’t actually SEEN the movie yet.
When Batman opened, it wasn’t just a hit movie, it was a cultural phenomenon. The character was already a well-known commodity, thanks to the 1960s Batman TV series, which served as my introduction to the Dark Knight back when I was a toddler. However, it felt as if the entire nation happily suffered Batman fever during the summer of ’89. Batman, both the film and the character, was everywhere, and it was a welcome sight; because for once the hype over a hit movie felt right and well-earned.
And that was because Batman, the movie, was superb. Tim Burton’s Gothic fun house sensibilities proved to be a great match for the Dark Knight, here finally played straight--unlike the 60’s TV show--but still wisely maintaining some humor and quirkiness here and there (like the handgun with the elongated barrel that the Joker uses to shoot down the Batwing). The production values were on the money, giving Gotham City a 1940’s film noir look that was mixed with a gritty urban aesthetic from the 1970s. Gotham City’s Mayor Borg (Lee Wallace) even looks a lot like New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
The actors cast as the villains also add to the film’s darker tone. Jack Palance provides much needed gravitas as Boss Grissom, the crime lord who really rules Gotham City. Jack Nicholson, who’s famously known as the Joker, first starts out in the film as Grissom’s chief enforcer, Jack Napier, who makes a fatal mistake of sleeping with Grissom’s girlfriend (Jerry Hall). Even after becoming the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime still must contend with the other mob bosses of Gotham City, who prove to be just as problematic to him as Batman. But the Joker is just as inventive as he is crazy, taking out one mob rival while he and his goons are dressed (with the Joker stylishly so) as mimes.
While Batman ‘89 ditches the whole ’superhero origin’ story, by starting with Batman already in action at the beginning of the film, it winds up being a super villain origin story, as we see how the Joker came to be, after being dumped in a toxic bath at a chemical factory. Jack Nicholson’s performance as the Joker was one for the ages, as Nicholson’s enthusiasm for playing the villainous character very clearly comes across on screen. His broad strokes in playing the Joker’s craziness only livens up the performance, and creates a sharp counterpoint to Michael Keaton’s brooding, mostly silent Batman (which also works extremely well). The Joker’s abnormally pale face is even effective in scenes with low lighting, giving him a creepy, ghostly visage.
All of the characters are well-rounded, including side characters like Alexander Knox and Vicky Vale, who serve the story very well, helping to flesh out Batman’s world. The Vicky Vale part was originally given to Sean Young (Rachel in Blade Runner), but Kim Basinger wound up with the part--coming in at the last minute--when Young injured herself during a horse riding accident shortly before filming began. Despite the fact that my favorite live-action Batman movies remain the Dark Knight trilogy, directed by Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton’s Batman is still a very close second in my heart. Batman is a wonderfully dark classic that proves that a nightmarish flight through the night can be just as entertaining as any sunny, cheerful superhero fantasy. --SF
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