Batman (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Batman' (directed by Tim Burton) is such an improvement over the cartoonish 1966 version that any comparison seems silly. As a child, billionaire Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) saw his parents murdered by a mugger. He vows to avenge their deaths in a battle against crime as the mysterious costumed vigilante Batman while concealing his identity behind his playboy facade. During his time as Gotham City's protector, the city is led by crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance). Both newly-elected D.A. Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) & police commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle) try to quell concerns, but amid the crime, even the police dept. are corrupt! Meanwhile, photo-journalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) begins investigating rumors of the nighttime crime fighter, Batman.
Vicki meets Bruce Wayne at a benefit. But that same night, Grissom's 2nd-in-command, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is sent to raid a Chemicals factory. In the midst of a shoot-out, Batman arrives, kills Jack's men, & he's accidentally shot in the face. Reeling from the pain, Jack stumbles into a vat of chemicals & emerges from a nearby reservoir maimed - his skin bleached, hair dyed green, & lips a deep red. Following a half-assed attempt at plastic surgery, Jack is left with a permanent grin. Driven insane by his visage, he renames himself 'The Joker', kills Grissom, & takes over a crime boss numero uno. From there, The Joker holds the city at mercy; chemically altering everyday hygiene products that result in recipients laughing, being disfigured, or dying (with the same fixed grin as The Joker).
Batman attempts to track down The Joker (who's become obsessed with Vicki, of course), & soon realizes that Jack Napier is the very mugger who killed his parents way back when! Meanwhile, Bruce's faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth (a great Michael Gough) lets Vicki into the bat cave for safety. Batman is able to destroy the factory The Joker used to make the poisoned products. But The Joker retaliates with his reign of terror; holding a macabre parade, luring the citizens of Gotham to the streets, & intending to kill them all with lethal gas. Everything culminates with a climax atop a cathedral (with Batman, Joker, & Vicki).
'Batman' is a blast - not in conventional terms. I mean, you're not going to be swinging from the chandeliers with laughs & romance. No, this is a dark, brooding, slightly off-kilter version of Batman ... but thrilling, nevertheless. Every frame of this film offers something interesting to look at or ponder. The cinematography is intoxicating. The Gotham City sets are wondrous to the eye. Ditto the costumes & make-up. The sound design is crisp. And Danny Elfman's original music score is exceptional at evoking a certain mood (gloom, really) -- loved it. I also liked Michael Keaton as Batman, oddly enough. He's not your stereotypical leading superhero; but I liked him because of that. Kim Basinger is extremely attractive. She doesn't lend anything great, here (and Tim Burton doesn't excel at romance), but she's serviceable. And Jack Nicholson is phenomenal as the charismatic, yet homicidal maniac. It's a wow performance.
Dramatically, 'Batman' could have been better. The plot lacks suspense, in spots. But since when has Tim Burton been a dramatic storyteller. He's always been more about quirks, oddities, eeriness, & the macabre mood. Still, I really couldn't be too much happier with the final outcome, here. It's a movie spectacle. I like that Batman/Bruce Wayne is little more than a filthy rich man; transforming himself with his brain, strength, & wondrous gadgetry -- no real superpowers. I like the dark, demented elements Burton brought to the table (film noir-ish). The comic book lore is well-handled. The screen presence of each actor is palpable. I enjoyed the kind of psychological murkiness that's going on beneath other surface of each main character. And as mentioned, the towering gothic visuals almost steal the show from Batman & The Joker -- but not quite. It's hard to argue with Nicholson's bravura turn as the diabolical Joker. Great movie.
Vicki meets Bruce Wayne at a benefit. But that same night, Grissom's 2nd-in-command, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is sent to raid a Chemicals factory. In the midst of a shoot-out, Batman arrives, kills Jack's men, & he's accidentally shot in the face. Reeling from the pain, Jack stumbles into a vat of chemicals & emerges from a nearby reservoir maimed - his skin bleached, hair dyed green, & lips a deep red. Following a half-assed attempt at plastic surgery, Jack is left with a permanent grin. Driven insane by his visage, he renames himself 'The Joker', kills Grissom, & takes over a crime boss numero uno. From there, The Joker holds the city at mercy; chemically altering everyday hygiene products that result in recipients laughing, being disfigured, or dying (with the same fixed grin as The Joker).
Batman attempts to track down The Joker (who's become obsessed with Vicki, of course), & soon realizes that Jack Napier is the very mugger who killed his parents way back when! Meanwhile, Bruce's faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth (a great Michael Gough) lets Vicki into the bat cave for safety. Batman is able to destroy the factory The Joker used to make the poisoned products. But The Joker retaliates with his reign of terror; holding a macabre parade, luring the citizens of Gotham to the streets, & intending to kill them all with lethal gas. Everything culminates with a climax atop a cathedral (with Batman, Joker, & Vicki).
'Batman' is a blast - not in conventional terms. I mean, you're not going to be swinging from the chandeliers with laughs & romance. No, this is a dark, brooding, slightly off-kilter version of Batman ... but thrilling, nevertheless. Every frame of this film offers something interesting to look at or ponder. The cinematography is intoxicating. The Gotham City sets are wondrous to the eye. Ditto the costumes & make-up. The sound design is crisp. And Danny Elfman's original music score is exceptional at evoking a certain mood (gloom, really) -- loved it. I also liked Michael Keaton as Batman, oddly enough. He's not your stereotypical leading superhero; but I liked him because of that. Kim Basinger is extremely attractive. She doesn't lend anything great, here (and Tim Burton doesn't excel at romance), but she's serviceable. And Jack Nicholson is phenomenal as the charismatic, yet homicidal maniac. It's a wow performance.
Dramatically, 'Batman' could have been better. The plot lacks suspense, in spots. But since when has Tim Burton been a dramatic storyteller. He's always been more about quirks, oddities, eeriness, & the macabre mood. Still, I really couldn't be too much happier with the final outcome, here. It's a movie spectacle. I like that Batman/Bruce Wayne is little more than a filthy rich man; transforming himself with his brain, strength, & wondrous gadgetry -- no real superpowers. I like the dark, demented elements Burton brought to the table (film noir-ish). The comic book lore is well-handled. The screen presence of each actor is palpable. I enjoyed the kind of psychological murkiness that's going on beneath other surface of each main character. And as mentioned, the towering gothic visuals almost steal the show from Batman & The Joker -- but not quite. It's hard to argue with Nicholson's bravura turn as the diabolical Joker. Great movie.