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Batman (1989) 7.6
Ratings:
7.6/10 from 183,573 users
Metascore: 66/100
Reviews: 728 user | 141 critic | 17 from Metacritic.com The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker. Director:Tim Burton |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Michael Keaton | ... | ||
| Jack Nicholson | ... | ||
| Kim Basinger | ... | ||
| Robert Wuhl | ... | ||
| Pat Hingle | ... | ||
| Billy Dee Williams | ... | ||
| Michael Gough | ... | ||
| Jack Palance | ... | ||
| Jerry Hall | ... | ||
| Tracey Walter | ... | ||
 |
Lee Wallace | ... | |
| William Hootkins | ... | ||
| Richard Strange | ... | ||
|
|
Carl Chase | ... | |
|
|
Mac McDonald | ... |
Goon
(as Mac Macdonald)
|
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Gotham City: dark, dangerous, 'protected' only by a mostly corrupt police department. Despite the best efforts of D.A. Harvey Dent and police commissioner Jim Gordon, the city becomes increasingly unsafe...until a Dark Knight arises. We all know criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot...so his disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. He becomes a bat. Enter Vicky Vale, a prize-winning photo journalist who wants to uncover the secret of the mysterious "bat-man". And enter Jack Napier, one-time enforcer for Boss Grissom, horribly disfigured after a firefight in a chemical factory...who, devoid of the last vestiges of sanity, seizes control of Gotham's underworld as the psychotic, unpredictable Clown Prince of Crime...the Joker. Gotham's only hope, it seems, lies in this dark, brooding vigilante. And just how does billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne fit into all of this? Written by Gregory A. Sheets <m-sheets2@onu.edu>
Parents Guide:
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Details
Release Date:
23 June 1989 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Betmen See more »Box Office
Budget:
$35,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$251,188,924 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Passenger: Excuse me.
Tourist Dad: I'm sorry, this is my cab.
Passenger: Sorry.
Tourist Dad: Listen, I was here first!
[as the cab drives away]
Tourist Dad: Oh, God! Oh, taxi? Taxi!
See more »
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Corto Maltese is also an island country in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, one of Tim Burton's inspirations for Batman. It is named for a man from Hugo Pratt's Italian series of comic books, of which Frank Miller is a fan. See more »Goofs
The S&W M29 44. magnum with the long barrel that the joker pulls out of his pants would not be powerful enough to take down the bat jet. The size of the barrel would change nothing unless it was a single shot but it isn't. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Passenger: Excuse me.
Tourist Dad: I'm sorry, this is my cab.
Passenger: Sorry.
Tourist Dad: Listen, I was here first!
[as the cab drives away]
Tourist Dad: Oh, God! Oh, taxi? Taxi!
See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits run with a 3-D Batman symbol being explored by a flying camera in extreme close-up. See more »Soundtracks
"Serenade no. 13 in G, K. 525 ('Eine Kleine Nachtmusik'), second movement"Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
See more »
No radioactive spider bites or guys turning green or supermodels painted blue here. Campy television series aside, Batman has always seemed the most serious, the most grounded, the most real of all the comic book sagas. Our hero has no magical, mystical superpowers...he's just a guy in a suit. But where does he get those wonderful toys? In this film Tim Burton does a very good job of bringing the Dark Knight to life while also seemingly giving the dark, foreboding city of Gotham a life of its own. Gotham is dark, gloomy, and dreary...almost oppressively so. The city is almost a character unto itself in the film...dark, mysterious and somehow quite real. The brilliantly conceived, stunning visuals are the perfect backdrop for the story which will unfold.
The story follows our Caped Crusader in his quest to clean up Gotham which is in the midst of a frightening crime wave. There was much unnecessary angst when comic actor Michael Keaton landed the title role with fans feeling that was a sure sign the film would lean towards the campy style evident in the famous television series. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Batman would be a serious film (well, as serious as a comic book movie can be) and Keaton was perfect in the Bruce Wayne/Batman role. Keaton's Wayne comes across as an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. Keaton brings all the required seriousness to the role but also can add a little comic touch when necessary. Inspired casting pays off big time.
Good as he is Keaton is actually overshadowed in the film. Who else but Jack Nicholson could cause the actor playing Batman to get second billing in a movie titled Batman? Nicholson's performance as the Joker is simply terrific. Maybe a little over the top at times but, hey, it's the Joker...he's supposed to be over the top. Nicholson livens up every scene he's in, he simply owns the screen. With two terrific actors doing outstanding work bringing our hero and villain to life the film can hardly go wrong. It's certainly entertaining enough but the film as a whole doesn't quite match the brilliance of the two lead performances. The supporting cast, led by Kim Basinger as the requisite love interest, doesn't add much. Instead of leaving well enough alone with a fantastic Danny Elfman score the whole movie comes to a screeching halt a couple of times while we're forced to listen to some inane Prince songs. And the story just seems to lack a certain zest. We want to see the conflict between Batman and the Joker, these two great characters played by two great actors. And for too much of the film that conflict simply isn't there. But all in all, Batman is certainly a worthy effort. Some top-notch acting, stunning visuals and a story that does just enough to draw you in and hold your attention throughout. To call this film great might be a stretch but one could say it is very, very good. Certainly good enough to be worth your while.