“Batman” (1989)

Batman

Grade: B+

Tim Burton’s Batman is an entertaining spectacle that emphasizes style over substance, but the style is more than enough to keep us entertained. An imaginatively dark set design, an unhinged Jack Nicholson performance and a soundtrack curated by Prince and Danny Elfman are all ingredients for a crowd-pleasing movie; one that single-handedly reinvigorated the superhero genre.

Directing:

Burton is more concerned with the film’s visuals rather than its emotion, characterization or narration. His sense of style is always thrilling even if the film is light on meaning. “You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” asks the Joker before shooting Bruce Wayne. “What?” is Wayne’s bewildered response, to which the Joker simply explains: “I just like the sound of it.” Burton just wants us to enjoy the ride without asking too many questions or getting too caught up in the details, and his interpretation of Gotham City is a gritty funhouse where campiness and comic book homages can peacefully coexist.

Acting:

It’s no surprise Nicholson receives top billing (part of his contractual stipulations), as his portrayal of the Joker completely steals the show. The character is maniacal and grotesque yet filled with dangerous fun — even Burton seems to be rooting for him. On the other hand, Michael Keaton’s intentionally awkward Batman is probably the most admirable and humble Caped Crusader that Hollywood has ever given us. Both actors are very believable in their roles, which is rare for a superhero movie.

Writing:

The story is simple: the Joker violently rises to power and Batman must stop him. To the detriment of the film, Burton’s allegiances are somewhat unclear, which results in a lack of depth and resonance. We sort of want to see the Joker’s anarchy prevail, yet Burton doesn’t supply us with the proper social commentary or emotional ambiguity to justify our feelings (he’d do a better job wrestling dark vs. light in Batman Returns). Then again, Batman is still much better than your average Marvel Cinematic Universe fare, if we’re comparing apples to apples here. The film is at least smart enough, or dumb enough, to acknowledge its own artifice.

Music:

Danny Elfman’s orchestral score is triumphant and memorable and befitting of an epic superhero movie. Meanwhile, Prince’s original songs are a welcome surprise, adding a perverse goofiness to the film that works great with the Joker’s insanity. For further listening, I highly recommend seeking out Prince’s Batman album.

Ending (SPOILERS):

Typical of big-budget 1980s blockbusters, Batman takes about 30 minutes to end. Because the film lacks emotion and characterization, we’re treated to a special effects extravaganza which, although entertaining, goes on for far too long. And because Burton has invested so much of his story into the Joker’s villainy, we’re actually quite underwhelmed when Batman prevails. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and Matt Reeves’ The Batman do a much better job delivering a fulfilling conclusion. Nevertheless, Burton’s Batman is still a shining early example of what the superhero genre was capable of, one that set the stage for the films of the 21^st century.

“You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” – Jack Napier a.k.a. The Joker

Why Batman gets a B+

A solid superhero origin story, on par with Donner’s Superman (1978), Favreau’s Iron Man (2008) and Phillips’ Joker (2019). Entertaining spectacle, though lacking the thought-provoking themes of Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Burton’s own Batman Returns (1992).

---