Review of "Batman" (1989)

On Superman's first major appearance in the original 1979 movie with Christopher Reeve, the "man of steel" saves Lois Lane from plummeting down 900 stories from the top of one of Metropolis' skyscrapers and becoming a human pancake. Lane asks the inevitable question, "Who are you?" Superman's reply is simply "a friend". That's what Superman would say. He probably would not call himself "Superman" lest to seem too aware of his own super magnificence, and thankfully he didn't flex his arms like the ridiculous TV show of the 1950's. Fast forward 10 years. In the film Batman a similar scene occurs at the opening with Batman apprehending some down-trodden baddies. The baddies ask the same question as Lois Lane, but the answer was "I'm Batman". Almost any other response would have been superior: "I'm your worst nightmare.", "You don't need to know my name.", even "I'm Blinky the Killer Clown." But replying "I'm Batman" really was a tip-off that the script still needed serious work, a problem that continues to plague many films produced under the corporate Hollywood system. Having Batman say "I'm Batman" is sort of akin to Dracula saying "I'm the Count!" or worse "I'm a Vampire!" proceeded by a cruel Romanian laugh.

The problem with this movie is that it couldn't quite decide if it was going to be Frank Miller's "Dark Knight", which was more akin to the early 1940's strips by creator Bob Kane, or the campy 1960's show with Adam West climbing up buildings and meeting the likes of Jerry Lewis or Dean Martin on the way to the roof top. If it was trying to be like Miller and/or Kane, it wasn't mysterious enough. If it was trying to be like West, it wasn't silly enough. Certainly Jack Nicholson as The Joker is the inevitable casting choice, and since Tim Burton was at the helm, it seemed like a movie that was aiming for the dark overtones of a Miller and/or Kane story. However, the mystery surrounding the Joker and Batman wasn't quite there.

The main issue is that the movie lacks focus, as if the screenwriters had not quite thought the story through and realized what the themes should be. Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" may be the best Batman story since Bob Kane, and it certainly is a hard act to follow. Unfortunately, much of the movie is kind of a mess when you see it with a more critical eye. And I never quite felt for the characters in the way I did for the first two Superman movies.

Still, if you have never seen this movie, it is definitely worth a viewing. There are definitely some great moments. Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale is outstanding, and her relationship with Batman (and the Joker) is worth the price of admission. (Ever notice how DC comics' leading ladies' names are often alliterations?) And of course, even with a mediocre script, Nicholson as the Joker is a performance not to be missed. He is one of a few actors on the planet that make a sub-par script seem better.