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Batman (Four Stars)
This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of the film.
THE WHO'S WHO: Starring Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance, Jerry Hall, Tracey Walter. Based Upon Characters Appearing in Magazines Published By DC Comics, Inc. Casting By Marion Dougherty. Score Composed By Danny Elfman. Songs Written and Performed By Prince. Based on Batman Characters Created By Bob Kane. Co-Produced By Jon Peters. Co-Produced By Peter Guber. Directed By Tim Burton. (PG-13) For Violence and Very Mild Profanity; 126m.; 1989.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?: Latter day superhero movies ("Spider-Man", "Hulk", etc.) all owe a debt of gratitude to the one film which brought them back into the spotlight. "DC Comics" megastar Batman arrived on the silver screen with more cinematic glory than any action hero since the original Superman adventure. Director Tim Burton imbues the Dark Knight's revival with flashy fight scenes and grand comic one-liners but never avoids dealing with the heart of the matter. Both Batman and his arch-nemesis the Joker have their origins adequately explored and the viewer has the distinct feeling that they can understand where both sides are coming from. The Joker's tortured insanity is deeply rooted in the betrayal he suffered as Jack Napier while Batman's quiet suffering and need for vengeance stems from the death of his parents when he was a mere child. The two are destined to fight mano-a-mano to see whether good or evil will prevail, but it's really not their final confrontation that matters in this film. It's how we get there that counts. Along the way, we are treated to a bountiful barrage of toys from both combatants. The Joker has a few nifty items including an acid-spewing posy, a telescopic revolver, a gang of hyperbolic goons that seem to pop out of thin air and a noxious gas that leaves people smiling...whether they want to or not. Batman, on the other hand, has his Batmobile, Batwing and a few other notable BatToys to play with. We also bear witness as the BatSignal is used for the very first time. Both of the lead actors deliver key performances. Michael Keaton's droll, acerbic portrayal of Batman offsets Jack Nicholson's disturbed, slightly manic Joker perfectly. Burton also gives Jack Palance a chance to chew the scenery as mob boss Carl Grissom, and the fleshed out supporting cast benefits heavily from veteran actors Michael Gough and Pat Hingle (who would both be stalwarts of the series long after Keaton and Burton had departed). However, not all of the cast members deserve such high praise. Kim Basinger seems out of place in her role as Vicki Vale, even slightly confused about what emotional directions she should be taking her character in. At least she tries her best, unfortunately Billy Dee Williams remains unequivocally miscast as District Attorney Harvey Dent. Mercifully, Williams screen time is limited to a bare minimum. Overall, the movie has the effect of outweighing the sum of its parts, a trait that Burton's sequel ("Batman Returns") would remedy when it employed a better cast and much more stylized set pieces.
THEY SAY THEY'RE SPECIAL BUT...: We start off this DVD with a 1.85:1 widescreen presentation which looks like it has been transferred from an old VHS copy of the film. The movie sometimes appears worn and faded while annoying spots of grain appear at regular intervals. The darkest moments of the film are the most realistic in appearance. Where this disc really shines is in its audio. A Dolby 5.1 surround sound track has been added which brings a thunderous, all encompassing buffet to the viewer's sense of sound. The car crash outside of the Monarch theater is particularly memorable as well as the Batmobile's charge through Axis Chemicals. Explosions are bright and resonate through the spine of the viewer as if they were standing right next to them. There's also a French Dolby 2.0 surround sound alongside English, French and Spanish subtitles. The subtitles are presented within the borders of the film and are clear and easy to read. Sadly, the rest of this DVD does not live up to the sparkling audio. The package itself features an emblazoned, gold and black "Batman" symbol on its front cover with a surprisingly lackluster back cover which looks absolutely terrible when compared to later entries in the "Batman" series. The inside of this atypical Warner Bros. paper case features a much better photograph from the film and also gives the thirty-one chapter stops for this two hour plus presentation. Regrettably, this is a flip disc with the widescreen version on one side and a horribly chopped pan-and-scan 1.33:1 full screen version on the other side. The paltry special features on the disc itself add up to nothing more than a few insignificant blurbs and icons. There's an extraordinarily brief section on cast and crew information. There's an informative, although not very imaginative, series of production notes. There's a "Film Flash" section which is nothing more than video covers for other films Warner Bros. recommends. All of it adds up to a tiresome affair that features none of the inventiveness of the movie itself. There's not even an original theatrical trailer to supplement the film. Granted the trailer was a meager affair, but it would still have been worthwhile to include it on such a lightweight DVD as this.
THE YOLK'S ON YOU: As with most early release Warner Bros. DVDs, there are no hidden easter eggs. Not unless they hid them better than Bruce Wayne hides his Batcave.
THE LEWD AND NUDE ALERT: Please. Kim Basinger is the only form of sex appeal featured in this movie and she often times looks frumpy and unattractive. Even when she tries her best to be the sex kitten she was during her more adventurous movies, she falls miserably flat. She comes off more as a giggling schoolgirl than a sensual photo journalist.
THE GORE REPORT: At one point during this film, the Joker spits out a pair of chattering teeth which is accompanied by some fairly lifelike blood. There's also a sequence where a mob goon becomes a little "hot under the collar" when the Joker fries him with a handheld joy buzzer. That's as close as this movie franchise will ever come to having bloodshed.
SAY AGAIN: "Winged freak terrorizes. Wait'll they get a load of me." - The Joker (Jack Nicholson)
THE FINAL SAY: Yes, I recommend buying this DVD. Begrudgingly, I have to admit that this slight affair is worthwhile for fans of the film. While the video quality is sometimes shifty to say the least, the audio more than makes up for it. Even without special features of any worth, the DVD is still essential because the movie is such a wonderful event. There's also no new version slated for release, which makes this Warner Bros. DVD the only digital version currently available.
PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM: "The Future" Performed By Prince. "Vicki Waiting" Performed By Prince. "Electric Chair" Performed by Prince. "Partyman" Performed By Prince. "Trust" Performed By Prince. "Scandalous" Performed By Prince. "Theme From a Summer Place" Performed By Percy Faith and His Orchestra. "Beautiful Dreamer" Performed By Hill Bowen & Orchestra. Soundtrack Available on Paisley Park Compact Discs, Cassettes and Records. Score Available on Atlantic Compact Discs, Cassettes and Records.
A CRUCIAL BRIDGE
Actually, 4 1/2 stars would be more accurate. For those of you who follow my reviews, you know that I like most things that have to do with Batman. As a child, I really liked the Adam West episodes. Sadly, Adam West's wonderful series was cancelled after only 3 seasons. Well, 20 years later, Tim Burton would ressurect Batman. Obvioulsy, it wasn't the 60s anymore. It was the 80s. And Tim Burton did a really great job of bringing back some of the original foundation, but at the same time bringing enough of his own dark and gothic signatures into the picture to allow Batman to transcend into the 80s. Well, all of that said, Michael Keaton did a great job of respecting Adam West's patterns, but at the same time not copying him. Keaton does in fact capture the essence of the loose and easy going Bruce Wayne and the dark, serious, and very sad Batman. Gough is excellent as the ever loyal Alfred. While Gough does remain faithful to the role, he does add a side of Alfred where he says things now and then that Bruce Wayne//Batman may not want to hear. Jack Nicholson did a very good job of taking the baton from Cesar Romero and bringing the Joker into the 80s. And I certainly did not mind the new element that the Joker was a loyal second in command to a crime boss, who was double crossed, but somehow came out of it alive and flipped the tables. Nicholson also made sure we realized that while the elements of psychosis were brewing before the double cross, they did not come into play until AFTER the double cross. Bassinger is fine as the lady in Bruce Wayne // Batman's life who carries some intelligence, purpose, and dignity. Alexander Knox is fine as the character who in doing his job crosses the path of Bruce Wayne // Batman. Finally, the scenery, musical tracks, suspense, and acting are all top notch. My only real complaint (and why I am deducting a half star) is that the final fight between Batman and Joker lacks a climactic edge. (I would like to say look at the fight between Patrick Swayzee and Jimmy in "RoadHouse"), but I'll keep it closer to home. Look at the confrontation in the episode "Joker Is Wild." Cesar Romero's Joker made his own utility belt, and there was a brutal nearly even fight between him and Batman in the end. In an animated episode, Kevin Conroy's Batman, and Mark Hamil's Joker had a brutal fight on a roller coaster, and after some wrestling,the Joker had Batman pinned down. Batman got in a lucky kick, and the Joker fell screaming. But that said, we must thank Tim Burton not only for bringing the character of Batman back from the 60s, but paving the way for the excellent animated series that were to follow. If you like this movie, be sure to see Part 2 "Batman Returns."
My thoughts on this film
Nicholson was good as the Joker (real name: Jack Napier). I love when he moves slickly around to do his killing. However, he truly lacked the incredible, maniacal laugh of Cesar Romero's tv Joker. The film is serious but not to the point where it still isn't somewhat fun. Tracey Walter (who often plays heavies in rather small film parts) is on hand as the Joker's main thug, a very underrated touch.
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Asin: B000059XXZ
Subjects: 1. Feature Film-action/Adventure
Only three stars because I'm only halfway finished!
LOL vanilla ice sucks........
Motor Burns Out
