Thirty years ago today, the highest-grossing movie that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had nothing to do with, was released before a very enthusiastic, super-hero-starved public. Christopher Reeve's Superman took a depressing final flight just two years earlier, so the timing was right. Adam West retired his blue tights and campy heroics in 1968, so a massive reinvention was in order for the 50th anniversary of Bob Kane's creation, something akin to Dennis O'Neil's darker graphic novels of the day. Guy Hamilton, Joe Dante, and Ivan Reitman were all offered the opportunity to bring Batman to the big screen at various points between 1980-87, before realizing they had absolutely no idea how to do it. Enter a crazy-haired Disney outcast named Tim Burton. The director of "Beetlejuice" and "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" is as inventive as they come, and film fans are forever grateful. It'd difficult to describe just how popular this movie was to somebody that wasn't there. Bat-Mania was a phenomenon that lasted from December '88(the trailer dropped with "Tequila Sunrise") till roughly Halloween(everyone was dressed as either Batman or the Joker). We live in a world with an endless amount of comic-book related movies and TV shows. I'm here to explain in great detail why "Batman 89", as it's been affectionately referred to in recent years, deserves as much respect as any of them.
The late Anton Furst's Oscar-winning production design is everything we imagined Gotham City to be- a dirty, noisy, sprawling, overcrowded metropolis with potential danger on every street corner. It's NYC on steroids, a living, breathing beast, that not only never sleeps, but keeps you up half the night too. With an obvious nod to the gloomy brilliance of "Blade Runner", Gotham is a character in the movie. Decent people shouldn't live here. They'd be happier someplace else.
Two trashy muggers rob a tourist family at gunpoint- a crime that will not go unpunished. Michael Keaton's first appearance in the cape and cowl is so striking and powerful. Mr. Mom immediately laid to rest any doubts the public may have had about his ability to embody the world's greatest superhero. This brooding black-suited bad-ass pounced on his naysayers harder than he did on these rooftop-dwelling junkies. It has to be noted that NO other director would have been bold enough to cast Keaton. Burton was blown away by his "Beetlejuice" star a year earlier, and did so with zero hesitation, ignoring the taller, more conventional leading men types that were available. Tobey Maguire and Robert Downey Jr. should both be thanking them.
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| Poor Billy Dee. |
Nine years after his terrifying turn as Jack Torrance, Jack Nicholson was the only A-lister capable of bringing the biggest comic book villain of all time to life. With all due respect to De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman, and a surging Daniel Day-Lewis, an argument can be made that Jack was the best actor in the world in 1989. The grinning movie god was finally persuaded by a meeting with Burton, after a long courtship with mega-producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber(he initially turned them down, during the making of "The Witches of Eastwick"). Jack accurately predicted that the talented 28 year old was the future of the movie business, and was floored by his vision. I'm sure the groundbreaking back-end deal that ultimately earned him $60 million also had something to do with it.
Gotham is a scary place. Napier's loyal right hand man Bob(Tracey Walters) is another unfriendly face, and Lt. Eckhardt shouldn't be a cop. Observant viewers will recognize William Hootkins from "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark", while Elfman's epic score makes us feel like we're in an adult crime drama way before Chris Nolan had filmed anything. The film's arresting visual aesthetic is a fusion of 1940s fashion, 1980s urban rot, and hardware that belongs to some bleak dystopian future.
The wise-cracking Robert Wuhl's roving reporter Alexander Knox meets Gotham's gorgeous new resident in a crowded newsroom. Arliss is the fourth most important person in this movie. You can expect a lot of love for Kim Basinger in this blog. The 35 year old former model broke out opposite Sean Connery in 1983's "Never Say Never Again", and spent the remainder of the Reagan era building her acting credentials(and her sex symbol status in the cable classic "Nine and a half Weeks"). Vicki Vale represents the peak of her beauty and fame, and my preteen self is incredibly grateful that she got to be in the third biggest hit of the decade.
Gotham becomes a scarier place with the high-rise introduction of Jack Palance's mob boss Carl Grissom. The crusty veteran was best known for his Western work in the '50s and '60s, and the effortless menace he oozes here was the beginning of a mini-comeback(Burton was reportedly afraid to direct him!). His number-one guy Jack Napier isn't sure about that Axis Chemicals job, with all the fumes in that place. But Grissom needs someone he can "trust", and who better than a crazy subordinate that's secretly banging your model girlfriend(Jerry Hall) to get that crusading new District Attorney Harvey Dent off your back? Two birds, one stone.
Bruce Wayne really knows how to throw a party, even if he's only kinda there. We can only imagine what he was doing in Japan when he collected that creepy medieval statue(probably learning how to compensate for his size disadvantage with the League of Shadows). Bruce puts up with Knox's jokes to steal a moment with Vicki Vale. Turns out she's a war-zone photographer, an experience that didn't prepare her one bit for the year or so she's about to spend snapping pictures around Gotham.
Bruce extracts himself from his guests to go downstairs and find out about Commissioner Gordon's anonymous tip. The Batcave furthers the film's spooky aura, as we learn that Wayne has his whole house under surveillance, and presumably some other places too. It's hard to make today's kids understand, with their massive amounts of Marvel content, just how exciting it was to watch Keaton crack skulls. This wasn't happening every month, you spoiled brats. This movie was announced in 1980 and then...nothing. We had to wait. And it was worth it.
Napier realizes he's been ratted out, as cops swarm the Axis Chemicals plant- the same London set that hosted some scenes in James Cameron's "Aliens", a good omen. Eckhardt should have thought about the future. This is a nice, suspenseful six minutes that ends with a facially-scarred Jack in the chemical bath, the result of his first run-in with Batman. A stunned Gordon doesn't know if he's dealing with a friend or foe. Pat Hingle is no Gary Oldman and is mostly a bystander in his Bat flicks. That's no disrespect, merely a creative decision by Burton. Our focus is firmly on these dueling freaks as this set-piece underscores, and the simplicity of Sam Hamm's screenplay is incredibly refreshing on a 21st Century rewatch with so many inter-connected comic book movies that are always trying to do way too much.
Let me get this straight- Bruce Wayne clears out a chemical plant filled with gangster goons AND gets Vicki Vale's contact information before the night is out? Bruce's dates don't end until the next morning, because this movie is PG-13. Thank the movie gods that Sean Young fell off that horse. Basinger is a golden-haired goddess that's only a few drinks away from an impromptu sleepover. She wants to see her new billionaire boyfriend later in the day. She has no idea she's trying to nail down the James Bond of superheroes.
"Jack is dead, my friend". Grissom wasn't expecting a late-night ambush in one of the all-time great Joker scenes. The big reveal(starting in that shady plastic surgeon's office) has a horror movie vibe and is expertly-executed by Burton. Nicholson is genuinely frightening, as the now-completely unhinged killer fully embraces his new identity. You thought that Napier guy was a nasty piece of work? Wait till you get a load of his replacement. He's not as patient. He doesn't care about money anymore. He's unbothered by lifeless bodies. Buckle up.
Nicholson takes over the movie around the 40-minute mark. This is what happens when you put the most nominated male actor in movie history in crazy clown make-up and give him permission to let loose. I'm assuming the Joker's reign of terror lasted about a month. Burton was never interested in plot details, but I don't see how it can be any less than that. All of his new outfits and gadgets and those nifty jackets that adorn his henchmen took at least a few days. The Joker wipes out his potential rivals in maniacal ways- an electric hand buzzer, a very sharp pen. The latter was a public execution that sends a clear message to the press- Gotham's underworld has a new boss and he'd be glad to make you dead.
Gotham residents will have to go without health and beauty care products for awhile. The Joker figured out how to poison people pretty quickly. Audiences just weren't used to such an overwhelming villainous presence in '89. Rambo and Indiana Jones, the two biggest heroes of the '80s, never truly had an adversary like this. Hans Gruber was an icy match for John McClane the previous summer, and of course there's that absentee Dad Anakin Skywalker choking subordinates and chopping off his son's hand. But the top-billed Nicholson brought some next level lunacy that set the standard going forward. Go big, or go home. Al Pacino in "Dick Tracy", Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs", and Robert De Niro in "Cape Fear", were all more than happy to oblige.
Jack's Joker is a sexual being and the world's first fully-functioning homicidal artist. That tan make-up that's supposed to make him look normal was a really nice touch. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, everyone came out of theater really loving this performance. His art museum antics add to the many reasons this movie is insanely rewatchable.
After the Joker's hilarious Wicked Witch impression(and the unsettling revelation that former gf Alicia found herself on the receiving end of an acid-squirting flower), Batman loudly reenters the film to rescue Vicki Vale from a similar fate. What follows is an awesome chase/fight scene that was worth the price of admission alone. The Batmobile is a beautiful sight, and simply the coolest version ever committed to celluloid, and that isn't nostalgia talking. Again, Burton made us wait for it, and the ride was a blast. Danny Elfman's magnificent score is a character in the movie, and deserves to be held right alongside John Williams' transcendent work on "Superman".
Batman thrashes four Joker goons in an alleyway, before whisking Vicki off to the Batcave. The grappling hook/108 gag gives us some levity, and is among Basinger's favorite moments. Keaton's quiet intensity is on full display here. HIS Dark Knight rarely speaks, and when he does, he gets right to the point. It's worth noting that Keaton didn't want a lot of dialogue when he was suited up, and was always suggesting ways to minimize his verbal output or eliminate it altogether. It was a smart move, that most subsequent Batmen would borrow later on. Christian Bale and Ben Affleck both have high approval ratings, but I don't think the character has ever been presented more effectively, and Bob Ringwood's costume design deserves a lot of the credit.
Batman cracks the Joker's poison code, but patching things up with a jilted Vicki AS Bruce Wayne might be even harder. "Beverly Hills Cop II" writer Warren Skaaren's script polish allowed Keaton to sprinkle in some subtle humor, as his oddball billionaire shows how out-of-touch he is with the lives of normal folks. This guy can't even maintain a relationship with a stunning woman most men would kill for. Speaking of kill, The Joker wants to know why his "date" was cut short the another night. He's lonely, Alicia threw herself out the window. I like how Batman comes face-to-face with Jack Napier, and Bruce Wayne comes face-to-face with the Joker. Do you wanna get nuts!? We really took Michael Keaton for granted in the '80s and '90s.
We haven't talked about Michael Gough yet. His Alfred is an English gentleman if there ever was one, and he knows Bruce would be happier with Vicki in his life, secret identity be damned. After all, he's sitting in a dark cave beneath his house, reliving the murders of his parents. It might not be Joe Chill in this flashback, but this is a chilling, well-placed sequence. Jack Napier gunned down Thomas and Martha Wayne when he was a twenty-something year old street hood. I mean, why not? The smiling psychopath killed everyone else. It isn't much of a stretch. Some comic book purists demand total fidelity to the source material. The Burton-verse didn't play by those rules, and believe me, it didn't bother ANYBODY in '89.
It's time to go to work.
The Batmoble blows the shit out of the Axis Chemicals plant, where the Joker and Bob seemingly hide out a couple days a week, in this explosive, eye-popping scene. The Joker wants a war for the heart and soul of the city, and there can only be one survivor. He's announced his plans for Gotham's 200th anniversary on one of his pirate broadcasts, complete with a direct invitation for the Dark Knight to come join the festivities, which includes large crowds, free money, and poisonous gas. I'm getting aroused, as we're hurtled toward the climax.
The Joker is a big Prince fan. Not sure if Tim Burton is. Warner Bros. enlisted their signature artist to record the soundtrack to the biggest movie of the year. You have to remember that MTV was a major consideration back then. Did you know the album was #1 for six weeks? It's another excuse for Nicholson to go ham, as if he needed one. Now would be a good time to point out that he's easily the best LOOKING Joker, in his long purple coat and hat. Jack wouldn't have had it any other way.
The Joker proves that he doesn't care about one person on the planet, when he casually puts a bullet in Bob, for not knowing that Batman has a plane that's practically a fighter jet. Fun fact- "Rambo III" director Peter MacDonald aided in some of the film's key action scenes, to cover for Burton's inexperience in that area. The Joker's BIG gun grounds the Bat-Wing, as the the worst parade in history comes to a screeching halt.
The last twenty minutes are close to perfection. A bloody, battered, and bruised Batman climbing up endless flights of stairs in a 200-year old cathedral is pure cinema. You don't need words, just darkness and Danny Elfman. The Joker has a shoeless Vicki and henchmen lurking in the shadows. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker have got nothing on this showdown. What a time to be a movie lover.
Batman is in for the fight of his life with the Joker's fiercest goon. I like to think this Ray Charles look-alike is a former prison boxing champ that briefly found employment in Grissom's gang. The audience had to feel like the Caped Crusader went through hell before he finally got his hands on the devil himself. The Joker takes a well-deserved beating. His relentless bag of tricks won't be enough to stop the Bat's furious vengeance.
The Joker falls to his death, always a satisfying demise for a super-villian. Nicholson was never coming back for a sequel, and WB wouldn't have wanted it anyway, with his enormous financial expectations and all. The groundwork had been laid for the biggest franchise of the 1990s, and Burton and Keaton were the key ingredients. Too bad they only responded to the Bat-Signal one more time, but I promised myself I wouldn't get into any of that. Let's just close our eyes for a few minutes and pretend that Robin Williams had played the Riddler, and Michelle Pfeiffer reprised her role as Catwoman, and everything happened the way it was supposed to.
Many consider "The Dark Knight" the greatest Batman movie. Fair enough, but Tim Burton co-wrote the blueprint that Nolan and countless other filmmakers have used to construct their own comic book worlds(R.I.P. Richard Donner). This movie will still be known in the year 2089, because it stands alone, and it took over ten years for another director to produce something comparable in this genre(that would be 2000's "X-Men"). "Batman" is special, it's unique, it's operatic, it's ORIGINAL. That's a word that just doesn't apply to many films today. This shiny, self-explanatory logo generated a palpable buzz that you just don't see anymore, and the movie more than delivered. For me, it's Burton's best film, just don't tell Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands I said that. "Batman" is one of the world's greatest films.
