Does anyone love this film as much as me? I never tire from watching it, and its look and feel hasn't aged at all since the first time I saw it in theaters in '89. Michael Keaton remains the best live-action Batman, and Kim Basinger is gorgeous and radiating. What more can be said about Nicholson's Joker performance. It's classic and note-perfect. BATMAN may not be the best comic-book film (Richard Donner's original SUPERMAN takes that honor), but it's the moodiest and most visually-pronounced take on a comic book license. I feel like I'm actually a part of Gotham City when I watch this flick, and that's a testament to Burton's cinematic bravado.
Fwiw, Batman is my fave comic-book character, but I'm not one to give praise to a Batman-related film just because it's Batman. Not too fond of the non-Burton live-action films in the series, and that includes last year's BATMAN BEGINS. The animated flicks MASK OF THE PHANTASM and BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER are both solid.
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:48 am Posts: 1578 Location: Mass.
indiansummersky wrote:
Does anyone love this film as much as me? I never tire from watching it, and its look and feel hasn't aged at all since the first time I saw it in theaters in '89. Michael Keaton remains the best live-action Batman, and Kim Basinger is gorgeous and radiating. What more can be said about Nicholson's Joker performance. It's classic and note-perfect. BATMAN may not be the best comic-book film (Richard Donner's original SUPERMAN takes that honor), but it's the moodiest and most visually-pronounced take on a comic book license. I feel like I'm actually a part of Gotham City when I watch this flick, and that's a testament to Burton's cinematic bravado.
Fwiw, Batman is my fave comic-book character, but I'm not one to give praise to a Batman-related film just because it's Batman. Not too fond of the non-Burton live-action films in the series, and that includes last year's BATMAN BEGINS. The animated flicks MASK OF THE PHANTASM and BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER are both solid.
I saw this movie high about a year ago, not the first time i saw it but the first in that state, and it totally ruined it for me. However i do like it a lot and its my second favorite Batman film behind Begins. Also Nickolson is just fucking bad ass, no one can touch him as a Batman villian. My only real complaint is Batman doesn't get enough screen time besides that it's top notch.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
i love it. i think nicholson was a madman and played the best villain, and i think keaton was the best batman. the whole movie really plays well with tones, music, color. great.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:31 pm Posts: 813 Location: IA
This is the movie that made me love superheroes and comic books. Of course, as soon as I started reading Batman, I noticed how obvious it was that Tim Burton had never read a comic book in his life.
But, that doesn't take away from this film at all. I liked Keaton's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. He was going for the angle that Batman is just as psychotic as the villains he fights. I'm still a bigger fan of Kilmer's portrayal, but I loved Batman Forever since it had my personal favorite bad guy, Two Face.
If, in this new series of Batman flicks, they decide to do the Joker, whoever plays him will be judged against Nicholson's performance, and whatever the result, it will be unfair to the new guy.
And to this day, I still want that Batmobile, machine guns and all.
i love it. i think nicholson was a madman and played the best villain, and i think keaton was the best batman. the whole movie really plays well with tones, music, color. great.
How could I forget to mention the amazing score from Danny Elfman? It's up there with iconic scores like STAR WARS and JAWS.
my favorite batman movie. will never forget that year of the bat dance. was hooked high on the prince soundtrack ... yes prince. jack is the man in this movie & keaton plays batman better then any of the later actors can. one of burton's finest masterpiece.
i liked this version. what i think Tim Burton brings to his vision that is so great is that with this one and the second one, is that the characters have flaws and they're doing their thing with their hearts on their sleeves in a way. and i like his vision for Gotham rather than the Val Kilmer and George Clooney sequels which were to cartoonish. The new one, I liked, but it was so gritty.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:14 am Posts: 5428 Location: The Juicebox Gender: Male
Watching it now, the scene at the end where the Joker falls from the tower is just awful. It seems like they ran out of money, so someone's kid drew the scene. I still love the movie, that just sucks.
Watching it now, the scene at the end where the Joker falls from the tower is just awful. It seems like they ran out of money, so someone's kid drew the scene. I still love the movie, that just sucks.
The Joker falling looks more like a cartoon than a live-action image. It never bothered me, as the way Gotham City is lit up is done in the very same way. It's those stylish and flashy touches that is all Burton to me. They give the film a comic-booky feel.
In retrospect, it's pretty good, a little toostylish for my tastes. I think the most recent one was the best Batman film thusfar.
I liked the film, but I really don't care for Burton's aesthetics (in most of his movies). Everything looks too fake, even for a comic book world. I think Batman Begins is by far the best Batman movie.
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 7:53 pm Posts: 3320 Location: Wyoming Gender: Male
evenflow wrote:
I'm still a bigger fan of Kilmer's portrayal, but I loved Batman Forever since it had my personal favorite bad guy, Two Face.
If I may repeat evenflow...
The joker had the best one-liners (half of them were classic purely due to Nicholson's delivery):
"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"
"Why didn't somebody tell me he had...one of those...THINGS?!"
"Hoo-hoo! He got a little hot under the collar!"
Girl: "You look fine, Jack."
Joker: "I didn't ask."
And I will forever love Kim Basinger saying "I LOVE purple."
I, too, am embarrassed to admit that I wore out the Prince soundtrack cassette. But what can I say, I was 11/12. It was also the first movie I ever got on VHS, and no one will watch it with me now because I pretty much say every line as it's delivered. Oh, well.
I did love Batman Begins, too. I think Christian Bale did a fine job, but Michael Keaton will always be Batman (and Beetlejuice).
Batman returns was OK. The other ones with Kilmer and Clooney I won't even watch. Part of the coolness about Batman for me was always that he was a normal guy with no powers, so I want the believability factor to be high in my Batman movies (as it was in '89 and for Begins, Returns is where this starts to fall off). Hopefully the ones to come will stick to plausible plots and characters...
its good but it only appears to be better than it is because of the horrid quality of some of the other movies in the series.
_________________ Tom Waits: Well... we could go to Taco Bell if that's more your style.
Iggy Pop: What are you saying, man? You saying I'm like a Taco Bell kind of guy?
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:52 pm Posts: 6822 Location: NY Gender: Male
I love the first Batman and I loved how Keaton played him. However, Bale's portrayal is far more in line with the comic and the way I've always pictured Bruce Wayne to be. Calm, slick, charming without being kooky. Thus, he wins in the end.
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:48 am Posts: 1578 Location: Mass.
Go_State wrote:
I love the first Batman and I loved how Keaton played him. However, Bale's portrayal is far more in line with the comic and the way I've always pictured Bruce Wayne to be. Calm, slick, charming without being kooky. Thus, he wins in the end.
I love the first Batman and I loved how Keaton played him. However, Bale's portrayal is far more in line with the comic and the way I've always pictured Bruce Wayne to be. Calm, slick, charming without being kooky. Thus, he wins in the end.
Plus Keaton is a Mr. Mom
and jack frost
_________________ Tom Waits: Well... we could go to Taco Bell if that's more your style.
Iggy Pop: What are you saying, man? You saying I'm like a Taco Bell kind of guy?
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