Batman Review

Batman

Release Date: 30^th August 1989 – Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

The Guber-Peters Company

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (produced in association with)

Genre: Action

Rating: PG

Runtime: 126 minutes


Budget: $35,000,000

Box Office Gross: 
$411,556,825
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Gotham City: dark,
dangerous, 'protected'
only by a mostly corrupt
police department.

Despite the best effects
of D.A. Harvey Dent and
police commissioner Jim
Gordon, the city becomes
increasingly unsafe...until
a Dark Knight arises. We
all know criminals are a
superstitious, cowardly
lot...so his disguise must be
able to strike terror into
their hearts. He becomes a
bat. Enter Vicky Vale, a
prize-winning photo 

journalist who wants to 

uncover the secret of the 

mysterious "bat-man". And 

enter Jack Napier, one-

time enforcer for Boss 

Grissom, horrible 

disfigured after a fire-fight 

in a chemical factory...that, 

devoid of the last vestiges 

of sanity, seizes control of 

Gotham's underworld as 

the psychotic, 

unpredictable Clown 

Prince of Crime... the 

Joker. Gotham's only 

hope, it seems, lies in
this dark, brooding
vigilante. And just how
does billionaire playboy
Bruce Wayne fit into all of 

this? (Source - IMDb)

Cast

Michael Keaton – Bruce Wayne/Batman

Kim Basigner – Vicki Vale

Jack Nicholson – Jack Naiper/The Joker

Robert Wuhl – Alexander 

Knox

Pat Hingle – Commissioner 

Gordon

Billy Dee Williams – Harvey
Dent

Michael Gough – Alfred
Pennyworth

Jack Palance – Carl Grissom
Jerry Hall – Alicia Hunt
Tracey Walter – Bob the Goon
Lee Wallace – Mayor Borg
William Hootkins – Lt. Max Eckhardt
Hugo E. Blick – Young Jack 

Napier
Charles Roskilly – Young
Bruce Wayne
David Baxt – Thomas Wayne
Sharon Holm – Martha Wayne

Edwin Craig – Rotelli

John Dair – Ricorso

Christopher Fairbank – Nic

George Roth – Eddie

Kit Hollerbach – Becky

Steve Plytas – Doctor

Liza Ross – Mom

Garrick Hagon – Dad

Adrian Meyers – Jimmy

Crew

Director – Tim Burton

Based on Batman Characters/
Project Consultant – Bob Kane
Based on Batman Characters – Bill Finger
(Uncredited)
Characters: Alfred Pennyworth & The Joker –
Jerry Robinson (Uncredited)

Story/Writer – Sam Hamm

Writer – Warren Skaaren

Executive Producers – Benjamin Melniker
& Michael Uslan

Producers – Jon Peters & Peter Guber
Co-Producer – Chris Kenny
Casting Director – Marion Dougherty

Production Designer – Anton Furst
Supervising Art Director – Leslie Tomkins
Art Directors – Terry Ackland-Snow &
Nigel Phelps
Set Decorator – Peter Young

Costume Designer – Bob Ringwood

Make-up Designer: Joker – Nick Dudman

Director of Photography – Roger Pratt

Second Unit Director/Camera Operator:
Second Unit – Peter MacDonald

Stunt Coordinator – Eddie Stacey

Special Effects Supervisor – John Evans

Special Visual Effects – Derek Meddings 

Art Director: Visual Effects Unit – Peter Chiang

Visual Effects Photographer: Visual Effects Unit –
Paul Wilson

Film Editor – Ray Lovejoy

Music – Danny Elfman

Songs – Prince


Awards

1990 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction – Anton Furst & Peter Young (Won)

Review

Not as perfect as the latest movie 'The Dark Knight', 'BATMAN' was a good superhero movie. Although the acting performances of Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson were good, but I think Christian Bale does a better portrayal of Batman and the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in my opinion. I'm well impressed with the set design of Gotham City which looks like the city from out of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis'. The direction by Tim Burton was outstanding with the memorable score by Danny Elfman and songs by the famed artist Prince. Unfortunately, a few meddling plot points ruin the flow of the storyline.

Comparatively with the Christopher Nolan reboot, the original movie of the franchise has a more magical fantasy feeling to it, which is a result of Burton's influence as this is the genre he most commonly works with.

This film started the original Batman quadrilogy, followed by 'Batman Returns', then to Joel Schumacher's last two instalments 'Batman Forever' and the infamous 'Batman & Robin'.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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