X
- 1989
- PG-13
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 6 m
- 1989
- PG-13
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 6 m
Summary Tim Burton's 1989 Blockbuster introduces us to the origins of Gotham City's fearless crimestopper Batman (Keaton) and his arch-enemy The Joker (Nicholson).
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Bob Kane, Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren
- 1989
- PG-13
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 6 m
- 1989
- PG-13
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 6 m
Summary Tim Burton's 1989 Blockbuster introduces us to the origins of Gotham City's fearless crimestopper Batman (Keaton) and his arch-enemy The Joker (Nicholson).
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Bob Kane, Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
69
76% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
24% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
69
76% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
24% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
This Batman is a stunning achievement, especially through the incredible and unique visualization of director Tim Burton. The film may be disappointing to those expecting a campy cartoon, however, although the more dramatic stylization of this version is its strongest asset.
The movie fixes you in its gravitational pull. It's an enveloping, walk-in vision... As rich and satisfying a movie as you're likely to see all year.
The Batblast of the summer.
Burton's direction rises to a Wagnerian hysteria (an impression backed by Danny Elfman`s roaring orchestral score) as the two mortal enemies fight it out on the brink of a zillion-foot drop. Burton achieves a genuine majesty at that moment-though he would need one or two more like it to make Batman a genuinely memorable film.
It's relatively easy to convey the claustral in interior scenes, but [designer] Furst and the director Tim Burton do it even when the setting is a great flight of steps before the municipal building or the huge square where Batman and the joker confront each other. [31 July 1989, p.24]
The main problem is that Burton operates best on a modest scale; saddled with a blockbuster, he doesn't know how to animate all the dead space.
Nicholson's Joker will be the pivotal point for many. It's his energy, spurting like an artery, that keeps the picture alive; it's certainly not the special effects, the editing, which has no discernible rhythm, or the flaccid screenplay.
Production Company
Warner Bros.,
The Guber-Peters Company,
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Release Date Jun 23, 1989
Duration 2 h 6 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline Only one will claim the night.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 7 Nominations