BATMAN
A film review by Steve Kramer
Copyright 1989 Steve Kramer
executive:Benjamin Melniker
producers Michael Uslan
director: Tim Burton
starring: Jack Nicholson
Michael Keaton
Kim Basinger
warning: spoilers abound...
I warned you...
It's hard to know where to start on a supposed blockbuster film such as this. It's been hyped up so much on rec.arts.movies it's ridiculous, and there's been lots of controversy about whether or not Keaton would be able to fulfill the role of the Dark Knight respectfully enough that it wouldn't be a laughable thing. In my opinion, at least, Keaton did a very good job, bordering on excellent. However, in all honesty, I would have to say this is *definitely* Nicholson's movie. Both actors did an excellent job of captivating the attention, but Jack exuded an irresistible magnetism during his parts that didn't allow my attention to waver at all.
The beginning of the movie starts us off in Gotham City, which looks busier than New York City during rush hour. A family walks down a street together, heads through a seamy alley, and gets mugged by a gang of hoodlums. The hoodlums go to a nearby rooftop to count out their loot, and one begins to express his fear about the mysterious creature that's been haunting the night lately: the "Bat." Apparently many of the 2-bit hoodlums in the city have been plagued by the same vision, leaving the ambulance attendants who pick up the nervous wrecks, as well as the policemen, in an utter state of confusion. The Batman has of course noticed this mugging and proceeds to stealthily "glide" down upon them, a spooky sight if there ever was one for a criminal. They shoot him, and "Bat" falls down ... only to rise again in a few seconds, sending the thieves into an utter state of terror. After Batman dispatches one of them, he dangles the other over the edge of a rooftop while the blubbering thief pleads for his life. The "Bat" says that he will not kill the man, but that he wishes him to give a message to his friends that He is out there. The thief asks in a tremulous voice who he is, and the 2 simple words "I'm Batman." send the theatre into spontaneous cheering and clapping.
From then on we cover the newspaper angle a bit and discover Ms Vicki Vale, a la Kim Basinger. She is the staff photographer for a major magazine and has come to Gotham to find out more about this mysterious Bat. Ms Basinger does an excellent job as Ms Vale, displaying her professionalism and street-smartness as well as her personal side.
Michael Keaton, as Bruce Wayne, does a very believable job of how Bruce Wayne could actually be after the trauma of his parents being killed. He is first seen during a charity bash he is hosting, and his mansion looks as big as a fabled English castle. Wealthy beyond belief, he seems initially quite cheerful and lighthearted, but as the movie progresses, we see more of the real Wayne: serious, concentrated, and locked inside a world of his vow: to stop crime. Ms Vale's initial opinion of Mr. Wayne before having met him is a vain, egocentrical playboy; after having met him, however, is another matter....
And of course, Jack Nicholson. Jack begins as Jack Napier, a very powerful criminal apparently, pulling capers in the city, paying police kickbacks to keep them off his case, and seems to be an underling of a crime boss, Grissom, who is played by Jack Palance. Grissom apparently decides Jack has outlived his usefulness and cleverness to him, and asks him to personally supervise the robbery of a chemical plant. After Jack and company leave to plan said robbery, Grissom telephones the police and tips them off to it. In the ensuing police shootout, the criminals almost escape, except who should show on the scene but Batman (what a surprise). Batman corrals the majority of criminals quickly and almost nabs Jack, except for the fact that as he nabs Jack, Jack's right-hand man nabs Commissioner Gordon, along for the sting, and threatens to blow his brains out. After Batman lets him go, Jack kills a police lieutenant (the one who he had paid the money kickback to), and the Batman comes back to apprehend him. Jack fires a bullet, it bounces off Batman's body armor and shatters a nearby gauge, which send shrapnels of glass into Jack's face, at which point Jack falls over a railing and Batman catches him. Unfortunately, Jack happens be over a chemical tank loaded with chemicals, apparently part of which is a nerve gas the government had banned from use some years back. Whether it was Batman's conscious decision, or whether he could not hold on, we cannot say; but Jack falls into the chemical tank ... and later arises. He goes to a back-alley surgeon who tries to doctor him up as best he can, but he cannot undo the nerve damage Jack has suffered to his face: it has fixed his face in an unalterable grin. Going a little nutso at this point, the Joker is born.
The movie is fraught with battle, murder and spectacular special effects; interspersed with the secondary storyline, which is the developing relationship with Bruce and Vicki, and as it turns out later, the Joker. Apparently the Joker has developed the hots for Ms Vale as well and means to make her his own. The interaction between the 3 is very well done; especially with the Joker's twisted insanity. One of the funniest parts of the movie is when the Joker is in an art gallery with his goons, on the way to Ms Vale. One of them is carrying a boom box (with, of course, the Batman soundtrack inside! :^), and watching the Joker and his goons caper and dance about is worth the price of admission itself. The battle scenes are quite well done, with martial artists, climatic fist-fights, and the wonderful array of gadgets the Batman has, including the Batcave (complete with real live bats, the only question is, who did he get to construct it?), the Batplane (a marvelous collection of gadgets inside a sleek stealthy plane in the shape of (what else?) a bat), and of course, the fabled Batmobile. Some of the effects with the Batmobile were done with computer graphics, I'm convinced, like the Batmobile's shields to protect it from harm. It's quite a stunning piece, as are the rest of Batman's gadgets. However, it is the acting (which it should be in all good movies) which gets the movie it's excellent rating. The final battle between the Joker and the Batman is quite impressive, and proves Batman to be a mere mortal after all; in fact, in some places, Batman gets out of his inevitable death by sheer luck. And as we find that Batman "created" the Joker (SPOILER!),
we discover the Joker has also, in effect, "created" the Batman. In the interests of leaving this movie a bit of a mystery, I'll leave it for you all to watch.
Give this one 4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars. Excellent movie, and possibly the best "blockbuster" movie of the summer. Go see it. Today. Now.
[ Steve Kramer-Always go out with a :^)| "Those toys. Where does he get those ] [ kramer@tramp.colorado.edu | wonderful toys?" Nicholson, "Batman" ] [..!(ncar.nbires)!boulder!tramp!kramer | internet: kramer@tramp.colorado.edu ]
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