Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack
Nicholson
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: Approx. 2 hrs
Batman had pretty much become
a laughing stock by the 60s, and that image of the chubby old guy wearing
tights punching people with the WHAM! signs appearing had become the
stereotype. Well, along comes Director and Batman fan Tim Burton, and
there's one thing on his mind; change the Batman image, make him hip and
cool and dark for the upcoming 90s.
Well, for people who like to see
dignity and maybe even a little honor returned to the classic hero with the
horned cowl, this might have been a dream come true. Unfortunately Mr.
Burton took it too far, and in my opinion made many mistakes for what could
have been a real masterpiece.
The story is as follows:
Gotham city's crime rate has never been higher, and it's getting worse. A
mysterious caped figure is capturing the criminals whenever he finds them,
paralyzing them with fear. The police want him, criminals want him, and no
one knows who he is. But a snooty reporter and a (ahem) slinky photographer
are dead-set to find out.
Meanwhile the ring leader of
a certain gang, a man named Jack Napier, has been given an assignment to
raid a chemical factory. He doesn't know that his boss is really sending him
there to get captured, because Jack's been foolin' with his girl. They raid
the factory, the police arrive, as well as Batman, and in the ensuing fight
Napier is thrown into a vat of toxins, assumed dead.
Batman is associated with
the crime, and Jack Napier returns and kills his boss, now transformed by
the chemicals into a psychotic maniac with white skin and a clown-like face
and green hair, giving him the name of the Joker. Meanwhile The
photographer, Vikki Vale, has in her quest to find Batman stumbled upon
another man who interests her. Millionaire Bruce Wayne (and no, Regis had
nothing to do with his economic status). They hit it off, sleep together (of
course...ugh), and eventually through her own curiosity and Bruce's senile
butler, Alfred, she discovers that he in fact is Batman.
Incidentally, this movie's
story suffers greatly from the fact that even though he's the hero, Batman's
origin, why he became the way he is, is never explained anymore than the
fact that his parents were killed and he decided it his duty to fight crime.
No explanation why he donned the bat guise, where the cave came from,
nothing. Diddly. If you're entirely new to the Bat franchise and are curious
about it, the movie is no help whatsoever.
At the same time the
Joker is on a killing spree, killing people with the same toxins that
created him, and he also is after Vikki Vale in a demented love affair.
Bruce then must take the call to defend Gotham from the Joker, save Vikki
from him as well, and clear his name.
This movie is
awesome, in the sense of special effects, character development, certain
dialog, action and music. Where it hits the bottom of the pot is when it
makes the action so violent that concerned families can't take their kiddies
to see it. Comic book characters in my opinion are meant to be enjoyed by
children, first and foremost, but this film does so much to keep it adult
oriented that its not even fun to watch half the time. It is so dark that
you definitely won't recognize it from the old Adam West Batman, but to a
certain degree that's almost a shame. At least that kind of entertainment
remained fun. Something this dark has a hard time being really good FUN.
Of course, this one is
NOTHING compared to the sequel...
