Nowadays we have accepted comic book heroes to the dozen, thanks to the MARVEL series of films and the developing DC Universe with the likes of Christopher Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT trilogy and the two WONDER WOMAN films amongst others, but it was Tim Burton’s 1989 mega-buster version of BATMAN, filmed at Pinewood Studios, that really ushered in the potential.
Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) is a billionaire by day, but has a fetish for dressing up at night to go kick some butt. Journalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) seeks an audience with Wayne. Meanwhile, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is assigned by Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) to break into a chemical factory, but in a shoot out with police, Napier falls into a vat of chemicals, prompting him to change into the darker alter ego of the Joker.
Joker begins his own claim to power – but Batman is in hot pursuit….
Those who were used to the shenanigans of Adam West and Burt Ward in the camp 1960s series (which kids like myself actually took a lot more seriously in the playground mimicking our heroes on TV) were a little unprepared for this darker version, which was more in keeping with Frank Miller’s original source materials.
Nicholson steals the show as Joker, his manic energy perfect in the villainous role, which set the tone for the others who followed him (the late Heath Ledger and Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix in the acclaimed stand alone film of recent years)
Although lost a little bit in the hype back in 1989, BATMAN is still a pretty admirable achievement – and one of the best of the comic-book cinema offerings.