Batman (1989) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction! 

Prince didn't need to go so hard for this movie 😂

Yeah, they didn't recognize the first Prince song.

The Batdance is still a great music video, haha.

I found the music was sub-par for Prince.

The whole soundtrack is Prince.

Love that Joker!

If you lived through the films as I did, this came before _A Few Good Men_ . When Nicholson is playing the rather sociopathic Colonel Jessup, you can't help but see a little bit of the Joker in him.

​@@SYLTalesAbsolutely!!! There's at least 1 to 10 "Joker" moments in every movie he makes. It's just Jack being Jack😂😂😂

When you watch him play Joker, you just know he was pulling from one flew over the Coco's nest.

I also think him loving the comic books when HE was a kid and having that as his favorite character really helped his enthusiasm for the role.

Definitely... It feels like a comic book, very creative in setting and style. Recent "comic book" movies are just CGI fests with no real mood.

Well my favorite ending is in Mask Of The Phantasm where the batsignal started to hit the sky, and Batman (Kevin Conroy) looked up, and used his grappling hook, and cut to black with music start playing.

Everyone forgets that in 1989 this movie was a dark gothic re-boot of Batman, one so successful that it's how Hollywood still treats Batman today 40 years later. In the comic books, Batman started off in the 1930's a mainly a detective who used his wealth to apply science to follow clues and solve crimes rather than using his fists; in fact his early comic series was titled "Detective Comics, starring Batman." This reflected the times, in which science was just starting to be used by real police to solve crimes. Later, after WW2, he was joined by sidekicks Robin and Batgirl, and he became more of a superhero fighting criminals, but he was cheerful and lived by a code of honor in which he arrested criminals for the police and never committed violence unless necessary, which reflected the post-WW2 vision of America as noble and principled and wars were won by teamwork and democracy rather than individuals. By the 1960s Batman got his own TV series starring Adam West, and devolved into goofy camp; Batman literally cracked jokes as he caught the bad guys. This was the Batman that existed in the 1970s; a joking good guy who never injured or killed anyone. In the 1980s, a comic book mini-series came out re-imagining Batman as a dark brooding solitary loner, and in one shocking issue, Batman kills a mass murderer (he seals him in a sewer and walks away). This series was legendary and was called "The Dark Knight," the first time that name was used for Batman. Tim Burton's 1989 movie followed this Dark Knight formula, and it was a surprise to audiences as well as a huge hit, and was so successful that, to this day, everyone has forgotten the early iterations of Batman and we all think of him as "The Dark Knight" as if he's always been that way.

Also a Christmas movie 🎄 👍

Sealing that guy in the sewer was the KGBeast in Ten Nights Of The Beast not DKR,it was later retconned to where the guy lived

Wait what about Batman The Animated Series?

Batman Returns is a horror movie

I wonder what Bill Finger thought lol considering he's really the one who created Batman

​@@MrJholshouser41"Uh oh. I smell a nerd fight!!" - my smart-ass daughter😂😂😂

@@MrJholshouser41 Without Bill Finger, Bob Kane's Batman would just be a guy in an ugly costume with no secret identity, no cape and cowl, no car, no rogues gallery, no Bat Family, and not even Gotham City.

⁠​⁠@@MrJholshouser41Maybe he should have said Co-creator/Artist. Where as Bill is Co-Creator/Main Writer. Which would make sense why the artist is mentioned appreciating the set

@@Ghost112387 it's not his fault. A lot of people don't know. Even the movie only acknowledges Kane

I saw it also in 89 opening night , the line to the ticket window literally went out to the parking lot . This movie was huge for the time .

@@SJ-ty5rw ... Just like when the first Superman film was released. It was an EVENT!

my whole family went to the next one

same. the movie theater atmosphere was like a rock concert. sold out theater. about 30 people camped out over night. someone brought a few beach balls and they were hitting them around the auditorium. some guy stood up and proposed to his girlfriend in front of everyone, when she said yes the theater went crazy. the movie started and the crowd was just amped and fully into it. the best movie going experience ever. and i was 9 at the time. just amazing

I had to sneak in to see this in NY because I was too young. And your right the theater was PACKED!!

It’s not a bad thing to ask when he’s not the only servant running around. ❤

Along with Efrem Zimbalist jr

Agreed. And he was in the old Dracula movies

Yes

Unfortunately it wasn’t quite accurate in terms of Batman, I mean the way he just outright kills people isn’t very Batman like (Yes I know in the early comics he would do that but his no killing rule became such a big part of his character and what makes him so interesting) But I’d say for the film it does still work

@@dylanburton4955 Did you even read my comment? I said the Joker in this film is most accurate to his comic counterpart, I never said Batman was.

​​@@XghostXfaceX2He's just giving his opinion as he didn't infer anything against what u said. People need to actually understand what they read & not just attack someone but guess social media just isn't the place for that...

@@TonyTheLoneRiderSmith Then he can do it as his own stand alone comment. But he put as a response to my comment. So the implication is he is responding to me and his response implies I asserted that Batman is comic accurate in this film. Which isn’t what I said at all. That’s why I am not sure he read my comment or he is slow in the head. How isn’t that obvious to you? Like why is your response to defend this?

Jack's a great version of the Golden Age version of The Joker, who was an old school gangster and not really an agent of chaos yet.

Aside from the simping and origin, this is the most comic book accurate Joker in live-action.

​@@fynnthefox9078 I'm not so sure about simping, even though he seemed to take a keen interest in VV. I mean he did try to shoot acid straight onto her face at the museum 🤷🏻‍♂️

​@@lapislazuli5035 But he was an agent of chaos, chaos just wasn't his "mission". His mission was whatever he wanted, 🤷🏻‍♂️

It's very "original TV show" Joker. I'm not a fan of this Batman era even though I did like the TV show.

Yes,since I was a child I get a surreal feeling from it

That ending and the Christopher Reeve flyby smile in Superman

Exactly

The 60s show was basically a parody. Accurate to the comics of the time (which had also become a parody), but not what most comic fans have in mind when they think of Batman. I still love the Adam West show and the movie, but it also made it difficult for the general public to take the character seriously.

@@Rocket1377 "Accurate to the comics of the time (which had also become a parody)..." This. Which is why claiming things are or aren't more "like in the comics" is a bit silly IMO - the comics have been _many_ different things over their 80+ year continuity. There IS no _single_ definitive Batman (or Bruce Wayne or Joker) "in the comics". (not an attack on the OP BTW, it's just a pet peeve of mine :)

Not just Batman, this movie changed comic book movies the same way Star Wars changed science fiction adventures.

@@anonymes2884 Just remember: Even “Peanuts” had overhauls and retcons, and Charles Schulz was the most creative-control creator who ever controlled.

I remember how fans were so upset at his casting (thinking ‘Beetlejuice’) when first announced, just like when Daniel Craig was first announced as the next Bond, but time proved both groups of fans wrong.

@@stingray65b nope, with Craig i was right. He is the worst Bond and his movies are the worst. Best modern Bond was Pierce Brosnan, best overall is Sean Connery.

​@@unwokeneuropean3590 To each his own. How many Bond film rankings have we seen on YT? There are a bunch and they're typically quite varied. Franchise film preferences are always highly personal and often reflect who/what was the focus when the viewer first became aware of the series. Keaton silenced the naysayers who thought he couldn't be a serious guy to wear the suit, but he also didn't bring any special meat to the role not because he isn't a great actor (lots of other examples prove he is), but because the screenplay and Burton chose to make the Batman/Bruce Wayne character take a back seat to the villains. Both films could have been called "Villains in Batman's World Parts I & II". But at that time, the cinematic portrayal of the character in the vein of Miller's 'Dark Knight Returns' was new and much different than what we'd seen before and thus a lot of folks (myself included) have fond feelings for it nonetheless. We can appreciate it while absolutely admiring Nolan's take, too. As for Bond, I grew up with Connery and John Barry so that will always be my favorite era, but I like when artists take chances. So, along with a lot of other folks, I appreciated EON's efforts to ground Bond, temper the more comic book aspects, and try to not go beat-for-beat with the formula. Craig portrayed less the gentlemanly character and more the "blunt instrument." I liked the fact that Bond was more physical/brutal. As I recall, Connery even commented on how much he admired Craig's efforts to add more 'threat' to the portrayal (paraphrasing--there's an interview clip floating around somewhere--he also noted that Moore played a parody of the character). Yes, the Craig films were very uneven because too often too many 'cooks' get involved, but I thought Casino Royale excellently captured the structure and tone of the series while modernizing it and finally gave us a great origin after the book had been wasted in 1966. One could see right from the start Skyfall didn't have the typical rhythm Bond film, but gave us a beautifully textured film that, in my opinion, went just enough into Bond's past to add depth without going too far, which was a welcome addition. I tend to look at a lot of things (performance, cinematography, pacing, art direction, score, etc.) so my opinion is often based on a combination of factors. There's a lot of unevenness throughout the series. Diamonds are Forever was a fun romp (and had my favorite Bassey theme), but was a sloppy movie. Die Another Day took the props and art direction to absurdity, but was fun distraction. The Bond series was a big part of my childhood and carried into my adulthood. I tend not to judge in broad strokes. Even the weaker films under each actor have good stuff so I definitely would never refer to anything/anyone as the 'worst' (maybe 1966's Casino Royale, but that's not canon 🙂). Cheers!

Sorry, but Michael Keaton was and is still miscast. He was too old, too short, too skinny and always overshadowed by the villains.

Agreed. Michael Keaton has always been my favorite Batman. Same goes for Jack Nicholson as my favorite Joker

I remember all the Batman t-shirts around then and how they were so popular.

I bought tee shirts and motion picture magazines.

Plus, it’s a Christmas movie!

Agree! Michelle Pfeiffer still the best catwomen.

Plus it was all Tim Burton. He had full control.

Same it one of the best Batman movies

@@francisalbert1799 Which is why it's bizarre and entertaining at the same time.

Oh yeah! Batman Returns is Christmas themed!

it's totally gratuitous and completely 4th-wall fan service since it makes no sense in the flow of that scene..... but no one cares because it's so iconic and awesome

Danny Elfman composed the opening credits theme, but Shirley Walker, Danny's chief conductor, composed the music for the show. One of the most wonderful things about Batman: TAS, Fox gave the creators a full orchestra to make music for each episode.

Shirley Walker composed all the music for the show. Danny Elfman gets credit for creating the theme, but the arrangement used for the show was done by Walker, and is not exactly the same as the movie theme.

@@Rocket1377 The theme sounds similar due to being bombastically dark and dramatic, but it's clearly a different theme if you listen to the both of them.

"Batdance" was everywhere that summer. My local radio station played it at least once an hour.

I know Batdance was quite cheesy back in the day, and honestly, I hated it back then. But I've re-listened to it for the first time in 20-30 years kinda recently (when Prince died), and to my surprise, it's actually quite a good musical composition. I'd say one of Prince's best, really.

Jack still makes money on Joker merchandise to this day.

I was going to say the same thing. Not only is Jack a brilliant actor, he's a brilliant businessman. He made bank from his deal on this movie. And as far as Batman goes, Michael Keaton is Batman. No one else can compare.

I remember that one. And the high pitched "what are you" I'm Batman

Me too!

Me three, so we are all early 40's 😂 I even remember pink bubblegum with a powdery, ashy Batman sticker wrapped around it.

Yeah, this defined like two full summers of my childhood 😆

@@MrTuubster I'm 45, was 11 then. This movie AND the soundtrack had me in a chokehold. And yes, I vividly remember the gum! LOL.

I had the "sticker" cards that would go with a booklet in Mexico when I was 5 years old. I guess it's why I loved the animated series so much.

'85? Same feeling here man..I saw it in Argentina..sweet childhood memories..

84 🔥

Was also born in 85…so I loved Batman returns and just liked the 89 film. Keaton was an excellent Batman. But for me I’m all about the Nolan Batman trilogy. Each different films in their own right that can be appreciated for how well they were done.

No doubt…and let’s not forget impeccable casting of Danny Devito as the penguin.

It's literally called a "Laughing bag"

@@EnerKaizer Thanks. I thought I remembered seeing the gag in places (e.g., comic books) as a kid, but was too lazy to look it up.

Same. Also Jack will always be my Joker. I did not care for the later Joker renditions in any of the newer films. Especially Ledger, he was horrible, may he rest in peace.

For _every_ screen Batman (and Joker for that matter) you can point to a story, era or specific author's run in the comics that's a pretty close correspondence/inspiration. People who talk about what he's like in the comics seem to be under the impression that the characterisation of Bruce Wayne and Batman has always been the same over the 80+ years of the character's existence. Needless to say, this is simply untrue.

Eh, I wouldn't say "most people". I think there are more people than not who understood that to be a reference to not only '89 Batman, but every Batman SINCE then, as none of them were able to turn their heads. Even Begins had that issue, and it was definitely noticed by even younger viewers for how odd it looked.

@@Fyrecide out of the people I've talked to about the movie, only one mentioned the callback. I've seen 5 reactions to this movie and none of them mentioned the callback. You are welcome to have your own opinion, though. Even if it's obviously wrong.

@@jhiieri7812 they aren't wrong though. Many of us have been here and about died laughing at that part. Newer viewers may miss it but it was one of the biggest gags in that trilogy for most life long fans. Milage may vary.

@@Lordalexzader that was my point exactly... I was giving kudos that they caught those awful head turns! If there were memes back then, you know they'd have had a field day with those awkward turns.

I don’t think the Nolan films were trying to be intentionally dark for the purpose of being dark at all..that was just the tone set from the beginning…but let’s be real, Batman returns (the best of Burton and Keaton Batman’s) is unbelievably dark as well. Batman films should be dark based on the source material.

The soundtrack by Danny Elfman was also top notch.

man that year was one of the best in cinematic history! indiana jones, ghostbusters (2), little mermaid, honey i shrunk the kids, lethal weapon (2), ROADHOUSE! you get it, it rocked. i was way too young to appreciate it at the time but i had all these movies in my vhs collection growing up ;)

​@@fumblingtitan14111989 really was the best year for films, like EVER. TRUE BELIEVERS, OUT COLD, SKIN DEEP, CHANCES ARE, 976-EVIL, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, DEAD BANG, LOST ANGELS, MIKE HAMMER: MURDER TAKES ALL, not to mention THE FLY II, POLICE ACADEMY 6, and AMERICAN NINJA 3: BLOOD HUNT! Literally the best year ever in movies.

How'd you get into the cinema? Batman was rated 15.

@@JeremiahEcks777 No idea haha I'd have to ask mom

Me too I was 5! This was the first blockbuster movie I attended.

Keaton killed it.

Just to be clear, a different actor played the Joker in the scene where he kills Bruce's parents. Not Nicholson.

@@paulonius42 I know. It was quite the reveal of the young Jack Napier showing what a psycho he always was.

Remember the part in Thor, love and thunder when the female goddess is all fainted when they saw Thor naked? That was soooo JUVENILE & stupid!!! Just Taiko Waititi, being a little pervert, and a kid’s movie- talking about orgies and junk 🙄🙄🙄 Nowww, remember when Felicia fainted the moment she saw the Joker for the first time? Now that was awesome! 😎

@@paulonius42 Who got the part just for looking freaking identical to a young Jack Nicholson.

@@christopherwall2121 English actor named Hugo Blick. He was 25 at the time and is currently a director. He's certainly a dead ringer for a young Jack Napier.

I do the same thing!!! Oh my god, that's so funny.

She is so pretty and cool. She always likes the same movies I do though disagree with their reaction to Rosemary's Baby😉

don't forget to also raise your arm when your say hello

I agree. Kudos to Keaton. Made a limitation into an iconic movement.

There's a sense of mood and character... In the Nolan movies it's just another musclebound action hero in a generic setting.

Danny Elfman is a genius!

Are you doing this all 220? Yeah, 220... 225.. whatever it takes :)

Night Shift is excellent!

What about birdman

George Clooney’s Batman felt like a modern interpretation of the 60’s TV show. I mean, they had a Bat-Credit Card for chrissakes! 😂

@@davidmcleod5133 Yeah, I think that was the problem - if it had been a standalone film (or even a 2 film series with Batman Forever) it might have pulled it off as a campy take, but as it was the same continuity as the first two films it just felt really weird with the difference in tone.

Clooney as Batman was better than Val Kilmer...

I actually don't mind Clooney's Bruce Wayne. But his Batman is terrible IMO. (and disagree BTW, it's obviously Kevin Conroy that sets the standard :)

Clooney was ironically the best Bruce Wayne.

I was 8, unbelievable stuff 🤯

Only the face

Yes, Batman TAS is the perfect 1930's/1950's Gotham

Kevin Conroy it's tragic that he passed away at the age of 66.

Batman & Robin is a fun film if you watch it not as the third sequel to this film, but as a modern homage to the 1960’s Batman TV show.

Prince had a better artistic style to MJ

That's a lot

That's a big selection

Err, "Batman" (1989) literally _was_ a PG-13 release in the US (and the certificate itself has been around since 1984). Memory can be a fickle beast right ? :) Here in the UK though it _was_ the first (wide release) "12" certificate movie (something like a "12" category had been in the offing for a while specifically _because_ the US had been producing "PG-13" movies for years so we needed something between "PG" and "15").