BATMAN (1989) Revisited: Superhero Movie Review 

It was an awesome time to be a kid in 1989, and seeing this in theaters is something I will never forget.

It's amazing how literal stand- up- comedian, Michael Keaton knocked this one out of the park. He will always be synonymous with Batman for me.

This movie singlehandedly turned me into a huge Batman fanatic. This was my first super hero movie.

Summer of 89 belonged to Batman. I remember sitting in the theater during the opening credits so excited. It didn't disappoint.

In many ways this was a brave movie and approach. It was dark without being too dark (in other words bloody or very graphic) and I just imagine the convincing it took to go this route. I love this movie, the actors, the script, the sets are amazing, and easily my favourite batmobile with the gatling guns! It does age in places a little (mainly special FX, makeup, etc.) But otherwise still a very enjoyable movie and sometimes that's what we want.

The WB store ad with Daffy Duck on the VHS has been chiseled in my memory for 33 years.

I just want Michael Keaton return in a potential "Batman Beyond" move, along with the Danny Elfman score.

Phenomenal look, phenomenal score. The film that made and defined the modern comic book film and the modern blockbuster

The film that helped dark comic book movies become a thing. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson are incredible. Danny Elfman's score is absolutely perfect. It will always be one of my favourite comic book films.

I always find interesting how Nicholson only did this movie for the money, and yet his performance is terrific a true professional

It’s rare when such an insanely hyped movie actually delivers on that hype. This movie was one of them, arguably the first.

Batman 89 was the comic book equivalent of Woodstock!

I adore Batman 89. It was never really made with the intention of being a blockbuster spectacle, it feels much more like a dark pulp noir which I love. It has aged the best artistically out of all the Batman films.

Still my favourite joker, he's genuinely unhinged and you never knew if he would do a gag or kill you. The comically dangerous practical jokes is something that hadn't been seen since either.

1989 Batman film is my favorite movie

I didn't see this film in theater but begged my parents to buy the VHS copy for me and I've watched that tape several times. This film made me a fan of Batman and to this day, he's still my favorite comic book superhero. The 4K disc is definitely a must own, the picture and sound quality are top notch. Especially, the remix Dolby Atmos, if you have nice home theater set up, you'll be blown away by the new surround sound.

00:08, the most famous like in film history, forever immortalized!

I remember my mom taking me to the cinema and I chose this over Ghostbusters II. I everything about Batman. From the sets, the action, to portrayals of Batman and Joker. I even had the breakfast cereal and make a homemade Batman costume that following Halloween.

One of the best Superhero Themes. Batman Returns was even better.

A true staple of my childhood keaton to me is batman and always will be

I saw this film at a Pittsburgh premiere hosted by Michael Keaton that benefited the local food bank. Good times 🤗

Christian Bale is my favorite Bruce Wayne but Michael Keaton is my favorite Batman. Mom took me to see this in the theater. I was 8. Still love this movie.

One of my favorite movies ever made.

I'm an 80 baby , and I remember this movie having more mania around it than any other...lines around the block for days , and everyone and there mother had that black t-shirt w the new logo on it.it was insanity

Hands down my favorite superhero film of all time. I remember the Summer of ‘89, you couldn’t escape the Batman fever! That iconic logo was literally everywhere and on everything possible! The film, in my opinion, is perfect. The actors, the soundtrack, the set designs, everything is just so Batman in that film. Especially after the run of Batman comics that were coming out in the mid to late 80s, it was the perfect on screen adaptation of everything that the Batman comics were doing at that time. Also, the film was the template for the animated series, which is also perfection. I’m really looking forward to Keaton’s return as Batman in the DC Film Universe. I really hope they do him justice in these upcoming projects! 🦇

Batman 89 will always be a favorite and that summer of its release was just electric. But I'm glad Tim Burton got a chance to make Batman Returns which he had much more control over. Batman 89 is a film made by committee. Batman Returns is a Tim Burton film.

Rise, fall, and the potential rise again in critical and public estimation of this 1989 film can be compared to a rollercoaster ride !!!

This movie came out when I was in high school and it goes without saying the Jack Nicholson performance is legendary. But Michael Keaton turned out to be a very good Batman.

9:17 - Wuhl's character was so popular, that a few years back he reprised the role for the CW's crossover event 'Crisis on Infinite Earths', giving us a tease of the Burton universe and maybe even setting up the return of Michael Keaton in the upcoming Flash movie?

"You wanna get nuts?! Lets get nuts!!!!"

Love this movie The 1st dark superhero movie The look of Gotham city was fantastic and had a 1920's look Jack Nicholson was fantastic Michael Keaton put all the haters to rest 9.2/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I worked at a movie theatre at the time this movie opened. For opening weekend it was in our biggest theatre and I'll never forget how many people came to see it. Huge crowds!

I was a little kid when this was released, the hype for this was ridiculous. I remember a story on the news where bus stops (they frequently advertised movies back then) were being vandalized because so many people were stealing the posters that would be put in them. The toys for this were everywhere as well. Plus with the movie actually being very good, this was the most talked about movie that year.

I have been obsessing over this film so much recently. It’s a classic!

We saw it at the Drive In when it came out. My buddies and I got an old beater car and painted it like a Joker goon car. That’s what we took to the drive in. It was a blast.

i remember reading somewhere nicholson earned $40 million in 1989 alone. the $90 million is what he has earned to date and STILL EARNING!!!!

This film was so huge, theaters were charging to watch the trailer for 30 minutes straight.

When I see Bale or Affleck in the batsuit, I see actors in the batsuit. When Keaton is in the batsuit, I just see Batman. In 1989, Michael Keaton was a 5'9, 160 lb, slightly balding comedic actor in black Nikes - and he's _still_ the greatest Batman on film.

I had no idea it had a Comic continuation. That looks really sweet! And Keaton returning? NICE! Batman Beyond Keaton Edition!

In hindsight I can see Glover doing a great job as Joker too, specially since he has the comic book elongated chin of the character and has played maniacal characters over the years.

This film mesmerized us in 1989. I was 11 at the time and remember being in the theater on opening night. The audience even cheered during the opening credits.

My mother took me to see this movie in theaters when it came out. I was barely a year and a half old. The earliest memories i have are of joker's hand buzzer and Batman beating up thugs on a rooftop

The bald henchman with the sunglasses has a name too! Lawrence the boom box guy!

Hello friends. I must respectfully disagree about the 4k blu-ray being the best way to watch this film. The color grading was changed to include a blueish greenish tint to the picture and all new sounds and effects replaced the old ones. I feel it is very jarring if you are only used to the original version of this film. Awesome video, as always. Take care!

9 Years old in 1989 Southern California, amazing time to be a kid. The summer was defined by Batman ‘89. We also had many other classics (Last Crusade, GB 2, Shrunk etc.) No internet (at least to the General public) - Waterparks, and the NES .. Super Mario 3 was the talk of the playground. Music stores and Video / Game rental spots.. Malls were the place to be , arcades , Toys r Us, and amazing innovative and creative cartoons and TV shows , sleepover with the cousins, parents were young, Grandparents alive, playground friends. Such a wonderful time, glad I experienced those moments.

People that weren’t around then truly can’t understand or appreciate the impact this had on comic book films.

This is my childhood right here. I was 9 years old when I seen this movie in one of those low budget theaters back in the day. We didn't have showcase cinemas back in 1989. This movie changed my life. I wanted to be Batman even before this. Don't forget within a year they came out with the live action 1990 Ninja turtles which is another huge part of my childhood. Great video taking me down memory lane. 💯💯👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

I remember that outcry at SDCC in 1988, the year before Batman was released, some were furious that they didn't have Caesar Romero as the Joker either.

The one that started it all.

i just watched this again with my wife and kids and i loved it, jack as the joker is awesome and its my favorite suit and bat mobile, i thought Keaton was great but he turns into Beetlejuice for a moment and it takes you out of the character for the rest of the movie, its success can still be seen as we are about to get another reboot, every scene jack is in was top notch, he was funny and scary at the same time, hahaha BOB...gun, the scene when he smashed the tv with boxing glove scared the crap out of my wife, oh great times

Absolutely loved this movie. Tim Burtons masterpiece.

It's so crazy that Batman had to he shopped around to different studios when Warner Brothers owned DC and had their own damn movie studio. They've never really known what they're doing 🙄

my fav batman

Steven Spielberg, Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Terry Gilliam, John Landis, David Cronenberg, Richard Donner, Joe Dante, William Friedkin, Robert Wise, Irvin Kershner, Joseph Ruben, Howard Franklin, Rocky Morton and Annabelle Jenkell, Ivan Reitman, Walter Hill, George Miller, Brian De Palma, Oliver Stone, Tony Scott, Tobe Hooper, Ridley Scott, and Robert Zemeckis were considered for the job of directing

I recall, very well, seeing the trailer for this movie advertised late at night on television. I was very drunk at the time, and found it hard to process that this gritty, dark, trailer was for...Batman. Because at the time I associated Batman with the 1960s television show of my childhood. The idea that this character could form the basis of a serious movie in which Jack Nicholson starred as Joker seemed completely and absolutely surreal. I can recall the sensation of my brain expanding to this day.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kurt Russell, Patrick Swayze, Nicolas Cage, Adrian Pasdar, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Michael Douglas, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Ray Liotta, Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Kevin Kline, Robert Downey Jr, and Jean Claude van Damme were considered for Batman.

THE BEST batman! Hands down. One of my favorite movies of all time.

I was 15f when this movie came out and I saw it in theaters and LOVED IT and drove my family crazy playing the Prince album with the soundtrack on it 😁 I've watched it every time I've seen it on since then....no one else is Batman but MK !! PERIOD.

I bought this for $5 at Walmart. it was pretty good. I liked the set design a lot. I do like the darker Nolan films though, I think Batman works best as a really grim world. Gotham is not some zany, spunky place with a cast of goofy villains running around and stealing candy from babies. it's a seriously fucked up place.

Nicholson was iconic as The Joker. In my opinion, I don't think he really had to act all that much to play the part.

Keaton is Batman

And the impression that Nicholson does of Palance "You are my number one..... mmm guy" is just so much fun

Summer of 89 was lit. Batmania was everywhere

When my guy pulled out the 2 foot six shooter, and shot down the batwing.... Jack became the best joker ever...

Nostalgia for me. I was about 4 or 5 and my dad took me to the theater to see it.

This is like the fifth or sixth time in recent years I've been reminded of Batman's Nike boots and been like, "Oh. Yeah. I forgot about that. WHY DID YOU REMIND ME."

This film changed my life. I was around 8 when I first watched it and nothing was the same for me. The art, the atmosphere, the characters, set designs… by God does it take you to another world. I know it’s not perfect but I have so much love for this (and returns) that it’s hard to put in words. To me; this is the Batman.

To me Batman Returns will always be the best Batman movie but this is definitely 2# on my list

Batman (1989) is 35 years old!!! Made $251 domestically and $400 million worldwide on a $48 million budget The novelization even made The NY Times best sellers list Lots of merchandise sales plus it was one of the highest selling vhs tapes A very solid comic book adaptation that's dark, gothic, and that sticks to the classic noir aesthetic of the original source material Burton's direction makes this comic book character come alive from the costumes to the set designs to the art direction to the score by Danny Elfman to the performances to the visuals to the props as well as the vehicles It was an interesting feat cause many actually were upset about Michael Keaton's casting but after the film opened and time went on fans and critics were on board calling him one of the best Batmans on film He's given a lot of layers as both being Bruce and the masked detective, no doubt because the costume makes his moment very limited but it gives him an otherworldly feel Much of this works due to the drama and lots of subtle facial expressions without too much dialogue spoken giving a sense of vulnerability Not to mention a story revelation comes later tying it all together making it operatic Jack Nicholson practically steals the show as The Joker, it's fascinating how in this version we know everything about him and very little about Batman yet in later films the focus would shift drastically but that is part of the appeal (the more mystery is to somebody the more fascinating they are) His plan is being that he is both anarchy and chaos Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale makes for a interesting love interest; her relationship with Bruce Wayne and Batman gets 'overshadowed' in many ways yet they both want to find a semblance of potential happiness, although if only her lines didn't constantly consist of screams Still her dilemma with Bruce adds an anchor of believability making Vicki feel like a real person The movie also has a lot of commentary these days saying a corrupt world can be forgiven if you corrupt it even further This interpretation was more dark and brooding as opposed to the Adam West 1960s version, truth be told it was a less dignified portrayal but they had to start somewhere, Batman has been through worse adaptations over the years some so serious some just miss the mark entirely Following the success of 1978's 'Superman' this set the trend for future comic book films plus as far as origin stories are concerned using its same formula it holds up Burton does wonders here taking inspiration from the 1980s series of comics plus so many movies owe their popularity to its success as well as bringing Batman into the mainstream paving the way for sequels, an animated series, his return in The Flash (2023) as well as many more interpretations from other directors and actors So much of this still works from having great actors to iconic lines to memorable images on the screen Whatever the future holds as far as this character goes in the pop cultural landscape there's no shortage to tackle much more darker angles with many other stories to tell from the rich history of the comics

As much as I love the Nolan Batman’s, this is still my favorite Batman movie. It just transports you into another world.

Tim Curry as the the Joker would have been perfect.

Will there be a retrospective on the sequel, "The Return of Swamp Thing", before "Batman Returns"? The DC movie came out in 1989 as well.

Prince's concept album is truly inspired, and a singularly smart decision by Warner Brothers... All hail The Purple Yoda!

Good video analysis of Batman 89,still one of favorite movies,and who knew that girl with sweater with the R worked for team rocket before Pokemon came out lol xD

Something also cool is the chemical factory set was the old atmosphere processor set from Aliens.

The best Batman movie of them all. Keaton is by far the best Batman and Nicholson for entertainment and laughs no other villain does it quite like him. Nicholson was a mobster gangster version and Ledgers was a psychotic take on the Joker.

DUDE seriously .....OMG i love this movie and i admit i know a lot about it, but this video blew my mind with some of the stuff in here. Thank you so much AWESOME!!!

When I first heard of this being made by Timothy I laughed. I couldn't see a blue battymans flying around with his tightrope. But it turned out to be a huge hit. One of the best movies ever made😛

What were the other changes made to the story in the re-writes during the strike ?

Me and my sister were 7 and 10 when '89 came out. We saw it 3 times in the theatre and literally 1000 times on VHS. Lol

The actor who played Bob, Tracy Walter, is Jack Nicholson's best friend

My father had passed away that April in 89,a few days after I turned six. My mother,god bless her,took me to see this movie at least once a week that summer in order to make me feel better. It helped. A lot. Batman lost his parents and used it as motivation to become a hero,and the idea of that helped me with losing my hero. Terrible year but wonderful at the same time. I still absolutely adore this movie,and I always will.

Christopher Fairbank, who played the mugger Nick, played the alien broker that Peter Quill visited on Xandar in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

A Christopher Reeve-Michael Keaton Supes/Bats movie would have been amazing.

i remember being a kid at the time, and EVERYONE was amped about this movie. it was an atom bomb. it just changed EVERYTHING. without it, there is no raimi spider-man, no nolan trilogy, no mcu, no dceu... it solidified batman as the biggest superhero, popularity wise. you couldn't escape batman, he was everywhere, on everything. everyone was talking about it.

I absolutely love this movie. Perhaps one of my top 5 favs. Though, personally, i feel that this movie has been a bit misunderstood in recent years. Ive heard this movie described as “more of a Joker movie than a Batman movie” which i don’t feel is true. Joker’s origin is more pronounced than Batman’s, but that’s just fitting for the characters. Batman is more Mysterious and Shadowy while The Joker is more Loud and Flashy. Another thing i hear is that Batman uses “Questionable” tactics to bring down some criminals, such as having guns on his vehicles (which is not unheard of in ANY form of media) and that he does kill The Joker in the end, which even as a massive Bat fan, i don’t have a problem with. This would not be the first nor the last time this would happen in any form of media and nobody complains about those times. Plus, it plays in to the subtle arc for Bruce that lasts even into the Schuhmacher films (kind of). As for the the other “Questionable” tactics, it’s really nothing the character doesn’t usually do and in some cases it’s debatable and ambiguous. Bottom line: just because Batman doesn’t kill, doesn’t mean he hasn’t. That doesn’t make this make this movie any more or less true to the character, even if Burton didn’t read many comics. The last thing is of course Joker killing Bruce’s parents, Which i also don’t mind. Different from the comics, sure, but it’s not like it wouldn’t make sense for The Joker. Besides, i like the cyclical nature of it. Evil creating the Good that ultimately destroys it. It’s not totally sophisticated, but it’s no less interesting.

As a kid who was 7 when this movie came out, it's indescribable relating how huge this movie was for kids! I still remember just staring at the movie poster (the solid yellow bat symbol) wherever I saw it and begging my parents to let me watch it in the theaters. They never did but they surprised me for Christmas and bought me the vhs. My first vhs ever and I still have it to this day! In summary, this movie was friggin huge...and it was a great movie and soundtrack! The songs and scene if him taking Vicki vale to the batcave on that back road and the segment of him destroying axis chemicals are amazing! PS: 550 million USD in 1989-1990=approx 1.2 billion in 2022

As much as I love Jack Nicholson as the Joker, I think Brad Dourif(1 of Burton's original choices for Joker) would have been awesome. Tim Curry would have been great as well.

1989, first grade high school, it was Batman, Indiana Jones and James Bond. Awesome year.

After mr. Sunday movies doing their bait and switch with Batman I was kinda nervous to click on this video lmao

I'm saddened given that the line "Ever Dance with the Devil in the Pale Moon Light" was never carried into the other BATMAN Movies...

Why call it a review if you didn’t review it? This is more of a deep dive. Really well put together though. Thanks for this :)

Burton's Batman are forever..no pun intended.😎

Vicki Vale subverts the 'damsel in distress' trope at EVERY turn. She's a pulitzer prize winning war-zone photojournalist, and anytime she gets 'in trouble', it's to serve her own unique agenda, and almost always with agency. She falls into peril, but no more or less than Batman does. The Joker catches them both off guard repeatedly. When she's put in the 'damsel in distress' situation, it's for intentional subversion

Bro...I totally commend that u didn't sh*t on prince. Whole thing is done very well, but resisting knocking prince makes it exceptional. We were all so shocked that Keaton pulled it off so so so well. A real who'd a thunk moment!

One of the first movies I saw in the theater at 5 years old. I don't think people today will ever understand how big "Batmania" was at the time. Even when there were no movies out, every Christmas would see Toys "R" Us STOCKED with new Batman toys for the kids to eat up. Probably why TOS was made only a few years later.

Excellent movie. The kind of movie you loved because you were naive, then said was 'okay' because you thought much better movies were on the way, then realized it was a classic because the better movies never really materialized, then rewatched and realized you were correct the first time. We always love the art we consume between 8 and 18 years old, and think that is the best, and the standard. However a set of movies orbiting the 80s went beyond that. They were the peak of an artistic high. The golden age. Big enough budgets to make imagination come true, but not so big studios worked from spreadsheets instead of artist's dreams. Indiana Jones...Star Wars....Star Trek....Terminator...Aliens.... Ghostbusters....and all the stuff modern Hollywood now lives of parasitically. Those were special times. And here we have it. Keaton the unlikely...yet somehow, an embarrassing number of decades later...still the best Batman to date. Somehow. Maybe it was the fantastic and fantastical score. Or the right balance of comic fantasy and seriousness. Or the magical snowglobe feel of gotham. Or the fact that it never feels like it is trying too hard. Who knows. It just works. Like Predator (1987). A movie that has no business being as good as it is.

John Glover always popping up for comic book films

Been on an 89' kick lately. Great timing

Definitely my favourite superhero movie. Not a fan of superhero movies in general but I still love this - the production design, the music, Nicholson's performance. It's a wonderful film. I'd definitely like to see a return to Burton's Batman.