Batman




Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moon light?

In this first installment of the ongoing franchise, Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) is just coming into his own as Batman. But when a mobster named Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is thrown into some chemicals, he undergoes radical changes. He becomes the Joker, a pasty clown-like man with a twisted sense of humor. So it is Batman versus his classic nemesis. Thrown in for good measure is Vicky Vale (Kim Basinger), who becomes the love interest for both.

While Batman is leagues better than the crappy third and fourth movies, it never attempts to be anything but mediocre. Its chief strength also happens to be its biggest flaw. When Nicholson's name is ahead of Keaton's in the credits, you know there is something wrong. Little effort is put forth to hide that this is the Joker's show. Indeed, he is comical and manages to somehow stay evil through it all. But his ranting begins to rake the nerves long before the end.

While this one doesn't cover nearly as much back story as Batman Begins, the hub of the story is how Napier created Batman by murdering his parents. In turn, it was Batman who created the Joker by dropping him into those chemicals. To a somewhat lesser extent is the whole outsider ... um ... side to Bruce Wayne as well. This is a Tim Burton film, after all.

The direction is good, and kudos to the Gotham City set pieces. While not completely realistic, they give the city a dark gothic feeling. There is also Danny Elfman's cool theme.

Some of the Joker's lines and situations are funny, but too many seemed far flung and bogged the movie down. The dialogue on the whole isn't bad, but there isn't anything about this movie that jumps out and says that it's great. Some elements are cool. Like the midnight drive with the batmobile down a road straight from Halloween and accompanied by a creepy score. The bat gadgets mostly involve cables and aren't that interesting. Though no hummer, the batmobile in this movie is iconic.

Both leads play their respective roles well. Nicholson is completely over the top and Keaton remains brooding and reserved. I didn't really care for Basinger, but Wuhl makes the perfect annoying reporter.

This film was a hit at the box office and was hailed by some as "the best film of the decade," but I found it to be nothing more than a mindless blockbuster.



-The Gnome