For comic book movie fans, it is hard to remember a time before BATMAN. Warner Bros.' other superhero film franchise had gone completely down the toilet, and fans were clamoring to see what would come next. What ended up coming next was one of the most entertaining superhero films, and one of the most entertaining films in general, of the past twenty-five years.
BATMAN is the story of Batman taking on a crime syndicate in Gotham City that is led by his archenemy, The Joker. For all intents and purposes, this is a Joker origin story. The character of Batman has already been established, albeit briefly, as Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) says in the film, "Eight sightings...in just under a month", so The Joker is the first enemy that poses a real threat to Batman and the decency of Gotham City. I enjoy the tiny visual clues that inform us of Jack Napiers' (Jack Nicholson) fate. Early in the film, we see him playing with a deck of cards and wearing a purple suit. I have to say that I think this film does have its problems, and most of them are with the script. At the beginning of the film Batman witnesses a crime being committed that is similar to the one he experienced as a child, but he does not rescue the victims, and he waits until AFTER the crime is committed to fight off the muggers!!! I also would have liked to see more of how Gus Grissoms' (Jack Palance) crime syndicate is connected to AXIS CHEMICALS. That is not clear at all in the film. Later in the film, there is a scene at Bruce Waynes' (Michael Keaton) party where Knox and Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) are introduced to Bruce Wayne in his armory room. While this scene does set up the character relationships, and we as the audience are introduced to Wayne and the characteristics of the character, this scene does feel forced because not ten seconds earlier Knox told Vale to follow Commissioner Gordon (Pat Hingle) to AXIS CHEMICALS. Why exactly do they need to stop at the armory?? I also feel that the love angle between Wayne and Vale progresses too quickly. Look, I have no problem with "love at first sight", However, when Alfred (Michael Gough) says things like, "I feel that there's a certain weight that's lifted when she's here" and how special she is, I cannot help but think to myself, "You feel all of this after meeting her only once?" It all seems a bit far-fetched for me. Also, the entire sequence where the Joker meets Vicki Vale at the museum is full of editing errors and plot holes. Batman comes crashing down through the skylight to.....rescue Vicki Vale and not battle the Joker at all?!?! What the damn hell??? Then, when Batman and Vickie are about to escape in the Batmobile, Batman holds the communicator up and says, "Stop", then drops the communicator However, in the next shot he is still holding it close to his mouth. This is a major editing gaffe. And why does the Batmobile have two seats?? I feel like the writers could not create another way for Vicki to get to the Batcave, so the producers went "Ah, we'll just add another seat to the Batmobile. Nobody will even notice." Guess what, folks? I NOTICED!!! Also, how did Batman figure out what cosmetics products combinations would be toxic??? This is a CRUCIAL part of the plot, and we do not see a bit of it!!! Also, just before the climax of the film, Alfred voluntarily lets Vicki Vale into the Batcave of his own free will. I am sorry, but the day Alfred violates Bruces' secrecy like that, he is FIRED!!! Next, when the Joker is interfering with The Mayors' (Lee Wallace) speech, The Mayor is looking to his left as if the Joker is actually standing there!!! WHAT?!?!?! He should be looking around attempting to figure out where the Jokers' voice is coming from!!! Speaking of the climax of the film, where and how did Batman get the Batwing?? He used the Batmobile to blow up AXIS CHEMICALS, and then he magically shows up in the Batwing, yet we never actually see him go and get it. Also, why does the Joker cover up his face with skin tone makeup some of the time??? If he is "a lot happier" as he claims to be, would he not let his true form show all of the time??? This does not make any sense to me. None of these issues, though, compare with my biggest complaint about the film: MAKING THE JOKER THE KILLER OF BRUCE WAYNES' PARENTS!!!! Look, I get it. Doing this adds more weight to the conflict between these two characters. However, as far as staying true to the source material goes, this is the stupidest thing that anyone has ever done. If you make the Joker the killer of Bruce Waynes' parents, then when the Joker is killed, Bruce Wayne theoretically does not need to be Batman anymore. The whole reason Bruce Wayne fights crime as Batman is so that no one will ever experience what he went through when he was a child. If the killer of his parents is either killed or brought to justice, then he has done his job. Adding even more confusion to this matter is when the Joker says, "I was a kid when I killed your parents." How does he even know that Batman is Bruce Wayne??? I am sure that Bruces' parents are not the only people he killed, so how can he be sure he has the right people in mind???
Earlier today, I posed a question on social media: can you forgive a film for having continuous plot holes if the movie is entertaining? Is entertainment more important than story structure? It is because of the tone and the performances in this film that make BATMAN endlessly entertaining. However, I cannot look past all of the aforementioned plot holes. Personally, I think this film is overrated.
In one of his most memorable roles, Jack Nicholson plays the Joker/Jack Napier. In many ways, Nicholson is the perfect person to play the Joker because of his natural tendency to make people laugh in real life. Every joke lands beautifully on its feet, and Nicholsons' "Joker laugh" is truly haunting. However, it is when the Joker does truly maniacal things that you see how great Nicholson is in this role. The scene where he shakes hands and burns his business partner alive is a prime example of both of these qualities. Nicholson is half the reason this movie is so entertaining. Frightening and hilarious at the same time, he steals the entire show, which is exactly what the Joker would do. This is an absolutely unforgettable performance.
In an equally famous role, Michael Keaton plays Batman/Bruce Wayne. Keaton does a great job of playing both of these characters. He displays a wonderful charm and wit as Bruce Wayne, and he is menacing and imposing as Batman. When he looks at the Joker and says, "I'm gonna kill you", you believe it. Keaton and Basinger also display great chemistry, playing off of each other beautifully. Keaton will always be the originator (in a theatrically released movie, that is), and I really do not think that is so bad.
Kim Basinger plays Vicki Vale. I will say this right off the bat (no pun intended): I HATE this character. When we are first introduced to this character, she comes off as incredibly intelligent and passionate about her work. As the movie progresses, you realize that that is where her intelligence ends. For a majority of the film, she does nothing but run and scream. In fact, she plays the quintessential "dumb blonde". I mean, she throws cold water on the Joker. For Odins' sake, this is not the Wizard of Oz. Throw BOILING water on him!!! Do not misunderstand me: Basinger is great at playing this character, but seeing her play a character that is so one-dimensional is heartbreaking because she is a talented actress.
Tim Burton is the director of BATMAN. The tone of this film is the other reason why this movie works so well from an entertainment perspective. This film is about as dark as a BATMAN movie could be in 1989, and the spirit of the character is alive and well. Danny Elfmans' music helps quite a bit, as well. The last twenty minutes of the film are spectacular, and gives fans what they have always wanted to see: Batman and the Joker duking it out. To say that BATMAN was a smash hit would be the understatement of the century, and it is all thanks to Burtons' wonderful directing.
Batman should always fight the Joker, and the first theatrically released BATMAN movie gave us exactly that. This movie does have a laundry list of problems, but it is so much fun to watch. It is only because of the entertainment factor that I slightly recommend this film to those who have not seen it.
No comments:
Post a Comment