There were those who scoffed and mocked Tim Burton for his decision to cast Michael Keaton, who had worked with Burton on "Beetlejuice", as "Batman". Never mind the fact that another Keaton film, "The Dream Team", was classified more as a comedy-drama, or that Keaton had cut his dramatic teeth in "Clean & Sober".
As it happened, Keaton justified Burton's faith in him, and "Batman" was a huge summer blockbuster in 1989.
Sam Hamm's script does take liberties with Bat-history, tying the origins of the Dark Knight to those of mobster Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), who, in this reality, would ultimately become the Joker. Hamm's idea was that Joe Chill didn't act alone in robbing and killing Thomas & Martha Wayne, oh no. Chill didn't even pull the trigger. Napier did. I guess this would explain the mistakes the writers of "Fantastic Four" made 16 years later, as if you need me to explain that.
Anyway, Napier is a bit of a playboy at heart himself, as he's making moves on Alicia (Jerry Hall), the girlfriend of Napier's boss, Carl Grissom (Jack Palance, Ripley's Believe it or Not!). So you figure, once Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) enters the picture, teaming with reporter Alex Knox (Robert Wuhl, "Good Morning, Vietnam") to not only learn about Batman, but also get the goods on Grissom, Napier decides to horn in on a budding romance between Vicki and Bruce Wayne (Keaton), which develops after an awkward start.
There is the famous sequence at the chemical plant where Napier takes the plunge into an acid bath that turns him into the Clown Prince of Crime. In comics, the Joker was a nameless hood who donned the guise of the Red Hood on that fateful night. Hamm must've figured that was a little too complicated, and would've been restricting on Nicholson's talent. Whatever. Tracey Walter (ex-Best of the West) helps things along as Jack/Joker's sidekick, Bob, before, well.....that would be telling, wouldn't it?
Vicki is hot enough that even Knox thinks he has a chance with her. That neither Basinger or Wuhl would return for "Batman Returns" 3 years later would suggest a few things left to the imagination.
As we all know, Burton & Keaton would depart after "Returns", and the franchise would suffer as a result until being resurrected by Christopher Nolan with "Batman Begins".
The trailer ain't much, but.......
Nearly 30 years later, it's still an all-time classic.
Rating: A.
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