Just one of the many classic phrases to come from the first instalment of the Batman film legacy, and in my opinion, one of the best. Made in 1989, the film went on to make nearly $680 million in today's money, making it the 5th highest grossing film of all time.
The film opens with a family trying to find their way through the dark dingy alleys of Gotham City. Little do they know that they are about to be the victims of a mugging by two crooks. This crime, however, doesn't go unnoticed, and "the Batman" teaches the thieves a lesson they'll never forget.
After this, more characters are introduced. We have Jack Nicholson as the criminal Jack Napier (who later becomes The Joker), Jerry Hall as Alicia Hunt, who's going out with both Jack and Jack's boss, Carl Grissom. Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne's love interest comes after this in a banquet hosted by Wayne himself; photo-journalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger), arrives in Gotham hoping to work with Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) on the Batman news story. Wayne meets Vale but is soon interrupted when Alfred (Michael Gough), his butler, informs him of a break in at the Axis Chemicals power plant.
Meanwhile, Grissom discovers his wife's discrepancies and later sets Jack up in an attempt to get him killed. He sends Jack and his cronies to Axis Chemials to steal from the safes, but Jack later finds them empty and realises he's been stitched up. Upon meeting Batman, however, he later pays a terrible price, as he falls into a tub of toxic waste, when Batman loses his grip on Jacks's arm as he hovered over the tub. Unfortunately for Grissom, Jack eventually returns alive, but with green hair and a large grin on his porcelain white face and later murders Grissom for his troubles.
Without summarising the whole plot and spoiling it for those who have yet to watch it, the rest of the film basically depicts The Joker's villainous reign on Gotham and Batman's endeavours to stop him and with a bit of romance, self discovery and a bit of comedy to throw in the mix.
I, myself, thoroughly enjoyed watching the film, back when I first saw it as a 3 year old, until now as a 17 year old. I thought Michael Keaton was perfect as the mysterious Bruce Wayne. He played the role off to a tee and surprised me somewhat, considering his previous roles in comedy films. Jack Nicholson was brilliant as the psychotic Joker, always with a smile on his face. Kim Basinger portrayal of Vicki Vale was also very good, playing the lover of Bruce Wayne and having to contend with the admirations of The Joker. The jokes never seem to get old and somehow, I seem to pick up on things I never noticed when I was younger. The special effects obviously show their ages and the bloopers are clear to see, but if you don't watch the film for them, you won't notice them.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
After a young boy witnesses his parents' murder on the streets of Gotham City he grows up ... more
to become Batman a mysterious figure in the eyes of Gotham's citizens who takes crime-fighting into his own hands. He first emerges out of the shadows when the...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Gotham City, not the safest of places to live, but that is about to change with the ... more
emergence of a new super hero, who intends to inspire fear into the hearts of the evil, and hope into the hearts of the honest citizens of that city! Who is Batman?
Advantages: good acting from a few, good story, funny bad effects! Disadvantages: Wooden acting from the villians, some may be disappointed by the effects
Aug 11th, 2007
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