Movie Plot – Batman (1989): In Gotham, The Dark Knight has to face his greatest enemy, the Joker!

Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Michael Gough, Billy Dee Williams

Michael Keaton as the Batman

When Michael Keaton was announced to be the caped crusader, a lot of fans were angry. The movie, on the other hand, showed them that he got what it takes to become the Dark Knight.

His Batman didn’t have much backstory, Unlike Nolan’s Batman, where we got a complete origin story in Batman Begins. On one hand, it lacks a bit of story, but on the other hand, it keeps this character mysterious.

I think it’s the movie’s intend to be put in the shoes of Vicky Vale. Asking ourselves the following questions: Who is Bruce Wayne? Why does he fight crime? Why is he alone? Well, the movie does give you some answer, while keeping his real motives mysterious. He never tells us why he becomes the Batman, you just know.

Tim Burton‘s brought us an iconic Batman movie that we will never forget. And this will always be considered one of the best Batman movies ever.

And let’s not forget the Batmobile! It may look unreal, but it was an excellent car. However, to be completely honest, there hasn’t been one Batmobile that I have hated.

Jack Nicholson as the Joker

My favorite performance of the Batman (1989) film goes to Jack Nicholson. He’s just brilliant and goofy as the Joker. I call that perfectly casting for its time.

One of my favorite scenes is when Joker is dancing in the museum to talk to Vicky Vale. And who better to dance on, than Prince. Like seriously, that’s perfect and fits the Joker character so well.

What I truly love is that he’s still very cartoony and comedic. It’s like he has a blast every time he’s on screen.

Other important comic book characters

Vicky Vale is a professional photographer and Bruce Wayne’s love interest. Kim Basinger is excellent as Vicky, and I understand why Bruce would be interested. However, she screams a lot in this film. To be honest, I never noticed until I saw the honest trailer of Screen Junkies. Now, it’s hard to ignore it.

We also get to see Harvey Dent, who doesn’t have a huge role. He’s played by Billy Dee Williams, who plays Lando in Star Wars. However, in Batman Forever, he gets replaced by Tommy Lee Jones.

Jack Nicholson - Batman 1989 - Long Gun

The cheesy stuff

This film may be the first true attempt for a good Batman movie. Yeah sure, there was Adam West Batman, but I consider that pure comedic entertainment.

I love this movie very much, but there’s a lot of cheesy stuff in it. Like Bruce Wayne sleeping upside down like a bat. I mean, … Seriously? The dinner scene with Vicky Vale was super awkward and unnecessary. I still think the “Let’s get nuts” scene is weird, but also great in some way.

The Joker is obviously full-on cheesy. Just look at his gadgets: the long gun, the electrocution handshake, his car, and the list goes on.

Oh yeah, I hated that Ben Affleck’s Batman was killing people, but in this one, I don’t mind it that much. It’s simply because it was another time back then. Now, I want him to honor his code of not killing people.


Batman (1989) will forever be one of my favorite comic book films. I wonder how many other Batman fans are reading this. Do you agree with my review, or did you experienced this film differently? Write it down in the comment section down below!