BATMAN
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Sam Hamm & Warren Skaaren
Story by: Sam Hamm
Producers: Peter Guber, Barbara Kalish, Chris Kenny, Benjamin Melniker, Jon Peters, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Jack Palance, Billy Dee Williams, Robert Wuhl, Jerry Hall, Tracey Walter, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Year: 1989
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: 15
Duration: 126 mins
Whatās the best way to convince an audience that modern Batman is completely different from classic Batman? No itās not a devilishly despicable conundrum posed by the Riddler, but instead a question Warner Bros and Tim Burton presumably asked themselves on a regular basis when putting together this first big-screen outing for the Caped Crusader. The answer of course is to turn Gotham City into a depression hit scum-hole; to skew the time period so it becomes a retro 30s/80s combo (with added songs by Prince); and to make Batman himself a bit of a bad-ass nut job. Throw in a psychotic performance by Jack Nicholson as the Joker; a bunch of high-tech Bat-gadgets that all look a bit too fiddly to be homemade; remove any references to anything even remotely camp and there you have it, the job is done. Batman couldnāt be further away from the old school Adam West days if it had tried and those wanting to relive the past should perhaps grab a brown paper bag before they start hyperventilating. Those ready to embrace a world of grumpy Bat-antics however are in for a treat, because Batman is an exciting, genre defining adventure where bad stuff happens to good people, mostly because everyoneās actually a little bit greedy and probably deserves it anyway. Itās also a movie where a chap can dress up in a rubber suit and jump off buildings without anyone suggesting he should grow up, because whilst heās doing that, an older bloke who should know better is running around dressed as a clown.
These two men are of course Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) and Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), or Batman and the Joker as the story reveals; who despite both being nuttier than a squirrels pantry are the main characters of the film. As a young tyke, Bruce Wayne witnesses his parentās death at the hands of Napier and when he grows up he decides to clean up the streets of Gotham, by becoming Batman. As for Napier, he continues to be a two-bit crook working for the Gothamās biggest crime boss Carl Grissom (Palance) until he crosses paths with Batman and gets dropped into a vat of toxic waste. Before you can say, āHoly chemical peel Batmanā, Napierās skin is completely bleached and a session of cosmetic surgery canāt stop him from looking like Ronald McDonaldās more attractive brother. Calling himself the Joker, he and Batman soon come to blows over their status as iconic figures within the city and their growing affection for ace photographer Vicki Vale (Basinger) leads them to a showdown where only one will survive!
Batman is a great, yet flawed movie that takes a character so ingrained in pop culture and reinvents him for a generation who want to feel a bit depressed when watching a film. It has action, drama, a hero who is clearly unhinged and a damn cool Batmobile. The reason its flawed is because itās a movie from director Tim Burton, only itās a restrained Burton, not quite allowed to develop his Dark Knight in quite the right way he clearly wants to. This is possibly because of continued rewrites during the filmās production, which explains a lot of the glaring plot holes, or because Warner Bros were keeping a beady eye on what is one of their most lucrative properties. The imagery is not really Tim Burton, but what Burton might be like on his first day on the job, eager to do what he has to in order to gain enough trust to go his own way later down the line. Either way Batman is not quite the best Bat-film that it could be (itās more the Dr No of super hero movies), but it certain is the one that takes a step in the right direction.
BATMAN RETURNS
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Daniel Walters
Story by: Daniel Walters & Sam Hamm
Producers:Ā Ian Bryce, Tim Burton, Denise Di Novi, Larry J. Franco, Peter Guber, Benjamin Melniker, Jon Peters, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfieffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, Vincent Schiavelli, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Year: 1992
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: 15
Duration: 126 mins
Heās out. Heās out of the box. Director Tim Burton has been unleashed and heās back with a Batman film that isĀ hisĀ andĀ his alone. Pure undiluted Burton poured into a Batman shaped hipflask and placed in a kinky pouch. Oh and heās not without back-up, as composer Danny Elfman is giving it his all as well on the musical front, to make sure that this is a sequel that is bigger and bolder than what has come before. Batman Returns is not for kids, those of a nervous disposition or anyone who isnāt prepared to sit through two hours of snow falling, bile spewing, fairy tale imagery dominated by a (cat) woman dressed in a PVC pervert outfit complete with a whip. To say itās a sequel to Batman (1989) would be true, but a slight misrepresentation of whatās on offer, as Batman Returns is actually just another entry into a much larger series, not too worried about what has come before. Itās the same Batman (Keaton), the same Alfred (Gought), the same Commissioner Gordon (Hingle) and technically itās the same Gotham, but everything seems a little bit less amateur. Thatās not a disservice to the first Batman film, but the look and feel of Batman Returns is clearly the result of developing through trial and error whilst making Batman. Whereas that film was a learning curve, Batman Returns is the finished product, showing what happens when you put a quirky director together with DC Comicās most troubled super hero.
Itās Christmas in Gotham and as the locals contemplate an eggnog induced festive period, the biggest question on everyoneās lips is surely, why the hell donāt they all move to a much safer city? Oh the streets might not be as dirty as they once were, as they now look like theyāre part of a studio backlot, but things in Gotham are far from safe. There is still a need for Batman, although by the looks of things he now waits around for crimes to happen before he can be bothered to suit-up, but thatās not surprising since all the whackos seem to turn up there on a regular basis. This time around Batman isnāt just faced with one vile villain, heās got three to contend with, in the shape of Penguin (DeVito), Catwoman (Pfieffer) and the odious Max Shreck (Walken). So when Shreck suggests Penguin runs for Mayor of Gotham, Batman has to once again fight a villain who has tried to win the support and trust of Gothamās citizens in order to make the Caped Crusader seem like the bad guy. It even works for a while as well, because Catwoman briefly joins forces with Penguin and causes the Dark Knight a few headaches that not even a Bat-aspirin can shake off. Obviously with all of Batmanās foes being about as trustworthy as an underfed lion in a room full of pork chops, itās not long before theyāre all falling out and trying to bump one another off. For Batman, this isnāt something that is particularly useful to him, as a bad guy (or gal) with a plan is not as hard to contend with as a bad guy with a grudge and so all hell breaks loose over Gotham; including kidnapping, cat scratching and some back stabbing.
Batman Returns is an odd sequel, because for many reasons it shouldnāt quite work. As mentioned itās not particularly nice at times, in fact itās downright gruesome and yet at the same time itās imaginative, sombre and just so beautiful. This particular chapter in Batmanās escapades seems almost trapped in a snow globe, cut off from the outside world, without the need to exist as anything other than itself. For that reason it never actually seems to further Batmanās story, not that it really matters and anyway, with so many villains on screen someone gets shafted for screen time and itās not an issue that itās Batman. The film isnāt concerned with the fact that itās his movie, because thereās far more fun to be had with the villains, with Michelle Pfiefferās Catwoman easily the best of the bunch. Prancing around the snow covered rooftops of Gotham dressed like a dominatrix fills her with the right kind of attitude to keep the character on an equal footing with all those boys knocking about and never has it seemed so much fun to be a cat. Walken as Shreck is equally as good, especially as he shares screen time with two well known Batman villains and itās only the Penguin that fails to work. Itās a shame really as Burtonās approach to the character is arguably the most interesting thing to ever happen with the Penguin and DeVito is right on the money for making him so despicable. Still everything that shouldnāt work only adds to the magic of this film and makes this a terrific sequel that is far more dynamic than the original.
BATMAN FOREVER
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenplay: Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler and Akiva Goldsman
Producers: Tim Burton, Mitchell Dauterive, Peter Macgregor-Scott, Benjamin Melniker, Kevin J. Messick, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nichole Kidman, Chris OāDonnell, Drew Barrymore, Debi Mazar, Elizabeth Sanders, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Year: 1995
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: PG
Duration: 121 mins
If Batman (1989) was about reintroducing the Dark Knight for a new generation, then Batman Forever is about readdressing the Caped Crusaderās accessibility to slightly unsure audience. The reason for this is to win back the cinemagoers put off by the macabre (yet brilliant) offerings of Batman Returns (1992) by giving the popcorn munching crowd a Batman they can get down with. Gone is the harsh wintery wonderland of Gotham City and in its place is a cross between New York and Judge Dreddās Mega-City One, where Batman can glide around town on the look-out for crime! This is a new Batman (Kilmer) (although technically the same Batman) and with a new actor under the cape and cowl there is also a new approach to the material. Director Joel Schumacher is the man calling the shots and his take on proceedings is to move more towards the comics, whilst still keeping an eye on what Tim Burton achieved with the first two entries in the series. That means new villains in glorious Technicolor, a whole Batcave load of gags and of course the introduction of Robin (OāDonnell), the Boy Wonder. Only Robinās not so much a boy as a āyoung manā, but fear not all sidekick haters out there, as Robin doesnāt hijack the movie, instead he hangs around in the background so that Batman can get on with more pressing matters.
Thereās a new villain in town called the Riddler (Carrey) and heās not just got issues with Batman, heās also got Bruce Wayne, the Caped Crusaderās alter-ego, in his sights as well. But solving riddles and dodging one-liners at every turn isnāt the only problem that Batman has to deal with, because he has former friend Harvey āTwo-Faceā Dent (Jones) on his case, as well as a complex love life with Dr. Chase Meridian (Kidman) and the arrival of Robin to fit into his bulging schedule. Itās enough to give a super hero an identity crisis and so itās no wonder that before long heās trying to decide how best to balance both aspects of his life. This is of course would be a bit of a nightmare for most cape wearing wonders, but for Batman itās just another day at the office. When he does eventually come face-to-face (no pun intended) with the villains that are giving him the run around, it all ends up in an exciting and action-packed showdown, that makes Batman Forever a refreshing change from the first two films. Batman is still a brooding gadget-carrying hard man, but heās now far more enjoyable to spend two hours with and the film walks the thin line between action-adventure and comic-book storytelling.
Batman Forever is fun. Yes, fun. It may seem like a swear word amongst the die-hard Burton devotees, but what Joel Schumacher has done with the Dark Knight, is open up the likability of his world that was previously repressed through the fear it was all be a bitcampy. He hasnāt done this at the expense of his hero, as Batman still remains the authority on all things serious, but he has allowed Batmanās villains to get away with a bit more hilarious hi-jinks than before. Carrey as the Riddler steals the show and clearly takes his influence from 60s Batman star Frank Gorshin as he prances around in an emerald leotard handing out the odd riddle when her can be arsed. Unfortunately it is at the expense of Tommy Lee Jonesā Two-Face who more or less gets left gurning in the background as he fills in the gaps when Carrey isnāt on screen. Heās an unfortunate casualty of Carreyās hyperactive presence and perhaps should have been saved for another entry in the franchise, but with so much going on thereās no time to worry about such details. OāDonnell is fine as circus acrobat turned orphan Robin and Kidman does her best with what she is given to do, which isnāt all that much. Then of course thereās new Batman Val Kilmer, who manages to be both a great Batman and Bruce Wayne, easily filling the role made so intense as his previous incarnation with Michael Keaton playing the part. The filmās not perfect and there are a number of short comings in where the line should be drawn before things get too cartoony, but it is certainly a Bat-film that the whole family can watch without having to have the Samaritans on standby. Not quite as interesting as Batman Returns, but a bit more fun than Batman.
BATMAN & ROBIN
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenplay: Akiva Goldsman
Producers: Mitchell Dauterive, William M. Elvin, Peter Macgregor-Scott, Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Uma Thurman, Chris OāDonnell, Alicia Silverstone, John Glover, Elle Macpherson, Jeep Swenson, Elizabeth Sanders, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle
Year: 1997
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: PG
Duration: 125 mins
Oh no, someone has made a mistake and itās a bit of a big one. After the success of Batman Foreverās (1995) more light-hearted approach to the Batman mythology, director Joel Schumacherās follow-up is a bit of a misjudged neon nightmare that has gone way off the scale of super heroic foul-ups. Just like when Tim Burton, relieved of the shackles of audience expectations following Batman (1989) went into full Burton-overdrive with Batman Returns (1992), Schumacher has done the same and itās not for the faint hearted. If colour is your thing, then chances are that Batman & Robin will be something you can stomach, because it has lots of it. If on the other hand the thought of a DayGlo Dark Knight is about as welcoming as kick in the Utility Belt, then you should perhaps avoid your eyes, for Batman & Robin could be an assault on the senses. Thereās more puce on screen than a colour chart from the local DIY store and that is only half the problem with Batmanās latest adventure in Gotham City. Thereās also an unhealthy obsession with unfunny one-liners; close ups of intimate areas and lots and lots of padding to get through this two-hour step in the wrong direction. With Batman and Robin the perfect crime-fighting team in Gotham (and presumably Gothamās only crime-fighting team), another new bunch of villains are needed to stop them from sloping off down the local discothĆØque to try it on with Wonder Woman. Step forward the cold-hearted Mr. Freeze (Schwarzenegger), the venomous Poison Ivy (Thurman) and the lumbering and embarrassingly gormless Bane (Swenson). Together they pose the ultimate threat to the Dynamic Duo, but not because they actually have the ability to defeat them, but because they seem so daft that Batman (Clooney) and Robin (OāDonnell) may actually just laugh themselves to death.
Freeze is a bit narked, as his wife has been cryogenically frozen so she can await a cure to a life threatening illness and thanks to an accident with some dry ice heās been left looking like a Smurf on steroids. For reasons known only to him and script writer Akiva Goldsman, he has developed a hatred for all of humanity (especially humans living in Gotham) and so he steals diamonds and dishes out poor dialogue as a way of dealing with his problems. Whilst heās doing this, botanist Pamela Isley is turned into the deadly and seductive Poison Ivy, who once again for reasons not all too clear has a grudge against Bruce Wayne and so decides to take it out on Gotham. Along the way she drags wrestler/gimp Bane into her dastardly scheme and then teams-up with Mr. Freeze to turn the city into a wasteland, ripe for nature to reclaim its rightful place amongst the erotic statues of the landscape. With all this confusing mess of villainy going on, Batman and Robin are finding that their relationship is also becoming problematic, with the Boy Wonder less than impressed that Batmanās always telling him what to do. Oh and to top things off Alfredās losing the plot (you canāt blame him really, heās been the butler for three different Batmen) and his jail-bait niece Barbara (Silverstone) turns up to become Batgirl, the super hero that nobody needs.
There are many problems with Batman & Robin and to list them would possibly take longer than the time it takes to watch the movie. The biggest and most glaringly obvious problem however is the script, which is not worth the paper it was written on. Itās a shame, because there is clearly a lot of money spent on screen and visually Batman & Robin is at times an interesting movie filled with some dynamic sequences. Batmanās museum entrance as he crashes through a skylight and rides down the back of a dinosaur is daft but fun, as is his and Robinās explosive escape and subsequent sky-surf from a rocket that Freeze uses to almost bump off Batman. But none of this can forgive the fact that so much of the film is a rehash of events from Batman Forever, only set to some of the worst dialogue imaginable, with Mr. Freeze having more than anyone. This type of predictable pun projecting is what Arnold Schwarzenegger usually does best, but here itās just irritating and detracts from what could have been an interesting villain. Thurman as Poison Ivy doesnāt fair much better, George Clooney is terribly miscast as Batman, although heās ok as Bruce Wayne and the less said about Alicia Silverstoneās Batgirl the better. Long time Bat-veterans Pat Hingle and Michael Gough are still given a few lines to earn their keep, but Commissioner Gordon is now a bumbling fool and itās only Chris OāDonnell that actually comes out of things unscathed. This could be because heās acting as if heās in a completely different movie to everybody else (a wise decision), but it still doesnāt stop Batman & Robin from being a movie mega-bomb that needs to be deactivated. And as every Bat-fan knows, some days you just canāt get rid of a bomb.
BATMAN BEGINS
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer
Story: Christopher Nolan
Producers: Larry J. Franco, Benjamin Melniker, Lorne Orleans, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Cheryl A. Tkach, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer
Year: 2005
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: 12A
Duration: 140 mins
Batmanās back and after falling foul of an excess of overindulgence, heās got another new director, another new direction and another new actor with the keys to the Batmobile. After years dwindling in Development Hell following the failure of Batman & Robin (1997) to convince the audience that they wanted to see Batman on ice skates (?!), Batman returns with a bat-to-basics approach. Batman Begins jettisons everything that has gone before and reinvents the Dark Knight for another new generation, who want to see their hero running around being all moody like a teenage boy after heās been told his X-Box has been confiscated. Christopher Nolan is in the directorās chair and Christian Bale is wearing the cape, but this time around the emphasis is very much on making sure that Batman is the true star of this epic adventure which retells the origin of Batman, whilst filling in the blanks as to where he got all those wonderful toys. This is a Bat-film for those who have never seen a Batman film before; for those who detested Batman & Robin; and for anyone who likes intelligent and fast paced storytelling. In fact such is the speed at which Batman Begins moves, that you will be forgiven if you have find yourself suffering from motion sickness by the filmās climactic conclusion.
As the film restarts Batmanās story from day one, a young Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents brutal murder during a mugging that goes wrong, at the hands of one of societyās unfortunate victims of a harsh existence (aka a low-life scumbag). The incident leaves Bruce angry and filled with hatred and as he grows up he vows to get revenge against his parents executioner. But before he can act upon his feelings the situation is taken out of his hands and he quickly learns that the corruption in Gotham goes deeper than what he had witnessed firsthand. Unable to reconcile with his inability to understand his feelings, he leaves Gotham, abandons his life as one of the cityās richest youngsters and travels the World in search of answers. Along the way he bumps into Henri Ducard (Neeson) who mentors him under the watchful eye of the mysterious Raās Al Ghul (Watanabe) and with his training complete he returns to Gotham, pieces together a costume and takes to the streets to clean up the city. However once heās back he discovers thereās trouble brewing down at Arkham Asylum, the local holding place for some of Gothamās insane inmates, which is connected to the Mob and new whacko the Scarecrow (Murphy). So Batman has to find allies in his war on crime in order to make things a bit more cheery for the city that faces more problems than a guidance counsellor on a double shift.
Almost everything about Batman Begins works and itās to Nolanās credit that he doesnāt spend any time trying to slow down for anyone not familiar with Batmanās story. The film starts off at ground level, but it packs in so much story that anyone not paying full attention could find they miss out on a few vital plot points. This means that in terms of where the film begins and concludes, Bruce Wayne has gone through so much, that you almost want to go over and give him a hug; but of course with Christian Bale playing the boy billionaire, itās not something that you should worry about too much. Although it still doesnāt feel as if Bale is the āDefinitive Batmanā, in the same way that Christopher Reeve isĀ stillĀ the āDefinitive Supermanā, he is perfect for Nolanās take on the story and he heads a very impressive cast. Michael Caine as loyal butler Alfred is a fantastic foil for Baleās Bruce Wayne; Neeson, Watanabe and Murphy offer brilliant support as villains who donāt try and hijack the movie and Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman provide useful back-up as Commissioner Gordon and techno-whiz Lucius Fox respectively. The only one who really gets left out is Katie Holmes as Bruceās best friend/love interest Rachel and thatās not Holmesā fault, itās just that thereās nothing much for her to do. This coupled with a few fudged action scenes and an unhealthy insistence to keep Batman off screen at times are the only real down falls in what is possibly the best Batman film of them all.
THE DARK KNIGHT
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Story: Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer
Producers: Kevin De La Noy, Jordan Goldberg, Philip Lee, Benjamin Melniker, Christopher Nolan, Lorne Orleans, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Thomas Tull, Michael E. Uslan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, Eric Roberts
Year: 2008
Country: USA
BBFC Certification: 12A
Duration: 152 mins
So Batmanās had a movie all about himself, with the brilliant Batman Begins (2005) and now itās only fair that once again he shares his screen time with arguably the most iconic villain of all time for the sequel The Dark Knight. Yep, the Clown Prince of Crime, better known to you and me as the Joker is back (or rather reintroduced), and he couldnāt have asked for a bigger chance to shine. With Jack Nicholsonās performance as the Joker permanently etched across the minds of millions of fans who grew up during the late Eighties, making a character as identifiable as the Joker stand out is a tough thing to do; but Heath Ledger does it. Not only does he move so far away from what Nicholson did with the character, that itās as if Nicholsonās performance was just a distant dream, but he actually creates the guiding force for the entire movie. Whereas Batman Begins was about Bruce Wayneās journey to become Batman, The Dark Knight is about Batmanās journey to stop a deranged terrorist from having the citizens of Gotham live in fear. Thatās not to say he actually achieves his goal, for the lines of right and wrong are often blurred and thatās why The Dark Knight is a bit of an intense gut-twisting beast of a movie that has gives no excuses for the emotional jaunt that it takes you on.
With Batman (Bale) becoming a figure of good in Gotham, the Mob are getting a bit peeved at his continued interference and so when they are approached by the Joker, they (reluctantly) agree to let him attempt to take down the Caped Crusader using his rather strange methods. But what they donāt count on is the fact that behind the green hair, pale complexion and hideous smile is the clever mind of a genius who has a plan up his tattered sleeve to double-cross everyone, just for the hell of it! So what takes place is an intense game of Bat and mouse, between the Joker and Batman that touches upon the lives of everyone Batman comes into contact with, including his old flame Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart). For Dent this leads to his transformation into the physically and mentally scarred Two-Face, but for Batman it means he has to make some tough decisions that leave him to question if he really is doing things for the greater good. Over the course of two and a half hours, the epic (and yes this is an epic) tale of one manās quest to deal with the consequences of his actions, makes this a genre defining Batman film that goes beyond the boundaries of most other super hero movies.
Returning for this super-sequel is pretty much all of the major players from Batman Begins and the new additions, such as Aaron Eckhartās Harvey Dent only add to what is already a fantastic cast. Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes and whilst she still doesnāt get much to do, she does at least give the role all she has and fleshes out an important character to Bruce Wayne and his journey. What also helps strengthen Nolanās Gotham are the smaller characters played by actors such as Eric Roberts as Sal Maroni and Joshua Harto as Coleman Reese who create the sense that everyone is important in the movie, no matter how much screen time theyāre given. Itās also fun to see Cillian Murphy back for a quick cameo as the Scarecrow to create another connection to the previous movie and to once again hear the music of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard who manage to capture the intensity of the situation with each musical note. The Dark Knight isnāt just a great sequel itās a great continuation of Batmanās legacy and demonstrates the depth of storytelling that can be derived from the character. The only quibble is that itās perhaps a little too long, with the sense that it is drawing to a conclusion a little bit before it does, but itās a minor problem that doesnāt stop it being the smash hit that for once āan epicā of this calibre deserves to be.
Reviewed by Alex Wiggan
i loved Batman Forever when i was little – Jim Carey is ace as the Riddler!