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Batman
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Batman

1989
Sci-fi, Crime
2h 6m
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Avg Percentile 54.88% from 12095 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(12094)
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Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
90th
Jack Nicholson's take on The Joker is absolutely amazing and although I think Christian Bale did a better Batman I thought Michael Keaton was a better and more captivating Bruce Wayne. Tim Burton's visual style worked perfectly for this movie, as it is based off a comic book. I'd have to honestly say it has aged quite well and I'd consider it as good as Batman Begins.
Rated 02 Dec 2015
82
51st
A really silly movie pretending to be "dark." Certainly watchable, but impossible to take seriously.
Rated 24 Aug 2014
90
92nd
WE NEED A GRITTY BATMAN WE NEED PRINCE.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
83
67th
Awesome visual style and iconic performances by Jack Nicholson. Easily one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen.
Rated 29 Apr 2011
72
61st
Not bad, certainly not, but inconsistent and unfocused. It tries to blend silly and serious, but doesn't always understand how. Plus, all of the film's best elements were taken and distilled into complete awesome by Batman: The Animated Series, so it suffers in comparison. Still, a worthy use of two hours. (2023 edit: I appreciate the aesthetic and what it's doing more on a second watch, but it really does fall apart in the third act, and also whenever dudes start fighting over a girl.)
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
66th
A nightmarish fairy tale version of the Dark Knight. Burton's film is an astonishingly - even perversely - violent and macabre comedy, blessed with an insistent, thundering score by Elfman. Keaton plays Batman in the Burton hero mold - isolated, childish but with an inkling of sweetness. Kim Basinger plays Vale as a overbearing stalker of a woman one minute, a pedestal blonde the next. Nicholson is portly but terrifying as the clown prince of crime. His violence an avant garde experiment.
Rated 26 Aug 2007
58
35th
This has not aged well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
85th
At the time, it was the best super hero film since Superman the Movie, and it was also a huge success. This film showed Batman as a dark and troubled character for the first time on film. Jack Nicholson was a brilliantly evil Joker, Batman's greatest villain, and Michael Keaton was a surprisingly good Batman/Bruce Wayne. As an origin story, it is left thin, but most of the film is extremely entertaining for fans of the Dark Knight. Really good!
Rated 17 May 2008
86
92nd
Tim Burton's style makes the movie seem a bit nutty, considering the Joker is a nut that's a good thing. I am though unimpressed with the novelty of Burton's movie making, they seem to get old faster than you would like.
Rated 16 Nov 2014
76
63rd
A work of German Expressionism that came about 60 years too late, but it worked out alright. Doesn't mean I wouldn't have loved a Peter Lorre Joker.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
84th
Screw Batman Begins. This is still the best Batman movie.
Rated 20 Oct 2007
70
36th
Michael Keaton looks and sounds more like a reclusive, creepy dude with a neckbeard almost as large as his social anxiety issues, who loves the Batman comics than Batman himself. Danny Elfman's theme is classic, Nicholson is enjoyable playing himself, and Burton's imagining of the Batman world works fairly well. Just not a particularly compelling film.
Rated 19 Jul 2008
5
80th
Batman started out dark in comics - that was the purpose of this movie, to show us that side again. One of the most creative recreations of Gotham we will ever see, as well as Keaton in a role nobody thought he could do [still my fav in the part]. I'll always love watching this.
Rated 20 Aug 2008
91
90th
Most films would've collapsed under the amount of hyped anticipation that preceded this. MOST. Kudos 2 Burton (back when his aesthetic was fresh) 4 most of his choices here (barring the interminable Joker parade), but esp.4 insisting on Keaton. It's an original take on Bats, playing up the previously ignored social awkwardness a costumed obsessive-compulsive might display, 4 example, on a date. & it's no small feat that Keaton's never overshadowed by Nicholson's pefectly over-the-top Joker.
Rated 10 Jun 2009
6
34th
(2nd viewing) Years since I've last seen it, the first scene lets you know you're in for a rather silly ride (guy takes family through dark alley: "I know where I'm going..."), Joker's stance on anarchy: destroying paintings (smooth man...). Keaton is the film's only redeeming quality, his portrayal of Bruce Wayne is quite likeable. Burton has made better films indeed...
Rated 04 Sep 2009
40
33rd
Long ago I thought it was neat, but it is actually quite boring. Not much actually... happens. For 2 hours. A lot of recycled shots and canned dialog. Generally good performances by Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson but the screenplay really didn't give them a heck of a lot to work with. Nice soundtrack from Elfman. Visual style of Gotham is OK but not dramatic enough. A lot of poor lighting, trying to disguise the fact that sets were not as elaborate as they could have been.
Rated 24 May 2012
76
82nd
It will always be worth watching for Nicholson. Keaton is not an action hero, but he is very likable.
Rated 17 Jul 2012
95
99th
In my opinion, this is the best Batman movie ever made. It has a few flaws, but the story is great, and both Batman and Joker are played by very good actors who play their part well. To me, Keaton is the best movie Batman.
Rated 06 Sep 2014
71
64th
Ahhh, a time when Burton was a talented and visionary filmmaker. His Gotham strikes such a perfect balance of fun, campy, and comic-booky on the one hand, and scary and menacing on the other. Both Keaton and Nicholson play their characters perfectly. The only reason this movie doesn't achieve greatness is that the action sequences are really bad.
Rated 01 Jul 2021
4
43rd
Some thirty years on I still don’t see the appeal (and I’m someone who usually likes the seasoning of some nostalgia/distance). Well, I see the appeal as a Joker movie - Nicholson is a blast. But as a Batman movie, everything feels hokey and shallow, the threat nonexistent, Gotham a soundstage, all the action scenes treated with the gravity of Darkwing Duck, Michael Keaton unconvincing and Danny Elfman’s music all sounds like overaggressive circus tunes. Shocked this was such a hit.
Rated 08 Aug 2021
80
75th
This is the Jack Nicholson show, and it's worth the price of admission. Superhero films these days need a scene where the villains vandalize an art gallery. Tim Burton does such a good job in this film.
Rated 19 Feb 2007
14
1st
A movie is not a still photograph. Things need to happen.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
55
49th
Good film.
Rated 04 Mar 2007
3
45th
Cartoon noir. Equal parts goofy and shadowy. I really enjoy this depiction of Gotham, shaped with a creative mix of miniature, animation, and matte paintings. Nicholson is hilarious.
Rated 01 Apr 2007
90
86th
Tim Burton decides to do a Batman movie like an opera. It works like... well, like gangbusters
Rated 09 Jul 2007
4
83rd
Really cool and dark. Great performance by Nicholson. Definitely responsible for rescuing the Batman mythos and making it into something respectable after that godawful, dreky television series.
Rated 12 Jul 2007
90
66th
One of the better Batman flicks. I'm a little more partial to Batman Returns, but Jack Nicholson plays a great Joker.
Rated 24 Jul 2007
76
75th
Tim Burton's aesthetic worked really well for this film; it was both dark and yet slightly comic. Keaton was a good Batman, Nicholson scared the shit outta me as The Joker, and I liked Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale. Solid... too bad the Batman films that followed sucked, for the most part.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
82nd
Tim Burton's formula of how a comic book hero movie is done should be studied by anyone planning on churning out the half dozen or so we'll see next year.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
45
15th
Keaton was good, but how much can you achieve doing comic book stuff?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
78
35th
It has not aged well, but Tim Burton's gothic Gotham and Danny Elfman's swelling score - along with Keaton as a subdued Batman - make this film worth watching.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
Not only one of the great super hero movies, Batman puts most action flix to shame. For me Jack Nicholas IS the Joker, I don't think a finer fit could ever have been made. Although being a Batman fan I feel that much more could have been done, beggars can't be choosers.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
72nd
A great comic book movie, and starting chapter of the franchise. Tim Burton created a perfect vision of Batman. Micheal Keaton is still my favorite Batman, and Kim Basinger is incredibly sexy in this movie, but it's Jack Nicholson who steals the show as the Joker, simultaneously funny and creepy.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
4th
Tim Burton proves he knows how to butcher a character! When he said during an interview that he has never read a comic in his life, it showed with this piece of garbage. This is not Batman. The story is way off. The casting isn't great, but passable. I was so hopeful when this came out and was so let down.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
73
62nd
Looked really good back when it was made. It was campy, funny, and featured a over the top/goofy Joker. But now that we've seen what a real Batman movie looks like, it's VERY flawed. Tim Burton is not someone who's proclaimed "anyone who knows me knows I'd never read a comic book". Well Tim, it shows.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
64
51st
This film has not aged well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
74
46th
For a long time, this was my favorite superhero flick, right behind Superman II. But with Batman Begins out, the flaws in this movie come through. Despite that the following must be said: Michael Keaton was an excellent choice for Batman (the schizophrenic version) , but it was Jack's movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
51st
doesn't really hold up more than 15 years later
Rated 14 Aug 2007
63
22nd
Oh, Tim Burton, what WON'T you make gothy? I really hate it when people try to present a "dark side" to comic books for kiddies. Give me the Adam West Batman, at least they understand how silly the whole thing is.
Rated 21 Feb 2008
80
70th
Good movie, but it didn't have the BAM, POW and BOOM signs in it, which hurt its score a bit. Nicholson as the Joker was classic. Now this is a Nicholson role. Not those stupid As Good As it Gets roles.
Rated 26 Feb 2008
60
25th
Worth checking out, but it is really dated and not terribly exciting.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
66
52nd
This was one of my favourites when I was a little kid, and I can still respect it on a technical level, especially for its time. But...there are problems. Numerous problems, made all the more glaring by Nolan's 'Begins' -- a demonstration on how this should be done. Shot during a writer strike, Burton had free reign to make creative changes to the mythos, which results in some mind-bogglingly stupid bits, and a film that's more Jack being Jack than actual Batman. Also, the Prince songs suck.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
86
96th
Very Nice
Rated 28 Jun 2008
93
94th
Michael Keaton is my Batman
Rated 23 Sep 2008
87
90th
I like the Batman versions of Tim Burton best.
Rated 13 Jan 2009
100
99th
This is my favorite movie of all time. Probably not even the best Batman movie, but definitely my favorite. Never mind the summer blockbuster release and endless quotables...the more I watched it, the more i appreciated how it stood on its own as a unique and dark studio classic.
Rated 12 Jul 2009
80
72nd
Most points going to Nicholson here, he's fantastic.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
80
80th
I like Burton / Batman and this movie did have some memorable moments.
Rated 25 Aug 2009
90
80th
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Rated 28 Aug 2009
40
3rd
I dug this when it came out, but saw it again recently in a cinema and boy has it dated. It just seems daft. Nicholson's joker is just ridiculous and the movie is stupid, overstylized (but not in a sin city, 300 way), juvenile, full of holes etc. Best thing is MAJESTIC score by Elfman - the main theme is AMAZING. But skip the movie...
Rated 15 Oct 2009
72
32nd
A decent bit of fun but it doesn't stand the test of time all that well. It's trying to balance cheesiness and self importance and the fact that it's not a horrific failure it its biggest success. The lead performances are pretty good but it's hard to get past the silliness of the world around them.
Rated 13 May 2010
100
98th
Best super hero movie ever. 100% from the comic books without fooling around. Michael Keaton works well as Batman and Jack Nicholson is awesome as the Joker. The movie have touch of mafia movies and that makes it even better. The music supports the dramatic pictures and will stay in mind. It's Batman straight from the comic book.
Rated 04 Jul 2010
74
28th
Holds up today better than any of the other pre-Nolan batman movie (I do not include the gloriously cheesy TV show) but is fairly weak. It is interesting how the story is approached predominantly from the Kim Basinger character's point of view. But it lacks in what passes for acceptable action today, acceptable character depth, and it doesn't really commit to its story. just okay.
Rated 30 Jul 2010
78
32nd
Some cool production design and Jack Nicholson can't save this movie from being really, really lame. It doesn't help that many of the special effects shots are incredibly dated, to the point where they aren't even charming in that 'Harryhausen' way, it's just "badly adjusted matte painting" here and "ludicrous armored car" there.
Rated 18 Oct 2010
70
38th
Looks very derivative of Blade Runner, but Jack Nicholson is loads of fun as The Joker and Michael Keaton does the duel performance of Batman and Bruce Wayne really well.
Rated 23 Dec 2010
62
25th
Okay, never was a fan. But pales in comparision to Nolan's versions.
Rated 19 Jan 2011
91
88th
To me, this is what Batman is about. While there are some changes made to the character, the film noir feeling and the atmosphere of Gotham City has yet to be matched. Michael Keaton brings a lot of subtlety to the role, and Jack Nicholson is a wonderful Joker, being the most psychotic and unpredictable of any screen rendition of the Joker. Do I even need to mention the score by Danny Elfman? Incredible. Batman has stood the test of time and still puts a smile on my face every time I watch it.
Rated 31 Mar 2011
88
87th
The Batman films in order of greatness: This, the Nolan films, all the rest. That is not an opinion. That is a fact.
Rated 07 Jun 2011
85
74th
It isn't as good as Nolan's Batman, in my opinion, but Keaten was a very good Batman and the movie itself was good. And no, Jack's Joker will never be as good as Ledger's Joker. Good flick though.
Rated 20 Nov 2012
84
72nd
lurvley
Rated 13 Jul 2013
16
5th
Failed attempt at fusing the cartoonishness of the comics & old TV series with a darker, grittier look. Burton just seems to throw random stuff he likes together and assume that it will mesh, because he's Burton. I like the idea of casting Keaton as Batman, but his acting is too wooden (even for Batman) to pull it off. Nicholson's good, but the waltz-synchronized final fight scene was the only part I really liked.
Rated 30 Jul 2013
75
79th
First film I saw in a movie theatre and it still holds up well. Burton's style of tongue-in-cheek gothic works beautifully as a mix of the campy 60s Batman and the darker origins of the character. Keaton is great in the lead, but this show belongs to Nicholson's Joker who turns hamming into an artform. Could have done without the Prince songs, which were bad even at the time.
Rated 08 Jul 2014
73
78th
Essentially a collection of brilliant set pieces tied together by a rickety plot, Batman relies greatly on its considerable star power, magnificent set design and Elfman's bombastic score to paper over the cracks, which are more apparent now than they were in 1989. What it lacks is a sense of aesthetic and thematic unity that Burton was able to provide in the next installment when he was given total control over the creative direction of the franchise.
Rated 27 Oct 2014
76
64th
Surely not as high as Nolan's stuff, but this movie has its own good style and Keaton is surely one of the better interpretations of The Dark Knight throughout history, maybe even better than Bale - but that really is close call. Nicholson as Joker is really high class as well.
Rated 13 Feb 2016
55
44th
This film was okay. It certainly didn't wow me.
Rated 13 Oct 2018
56
59th
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jack Nicholson is a little too good at playing crazy people.
Rated 28 Aug 2019
83
87th
A childhood favourite that still holds up today. Burton's dark gothic production design was magnificent at the time and the score is so legendary it's still being called back fondly by modern franchise entries. But it's all about Jack here isn't it? While I prefer Ledger's take, Jack's Joker was the first cinematic glimpse of the dark insanity of the character which made him into the pop culture icon he is today.
Rated 10 Oct 2019
70
49th
This movie did not hold up as well as I thought it would. The story is really thin. Joker doesn't seem to have any real motivations or goals, and we don't get much character development with any other characters either. It just feels like action for the sake of action. Decent visual look, and Nicholson/Keaton are fun, but the movie as a whole feels lacking.
Rated 17 Apr 2020
65
51st
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #49: Tim Burton manages to not only add his signature gothic charm to the film but also manages to instill some of the campiness of the original show. Jack Nicholson is the standout and legitimately reveling in playing the Joker, albeit a bastardized version of the character. AND THE PRINCE SOUNDTRACK!!!
Rated 07 May 2020
100
93rd
MY FAVORITE MOVIE! I will not be objective!
Rated 09 Sep 2023
90
75th
Jack Nicholson is simply the best Joker of all times.
Rated 19 Nov 2023
85
90th
Top badass moment? In a gratuitous display of personal hubris, Batman gives the City an enormous searchlight to summon him with. To terrify Gotham’s criminals, Bruce Wayne decides to fight them in a costume specifically designed to make it as difficult as possible to move in - his Lego version has more flexibility and he can only bend at the waist. After growing up with Adam West's Batman, seeing this film for the first time was nothing short of mind-blowing. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
Rated 04 Dec 2006
70
19th
tim burton's was probably the best batman in the series of four
Rated 11 Dec 2006
40
20th
Adam West will always be Batman, but out of all the Batman films I like this one. The last one is good too at explaining the Bat but this one is tried and true the best.
Rated 22 Dec 2006
76
51st
Nowhere near Tim Burton's best, and not as sharp as Batman Begins, but loads better than what was to come.
Rated 24 Dec 2006
81
55th
Don't compare it to the new one and you'll realize Tim Burton made great progress.
Rated 29 Dec 2006
53
41st
I appreciate Tim Burton's Batman a lot more in retrospect, after seeing Nolan's trainwreck. I was never big on comic books and superheroes, but I think Burton's vision was the most in line with what I prefer their cinematic incarnation to be.
Rated 30 Dec 2006
65
68th
A good "movie", but way too Hollywood-y for Batman.
Rated 31 Dec 2006
99
84th
this is where it started, i love how when Keaton is wearing the suit he can't move his neck...you gotta love this movie and Jack rules as the joker
Rated 16 Jan 2007
70
86th
i think it s a joker movie i d like the batman begins better
Rated 02 Feb 2007
2
39th
I wanted to like it but something felt... off.
Rated 06 Feb 2007
72
63rd
Burton has definitely made some better films. This film however, may not be the best batman flick, it is certainly was before the Nolan films came out. Keaton and Nicholson are fantastic.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
90
78th
Best batman movie ever.
Rated 28 Feb 2007
98
97th
I grew up with this film. It's one of the reasons I love Jack Nicholson and Tim Burton. This is a gothic and stylish take on the Batman universe, and I'll take it over Batman Begins any day. Jack Nicholson is just hilarious. "Sometimes I just kill myself!"
Rated 04 Mar 2007
65
30th
Michael Keaton is an absolutely terrible Batman.
Rated 09 Mar 2007
85
80th
The movie that started it all, this film is perfectly constructed by Burton to feel like a comic Batman, very dark and mysterious, and Nicholson is the perfect villain.
Rated 22 Mar 2007
60
61st
Inconsistently good, but Tim Burton certainly manages to give Gotham a great look and feel. Nicholson's portrayal of Joker is also particularly entertaining.
Rated 25 Mar 2007
77
69th
Meh, best of the old Batman movies. Mainly because of Tim Burton.
Rated 09 Apr 2007
80
80th
Batman Begins trumps this film but Nicholson really shines as The Joker.
Rated 20 Apr 2007
73
36th
Though I happen to like the 1930s-World's-Fair design style of the animated series much better, this movie still did a pretty excellent job at getting the look and feel of a good Batman story.
Rated 30 Apr 2007
87
85th
great sense of humour from Jack Nicholson as the Joker..
Rated 22 May 2007
90
94th
Tim Burton classic... this is what Batman is! Jack works great as the Joker as he is that totally mad person, while M Keaton is great Batman as he plays disturbed so well. Add on top of this Tim Burton's vision of Gotham City and you have a master piece. It is clear that this film influenced Batman Begins a lot.
Rated 26 May 2007
80
89th
Loved the 1st one.
Rated 08 Jun 2007
75
45th
Good for its time, but getting quite dated.
Rated 09 Jun 2007
80
75th
Good for what it was.
Rated 13 Jun 2007
78
61st
the best before batman begins came out, nicholson is brilliant and keaton is actually good too
Rated 23 Jun 2007
87
75th
Wonderfully stylish and entertaining. Nicholson is a treat, and Keaton is the best Bruce Wayne thus far.
Rated 30 Jun 2007
75
44th
Extremely entertaining, if a little sloppy in its storytelling. You don't have to be a professional critic to see the gaping holes in logic here, but the thing is a visual marvel, Elfman's score is glorious, and Keaton is surprisingly effective.
Rated 30 Jul 2007
73
50th
The dark scenery and plot have been copied in a lot of films since, Jack Nicholson is great and Michael Keaton not as bad as some say.
Rated 04 Aug 2007
85
70th
Batman films. They are always spoiled by something, aren't they? In this case, a minor quibble and I know this is not the popular view - Jack Nicholson overdoes the Joker. I prefer Catwoman/The Penguin

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