MovieChat Forums > Batman (1989) Discussion > The problems I have with this movie

The problems I have with this movie

posted 8 years ago by TheArtOfBeingRandom34523
33 replies | jump to latest

1) The story: "we're each other's opposite, we're both crazy but i'm different ways, I made this guy but this guy made me, we'll joke around together in the second act and in the third there will be a big fight, and oh there's this screaming lady one of us have to kidnap and another to save" and it is overall lazily wrote
Seriously, it's nothing new, it's bland and predictable.
The Joker killing Bruce's parents: This felt wrong, it completely alters the great equilibrium that was in the comics, it just gets awkward and kind of lame.

2) The supporting cast: Eh, the only guy I really liked was Alfred, the other characters were disposable and really forgettable, Jack Palance and Billy Dee Williams (which was introduced in a pretty bad way, like oh yeah this guy's the district attorney, keep him in mind, we may need it later) were the only good actors. Commissioner Gordon is horrendous and it really murders a great characters.

3) This movie is not dark. It hasn't got the psychologic deepness of the comics, if not some bits in the titular character, it's not daring, it's just can't be compared with The Killing Joke or The Dark Knight Returns, which it is said to be based but it's actually not.

4) Out of characater: They gave too much information about him and his origin story is pretty dope. Here the Joker is just a crazy b****rd, in TKJ and TDKR, which again this movie is supposed to be based on, he is a crazy b****rd too, but he's an AWESOME and sometimes even complex crazy b****rd, here not much, he's just a slightly above average maniac gangster. I don't particularly dislike this version, mainly because Jack Nicholson, which is the most awesome psycho ever, but it just didn't felt appropriate.
And the famous "WANNA GET NUTSSSS?" scene, which is downright ridiculous. I'm not the first one to say this, but the character of Bruce Wayne is just too weird, if someone told me "Hey that guy was actually Batman" I'd be like "Eh, I thought so"
The fact that batman kills didn't disturb me very much, but here it was done pretty randomly, it just distracted me.

5)The batman costume *beep* sucks: Fact.

What's good about it?
Nicholson's lovely campy portrayal of the Joker, Keaton's menacing and gritty version of Batman, which is probably one of the best Batmans ever, the directing, the effects, the score and the overall atmosphere, very noir and stylish, a lot like the 30s and o bit of influence from 70-80s comics (which is probably the best batman period)

It's not bad, but it's deeply flawed and nothing more than an average blockbuster.

And, no, I'm not a nolanite, the only movie more overrated than this that cames in my mind is The Dark Knight, Batman Returns is much better.

This signature is hilarious and original.
NAAAT!

[–] Wombstar 8 years ago

nah, you're having a laugh.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Nah, I'm actually not, I don't like trolling.

This signature is hilarious and original.
NAAAT!

[–] daughterofolaf 8 years ago

You claim you don't like trolling, yet that's exactly what you did in your other post and you even said yourself that you were simply baiting people with no intention on having a real discussion. Grow up.

"Why couldn't the monkey arrange this from INSIDE the garbage can?"

[–] PreachCaleb 8 years ago

Busted.

Let's be bad guys.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Well, not really.
I just realized that it actually wasn't that bad, and claimed it was trolling.
And, well, I just started an actual and serious discussion with some reasonable and legit content

OHSHI- I FRICKIN LOVE SCREW ON-HEAD DAT AVATAR IS EPIC

This signature is hilarious and original.
NAAAT!

[–] GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 8 years ago

I frankly think your biased view of the film is that you're of my little brother's generation (born in the late 90s/early 2000s). Frankly if that is the case you are somewhat lucky. I really like this movie but when I was a kid in the 90s, this, it's sequel, and the first 2 Superman movies were really all there was as far as Superhero movies. I was 16 years old when they finally came out with a Spider-Man movie. When the MCU started in 2008 with Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, I was in my early 20s. But when I was a kid it was either this, Batman, Returns, the first 2 Superman movies. There was a Captain America movie made around the same time as this but it wasn't that good and had a really low budget. It also for some stupid reason had Red Skull be an Albino guy for the majority of the movie.

Green Goblin is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1L4ZuaVvaw

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Well I'm not a fan of superhero movies, but when they are good, i LOVE them.
Sadly I'm not a Marvel fan by any means except for Daredevil (I only read the comics) and I just stick with Batman and Green Arrow (non the horrible TV series, the 80s comic by Mike Grell)
Yeah I knew that craptastic Captain America movie, it's so bad it is awesome.
Lol, Cap faking to be sick to steal a car, that's GOLD.

This signature is hilarious and original.
NAAAT!

[–] spencermalley935 8 years ago

I actually completely agree with your supporting cast criticism.

[–] AndrewGS 8 years ago

The costume rocks.

I don't see what was so wrong with using the Joker as the killer of Bruce's parents (other than maybe making him too old), it seems a fine extension of that in some of the comics Batman did create the Joker (or contributed in turning him from a bad guy to a really bad, crazy supervillain).

[–] Picnic10 8 years ago

Your section 4) is pretty much attacked by yourself in the 'What's good about it?‘ section.

But, now that superhero movies are just generation whatever we're on metaphors for rich *itch teenage girls and faux wimpy guys, I can see that the multimillion dollar paid gentleman actor Jack Nicholson would stoke some over the top Baby Boomer hate.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Lol after a rewatch I actually like Nicholson almost more than Ledger, I was completely wrong.

Yeah, this movie is still a bajillion times more soulful than the average comic book movie blockbuster of nowadays.

[–] Badlands1 8 years ago

This movie is better than the newer batman's because it feels like it was shot similar to a comic book, Nolan does his own complex thing and doesn't give a darn about the comic world.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Yeah true, although Burton completely separated the movie from the comic in Batman Returns it still FELT like Batman, Nolan accomplished to be similar to the comic in Batman Begins but in TDK and TDKR he completely screwed up and went full Nolan.

[–] mail-81278 8 years ago

Great. With respect, who cares what you or anyone else thinks twenty something years later? The film was HUGE at the time. Friggin HUGE. If you weren't around (I get the feeling you prob weren't born when the film came out) you simply have no idea about how huge the movie was and how it totally reinvented Batman and indeed the while superhero film genre. TOTALLY.

[–] jmarkoff2 8 years ago

There is so much wrong with Burton's Batman. I don't have time right now, maybe later.

[–] ranger5171-52-266126 8 years ago

There is so much wrong with Burton's Batman. I don't have time right now, maybe later.

Yes, Mr. Mom should have never have been Batman and why did the Joker or Nicholson have to be in every other scene?

[–] Wuchakk 8 years ago

film was HUGE at the time. Friggin HUGE. If you weren't around (I get the feeling you prob weren't born when the film came out) you simply have no idea about how huge the movie was and how it totally reinvented Batman and indeed the whole superhero film genre. TOTALLY.

I was there (at the theater with my Batman t-shirt) and, you're right, the movie was huge. BUT it sucked. I was wholly disappointed; and so were many others who didn't drink the Kool-Aid of mass hype and delusion. Sure the movie looked good, but the story is boring and the tone is campy/goofy, the antithesis of 2005's "Batman Begins," which was what I was hoping "Batman" would be, but I had to wait 16 years. And, no, I'm not a Nolanite; not even a little.

My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

[–] jmarkoff2 8 years ago

When it was one of very few superhero films around at the time, that kind of upped the grade curve. Add on the nostalgia colored glasses, and people remember it as being better than it is.

[–] Wuchakk 8 years ago

Like I said, I bought the hype and was there in the theater on opening weekend with my Batman shirt, but, despite this, even I could see that the movie and the surrounding hysteria was a case of "the Emperor's New Clothes." Not that there's nothing good in it, of course; just that it wasn't even close to being as mind-blowingly awesome as the mass hype made it out to be.

My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

[–] jmarkoff2 8 years ago

You're simply more perceptive than most people.

[–] airfaith 8 years ago

Obvious troll is obvious xD you cannot be serious, that or you have never even read the comics

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

I'm trying to be as reasonable as I can, but why the hell everyone thinks I'm trolling?

[–] Unknownian 8 years ago

This is the best Batman movie ever made so far. Period end of story.

P.S The worst Batman movies are with Christian Bale.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Yeah, looks like you're a bit confused since your profile pic is from "The Batman movies with Christian Bale"
Although yeah, Batman Begins is the only really good one.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Unknownian 8 years ago

"Yeah, looks like you're a bit confused since your profile pic is from "The Batman movies with Christian Bale,although yeah, Batman Begins is the only really good one".

Lol...Batman has ears. Put your specs on. Also, NO. "Batman Begins" sucks as does all of his movies. It's mainly his voice. He tries to disguise it from Bruce Wayne's by speaking low and sexy, and what comes out is a guy in a Halloween costume that swallowed a ball of cat hair. I could never get past his voice to enjoy any of his Batman movies. Also, the Bat-mobile looks more like a Army recon ATV. His movies take themselves too seriously, and they take the fun out of the franchise. Batman with Michael Keaton, and Kim Basinger was all the Batmans I ever needed.

P.S. Don't get me wrong or feel like I'm trolling. I am happy that others have enjoyed other Batman movies involving Christian Bale, I'm just not one of them. :-)

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Well sorry it's like a 100x100 pixel picture, you can't really see what's precisely in there.
But anyway, you gotta admit that the voice never got to EXTREME levels of stupidity until the second movie.
And yeah, I agree on the fact that the Nolan movies take themselves too seriously, but c'mon, Batman Begins compared to the other two is pretty tame on that, and it has a pretty comic-like atmosphere in some scenes.

[–] Unknownian 8 years ago

Isn't Batman Begins the one where he goes to Tibet and gets all serious with the Ninga $hit? Then flies home, hires Morgan Freeman, and dates Katie Holmes?

If so, I did laugh at that movie. Key word is "at". That was my least favorite of all the Batman movies. Sorry, just my opinion. When he was talking to Holmes in the subway with the gravel voice, I got up and visited the candy counter. I OD'd on sugar until I was finally "released" from the theater. lol....

We won't even discuss the Batman vs Superman movies. They were made for kindergartners, and 'anything' Ben Affleck is in sucks, except for the rare occasion that his buddy Matt Damon lets him in one of his flicks.

[–] TheArtOfBeingRandom34523 8 years ago

Lol sure we won't it's one of the worst movies of the decade