Prime Video movie of the day: Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson are electrifying in Tim Burton’s Batman

Years before “why so serious?”, Batman went dark in this gleefully gothic urban adventure

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1989’sBatmanis a wonderfully gothic take on the legendaryDCsuperhero. With gothic horror maestro Tim Burton behind the camera, Prince and Danny Elfman dropping dimes with its outstanding soundtrack, and Micheal Keaton leading a starry cast of A-listers as the titular vigilante, this film’s take onBatmanis easily one of the character’s best live-action outings that I can remember (see where it sits in ourbestBatmanmovieslist while you’re here).

Indeed, this is the Dark Knight before his suit came equipped with those nipples (thanks, Joel Schumacher…) and his big-screen adventures found a realism, to go alongside its more thrilling aspects, under the watchful eye of film auteur Christopher Nolan (see where his three Batman films sit in ourbest Christopher Nolan moviesguide). While I’m a big fan of the Nolan era – and, perhaps in a surprising twist to some, more recent Batman-starring films – the 1989 adaptation is one of the most enjoyable takes on Bruce Wayne’s nocturnal adventures, not least because of Jack Nicholson treating the scenery as an all-you-can-chew buffet with his iconic take on the Joker.

Bat Out of Hell

But don’t just take my word for it.The Chicago Tribune’s Gene Siskelsuggested that, with its “dark, smart and moody drama”, 1989’sBatmansomething very unusual for the era. Indeed, it was a superhero movie that, with its horror-laced vibes, Burton’s penchant for gothic architecture, and occasionally deadly action sequences, adults would enjoy more than kids.

Siskel wasn’t the only one to shower it with praise back in the day.Newsdaydid likewise, calling it “one of the most interesting comic-book movies ever made, a movie that vividly illustrates where most of the others have gone wrong”. Meanwhile, legendary critic Pauline Kael wrote inThe New Yorkerthat “the movie is underwritten, but it has so many unpredictable spins that what’s missing doesn’t seem to matter much. It’s mean, anarchic, and blissful.”

One of the stars here is Gotham itself, withThe Boston Globe’s reviewer writing: “The thing that’s going to make you want to seeBatmana second and third and fourth time is Gotham City as a brutal pile of dour, gothic, Art Deco menace”.The New Jersey Bergen Recordagreed, adding: “Batmanis a feast for the eyes and ears, with Anton Furst’s massive, elegantly ugly sets of Gotham City, Danny Elfman’s lovely, classically-oriented score, and dazzling special effects. It is also one long gas, thanks to Jack Nicholson.”

Revisiting the film a decade after its release,Empire magazinescribe Andrew Collins wrote that “Anton Furst’s looming set design remains astonishing, as does Michael Keaton’s slightly dotty Bruce Wayne”. Oh, and Nicholson remains a highlight, with Collins writing: “About as unrestrained a performance as he’s ever been allowed to get away with, Jack cuts a showboating swathe that pretty much dominates the movie.” It’s “the movie that gave birth to the summer blockbuster” – and, in my view, it’s still entertainingly impressive almost 25 years later.

1989’sBatmanis available to stream onPrime VideoandMax(US), plus Binge and Foxtel (Australia). It’s only available to rent and/or buy in the UK.

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Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.

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