Batman
Dir: Tim Burton
1989
*****
After the Superman franchise wilted with 1987's woeful Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, it's hard to believe anyone, studio or audience, had any enthusiasm for a comic book/superhero movie. However, Superman did shine in 1978 and in 1980 (and again in 1983 depending on who you talk to) and a benchmark had been made. Batman hadn't had his own proper movie yet, it was long overdue, and the camp 1960's Adam West Batman, as much as we all love it, had had it's day. Unlike The Man of Steel, Batman Comics had remained popular and had got a little darker. His personality had been explored and he was seen as a bit of an anti-hero, somewhat of a broken vigilante. Tim Burton's kookie Gothic style seemed suited to the character and indeed the fictional City of Gotham. He added plenty of Art Nouveau, used wide shots and filmed mostly at night, creating a classical yet modern scene, full of mystery and menace but not without a cartoon-like sense of humour. I don't think it works on paper but it certainly worked in reality, it's typical Tim Burton, he's a genre unto himself. Many couldn't get their head round a serious and dark version of Batman filmed by Burton and many more couldn't imagine Michael Keaton in the famous cowl (Beetlejuice still fresh in peoples minds) but as soon as the first stills were released and the promotional campaign was underway, the world went nuts for it. It was huge. It was the must see film of the year and it didn't disappoint. Michael Keaton silenced doubters and is still considered to be the Best Batman by many of the fans, myself included. Although casting a huge A-lister (just like they did with Superman in 1978) to take on the role of the villain, in this case Batman's most famous enemy, was a safe bet and integral to marketing, Jack Nicholson was absolutely brilliant as the Joker. The end result was a mix of new vision but with everything Bat-fans expected, an idea was polished, the structure slightly re-dressed and no expense spared. They made it look easy too, and still, many have failed to get the Superhero film right since. Batman raised the game going into the early 90's, I'm not sure a really good action film was made again until 2 years later with the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It still remains one of the best superhero/comic book movies of all time and it will remain so for quite some time.