First time watching BATMAN (1989) | Movie Reaction!

[@TC_Smitty]

Most people couldn't picture Michael Keaton in 1989. We were very pleasantly surprised.

[@zufgh]

I grew up watching this movie, so for me it's hard to see anyone else other than Keaton as the true Bruce Wayne/Batman. I understand it though, given his lack of resemblance to the traditional comic depiction. But he's so damn good.

[@CYB3R2K]

I still can't see it. And I grew up with this movie, Nolan with bale and the rest did such an amazing job with The dark Knight trilogy, is hard to come back to this silly, whimsical version.

[@joeconcepts5552]

@@CYB3R2K Then YOU really couldn't handle the 1960's Batman TV show. Keep in mind we had only seen that in live action, and THIS one seemed dark, grim and serious at that time.

[@jonathanross149]

Mr Mom as Batman?

[@JosephABernal]

@@CYB3R2K bale was an awful Batman. The voice is awful and ruins everything about the whole trilogy for me

[@maxnorton1209]

“I can’t picture Michael Keaton as Batman” was the reason for Batman comics fans anger when he got cast. He was best known as “Mister Mom” (an earlier movie) at the time. It all changed when this movie premiered. Now he IS Batman to many of us.

[@SpidermanandhisAmazingFriends]

Bruh, I literally said this 😅. I was like, "MR MOM" 🙄 Wow, was I proven wrong

[@TC_Smitty]

And Johnny Dangerously

[@maxnorton1209]

@@SpidermanandhisAmazingFriends you, and everyone else (me too).

[@Sentinel3D]

I hated this movie. At the point where the joker shot down the bat wing with a long gun, my wife and I ejected the VHS. I have never seen the end of this movie. It was shot on LSD and made Batman into a joke.

[@aTofuJunkie]

It's kinda like Bruce Willis in Die Hard. He was known for campy sitcoms during that time too.

[@Hedylamaar1969]

I remember seeing this in the cinema and we all cheered when the Batwing suspended itself in front of the moon.

[@UnclePengy]

Definitely an awesome and memorable moment. Also, "That's Hedley!" /sorry lol

[@mdm5216]

I thought that was you. I was there.

[@LordNifty]

Batman: "You killed my parents." Joker: "Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?!"

[@reidmason2551]

The Joker's reaction to finding out Bruce Wayne is Batman really says it all: "Take it easy, Bat-Brain. I was a kid when I killed your parents." _He doesn't care at all who Batman is or that he's responsible for it._ To him, Bruce/Batman is just an uppity pain in the ass who needs to be put in his place. No matter how angry Bruce is with him, no matter how justified that anger is, it has no meaning to the Joker whatsoever. It's a mark of just how evil the Joker truly is, and how little Batman matters in his eyes.

[@cypher515]

Total "But for me it was Tuesday" moment.

[@CarnageO31]

That's one of my favorite Batman Beyond quotes!

[@treetopjones737]

"I made you, you made me - it's all so childish."

[@ZACKBLACK-tu9ph]

Blights quote

[@adoubledg]

Keaton “I’m Batman” chills every time

[@tubekulose]

But it doesn't Joe Chill. Sorry, that was a bad one. 😁

[@adoubledg]

@ lol nah it was clever

[@tubekulose]

@@adoubledg Thank you! 😂

[@bamachine]

Love the callback to that line in Deadpool 2.

[@Steve-gx9ot]

Chills for that line??? So lame

[@ceruleanblu3184]

Back in 1989, this movie was MASSIVE. Massive promotion, box office, soundtrack, merchandise, toys, VHS, cable, network TV. And then the rumors of which actors would play which villains in “Batman II.”

[@DaveBukowski]

This was also a popular music piece for school bands to play.

[@GallantSector]

I remember all of that marking. I was in 2nd grade. A 7 year old. It was crazy merchandise everywhere

I remember the insane marketing behind it. Almost all moviegoers went to the movie with a Batman shirt, the “new” Batman logo 😂.

[@emultra759]

Besides Superman (1978), there wasn't much in the way of serious comic adaptations. Batman's live-action representation was the campy 1960s TV show. I think Batman Returns was even more ahead of its time. Another aspect is that by 1989, video game technology had advanced to the point where movie tie-ins became interesting, contributing to the avalanche of merchandise that accompanied this film. The NES Batman game was quickly released the same year.

[@DaveBukowski]

​@@emultra759And the Gameboy game. Now you made me think about digging my gameboy out. Haven't touched that game since 1990. Wonder if I still have the reflexes to play it.

[@keefriff99]

Jack's Joker is gleefully unhinged and twisted. He has so many hilarious one-liners, bizarre facial expressions, and crazed laughing fits...it's truly a thing of beauty to watch him go completely off the rails. And for a four-quadrant movie, this Joker is seriously demented...he disfigures and murders people and makes artwork out of their corpses. That's dark as hell. He also made $90 million on the back-end, and got a cut of the sequels as well.

[@CorwinPatrick]

Jack knew George Lucas very well and took after him as he got a cut of the Merchandising too. Taking a pay cut for the movie was the only way Warner Brothers could afford him and they felt they needed a big name for a cheesy little comic book movie (they were all cheesy back then). Jack got top billing because he was the biggest name by a country mile.

[@tubekulose]

In 1989 (I was 12 years old) I couldn't even picture Nicholson as the Joker. I had a very concrete idea of his appearance in my head: Very skinny and tall, with a narrow face, an extremely elongated chin, a hooked nose, concisely chiseled facial features ... just like we knew him from the comic books. However, I finally accepted Nicholson in the role but you can imagine how much I refuse the depictions of the Joker in the later movies, casting-wise. For about thirty years I have been hoping that someone casted Vincent Cassel for the role but unfortunately it never happened, although I think he would be perfect. Sorry for my clumsy English! I'm Austrian. 🙂

[@treetopjones737]

There was one Burton sequel.

[@anashiedler6926]

one of the best jokers for me. The truly insane variant - not doing things because he is bad, but just completely over the edge. (Second best are the three joker variants from the Gotham series for me, again: 3 different kinds of insanity/madness, very clearly distinguishable, but all very mad, not necessarilly evil)

[@andersthomsen3409]

The best Batmobile to date imo.

[@TheFioda]

100%. The ones on Bale were nice, of course...but this one...!

[@JasonON]

That homemade batmobile from The Batman was stellar.

[@christopherschreiber5805]

@@JasonON Agree. That one was my favorite.

[@cirrustate8674]

Best LIVE ACTION Batmobile. The best one overall is from B:TAS.

[@CarniviusPrime]

@@TheFioda I love the Tumbler.

[@davidbourhenne8540]

No one could see Michael as Batman. He proved everyone wrong. Jack Nicholson didn't take a payment for the film. He asked for points instead and made more from the merchandise and ticket sales than he would have from a salary. Smart man.

[@Educated2Extinction]

After Tom Hanks' first 10yrs, who saw the next 30?

[@TrumbullComic]

No, Nicholson took a salary. But he ALSO had points in the merchandising, which netted him a TON of extra money for the film. From the Wikpedia page on Batman: "He reduced his standard $10 million fee to $6 million in exchange for a cut of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), which led to remuneration in excess of $50 million-biographer Marc Eliot reports that Nicholson may have received as much as $90 million." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(1989_film)#Casting

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

my favourite henchman of all time, the guy who's only task is to carry the boombox all day long, with shades 😎

[@garygreenfield9738]

Lawrence

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

@garygreenfield9738 ah yes :)

[@Floridad25]

I maintain that it's arguable who has the best death, Lawrence or Bob, the Number One A-Guy. RIP Lawrence.

[@johnadams9314]

This was considered dark and gritty when it was released, we only had the 60s version to compare it to.

[@jbwarner8626]

In all fairness, the Batman comics had been getting progressively darker since the 1970s, once DC wriggled out from the thumb of the Comics Code Authority and villains were allowed to be villains again. We had The Dark Knight Returns, we had Year One, we had The Killing Joke by this point. But comic books were still seen as a nerdy hobby in 1989. What made this movie groundbreaking was that it brought the darker, more gothic Batman to the masses - and you're right, the general public didn't keep up with comics and hadn't seen Batman since the '60s series. They're the ones whose minds were really blown by this 😁

[@teruienages962]

Or, you know, the comics that apparently no one read.

[@yournamehere6002]

she doesn't know what cheesy means, she thinks it means tongue in cheek or cartoonish. Cheesy means hackneyed and bad.

[@johnadams9314]

@@teruienages962 as a child in semi rural Scotland at the time I hadn’t read the comics and neither had my friends. Obviously we are now all aware that darker comics existed at the time but they weren’t available in the same way then that they are now.

[@One.Zero.One101]

Parents actually complained about Batman Returns because it was "too dark". Every generation has parents picking targets on why their kid turned out belligerent. For us it was Dungeons & Dragons, Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Grand Theft Auto 3.

[@byrlea7703]

That little bag that was pulled from Joker's body was an upgraded version of a cheap novelty sold as "Bag O' Laughs." It was a battery driven player that just looped through that sound of laughter you heard. I never checked but I suspect Spencer's Gifts had a run on the things after the movie hit the theaters.

[@jarekgunther]

"I can't picture Michael Keaton as Batman". Oh, Addie. You were one of many.

[@teinarainheart]

Not only Beetlejuice, but also Mr. Mom! No, many of us couldn't picture him as Batman. 😂

Many people were complaining Michael Keaton was too short and didn't have the physique. Something similar happened with Heath Ledger, there was no good faith he could pull it off.

[@ReelMeurik]

@@teinarainheart When "Bruce Wayne" says: You wanna get nuts, let's get nuts...! (right before Joker shoots him), that line to me always felt very... Beetlejuice-y.

[@Xardion55]

To be fair, they said the same about Bale, Affleck, and Patterson.

[@nkfd4688]

The two pioneers who started the superhero movie movement -- Tim Burton (Batman) and Richard Donner (Superman). Everything after that just took a little while for better effects to come into play, but those two guys started it all

[@StCerberusEngel]

Batmania was running wild. And TMNT came out the very next year. Those three proved you could adapt comic book material into great movies and make bank.

[@Beardo2517]

​@@StCerberusEngel The 90 Tmnt still hasn't been topped

[@thomasjones4570]

Yes and no. Those are the two people seem to point to the most as if they were the only ones because they were the "most successful". Red Sonja, Sheena, Heavy Metal, Several The Punisher movies all achieved a level of success. While Flash Gordon was not a major success it did make its money back and then went on to sell many many copies since and has become a massive cult favorite, same with the first Swamp Thing movie and The Toxic Avenger. If you forgo the "comic" part, Tron and RoboCop had a massive impact on the hero movie genre and by the end of the 1980s, horror movies became heavily based in villain's with some type of non-human like powers. Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Lawnmower man, The Entity, The Fly, Hellraiser, Firestarter, Pumpkinhead, Phantasm, Scanners and far more than those I can remember off the top of my head. Fully bled into other genres also like Teen Wolf, the "hero" werewolf. Buckaroo Bonzai, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, Beetlejuice...Last Starfighter. The hero genre was already set in stone by the time this film came out.

[@Cau_No]

​@@thomasjones4570yes, but none of the movies you mentioned came from the Superhero Comic genre. (even Flash Gordon, who was only a precursor to later DC and Marvel) There were some serials on TV (including Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman) before both Superman and Batman, but nothing in comparison. But those two movie franchises (4 parts each) paved the way for Sam Raimi's Spiderman and Bryan Singer's X-Men, and the rest is movie history. (Yes, I know Blade came out just before, but many people were unaware of it being Marvel, they just saw it as a modern Vampire flick.)

[@thomasjones4570]

@@Cau_No What? Red Sonja, Sheena, Heavy Metal, The Punisher where all comic book characters well before their films came out...The Flash Gordon comic started in 1934. The SUNDAY COMIC STRIP ran from the 1930s through the early 2000s... And I specifically then, after those said "And if you forgo the "comic" part" when listing the rest of the hero movies. Stop. Just...stop. You are trying to start an argument you are going to lose since its clear your comic knowledge is also limited. What a foolish attempt.

[@tedbarrett8497]

I don't think modern super hero movies would even exist as they do without this movie being made. Was ahead of its time.

[@donovanbradford8231]

Very correct because prior to this the only main stream success was the Superman films which were very different in tone

[@redviper6805]

Vicki: you’re insane. Joker: and I thought I was a Pisces 😄

[@TheDornbush]

Addie: Oh... that is absurdly long. 😳 Michael Scott: That's what she said! 😂😂😂

[@sdaubs]

Everyone take this out of context immediately! 🤩

[@AddieCounts]

😂😂😂

[@justindenney-hall5875]

@@sdaubs And the fact that he pulled it out of his pants doesn't help!🤣

[@UnclePengy]

@@justindenney-hall5875 it shrinks later 😂

[@caldwin]

@@UnclePengysure, after he already had his shot.

[@blaze2001]

Michael Keaton's eyebrows and jawline are iconic, happy to see you review this classic. I loved it as a kid.

[@robertchurch5646]

I hope you’ll check out the Emmy award winning animated series that was directly inspired by this movie either on the channel or on your free time. Hearing Kevin Conroy’s Batman say “I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman” gives me chills as an adult as it did as a child when I first watched it in the 90’s. Not to mention Mark Hamill is the ultimate Joker.

[@4u57inc0v3110]

And there was an episode where Adam West guest-starred.

[@davidl7605]

I can't see him as Batman was a lot of peoples opinion back then. Then they saw the movie and were blown away! Great film, and Reaction, Maddie!

[@trol68419]

I saw this in the theater when it came out, it was a HUGE hit. One thing I didn't like about it was Batman killing people. He doesn't do that in the comics. He'll beat people within an inch of their lives but he doesn't kill them.

[@AndreaRoss-j5s]

The kills fit well in the Burton's version of the character. The strenght of the movie is that It hasn't been directed by a fan of the character, so Batman has been examined from the outside. And it works, surprisely. This Batman is a classic Burton's freak, and it's a great movie, and I prefer to see a good movie instead of character fidelity.

[@mikeclemens795]

I was a junior in high school when this came out. The hype and anticipation for this movie was unbelievable. A second wave of Bat-mania ( first was in the late 60's). Batman was EVERYWHERE. And this movie certainly delivered! If you want to have some silly fun, watch the 1966 Batman movie.

[@Brian-qn7fn]

My affection for this film just continues to grow.

[@dfilthy9104]

I'm 37. Michael Keaton is my Batman. When I was a kid I watched the VHS over and over. I'm sure that it drove my family nuts.

[@Ghost8386]

I was just five years old when this film came out in 1989, and I remember watching it at the drive-in theater near my home.

[@AdamBrinkmann]

This movie feels like a comic book in many ways. It wasn't trying to be a what if batman was real. That is why they didn't use a real city for the backdrop and everything was very stylized. Since they weren't grounding it in reality as much as some later movies, it gave Burton the opportunity to just play. The success of this movie is what started a whole new interest for many in Batman and why a few years later you got the animated series. Though it is not the first comic book super hero to get a theatrical movie, it is really what started the comic book movie craze. After the success of this movie you had studios starting to look at other comic books that could be adapted. This movie, sequel Batman Returns, Batman the Animated series, and The X-Men animated series really sparked studio interest in comic book movies. You had The Crow, Blade, Judge Dredd, Spawn, and others all got made in the 90s in part cause Hollywood figured out comic book movies could be profitable. X-Men, Spider-Man and others went through rights issues, multiple scripts, or multiple directors which is why some of them didn't start coming out until 2000 but the effort to secure the rights started cause of the success of Batman. Superman proved you could have a theatrical comic book movie but the craze for them started thanks to this movie.

[@rmhartman]

This one was much more comic-book-y than modern movies, but it was still very dark. And for all the praise that Heath Ledger's Joker gets ... people seem to forget how seriously twisted and dark Nicholson's Joker was. Truely unhinged.

[@rushfan9thcmd]

All of these movies from that era are best enjoyed forgetting todays cgi methods. Those of us who saw these films as originals have priceless memories and we have since witnessed the changes over time.

[@havok6280]

Batman Returns is even more bonkers. Tim Burton was on his best behavior in this one. He was off the leash in the sequel.

[@davidanderson1639]

There were plans for a third Batman film from Burton. However, following the fallout from poor merchandise sales & other factors, Burton angrily walked away from the project before a script was ever produced.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

after that, best to not view lol

[@Beardo2517]

​@@davidanderson1639 It was also angry parents that took their kids to see Returns and it was too violent to be having in McDonald's

[@davidanderson1639]

@@Beardo2517 I’ve always found it slightly ironic that parents got mad at the violence in Batman Returns, yet were quite happy to feed their offspring food (& I use that word in the loosest of terms) from McDonalds.

[@davidanderson1639]

@@CyberBeep_kenshi interestingly, legendary Swiss surrealist, the late great HR Giger produced some concept art for Batman Forever. As someone who’s written several pieces on Giger & is a huge fan of his art, I can’t even begin to imagine just how insane a Batman film featuring his work would’ve been….especially if it hadn’t just been the Batmobile he worked on.

[@redrocker1055]

"I can't picture Michael Keaton as Batman" was the most spoken sentence of 1989. "Woa, Michael Keaton was actually great as Batman" was the second.

[@CaptainAmercia]

If you haven’t checked out the animated DC movies, I highly recommend them. I love DC movies in general, but the animation is really where it shines. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the definitive Batman movie and features the best Batman/Bruce Wayne ever put to screen. For Superman, Superman vs. The Elite and All-Star Superman are peak Superman. And for a team-up film. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a Batman and Superman team-up done right. I’d also recommend diving into the whole DC Animated Universe, which includes shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Justice League. It’s a lot to get through, but it's the definitive take on the DC Universe, with some of the best versions of these characters. It’s totally worth it if you’re into these characters. Plus it's all connected like the MCU, crossovers and everything. But moving onto this film. Batman (1989) is the perfect blend of 1940s crime drama and Tim Burton’s unique vision. The mobsters in suits with tommy guns, the dark, moody atmosphere, it’s straight out of a classic gangster film and looks amazing in B&W. But what really stands out is Gotham’s design. It’s this wild mix of Gothic Revival and Art Deco, giving the city a timeless, almost surreal feel. The fashion pulls from the '40s with a touch of '80s boldness, creating a vibe that’s both vintage and futuristic at the same time. It’s a masterclass in blending eras while making Gotham feel like its own unique world. For me, this is something the more modern Batman films lack. Nolan turned Gotham into a generic American city that had no real personality or identity and lost a lot of the mystery and character that the comics' Gotham had. I still love The Dark Knight, of course, but it didn’t capture that distinct Gotham vibe. The Batman (2022) is probably the best take on Gotham in the modern Batman films, it actually looks Gothic, capturing the darker, more atmospheric feel that makes Gotham so unique. Yet more importantly coming across as it's own distinct city with a history and personality.

[@rmhartman]

Seconded. Do not make the mistake of thinking that animated == kid's stuff. The modern attempt at the DC live action universe really should have just dug into their animation library for material.

[@cteal2018]

Growing up, it was Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent, and Keeton as Bruce Wayne. They set the stage for everything afterward.

[@wilgarcia1]

This is my fave Batman. It's supposed to be dark. Batman should be stoic. Also the villains are supposed to be scary psyches. also the bat plane is awesome =D

[@wiseblood90]

2nd one was darker

[@smavtmb2196]

Catching up on some reactions. I went on my first date to this movie. She and I were only in grade 7 and both of us were very nervous. So of course just before the movie started I knocked over our drinks and she spilt our popcorn 🍿 Fortunately the theater was nice enough to replace it all at no extra charge. Wow! Memories.

[@JedHead77]

Fun Fact, Addie: The actor who played Bruce Wayne’s father also played the jewel thief climbing the building in Superman in 1978!

[@reidmason2551]

David Baxt wasn't the only *Superman* holdover. Most of the film's special effects guys worked on the *Superman* movies as well, and the film was shot at the same studio, Pinewood. And that's not even getting into William Hootkins (Eckhardt) playing one of the Lex Luthor's business partners in *Superman IV.*

[@JedHead77]

@ Yes, this was famed miniatures effects specialist Derek Meddings last film, who also worked on Superman.

[@cwell510]

For some context: This was the first time Batman was featured a big budget theatrical film. Up to this point, Batman (and Robin) was only in comic books, cartoons, and the campy 1966 TV series. This movie really showed a darker Batman that no one had seen before. The summer of 1989 had so much hype surrounding this film.

[@paneledmeteor33]

Danny Elfman was on a plane when he got the idea for the theme. So he runs to the bathroom so he can brainstorm, humming and stuff. People outside thought he was going crazy 😂

[@trainfire2008]

People outside ⁉️ they weren’t outside the plane, were they, screaming for dear life ⁉️😂😂😂

[@paneledmeteor33]

@ I gotta work on my wording

[@bobbuethe1477]

31:28 The "Bag o' Laughs" was a popular novelty toy in the 1970s. A lot of Batman fans (including me) were skeptical when it was announced that Michael Keaton would be playing Batman. I remember telling a friend about it: "I don't know who Michael Keaton is." "Did you ever see Mr. Mom?" "No." "Night Shift?" "No." "Johnny Dangerously?" "No." "Gung Ho?" "Yeah. Oh, that guy? I can see him as Batman." "Really? Wait, did you see Gung Ho the movie, or Gung Ho the TV series?" "The TV series." "That was Scott Bakula. Michael Keaton was in the movie." "Oh. Then no."

[@ICEcoleman2k]

Ok, seriously to understand how big of a change of tone this was, you all need to see the Adam West Batman... and maybe a few episodes of the series.

[@GeorgeTropicana]

She should definitely at least watch the Adam West movie. Hilarious. Bat shark repellent 😂

[@ajivins1]

Caesar Romero is all I think of as The Joker. He was just random!

[@blechtic]

Adam West Batman was actually considered cool at the time. By the time Tim Burton's Batman came around, it was campy as hell and this became the epitome of cool. This is very comic-inspired. By the time the infamous nipple-suit came about, this movie series had become fairly campy too. The nihilism in the modern superhero movies gets old very fast too, though. It doesn't leave anywhere to go and the draw of superheroes is still essentially the idea of bad people getting thwarted or punished, which is diametrically opposed to the idea of nihilism. Suicidally dark and broody may be a reflection of our times but it is a dead-end proposition for a series of movies, because it doesn't leave much room for a story arc as there can be no substantial room for development, just a (near-)losing fight.

[@nickperkins8477]

I’ve seen all of the Adam West franchise, and love it for what it is. I also love this for what it is. Born in 1978, I was too young to see Adam West in first release, so to speak, but at the time in the early and mid 80’s, Adam West Batman was the best it got.

[@davidanderson1639]

Fun Facts: Acton Power Station in West London was used as the location for the Axis Chemicals interior shot. Acton Power Station also doubled for the atmosphere processing station in Aliens. When the crew turned up to start production on Batman, they found a lot of the sets from Aliens still in situ. Burton stipulated he wanted Gotham to look like ‘hell had vomited up a city’. The mix of Metropolis-esque art deco, brutalist architecture & urban decay is incredible. Jack Nicholson had a significant amount of input into his makeup which was created by VFX legend Nick Dudman. Nicholson’s Joker is amazing & a clear homage to Caesar Romero who portrayed Joker in the original TV series. The dad who gets attacked at the start of the film is played by Garrick Hogan; better known as as Biggs Darklighter….Lukes friend who meets a fiery end in A New Hope. Tim Burton took a huge amount of inspiration from the Alan Moore graphic novel ‘The Killing Joke’. Todd Phillips also took inspiration from the same source material for Joker. The building that doubled for Wayne Manor is Knebworth House. Alfred Pennyworth was played by Michael Gough. Burton cast him in part as a nod to Gough’s history of starring in multiple Hammer Horror films; which Burton, like myself, is a huge fan of. Gough would reunite with Burton again in Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, The Corpse Bride & Alice In Wonderland. There were plans for a third Batman film to be directed by Burton. But following the release of Batman Returns, this never happened. We can also only dream what Burton’s Superman adaptation with Nicholas Cage would’ve been like; a Burton Justice League could’ve been a very interesting concept. Vikki Vale is a character from 1948 & was Bruce Wayne’s love interest.

[@presencerocks2224]

I had no idea that was Biggs!

[@davidanderson1639]

@ I was just as surprised when I found out. He also has another link to Batman; that being he provided the voice for one of the Joker clones in the 2015 game Batman: Arkham Knight.

[@davidhasselblad3825]

Jack Nicholson said in order to get into the mind frame of the joker he messed with his own sleep schedule, kept a fairy where he wrote down every negative thought that came into his head and convinced himself it was funny. Tim burton created the “dark knight legacy” and made the joker as dark and evil as he’s been portrayed more modernly. The joker we know today. Health ledge asked Jack himself how he made his joker so iconic and did the exact same things he did to prep for the role. Jack warned him though. The role is almost like a curse. If you aren’t careful it can pull you in and drown you. Which happened to ledger. I think it was about what 8 months later he did the shining? And he said that he got nightmares from the role. But they were nothing compared to the nightmares he got when he was playing the joker. He also said that the role had forever changed his psychology. For years he went back and forth on whether or not it was worth it but overall said it was a role of a lifetime.

[@TSIRKLAND]

The Shining was made in 1980. This was in 1989. So The Shining was first: the psychology of acting in that film in that role, under THAT director (Kubrick) must have been pretty dark. Then nine years later he was cast in this film under director Tim Burton (also an auteur, but not *quite* as intense as Kubrick was). Ledger's version of the character, directed by Chris Nolan: a very dark villain, seemingly chaotic but with a master chess player's ability to plan ahead, is indeed a most formidable foe. But he didn't seem to take almost any actual enjoyment in his work. He didn't seem to find the world as funny as The Joker should. He barely even laughed! Any crazy villain is going to have a good laugh now and then, and Ledger's Joker had a few. But THE Joker finds the whole world to be one big joke, with torture and death the best punchline. Nicholson's Joker (directed by Burton, written by several screenwriters) was the absolute perfect balance of manic and depressive; death and laughter. Ledger's villain was too much depressive, not enough manic. -My 2¢

[@davidhasselblad3825]

Thanks man! Much appreciated and very interesting take. Gotta think about that.

[@houseovragnar9259]

Got to see this and the next two in theater with my grandfather. RIP grandpa.

[@michaeldixon3440]

With Michael Keaton and Bruce Willis, the 80’s had a few unexpected action heroes.

[@Dash277]

Never rub another man's rhubarb. Words to live by :)

[@JimHong-t8g]

not seeing Michael Keaton as Batman!? no one ever thought that in the 80's lol

[@adoubledg]

Basically the 80’s version of how people laughed/hated Ledger being casted as the Joker

[@jamesnoneyabizness5611]

Yeah! We were too busy complaining about Michael Keaton being cast as the Joker! (No, really! Before the official cast announcement, because of the film history of the two actors, no one could imagine the serious, award-winning Nicholson would cast as the Joker, and the relatively unknown comedian Keaton would be the lead action hero Batman. But after the announcement, _oceans_ of mimeograph ink were spilled complaining about "Mr. Mom/Batman" being the _absolute worst choice, ever!_ ...right up until the first trailer dropped in theaters, and we learned how wrong we were and what a gift we were about to receive in the form of Michael Keaton)

[@ShaneCarey]

"Witches of Eastwick" is another great unhinged mid-80s performance by Nicholson.

[@jamesnoneyabizness5611]

... I'm sorry - exactly which acting role BY Jack Nicholson could not be described as "great unhinged performance"?

[@ericlewis217]

Summer 1989 it was total Batmania, nice reaction here. Im a die-hard dedicated 89/92 fanboy, it was a fun reaction here. The film was a great representation of the 1980s character.

[@nicholasregan6526]

Fun fact: Michael Keaton had to do a special video promo for the movie proving to audiences that he could be batman plus Bill Murray was considered for the role as well. I couldn't imagine it. LOL

[@Hucklbry1998]

True, initially it was going to be more like the tv show. Apparently Eddie Murphy was going to be Robin.

[@Awwscrewit]

Keaton's performance completely changed how superhero casting was done. Burton realized he could put anybody in the costume so he cast Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. Every iteration since has followed the same formula, especialy the MCU.

[@maxducoudray]

I don’t agree with any of this.

[@yermatedave4930]

The little laughing machine in Joker's jacket pocket was a then-common "joke" item you could get at magic shops or order from coupons in the back of a comicbook, called a "Bag 'O Laughs." This continues the classic clown motifs this version of the Joker embraces

[@SmokinDroFrayser]

Keaton is Batman. He has the eyebrows. They are officially the Batman’s. And this movie focused more on their gadgets than anything else

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

You have no idea how HYPED this movie was back in the day (and lived up to it, too!) When they attached a 6 minute trailer of this movie to another movie (I think it was "Tequila Sunrise"?) people packed the theaters JUST to see the trailer (this was before the internet was really a thing yet, so no KZbin videos!) After the trailer, three quarters of the theater left. On opening night it was packed theaters from open to close. I was one of the lucky ones who got to see it on opening day. Good times! By the way, 1989 was a magical year for blockbusters. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade also came out that year.

[@erikbjelke4411]

00:17: Not a bold statement at all. When the film came out, Michael Keaton was most known for his comedy work, and NO ONE thought he could be Batman. The filmmakers' response? "That's why he's perfect." After all, no one would suspect Bruce Wayne was Batman, either. Keaton really did prove himself, he was spot-on. I actually like him better than Christian Bale in many ways, though I will love Christian Bale's performance.

[@AaronD.Webster]

Michael Keaton (and David Letterman) were unknown comics appearing with Mary Tyler Moore on her variety TV specials in the late 70s, early 80s. She did her own SNL type specials, and that's where Keaton and Letterman got big breaks.

[@brom00]

I think "Never rub another man's rhubarb." should have been the "Why so serious?" of the early 90s.

[@jamesharland5137]

Why so serious from the nerd ledger stinks as does ledgers lip licking nerd joker

[@implicitmintjulep]

Batman Returns is much darker, weirder and more twisted. It gets overlooked but I love how out there it is.

[@hogwarts659]

fun fact about Joker's gun that took down the Batwing, it was using high explosive armour piercing bullets. That is why he was able to destroy the Batwing so easily.

[@batswarm14]

You read the new book too?

[@adriananimates7448]

YES! Finally reacting to this masterpiece! :D 🦇🦇🦇

[@JakkFrost1]

1:40 yet you didn't notice that Christopher Reeve got third billing, and _after_ the title card, for "Superman: The Movie". 😂 Yes, in those days, the bigger box office draws tended to get first billing even if they weren't the actual main star of the movie. These days, they're more likely to get last billing with special notation, like "and/with (actor) as (character)".

[@BGsBooks86]

I just rewatched this movie a few months back, and I forgot how good it was. It's either my second or third favorite Batman movie. I haven't decided.

[@ryanchad586]

I still quote this movie,so many good ones

[@user-je6us3gl5x]

Never rub another man's rhubarb

[@jomojojo6603]

I'm glad she mentioned "tone" before she watched it. Many reactors don't understand that this movie was made to be the comic book on screen.

[@jonathanross149]

Billy D Williams finally got to be Two Face in the LEGO Batman movie.

[@PeterAden]

That scene of Batman smashing down through the skylight at the museum is epic!

[@ryanhenderson8908]

If you couldn't see his has Batman, imagine it's 1989 and most people only know him as Mr. Mom.

[@christopherkaylor2940]

The guy playing Elkhart, the detective, played Porkins in Star Wars and he was in Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indy is describing the Ark of the Covenant

[@donovanbradford8231]

Holy crap now that you mention both I can see it, well clearly he wasn't alright and they didn't have top men it

[@fakereality96]

Fun fact: Jack Nicholson wasn't acting in this movie. A camera crew merely followed him out and about going through his normal routine.

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

Believable. In every role Jack's just being himself really.

[@fynnthefox9078]

Lol they just roll with him putting on a purple suit and prosthetics

[@Floridad25]

That's what I feel obligated to say on every single Batman 1989 reaction. He's terrifying when he's off-leash

[@FrenchCelt]

I was 17 and a high school senior when this came out in 1989. I bought advance tickets a week or so before (back when you had to go to the box office at the theater and purchase physical tickets in advance) and I was shocked when I showed up an hour before showtime and the line was already wrapped completely around the building (it was an old theater with only two screens). I got a good seat in the back and was absolutely blown away. I was among the minority who called for people to give Michael Keaton a chance since you just never know and it was fun to be proven correct within my social circles. As much as I did love the Keaton Batman, especially after Val Kilmer and then George Clooney took over, Christian Bale came along and became my favorite version of Batman. I also really like Pattinson's interpretation and Ben Affleck's DCEU version was also good, particularly in Batman v. Superman and the Snyder cut of Justice League. I hope you get around to all of it.

[@WatchallH]

Don’t forget the brilliant Batman Returns. PLUS it’s a Christmas movie.

[@JedHead77]

This film brought Batman back to his original dark roots, and totally changed the tone of the character from the campy comedic Batman of the 60s.

[@toddlower5546]

Keaton's batman is just enough crazy that I believe that he would dress as a bat and go into the night looking for criminals.

[@maximillianosaben]

Between Nicholson as Joker and Keaton as Beetlejuice, I swear Tim Burton should have made a movie with the two of them playing a pair of wild cousins.

[@MikeBrown7799B]

Hello Addie!😊 Congratulations on 100K subscribers!!!!🥳 Great reactions to Tim Burtons original Batman film, Addie!!!🎬👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@alextan1478]

Let's get nuts, Addie.

[@wesrrowlands8309]

This is the gold standard for Batman movies to the point it influenced the animated batman for decades.

[@mikedignum1868]

This is my Batman...Jack just chews up the screen.

[@FSAPOJake]

Man, that scene where Jack first sees his face in the mirror after the facial reconstruction surgery, then has a meltdown, followed by him theatrically murdering someone is just peak character introduction.

[@havok6280]

Batman was originally a dark comic. It got campier in the 60s. The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel returned Batman to his darker origins. This movie was partially inspired by that story. Batman has been darker ever since.

[@kg4wwn]

Batman was never as dark in the early days as it is in its modern incarnations, but it also wasn't as campy as it was in the 60's. It was a mostly serious action detective comic. It's tone was closest to modern James Bond level of dark. The Dark Knight Returns took it a step further than it was before, but did so beautifully.

[@Dannieboy215]

The one shot that got the bat plane was heavily under estimated because it wasn't represented really well but it was implied that the gun joker used was supposed to be like a cannon and batman didn't hit the joker because it was implied that no matter how much he wants to he can't kill him yet

[@MrGBH]

One of the best Jokers, beaten only by Mark Hamill himself

[@karlluigi1987]

I'll put Mark Hamill on top, and Heath Ledger in second, then Jack Nicholson

[@4u57inc0v3110]

Bah! Seth Green is a better Joker than Mark Hamill ANY day. You know why? Because Seth Green was in Mass Effect, and Mark Hamill was in some cheesy B-Movie Disney ripoff of Mass Effect! Seriously, like Hamill made 100 of those movies and only 2 of them were any good...

[@justindenney-hall5875]

@@4u57inc0v3110 Wayne Campbell: Are you mental?!

[@4u57inc0v3110]

@@justindenney-hall5875 😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@donnilloyd1355]

I think of these/this movie as a Comic Book version of BATMAN. And to me, THIS is the BATMAN that really started it all, movie wise that is. Keaton does a PHENOMINAL job as BATMAN. IMO.

[@robertchurch5646]

My favorite on screen Batman movie, Dark Knight is a super close second though.

[@CommanderShepard-wq3wo]

3:04 Bruh, imagine if his suit WASN’T bulletproof and the movie ended right there 💀🤣

[@JMan377]

Can't wait for her to react to the next Batman movie 😁

[@defblinders9585]

I was 7 back in 1989 and I remember in downtown Philadelphia you couldn't go ANYWHERE without seeing Batman merchandise in every single store and on every street vendor. My mom took me to see the movie and I'll never forget hearing that opening theme for the first time.

[@karlluigi1987]

MIchael Keaton perfected the Voice of Batman in the sequel, much more intimidating.

[@johnnydystar6072]

i'd love to see a batman movie based on prohibition-era noir. this one was pretty close but wow was that 80s pop culture STRONG in this movie. hail to the prince.

[@sca88]

You'll love Batman Returns with Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny Devito which is my personal favorite.

[@michaelschroeck2254]

4:31 another brilliant character actor. He was in star wars and raiders of the lost ark. And he graced us with this performance !!! Long live the understated character actors who keep Hollywood Alive!!

[@Balrog2005]

You are gonna to be proven wrong... this is still the best in it's genre, IMHO. 40 years later it's still world class, the music, the actors, the ambience... extraordinary.

[@Kazman2007]

One thing that I think is kind of funny about this movie, is that you never see him put on or take off the suit until late in the film. So if you don’t know Bruce Wayne is Batman, they could be two different characters until halfway through the movie.

[@SPARTAN-0117]

You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

[@edmo922]

This movie came out the summer between 5th and 6th grade. As you can imagine, I was obsessed. There was Batman stuff everywhere that summer.

[@rickardroach9075]

32:26 Cheesy? Check out _Batman: The Movie_ (1966).

[@jamesnoneyabizness5611]

YEAH! _Batman '89_ is just a "little bit of parmesan sprinkled on top" level of cheesy - _Batman '66_ is "entire MOON made of cheese" level of cheesy...

[@anthonydean1743]

One of my favorite Joker is Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker who voiced the same Joker character in the Batman animated series 92-94, 1993 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm animated movie, in 3ep of 96- 00 Superman series & 97 The Batman Superman movie: World's Finest TV animated movie, 97-99 The New Batman Adventures, in a episode of 2000s Batman Beyond animated series & the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie a series that takes place 40yrs after the 97-99 series with Bruce Wayne around 80yrs old having retired as Batman in his 50s due to a heart attack returns as The Guy in the chair for high school teenager ( voiced by Will Friedel of Boy Meets World) who stumbles on Bruce's last Batman suit he wore equipped with built-in tech. Hamill would also reprise his Joker for a couple episodes of the 01-04 Justice League animated series & 02 Static Shock animated series. All the series & animated movies Hamill voiced the Joker are all tied in to the same Joker character throughout all the series; the same person through the years but he has also voiced Joker in other series & games as well as other DC characters. In 2002 a live action series was made called Birds of Prey about the daughter of Batman & Catwoman becoming a hero with Mark Hamill voicing the Joker for 2 episodes. In 2016 Mark Hamill would reprise his Joker for the animated movie Batman: the Killing Joke based on the graphic novel that delves in to the Jokers origin story, and in 2024 Hamill has returned to voice Joker in part three of the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths animated films.

[@ianhill8345]

Never Rub Another Man’s Rhubarb from Joker best line ever big thumbs up addie

[@JedHead77]

Besides Billy Dee Williams. there are two other Star Wars actors here: Garrick Hagon (the father of the tourists at the beginning) played Biggs, Luke Skywalker’s best friend in A New Hope, and William Hootkins (Eckhardt) played another pilot named Porkins. He was also one of the government agents in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. 🎭

[@havok6280]

Keaton (and Adam West) was the Batman I grew up with. So he'll always be my favorite. Honorable mention to Bale and Pattinson.

[@AidensHorrorHouse]

Still think this has been the best Batman movie so far. The sets, the characters, the atmosphere - all perfect 👌

[@Secondcityreyn]

From Beetlejuice to Batman in back to back years, This is why Keaton is the GOAT