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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Batman
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 44 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Sci-fi
Written by:
Bob Kane (Batman characters)
Sam Hamm (also story)
Warren Skaaren
Directed by: Tim Burton
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 23, 1989
DVD: April 15, 1997
Running Time: 126 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13
Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance
Tim Burton's 1989 Blockbuster introduces us to the origins of Gotham City's fearless crimestopper Batman (Keaton) and his arch-enemy The Joker (Nicholson).
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Batman & Robin Beetlejuice Big Fish Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Ed Wood Edward Scissorhands Mars Attacks! Pee-wee's Big Adventure Planet of the Apes Sleepy Hollow Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street The Nightmare Before Christmas
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Washington Post Hal Hinson
The movie fixes you in its gravitational pull. It's an enveloping, walk-in vision... As rich and satisfying a movie as you're likely to see all year.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
It's a rare, beautifully made movie that offers you another world. [23 June 1989, Daily Datebook, p.E1]
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
In short, Batman is terrific - funny, smart and sensitive too, the perfect cinematic date.
Read Full Review >Variety Staff (Not Credited)
Nicholson embellishes fascinatingly baroque designs with his twisted features, lavish verbal pirouettes and inspired excursions into the outer limits of psychosis. It's a masterpiece of sinister comic acting.
Read Full Review >Empire Andrew Collins
Jack Nicholson as The Joker helpfully provides all the colour.
Read Full Review >USA Today Mike Clark
There's a cold intelligence at work here. Though its pleasures are plentiful enough to reward a second viewing, only Nicholson has saved Warners from a wing-clip. [23 June 1989, Life, p.1D]
Chicago Tribune Dave Kehr
Burton's Gotham City-constructed on a massive sound stage in London- is a striking blend of spindly gothic, decaying art deco and broodingly bland institutional architecture that seems to lie just a couple of subway stops down from Ridley Scott's ''Blade Runner'' and Terry Gilliam's ''Brazil.'' It's great to look at, but we seem to have been here before. [23 June 1989, Friday, p.A]
The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann
It's relatively easy to convey the claustral in interior scenes, but [designer] Furst and the director Tim Burton do it even when the setting is a great flight of steps before the municipal building or the huge square where Batman and the joker confront each other. [31 July 1989, p.24]
The New Yorker Pauline Kael
It has so many unpredictable spins that what's missing doesn't seem to matter much. The images sing. [10 July 1989]
ReelViews James Berardinelli
Batman is largely content to skim the surface and bask in the light of its visual style.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
It would be a lot better if it didn't lean exclusively on bone-crunching action for its climactic thrills, and the story continues long after its ideas have started to sag. [29 June 1989, Arts, p.10]
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
The main problem is that Burton operates best on a modest scale; saddled with a blockbuster, he doesn't know how to animate all the dead space.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Staff (Non Credited)
Despite its interesting, grim tone and undeniably striking visuals from director Burton and production designer Furst, the film fails to synthesize its strengths into a compelling whole.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
The movie's problem is that no one seemed to have any fun making it, and it's hard to have much fun watching it. It's a depressing experience.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Vincent Canby
It's neither funny nor solemn. It has the personality not of a particular movie but of a product, of something arrived at by corporate decision.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Sheila Benson
The Joker has been demoted into a broad-scale sociopath, without a tempter's power or a mythic villain's complexity. And that's the movie's real undoing. [23 June 1989, Calendar, p.6-1]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 44 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Rick F gave it a10:
The only film to still capture every essence of my imagination.
Michael gave it a10:
The best (numero uno) superhero movie of all time. Mops the floor with Batman Begins a thousand times over. Will never be topped.
Shock gave it a10:
This film and Batman Returns are the only films to actually explore the psychology of Batman. It doesn't rely on cliche characterization of the title character or heavy handed moralizing either - just a dark and brooding Batman.
Henry T. gave it a10:
I love this film best batman film ever the joker's great and batman's great I don't like the new Dark knight film the joker looks terrible.
Jared B. gave it a10:
I saw this movie when it first came out in 1989. To me, this is how action films are supposed to be done. Michael Keaton was a better Batman than even Adam West, and certainly better than Val Kilmer or George Clooney. Jack Nicholson was perfect as the Joker. He was mean, menacing, and very, very funny. Kim Basinger made an absolutely beautiful Vicki Vale. Tim Burton's visual style is astounding. If you want an action-packed film with an uncomplicated plot, "Batman" is just what you are looking for. On a scale of 1-10, this movie rates a ten, only because the scale doesn't go to 11.
[Anonymous] gave it an8:
First Batman doesn't have the personal moral resonance and depth of Batman begins. However, this films got another card to play...the brilliant Jack Nicholson cranks out the ultimate joker.
Luke T gave it a9:
Having seen this on AMC and just bought it on DVD, i can say with some certainty that this is one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. Jack as the Joker is deliciously evil (could have done without the Prince music though) and Keaton captures the psychological pain of Bruce/Batman. I gave this the same rating I gave to Batman Begins because both EXCEL with strong performances and the serious atmosphere of Gotham. However, it looks increasingly that The Dark Knight will surpass both with an even better cast and a truly menacing-looking Joker (played by Heath Ledger). May Nolan continue to build on the seriousness and quality of, not only Batman Begins, but also Burton's (while maintaining his own style).
