...Just watching Tim Burton's Batman film for the zillionth time and thinking that It holds up quite well for a 25 year film. Dated far less than something like Superman 4 which also came out only a few years earlier...

Wonder why this is....

That's awesome

Indeed, this film is awesome. It's been overshadowed a bit by the Nolan films but I still think Batman and Batman returns are masterpieces.

Exactly, they still look very good 25 years on. Hopefully in 2033 Dark Knight will view equally as well,

Compare their budgets and you'll see why.

@farkam:

It cost 48 million and made over 400 million, Superman IV cost 17 mil and made 15 mil - oops!. On a budget to box office return, Batman returned massively more than any modern superhero movie. In fact its one of only 4 super-hero films to make the top 50 all time highest box office movies, adjusted for inflation (the others being Avengers, Spiderman 1 and Dark Knight).

I generally put The Dark Knight and Batman 89 on pretty even ground. Dark Knight is the better movie, but Batman 89 is the better comic book movie.

No way that movie holds up... the low quality acting. the same reason the dark knight WILL hold up... a lack of low quality acting. Nicholson is the only watchable part of that movie.

Batman 1989 as well as Returns are timeless films. I was watching X-Men 1 and 2 earlier this year, and though they are still good movies, they have an early 2000s era feel to them that prevents them from being timeless.

Vicky Vale was hot

@megahgfan:

Yeah, that and the fact that Hugh Jackman is STILL playing Wolverine and therefore he looks rather young in those X Men films, as does Ian McKellen, which kind of dates them now.

Anyway, I don't agree with our fellow Batman fan that the acting was awful. Mainly I was making the point that they stand up well in terms of the fight and action scenes the whole "film noir" type of over-riding atmosphere lends that Batman film a timeless quality, bit like Blade-runner.

Batman (1989) holds up well due to a couple reasons.

1. It's a bit of a period piece. The clothes, the weapons, the style... its feels closer to 1930s rather than shooting it in the 1980s.
2. Burton's gothic setting is timeless. It intentionally downplays all things modern, in favor of mood.
3. Brilliant acting. Nicholson killed as the Joker. And Michael Keaton is a very underrated actor. He did a superb job as Batman.

Absolutely! I was a huge Kim Bassinger fan in my younger days, probably since her appearance in the Sean Connery one shot comeback Bond Film, Never say Never again, where she played love interest Domino..any other older Viner fans remember that one?!

The Batmobile was awesome too! Much better than the ugly one from the Nolan films.

oh yeah, i remember her in Never Say Never Again. You should definitely watch her in The Getaway :)

it is ok

Agreed.

Meh it's okay.

The tumbler was awesome.

I just rewatched it and it actually still is a decent movie. Its still only the fourth best batman movie though.

Its been years since I last saw this movie.

That's one thing I like bout em. When did the first X Men come out 01? I was in like first grade, they make me feel all nostalgic.

I still like Burton's film over the Nolan films. The key for me is the visual style. And Nicholson's brilliant performance as Joker.

..but the three in front of it are pretty special eh?!

@entropy_aegis

The tumbler IS awesome, but less pleasing to these eyes than the 89 batmobile..

Its an age thing. I guess coz I was 20 when Tim Burton's Batman came out it makes me more nostalgic than the Nolan films.....

@bezza: yeah the dark knight trilogy is quite special.

The Burton/Keaton Batman films are pretty timeless to me. They will never go out of style. :)

Batman '89 is okay by today's standards. It hasn't very aged well imo. Batman wasn't written well, Prince music should never be in a Bat flick, Alfred was as dumb as bricks, and the last act of the film was horrible.

I think in terms of looks and ambiance it achieves that quite. Character and plot wise not so much.

Burton is a genius.

@bezza: hmm, I actually thought the Burton Batmobile was really kind of ugly as well, maybe even worse because it was clearly going for style over function. While the Nolan Batmobile may not be pretty it looks badass and you believe that it can do all these crazy tricks while you watch it.