Let me first start off by saying that at least to me, "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" by acclaimed writer/director Christopher Nolan (Memento and The Prestige) are the best films based on the popular comic book character. I decided to go back and watch the Batman movies by Tim Burton which honestly weren't the greatest compared to the two most recent films from Nolan. Director Tim Burton does an okay job of making this movie back in 89 but some flaws weigh it down which I'll get into later. Jack Nicholson does a good job as Jack Napier who eventually becomes Batman's arch enemy The Joker but I felt he went too over the top at times. I didn't think he stole the movie like some other people apparently did. Nicholson turns in a decent performance but I for one thought the late Heath Ledger was much better as The Joker in the Dark Knight giving audiences a creepy, mysterious, sinister, and charismatic villain who was unpredictable and he most definitely lived up to the tile of Batman's arch nemesis. Nicholson wasn't as scary as Ledger but he makes you occasionally chuckle with his dark humor. Michael Keaton does what he can as Bruce Wayne/Batman but I was surprised at how little the movie does focus on him because it's mostly about the Joker. Keaton does what his role requires I guess but I still think Christian Bale is the best actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman hands down. He had a lot more to work with than Keaton and was overall more effective in the role. Keaton didn't bring the kind of presence Bale brought to the character but he turned in a decent performance none the less. Kim Basinger is okay as reporter Vicki Vale but she did get a little annoying sometimes mainly because of her almost constant screaming in the film when she's in danger. Basinger is a decent actress but this isn't her best performance no offense. She like Keaton does what he role requires I suppose though. The rest of the cast are so-so because none of them are memorable. The action sequences are well executed but they're missing the wow factor like the ones in "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" which were fast paced, exciting, and intense compared to this movie. I felt the story focused too much on Nicholson's Joker with Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman getting cheated out of some much needed development and screen time. The dialog was cheesy at times and many characters like Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Alfred to name a few got the short end of the stick since they merely show up for only a handful of extended appearances. I thought Bruce Wayne's relationship with Alfred and Gordon was much better developed in "Batman Begins" because the three actors (Christian Bale, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Gary Oldman as Gordon) had genuine chemistry in their scenes together which always helps make a film better. I also preferred Aaron Echkarts performance of Harvey "Two-Face" Dent in "The Dark Knight" over Billy Dee Williams. He's barely in this one at all and wasn't given as much to wok with as Eckhart. Williams is okay in the role but nothing special. Another thing is that Batman doesn't kill he has morals but in this movie he does and that just didn't seem right. Tim Burton's Batman really isn't that bad of a movie don't get me wrong it's just not that great when the title character takes a back seat to the villain. Overall Batman is a decent movie based on the comic book character but none of them are even in the same league as "Batman Begins" or "The Dark Knight." Those films at least centered a lot more on Bruce Wayne/Batman than Burton's making you care about him. They also explained why he'd dress up like a bat and fight crime which the others only hinted at but never fully explored. I recommend you see those two films by Nolan if you're a fan of the character because this movie could've been much better.
