Batman

I can't believe it has been 25 years since Tim Burton's Batman was first released. I still remember the anticipation that summer and it delivered so well, this film has more or less shaped the character's cinematic presence from then on. Even the Christopher Nolan films, especially Batman Begins, can be traced back here.

Tim Burton does a great job creating a memorable outing for the Caped Crusader, taking a chance with casting Michael Keaton in the title role. Initially fans were seriously upset, writing thousands of letters of complaint to Warner Bros, but the bet paid off. On the other hand, Jack Nicholson as The Joker was a sure thing. Backing them up was Kim Basinger as photographer Vicky Vale and Robert Wuhl as reporter Alexander Knox, two characters I always liked but seem to have disappeared from the subsequent films.

I've always loved that this film is content to throw it's audience right into the action, not burdening itself with telling a straight out origin story from the beginning. They trust the audience to have enough knowledge of the character to get what's going on. And if you don't, the film fills you in with the key points as it goes along. Keaton helps with this, creating both Batman and Bruce Wayne as two characters you would not necessarily think were the same person, no small task. The film does however tackle the origins of The Joker, telling the creation of everyone's favorite psychotic clown, with Nicholson hitting just the right note of humor and insanity.

The film is infused with a fantastic film noir sensibility, mixing both contemporary and 1930's sensibilities to create a unique and memorable vision of Gotham City. The film strikes a nice balance, embracing the darker elements of the comics while still keeping some humor to keep the whole film from getting too dark (case in point: Batman Returns). 

Another point for the film is Danny Elfman's incredible score, crafting a theme as memorable and iconic as the one John Williams crafted for Superman eleven years prior. On the other hand, the soundtrack contributions by Prince, well, there's a reason Shaun was perfectly fine with Ed chucking it at a zombie in Shaun of the Dead. 

Still, it's a minor quibble for a film that became a prototype for the modern comic book films to come, showing that a major action film can be done with style and wit and still come out on top as a massive blockbuster. It's a memorable outing for Batman that's well worth rediscovering.