Batman (1989) First Time Watching! Full Movie Reaction!!
Added 2023-12-06 16:08:03 +0000 UTC
Comments
I grew up with this Batman and as I get older I appreciate Nicholson’s performance even more. I still love Batman Forever and my wife loves Batman & Robin for the sheer campiness.
Ricardo Alanis
2023-12-22 18:05:55 +0000 UTCBatman had been in theatres prior to this: two movie serials in the 1940's (essentially tv shows before tv) and the first feature length Batman film was a spin-off of the 1960's tv show starring Adam West. The 60's show was very campy and colorful. Akin to something like Naked Gun where the world is completely absurd but all the characters take it very seriously. The first season + film in particular are wonderfully hilarious and for the time were the most faithful superhero adaptations (many episodes were directly adapting or lifting elments from Batman issues). Batman '89 was the first big budget adaptations of the character on the big screen. At the time it was seen as a rejection of the campy 60's show and a serious Hollywood take on the property. The 60's show unfortunately became a punching bag for being a comedy and not "real Batman" ( it only got reevalutated in the last 15 years or so). Looking back on it, it's kinda wild that this was seen as "serious", especially after the Nolan trilogy. It's completely wild and has lots of humour. But there is a pathos to Keaton's Batman. He's a very different take on the character. Tim Burton wasn't a comic book fan and his research on the character was limited. Producer Michael Uslan lend him the first 12 issues or so from the 1930's (pre-Robin and pre-the "no-kill" rule) so the 30's gangster world of the film comes from that. There's a few nods to the then current comics (Martha Wayne's pearl necklace shattering comes from Frank Miller's 1986 milestone comic The Dark Knight Returns) but essentially Burton films are there own thing, more influenced by classic cinema (especially horror) than the comics themselves. Thnk I'll stop now, there's a lot to talk about this film. I'll finish on a minor note. The movie continuously has Kim Basinger losing /discarding her shoes because Keaton and her are the same height (about 5 feet 9) so she would be taller than him with her heels on.
ED209
2023-12-20 21:16:19 +0000 UTCMost people don't like this Era of Batman but I absolutely love this Era it's my favorite Batman movies I encourage you guys to watch the other 3 films from this Era. Great reaction ❤️❤️
Mike Bridges
2023-12-11 04:07:14 +0000 UTCShould come as no surprise that Jack Nicholson considers Joker one of his favorite roles.
Kyle
2023-12-10 02:17:06 +0000 UTCI have McDonald's collector cups from when this movie came out lol. Edit. They are from Batman Returns.
Mark M
2023-12-09 16:55:25 +0000 UTCThanks for the reaction and glad you enjoyed the movie. Some of the Joker's lines had me laughing. "He stole my balloons!!! Why didn't somebody tell me he had one of those...things!", "You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses would you?" I also like how many of the shots looked to be taken directly from a comic book panel(like during a fight scene they do a quick shot of his hand holding the Batarang). Batman Returns soon hopefully.
Mark M
2023-12-09 16:50:57 +0000 UTCNicholson's still the best Joker, IMO. As much as I like Michael Keaton in the lead role, I admitt this version of Batman is a bit wonky. He's not the most efficient Batman. He doesn't stop the mugging at the beginning, nor do we see his joining forces/friendship with Commissioner Gordon (which is a main staple in the Bill Finger/Bob Kane comics.) One of the muggers is just let off the hook entirely, LOL. And no, Batman would never let Vicki Vale into the Batcave, ever. Only Alfred knows that Bruce Wayne is The Dark Knight. Tim Burton admitted years later that he was never a Batman fan and hadn't read any of the comics! So there ya go. He said he just liked the villains. It's true that Nicholson, DeVito and Pffeifer steal the show with their interesting character arcs: along with the dark atmosphere, costumes, 1940s easthetic, and amazing music by Danny Elfman. So with all of the criticisms aside, I still enjoy these movies for the many creative things they offer up. Especially BATMAN RETURNS. I hope you'll watch that one.
Samuel
2023-12-09 07:08:29 +0000 UTCIt's amazing what we took for granted back then. My old workplace used to sell novelty items and we had a "Bag of laughs" where you pull a string and it makes a comical creepy laugh.
Guston Zimasheen
2023-12-08 23:44:36 +0000 UTCWould highly recommend Batman Returns.
Jon
2023-12-08 20:02:26 +0000 UTCIm with you all the way man!!! Man of Steel is one of my favorites of DC!!!
Demos Samolis
2023-12-08 15:15:13 +0000 UTCThey had these laugh boxes back in the 80s. You could buy them. That's what Joker had in his coat. Great reaction!
Philip Alan
2023-12-08 00:43:11 +0000 UTCGreat selection and reaction. Burton’s vision of Batman is my favorite, due to his profound sense of style and the world he creates. I think it’s in better keeping with the source material, whereas the more recent versions seem more committed to “making it real”. Most of them work really well, but I do like the fantasy/alternate reality of Burton. It’s like the comic book world brought to live action. The second one from Burton is really good too, and the cast is great, even in light of Nicholson’s impact in this one. But…IMHO, all the others before Christian Bale, really suck.
David Wilkins
2023-12-07 19:39:25 +0000 UTCAfter this there are at least three movies I have to recommend: one is the sequel, Batman Returns is fantastic, Michelle Pfeiffer is the best version of that character ever, doubtless; two, The Flash, with Michael Keaton reprising his Batman; three is Blue Beetle, I don't know if the character will be part of the new reboot of the DCEU, but I just recently watched it and I was so pleasantly surprised, it's very much like a DC version of Antman, in all the best ways, and there are a lot of other familiar super hero tropes (there's even a post credit scene), but it's also original in some notable ways, the humor is great and it has a lot of heart, big recommend 👍
Joe D. MacGuffinstuff
2023-12-07 13:07:40 +0000 UTCI remember this movie was such a phenomena when it came out. You gotta remember, at the time the only reference most of us had of Batman was from the campy, goofy Adam West TV show. When I first saw a trailer for this, Tim Burton was fresh of the success of Beetlejuice, which most of us kids, even the not so nerdy kids, loved, and there was so much hype about, Prince doing part of the soundtrack, Jack Nicholson, a major, Oscar winning actor, as the Joker, it was just huge. Little story, I had a theater open just up the street from my house right when this movie came out, and we had a school dance that same opening night and no one went because everyone in my neighborhood was in line for his movie lol, the line wrapped around the building twice. And I remember everyone saying, how can Mr. Mom, Michael Keaton, be Batman? But he killed it, to me he STILL is Batman.
Joe D. MacGuffinstuff
2023-12-07 11:43:27 +0000 UTCWhat are you guys talking about, this is the most realistic bruce wayne. He is a nerdy social awkward billionaire with arrested development.
Vlasios Vougiouklis
2023-12-07 11:23:40 +0000 UTCWhere did I say they aren’t allowed? There’s a way to do things, that’s the key.
Shehab Dawoud
2023-12-07 11:03:53 +0000 UTCAlso Tim Burton's Bruce Wayne is a bit like many other Tim Burton characters. An outsider, an orphan. Quiet, lonely, a bit traumatized "Michael, you look at him... he also doesn't look like a superhero. It's like he looks like a guy who would need to dress up like a bat for effect." - Tim Burton
Ellie Miller
2023-12-07 10:34:35 +0000 UTCI think reactors should be allowed to dislike films, without their community going nuts.
Future Boy
2023-12-07 09:14:30 +0000 UTCBatman Returns is a must-watch.
Daniel N
2023-12-07 09:01:30 +0000 UTCI like the approach that Burton and the writers took of this Batman. They mentioned in the reaction like Batman himself was a mystery and I dig that a lot. The audience doesn't know when Batman will strike or appear next. We're not too deep into motivations other than the love story. And Keaton is marvelous with his expressions. The best example for me is when he's watching the tape of Gordon leaving the benefit. He takes off his glasses and you can see him as Batman even without the cowl. Really wonderful stuff.
Look out, Arbogast!
2023-12-07 07:17:26 +0000 UTCEdit: You Forgot to put One Flew Over the Cuckoocsnest into the Jack Nicholson You Tube Playlist
Florian Meier
2023-12-07 06:54:08 +0000 UTCI'm surprised Daniel, with all his Family Guy knowledge, didn't know Adam West was the first live action Batman.
Nicotti
2023-12-07 05:13:54 +0000 UTCI got a chuckle when you guys mentioned how Michael Keaton didn't have a "Batman" voice. Because I remember when the Christian Bale Batman came out, all the old school Batman fans were clowning the new Batman for having a raspy voice. Seth Rogan even had a joke about it in the movie Neighbors https://youtu.be/MI3hgiVekyQ?si=uKqWArAuKWiHoWjh
Moe howard
2023-12-07 05:00:04 +0000 UTCI remember the beginning of the VHS for this one! It had Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck advertising Batman merchandise from Warner Bros. with a phone number you could call, and a Diet Coke commercial with Alfred in it!
WhitneyG
2023-12-07 04:36:31 +0000 UTCY'all clownin' Batman over the lack of neck in his helmet made me choke on my Dr. Pepper. XD I love it! Bring on Batman Returns!
EdmanXERO
2023-12-07 02:20:35 +0000 UTCI don't really remember if Joker is really dead or not but regardless of who plays Batman, these are definitely the movies to watch next: Batman Returns Batman Forever Batman and Robin There are some big actors in some of these that you've already had on the channel that you absolutely have to see. I don't want to spoil it, but to me these are all the original Batman movies even if they aren't Michael Keaton.
Alex
2023-12-07 01:29:59 +0000 UTCI kind of wouldn’t mind watching Dan roast Batman & Robin.Y’all reaction would be better than the movie lol.
Brian Anthony
2023-12-07 01:22:51 +0000 UTCTo give some context, all we had in terms of movies or TV before this Batman was the TV series in the 1960s. You can look it up on YouTube. It's fun, but super campy and made for kids. POW! BIFF! Making even a semi-serious take on Batman was a big deal and casting someone like Jack Nicholson in this movie made it legit when there were no comic book movies at all. The crazy thing to me is that they hired Tim Burton to make one of the biggest productions in Warner Bros history and he was only 29. His previous movies were Beetlejuice and Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and I don't know how they thought that guy could do a Batman movie. And fans rioted when they heard Michael Keaton was going to be Batman. But it all turned out success. That whole summer was all Batman. Tim Burton's vision made it work. I think the greatest and lasting part of the movie though is its incredible score. Danny Elfman's Batman theme is everlasting.
Ellie Miller
2023-12-07 00:26:51 +0000 UTCThis was such a game changer in 1989. I saw this movie in the theater at least three times, maybe more. I have a collector edition and other editions of the Prince and Danny Elfman soundtracks. I still like this better than any of the other Batman movies, but I love them all, because Batman is just a really interesting character. He is probably my favorite hero after Spider-man.
Vwlss Nvwls
2023-12-06 22:54:13 +0000 UTCAlso this did get the Oscar for Art Direction
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 22:38:02 +0000 UTCI’m ready for them to go all the way thru THE FLASH, even if they just watch the four Gough Batman movies, the Reeve Superman films, maybe Supergirl and Man of Steel, BvS ultimate edition, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Flash. I think that’s all you really have to do.
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 20:55:11 +0000 UTCI also wonder if you guys will catch the references to VERTIGO and NORTH BY NORTHWEST in the climax.
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 20:53:21 +0000 UTC"Ben Affleck had my favorite Batman scene, he kills a bunch of people in a warehouse." It took every ounce of power I had to not close the tab. So close.
aarswft
2023-12-06 19:27:11 +0000 UTCAlso, Keaton has always been my Batman as well (I guess after Conroy) - I like that he is playing a guy who is playing at being both Bruce Wayne and the Batman. I've never been fond of the whole "Batman is the real person, Bruce Wayne is the mask" interpretation.
John W Foster
2023-12-06 19:12:03 +0000 UTCFWIW, this was a pretty comics-accurate depiction of Batman at the time. It's not Year One or the Dark Knight Returns accurate, but since both of those were inaccurate to how the character was portrayed in every other appearance, this is probably overall more accurate in general.
John W Foster
2023-12-06 19:10:18 +0000 UTCYou guys should do all 4 movies. YesBatman Forever and Batman and Robin are the lesser to bad type movies but they were all fun. Batman Returns was great. Michelle Phiefer as catwoman and Danny Devito as Penguin. Batman Forever has Val Kilmer as Batman, Jim Carrey as Riddler and Tommy lee Jones as Two-Face. Batman and Robin has Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and George Clooney as Batman.
Demos Samolis
2023-12-06 19:04:53 +0000 UTCMore Jack Nicholson recommendations are "The Witches of Eastwick" from 1987 ( I know you will watch it ;)), "Terms of Endearment" from 1983, "The Last Detail" from 1973, "Five Easy Pieces" from 1970, "Easy Ryder" from 1969, "Wolf" from 1994 and "About Schmidt" from 2002
Florian Meier
2023-12-06 19:03:32 +0000 UTCOoh, and the best Batman theme to boot! 🤤
Look out, Arbogast!
2023-12-06 18:52:19 +0000 UTCI know people value the more true to comic depictions of the modern Batmans. But I'm a through and through Keaton gal. There's little things he does that nobody else can pull off in that role. His glare, the Kevin Conroy-esque subtle voice change, aloofness as Bruce, and he's the only Batman who may be a little psychotic lol.
Look out, Arbogast!
2023-12-06 18:50:53 +0000 UTC“What a successful date.” - Dan Schmitt
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 18:43:30 +0000 UTCReally great Reaction guys!!! Jack is always my Joker, i grew up with this film and he really stole the Show :) But he does it in every Film ;)his Museum dance scene is so Iconic !! :) Batman Returns is also great !! For the next Jack Nicholson i recommend "As Good As it Gets" from 1997 ... He won an Oscar for this Role !!! Kim Basinger is great in "9 1/2 Weeks "from from 1987 !! This Film was also a Big Hit in the 80's with a great Soundtrack ...
Florian Meier
2023-12-06 18:42:51 +0000 UTCBit of trivia - Batman was a brand new franchise and a risky bet back in 1989, and with Jack Nicholson a the top of his game and 20 mln paycheck per movie, the studio could not afford him. So they made a deal where Jack gets a percentage of the back end, i.e. gross receipts, instead. The bet worked out for Jack - by the turn of the century, the film screenings, toys and other merch, netted him over 60 mln dollars - probably the largest sum ever earned by an actor for a single movie.
Alec S
2023-12-06 18:31:07 +0000 UTCI'm also glad you were able to accept this movie for what it is, take into account when it was made, and not take it that seriously. Unlike some other reactors who watched this with a stick up their butt, took it way too seriously, and even chose to mock it after they watched it...
Shehab Dawoud
2023-12-06 18:29:18 +0000 UTCGlad you enjoyed it. Although I agree with people who say this isn't a great film (plot is a bit over the place and Kim Basinger's character is terrible) but a cultural landmark, it can't be understated just how big of a cultural and cinematic landmark this was. This was the biggest thing in 1989, everyone wanted to see this. The previous Batman was Adam West in the 60s, his movies and TV show were very silly and campy. This was the first time Batman had a dark look to it, so yes it was absolutely revolutionary at the time. It's also had a huge impact on superhero movies and just Cinema in general. That's both a good and a bad thing. Good because without this we wouldn't have had the Nolan and Matt Reeves Batman films which are great. But it's also bad IMO because it led to superhero movies, Marvel (which I hate) in particular, taking over and crowding other genres of films. But I still enjoy watching this film, just for the nostalgia even though I wasn't born in 89, and just the sensibilities that come with it. It reminds me a bit of Batman: The Animated Series. If any of you know what I'm talking about, you're a real one! As for the others, Batman Returns is superior to this, like many others have pointed out. Michael Keaton really steps up in it, the romance is much better, and the villains give Jack Nicholson a run for his money. As for the Kilmer and Clooney films, I'd say skip them, they are really bad and almost destroyed the Batman franchise forever. Clooney's Batsuit had nipples on it... do I need to say more?
Shehab Dawoud
2023-12-06 18:27:47 +0000 UTCThis was the first movie I ever saw by myself in a movie theater. My parents were both sick, but we only lived two miles away from the theater so I took my $5 and walked. My 10 year old self came out very confused…interest in girls hadn’t REALLY taken off prior to that, but I couldn’t un-see Kim Basinger….
Warren H
2023-12-06 18:16:38 +0000 UTCWhile Tim Burton’s Batman films are masterpieces, the Schumacher films not so much, but now that we have the Nolan Batman films, batfleck and Battinson, I think it would be fun for you guys to explore Batman Forever and Batman & Robin for some kitsch and then watch THE FLASH. Have you guys seen SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II with Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeve because you should do those too and THEN watch THE FLASH.
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 18:06:18 +0000 UTCfinally! hoping we get batman returns in my xmas stocking!
Jason Dolan
2023-12-06 18:00:10 +0000 UTCUnfortunately, we’ve both seen Beetlejuice! I love that movie haha -Sam
TBR Schmitt
2023-12-06 17:58:30 +0000 UTCI completely agree!! -Sam
TBR Schmitt
2023-12-06 17:58:04 +0000 UTCWe got you! -Sam
TBR Schmitt
2023-12-06 17:57:52 +0000 UTC2nd installment by Tim Burton - "Batman Returns" is the quintessential and the best Batman movie ever, IMO. Danni de Vito and Michelle Pfeifer kill it in respective roles - best Catwoman ever on screen!
Alec S
2023-12-06 16:56:01 +0000 UTCKeaton is great, Nicholson is great but the script is pretty average lbh. Batman Returns is where Burton really lets rip. Batman Forever gets a bad rap but I think it's great fun.
Odd Thomas
2023-12-06 16:36:52 +0000 UTCBeetlejuice (1988) Beetlejuice (1988) Beetlejuice (1988) #TimBurton
Duncan
2023-12-06 16:29:31 +0000 UTCEven tho George Clooney's and Val Kilmer's Batman's don't get as much love as the other iterations of Batmans I love em lol Those were my Batmans that I grew up with😁 I love mid 90s cheese all star cast in those two movies Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone to name a few, Even tho they're not as good as the other batmans theyre still alot of fun to be had with those movies, its the same as when yall reacted to OSCAR with Sly Stallone Not his best movie but still fun and enjoyable, I wouldn't complain if ya'll watched those sometime next year lol 😁
dieselbeast
2023-12-06 16:23:20 +0000 UTCI was in high school and still remeber waiting in a long-ass line to get into the theatre for this film.. What an epic film! I remember Roger Ebert the film critic said "this move may be titled Batman, but its the Joker's movie--Jack stole the show"
Chris Bruneau
2023-12-06 16:18:23 +0000 UTCI like this movie even though it's pretty cheesy. The sequel (Batman Returns) is a Christmas movie (hint hint) and a lot more Tim Burton stylized if you like his movies. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is iconic.
Tostito Buddy
2023-12-06 16:17:04 +0000 UTCGreat choice!
Stan Groomer
2023-12-06 16:11:37 +0000 UTC
