Before Christian Bale, there was Michael Keaton. Before Heath Ledger, there was Jack Nicholson. Before Christopher Nolan's 'Batman Begins', there was Tim Burton's 'Batman'.
Filmed in England's Pinewood Studios back in 1989, Burton's Batman was the first major motion picture for the Caped Crusader as Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) begins to establish himself as Gotham City's Dark Knight.
The film begins with a small flashback as billionaire child Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents, pledging himself to a life as a costumed vigilante in an effort to rid Gotham of its corrupt law enforcers and the criminals that plague its streets.
Enter Jack Nicholson, playing the role of Jack Napier our token crime lord, but following a fatal run-in with the Big Bad Bat finds the funnier side to life adopting the mantle of the sinister Joker. With a permanent grin, pale-grey skin complexion, bright green hair and a purple suit to boot, Batman's greatest villain comes out to play terrorizing Gotham with lethal laughing gas as his weapon of choice.
Kim Basinger also stars as Bruce's love-interest, the photo-investigative journalist Vicki Vale (alliteration, the key to any successful comic book character) who learns of Bruce's night time activities landing herself in hot water with his new-found arch nemesis.
Elements from the costumes, to the tone, to the setting and the general interaction between characters scream a some-what comic book feel, but the movie is no doubt an epic rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
Michael Keaton reprised his role as the Batman for Tim Burton's 1992 sequel 'Batman Returns'. Christopher Nolan's third film in his Batman reboot, 'The Dark Knight Rises' hits the big screens worldwide on July 20.
Filmed in England's Pinewood Studios back in 1989, Burton's Batman was the first major motion picture for the Caped Crusader as Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) begins to establish himself as Gotham City's Dark Knight.
The film begins with a small flashback as billionaire child Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents, pledging himself to a life as a costumed vigilante in an effort to rid Gotham of its corrupt law enforcers and the criminals that plague its streets.
Enter Jack Nicholson, playing the role of Jack Napier our token crime lord, but following a fatal run-in with the Big Bad Bat finds the funnier side to life adopting the mantle of the sinister Joker. With a permanent grin, pale-grey skin complexion, bright green hair and a purple suit to boot, Batman's greatest villain comes out to play terrorizing Gotham with lethal laughing gas as his weapon of choice.
Kim Basinger also stars as Bruce's love-interest, the photo-investigative journalist Vicki Vale (alliteration, the key to any successful comic book character) who learns of Bruce's night time activities landing herself in hot water with his new-found arch nemesis.
Elements from the costumes, to the tone, to the setting and the general interaction between characters scream a some-what comic book feel, but the movie is no doubt an epic rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
Michael Keaton reprised his role as the Batman for Tim Burton's 1992 sequel 'Batman Returns'. Christopher Nolan's third film in his Batman reboot, 'The Dark Knight Rises' hits the big screens worldwide on July 20.
No comments:
Post a Comment