Batman (1989)
wow last time I saw this movie I was probably 8 years old, and it was probably only the second time I had seen it. After watching the Dark Knight triology soooo many times, I couldn't help but feel that some parts were waaay too campy.
Overall it was good, but my favorite scene (the ending) just started to skimp so I'm more than a little disappointed, and I'll just rant for a bit:
What took Batman forever (pun intended) to do something about those damn blimps? somehow he gets to Gotham City super fast in the batmobile, which doesn't look as cool as I remember it (not that I prefer the tumblr thingy), but taking the batplane is such a long commute. Was it his first time piloting it? was he just joyriding before getting to the Joker? Then, after he disposes of the balloons, he decides to ascend above the clouds and then nosedive back down, as if he needed the extra speed because he finally decided to handle the Joker - yet, the Joker was on foot at that point. ****, even if Batman had went back immediately after expelling the balloons, Joker would've still been on a float. A FUCKING FLOAT! Where was he gonna go? Oh I get it, Bruce is smarter enough to know Joker wasn't gonna get far so he decided to have fun with his plane a bit more. Gotcha.
Alfred, while seeming like a sweet old man, I can't help but feel bad for him. He was in all of the Batman movies released (after 1989) before TDK trilogy, but because of how cheesy those last two were, he feels like a poor man's Q from the 007 series.
Imagine if Tim Burton directed the 3rd Batman film and brought back Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent.. how COOL would Two-face have been. The thought of it cracks me up
Final thought: there were some scenes that, as a kid didn't feel memorable, but from watching The Dark Knight (and probably remembering it terribly incorrectly right now) seem cooler because it looks like Nolan or Ledger paid a small tribute that only diehard fans would of probably noticed. I know I'm probably remembering TDK incorrectly and making it up in my head, but I still can't help but feel a tiny little nerdgasm at the thought of it.
edit: Yay! The dvd was dual sided, so I got to watch the ending on the tiny sized version! Just as great as I remember. Once Batman starts pummeling him, that's when Nicholson REALLY looks and feels like the Joker. Before then, he's just kind of odd, not psychotic. Not knocking his performance though, he's great.
Oh, and I almost forgot one point I wanted to make. Batman clearly kills people in this film. First he blows up "Axis" Chemicals by laying a bomb within feet of at least a dozen of Jokers henchmen that are shooting at his shielded car. Then while he' soaring towards the Joker, his monitor appears to be locking on to him while she shoots and fires missiles at Mr. J. Later, just before he finally faces off with him, there's the last black guy who appears in the film (the second one to appear in the film??) who is TOTALLY wearing his sun glasses at night (/iheartthe80s), anyway - Batman throws him down the bell tower. I won't count the Jokers death as that could've been unintentional though..