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Tim Burton's Batman turns 25
Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment may be celebrating 75 years of Batman this year, but that’s not the only milestone that the Caped Crusader has under his (utility) belt.
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On June 25, 1989, one of the biggest films to ever grace film and Hollywood history was finally imagined and released on the Big Screen, and it helped to promote interest anew in DC Comics’ own Dark Knight superhero created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, as well as spawn a brand new legacy for generations to admire and appreciate.
That film was “Batman,” directed by acclaimed American director Tim Burton. Known for his artistic and dark macabre style of film making, Burton only directed two movies prior to his take on Batman, with those films being Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice. Aside from telling and depicting the hero’s origin and backstory story in a proper movie for the first time, the film took The Caped Crusader back to his dark roots, which were significantly absent from the 1966 Batman TV Series starring Adam West as a campy version of the character. His dark and brooding nature returned, which was heavily inspired by Alan Moore’s Batman: The Killing Joke and Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which were highly acclaimed and popular works that helped revitalize interest Batman for the modern age.
With Batman, Burton was hired as director in 1986, but would not see himself starting production on the movie until October of 1988 after the success of “Beetlejuice”. With Sam Hamm writing the screenplay, the casting process was done in a fashion similar to “Superman The Movie”, where several known actors at the time were pegged for the titular role. Ultimately, Burton chose his Beetlejuice star and actor Michael Keaton to play Bruce Wayne/ Batman, and that decision was met with strong criticism and protest from comic book fans. However, when the film was released, praise and appreciation followed, as well as viewers warming up to Keaton’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader.
Additionally, legendary Hollywood star Jack Nicholson became the favored choice for the role of the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker. Longtime Batman fan and producer Michael Uslan as well as Bob Kane has Nicholson in mind since 1980, and the actor only agreed to the part after getting a good deal, which included a $6 Million salary and $60-90 Million of the Box Office gross estimate. The late Michael Gough played the central key figure of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s confidante and butler; Pat Hingle was cast as Commissioner Gordon; And Kim Basinger was ultimately cast as Batman’s love interest and one of the character’s known comic book sweethearts, reporter Vicky Vale.
Upon its release, Batman became a critical and commercial success worldwide. The film went on to introduce a darker and more brooding version of The Caped Crusader in pop culture history, and was significant in spawning three more film sequels as well as 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series. Tim Burton returned once more to direct another film with Michael Keaton reprising his role in 1992’s Batman Returns, while 1995’s Batman Forever saw Joel Schumacher take over as director and Val Kilmer becoming the new actor to wear the Batsuit.
However, Schumacher’s vision was thought to have almost catastrophically destroyed public interest in the Batman film franchise with the release of the campy “Batman and Robin” in 1997, which saw George Clooney under the cowl and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the movie's nemesis, Mr. Freeze. The film’s poor performance and negative reviews forced Warner Bros. to reboot the franchise, which was realized in 2005 with “Batman Begins,” which saw Christian Bale take over the role and exploring Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming a symbol against injustice, which would spawn two more sequels that would make up Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Trilogy”.
After 25 Years and despite aging considerably following new interpretations and depictions of the character in all forms of media, Batman is still considered one of the best if not the greatest Batman film that literally defined Batfans for a generation. The epic set design, black Batsuit, as well as a sleek Batmobile and Batwing were definite highlights to the film’s credit, and the brilliant musical piece and score composed by Danny Elfman is still remembered by many to this day, especially the main Batman theme that was partially used and restructured by Shirley Walker for Batman: The Animated Series. Even renowned music artist Prince did songs for the official soundtrack for the movie, which while odd featured prominently in key sequences in the film.
As we celebrate 75 Years of Batman, another legendary milestone is honored in The Dark Knight’s history.
Happy 25th Anniversary to Tim Burton’s Batman! — TJD, GMA News
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