Now this is what I call a great superhero flick. I remembered feeling brutally robbed after seeing Batman Forever in the theatre (to this day I still cringe whenever I see Jim Carrey in his green spandex), and needed an emotional "healing" so immediately I rushed to my local videostore to rent this definitive version of our caped crusader. Tim Burton deftly combines style with great character drama, and I believe this is why the movie was such a big success.
While everyone instantly knew that they had a winner in Jack Nicholson after seeing his antics onscreen, it was Michael Keaton's brooding performance that won the hearts of fans. Forget Val Kilmer's stupid pouts, and forget George Clooney's lack of one. Keaton was the underestimated underdog as almost everyone didn't expect him to pull off the role of Bruce Wayne so well. While a natural like Christopher Reeve is every inch the dashing Superman, Keaton's appearance is much more deceiving. He is not tall, his hair is curly, and he doesn't have a big superhero jaw. But boy, when he puts on the costume he literally BECAME the very persona of the dark knight. His voice has just the right tone, and his eyes glares through his mask like a hawk on a prowl for street thugs. What can I say, except that I heard Dave Letterman had once said on TV about Keaton "Well to me, he is always going to be THE Batman," this sums it up quite well!
While everyone instantly knew that they had a winner in Jack Nicholson after seeing his antics onscreen, it was Michael Keaton's brooding performance that won the hearts of fans. Forget Val Kilmer's stupid pouts, and forget George Clooney's lack of one. Keaton was the underestimated underdog as almost everyone didn't expect him to pull off the role of Bruce Wayne so well. While a natural like Christopher Reeve is every inch the dashing Superman, Keaton's appearance is much more deceiving. He is not tall, his hair is curly, and he doesn't have a big superhero jaw. But boy, when he puts on the costume he literally BECAME the very persona of the dark knight. His voice has just the right tone, and his eyes glares through his mask like a hawk on a prowl for street thugs. What can I say, except that I heard Dave Letterman had once said on TV about Keaton "Well to me, he is always going to be THE Batman," this sums it up quite well!