Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Here's a place for NON '66 Batman related subjects.

Moderators: Scott Sebring, Ben Bentley

Post Reply
User avatar
Keith Mayo
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:52 am

Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by Keith Mayo »

Hard to believe this was made by a 19 year old kid.

https://youtu.be/XR5Iteeiq2M
"It's the very essence of our democracy". - Batman, S1 Ep 11
User avatar
John Mack
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:15 pm

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by John Mack »

The only thing good that came out of this 1989 movie was Wally's song, ADAM WEST.
Music. BAT! Music.
User avatar
SprangFan
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:34 am

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by SprangFan »

I liked the soundtrack.

Otherwise, I think it's telling that I bought the VHS (in '89) but never got the film in any other format. And I don't have a VHS player any more.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
User avatar
AndyFish
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 6:42 am

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by AndyFish »

Very claustrophobic movie both in the sets and in Batman’s costume.
I liked it at the time, but it doesn’t hold up.
maniac cop 5
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 7:33 pm

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by maniac cop 5 »

It was groundbreaking in a lot of ways. I have a hard time sitting through it now.
The "look" of the movie is better than the movie itself to me.
It ain't no '43 Batman, that's for sure!!! LOL!
User avatar
SprangFan
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:34 am

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by SprangFan »

AndyFish wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 9:50 am Very claustrophobic movie both in the sets and in Batman’s costume.
I liked it at the time, but it doesn’t hold up.
This is a good point. Anton Furst's designs for Gotham City ("like Hell had erupted through the sidewalks") got a lot of positive attention at the time, and it does solve the problem of "how do we sell the ridiculous notion of a guy wearing a batsuit in the real world" by essentially making it a non-issue. This Batman doesn't live in our world, he lives in a Tim Burton universe, where architecture developed differently, men still wear fedoras and suits with padded shoulders, and cars are from who-knows-what decade.

BUT...in the long run this is a very confining and short-sighted approach. This Batman can't leave Gotham, much less the USA, so right away there's a ton of storylines you can't explore. You can't even film in a real city, you have to film on a set. The only way to "go bigger" is to make the sets bigger and more outlandish until by the Schumacher era you have cars racing each other up the sides of buildings and along the arms of gargantuan statues.

In its own way, the '89 Batman feels as set-bound as "Beetlejuice," which occurs almost entirely in one house.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
User avatar
Keith Mayo
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:52 am

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by Keith Mayo »

Yep!
Attachments
23266068.jpg
23266068.jpg (114.62 KiB) Viewed 4831 times
"It's the very essence of our democracy". - Batman, S1 Ep 11
User avatar
gothosmansion
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:36 am

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by gothosmansion »

John Mack wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:27 am The only thing good that came out of this 1989 movie was Wally's song, ADAM WEST.
I didn't even like the movie when it came out. However, one good thing did come out of it....If it wasn't for the Tim Burton movies, we probably wouldn't have gotten Batman : The Animated Series.
User avatar
John Mack
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:15 pm

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by John Mack »

Oh, and the re-release of the 1966 soundtrack (such as it is) on CD and the Topps Artwork cards. Forgot about those gems.
Music. BAT! Music.
User avatar
John Mack
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:15 pm

Re: Batman 1989 Is A Bad Batman Movie

Post by John Mack »

Just a quick note: In one of the Topps movie magazines, they show a photo of how detailed the sets were, and show a photo of a manhole that says, Gotham City on it. Like Andy said, so cramped feeling. With all that wasted detail.
Music. BAT! Music.
Post Reply