Over 35 years later, this film still thrills me as if I were seeing it for the first time in 1989. It was lightning in a bottle—the perfect storm of talent and vision. Tim Burton’s direction, Anton Furst’s hauntingly gothic production design, Danny Elfman’s unforgettable score, Jack Nicholson’s gleeful menace, Kim Basinger’s breathless vulnerability, and Michael Keaton’s tightrope walk between aloof billionaire and unhinged vigilante—it all came together in a way that still feels singular. Everyone has their biases when it comes to comic book heroes and films, but I can’t think of another movie where the visuals, atmosphere, and tone are as integral to the experience as the script itself. This was a comic book art house film—a bold, stylish embodiment of the Batman mythos. Alongside Donner’s Superman, it laid the foundation for how comic book worlds could leap from the page to the screen with power, style, and permanence.

Matthew T

Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer

Am I the only person who doesn't like this movie? I mean, everywhere I look I see undeniably positive reviews of this film. That not to say I didn't like it at all, as Tim Burton is a skilled director who always puts a lot of style into his movies which makes them watchable. But I'd much rather sit through X-MEN again than watch this over-the-top, overlong supposedly "epic" movie which is ruined by the dreadful spectacle of Jack Nicholson going way over the top, so far so that he actually ends up completely embarrassing as the Joker. I mean, sure he looks the part but damn, he doesn't know when to call it a day. Any scene with him in ends up being silly or cheesy in a bad way, and only Burton's pleasantly dark set design and concentration on the gloomier, more disturbing parts of the mythos make it possible to sit through this movie.

Leofwine_draca

IMDB Reviewer

especially for fans of the character and those interested in seeing how the superhero movie genre evolved. While it may show its age in some aspects, it still holds up as a visually striking and influential film with a memorable performance from Jack Nicholson as the Joker.