Opening

78% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
—— The Hangover Part III May 23
—— Epic May 24
95% Before Midnight May 24
83% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
—— Fill the Void May 24
—— A Green Story May 24
—— Alyce Kills May 24

Top Box Office

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77% 42 $2.8M
56% Oblivion $2.3M
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37% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

Batman (1989)

tomatometer

70

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 63
Fresh: 44 | Rotten: 19

An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson's Joker too often overshadows the title character.

58

Average Rating: 5.4/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 5

An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson's Joker too often overshadows the title character.

audience

78

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 823,712

My Rating

Movie Info

Jack Nicholson is the Joker, who emerged from a horrible accident as a maniacal criminal. Michael Keaton is the Caped Crusader, who emerged from a childhood trauma to become a masked crimefighter. Kim Basinger is Vicki Vale, the talented photojournalist desired by both men. And Batman is the movie, the all-out spectacular directed by Tim Burton, set to songs by Prince and a music score by Danny Elfman, and an Academy AwardO winner* for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Anton Furst and Peter

PG-13,

Action & Adventure

Mar 25, 1997

Warner Bros. Pictures

Watch It Now

Cast

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All Critics (63) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (19) | DVD (20)

It's an unforgivably flat ending for a movie of such astonishing contours. But its first two-thirds -- which should be called The Joker's Big Misadventure -- is probably the best film of the year.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The storytelling has weaknesses, but the characters are fascinating.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
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The idea of doing a dark, neurotic, highly stylized and highly claustrophobic superproduction is an audacious and appealing one, but director Tim Burton has only made it halfway there.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
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Is it interesting? Fitfully. Is it fun? Not much, Gotham City fans, not much.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Director Tim Burton effectively echoes the visual style of the original Bob Kane comics while conjuring up a nightmarish world of his own.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The conceptual side of the movie--two rather sick two-sided antagonists having it out in a black and sordid context -- lingers.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comments (6)
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

[Nicholson] has never been more commanding. Not only because he does an outstanding job, but also because so much of the movie's creative energy is devoted to making the Joker one of the most startling movie characters in recent memory.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News

As Robin might have said of this semi-boondoggle: "Holy overkill!"

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Michael Keaton makes a credible hero, and Jack Nicholson is downright manic as his nemesis.

April 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor
Christian Science Monitor

Even though its standing has diminished in the wake of the countless superhero flicks that emerged in the new millennium, the pros still outweigh the cons.

October 4, 2012 Full Review Source: Creative Loafing
Creative Loafing

Only minor Burton, with hindsight on our side, and its chief merits and flaws are as one of the formative texts of superhero cinema.

July 17, 2012 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Antagony & Ecstasy

While Keaton and Nicholson are dazzling in their roles, Burton never quite finds much to explore with Bruce Wayne, and that's wasted potential.

July 1, 2012 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | Comments (6)
Cinema Crazed

Stylish, violent, and often dull Batman adventure.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comments (2)
Common Sense Media

A dark and refreshing interpretation of one of comic kingdom's most beloved characters, Batman successfully wiped away the memory of the camp 1960s television show and proved that comic book movies can be highly entertaining viewing.

July 7, 2010 Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews
Matt's Movie Reviews

The element of surprise appears in every frame of this motion picture, creating a rich sense of joy and mystery that seems to befuddle Burton and his primitive instincts.

August 26, 2009 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com
BrianOrndorf.com

...Batman hasn't gone totally stale.

July 24, 2009 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central
Film Freak Central

...this one provided all the right ingredients its fans had always hoped for. (20th Anniversary Blu-ray Book)

May 11, 2009 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Visually arresting but dramatically undernourished, the film suffers from bland characterization (particularly by Basinger's Vicki and the other "good" crime fighters) and is ultimately saved by Jack Nicholson's bravura turn as the diabolical Joker.

July 5, 2008 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

A void of underdeveloped style and halfhearted execution.

June 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Projection Booth | Comments (5)
Projection Booth

Supposedly a superhero movie for grown-ups, this is actually a pretentious farrago.

May 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

It was, however, easily the biggest box-office hit of 1989, and one of the highest grossing films in history, a testament more to its massive marketing campaign than to its quality.

April 16, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Audience Reviews for Batman

The creative vision of the Dark Knight is presented in only a way Tim Burton could do it. Batman is a charming and stylized portrayal of the DC-Comic hero. From the layout of the entire city of Gotham to the casts dynamic stamp (Keaton, Nicholson, Basinger) the Caped Crusader emerges victoriously and notoriously. 4/5
May 6, 2013
Eugene Bernabe

Super Reviewer

again its not one of the best superhero movies ive ever seen but its still pretty good for any fan of the comics and or Tim Burton
November 27, 2010
michael e.
Michael Edwards

Super Reviewer

    1. Joker/Jack Napier: I have given a name to my pain. It is Batman.
    – Submitted by Thoroughly Entertain Me O (5 months ago)
    1. Joker/Jack Napier: Haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?
    – Submitted by Bryan O (6 months ago)
    1. Batman/Bruce Wayne: What's on your mind, Alfred?
    2. Alfred Pennyworth: I have no wish to spend my few remaining years grieving for the loss of old friends. Or their sons.
    – Submitted by Cesar Isaac M (6 months ago)
    1. Joker/Jack Napier: [Joker reads the newspaper] 'Winged freak terrorizes'? Wait till they get a load of me!
    – Submitted by Jan-Erik L (8 months ago)
    1. Batman/Bruce Wayne: [echoing Joker] Excuse me. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? [punches Joker]
    – Submitted by Jacob H (9 months ago)
    1. Joker/Jack Napier: Tell me something my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
    – Submitted by Jacob H (9 months ago)

Discussion Forum

Topic Last Post Replies
This is so bad 2 months ago 3

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