Keep in mind this was '89. All people (general audiences) knew of Batman was the 60's show. No one knew comics. Comics weren't cool like they are now. Adults who read comic or watched comic stuff were considered children. So, the whole comics-accurate notion wasn't a thing. Comics were dapted to appeal to everyone. Everyobe forgets this. We are in a golden age that has never happened before.
@@FireLordIroh Yes, it's not about winning exactly, it's about saving innocent people as much as possible. If the hero has to eliminate some dangerous criminals in order to save the innocent, it's fine. For example, most police officers never really want to use lethal force but sometimes they have to.
Let's talk about the science of joker laugh, the only person in this planet who can do a perfect laugh as a joker is Jack Nicholson, so real so natural, especially in the scene where he electrocuted the mob, he has a natural long breath, that's why the laughter sounds so good, that wheezing sound like people with asthma is so hard to do if you don't have that naturally, also listen to the laugh after joker push batman and vicki vale off the building, it's so f$&king delicious and satisfying to listen to especially if you listen through earphones, so haunting and joyful, sorry to say but Heath ledger failed at that, he's just "woohh.. haha", except Joaquin Phoenix(great), the rest of them are so fake and forceful, they have to scream to get the joker's laugh, for example Mark Hamill, quite cringe and anoying actually, the laugh was perfectly illustrated by Nicholson by having a set of laughs that range from maniacal and gleefully wild to dark and deeply threatening that sounds natural
I'm, so glad you realized Vicky figured out he was batman and that's why Alfred let her down to the cave. Everyone seams to think Alfred just did that for no reason at all.
Michael Uslan, who's taught college courses on the history of Comics and has served as a producer of every Batman movie, prepped Tim Burton by only showing him the early comics of Batman where he killed (1939-1940).
Also Michael Ulsan’s contract with WB/DC is basically perpetual. He served as producer on this and has severed as producer of some capacity on all subsequent Batman films.
Batman's no kill rule was a thing at the time this movie came out. The reason Batman doesn't really adhere to it in this movie is because killing the bad guy was just kinda what action heroes did in movies at this time.
@@integrity101Except in “The Batman”. But the reason Stephen point out is specific to the reason Batman killed in the Burton movies. His point wasn’t about if Batman should or should not kill his foes.
Yes. He punched a murderer into a vat of acid in his first appearance. When he met his first super villain, Hugo Strange, who made giant monster servants. Batman killed them, but thought about how he preferred not to kill, but on this occasion it was unavoidable. He generally had a no-kill rule for a long time but it has gone back and forth in more recent times.
Year One and DKR and The Killing Joke all debut before this, his iconic 70s O'Neil run as well which is what a lot of BTAS is based on. It doesn't matter, but like he hadn't been killing for at least 2 decades of gritty Batman and even onger for Silver Age cheese Batman
Michelle is to Catwoman what Michael is to Batman and Christopher to Superman. It wasn't just the looks or the acting, all that was a bonus. It was the eyes, the body language. These three seemed like they were less like acting and more like they were revealing a part of themselves few others ever got to see out of them.
1:07:03 Coraline is not a Tim Burton project. It’s directed by Henry Selick, who directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, which IS a Tim Burton production. Henry Selick also directed “James and the Giant Peach”, which I also think is pretty good.
The no kill rule was fairly early on in the comics, especially after Robin was created. I think everyone realized that it was a little messed up to have a grown man satisfy his bloodlust while a small boy in lil' green ballet slippers follows him around with an ear-to-ear smile on his face. I mean, for sure, Batman did strait up kill people, but that didn't last long at all. Batman is famous for his no kill rule for a reason, it's existed almost as long as he has. Great reaction, as always! :)
Yeah, people talk about how violent Batman was in his early days, but it was like... literally less than a year. Practically none of his familiar traits were nailed down at that point. Once Robin appeared and Batman was given his no-kill rule, he settled into his familiar form for more than half a century.
Batman did not drop Jack on purpose, he tried to pull him up, but lost his grip. As for killing others: no-kill rule had been established in the comics by this point (though he did kill some criminals in early books), but it was Burtons vision. Actually, almost every movie Batman kills someone, which some fans tend to forget criticizing every new portrayal of the character.
@@SchulzEricT……he got mad at Superman for killing CIVILIANS. He mowed CRIMINALS down with machine guns. But sure I guess we can pretend Superman killing in general was the problem.
@@Priceluked -- ''Self-absorbed'' is what i think of in every Snyder movie. He's so self-indulgent, and every film he's made looks like he's jerking himself off. They are so ''look at how cool i am...'' The only thing worse than the Snyderverse is the awful, melodramatic, poorly written, plot hole-filled Arrowverse. And yes, EVERY Arrowverse show, from day one.
Never clicked on a video faster. This movie, and it’s sequels (yes, even the bad ones) were HUGE parts of my childhood. The first superhero movies I ever saw!
In case you're wondering, Vickie Vale first appeared in the comics in Batman issue 49, 1948. She disappeared in the 50's and made a big come back in the 1980's around the time this film would've began being worked on.
After the success of Superman the Movie (1978), WB and DC wanted more than anything to bring Batman onto the screen with the same energy, a decade in the making. Although it's not the first Batfilm (1941, 1943, 1966), it's the first one to break a whole lotta ground. Timing is everything too and it hit just in time for Bats' 50th Anniversary. Tim Burton was the youngest director to take on a film of this size and budget while it seemed at the time, a more experienced filmmaker should've made it. Everything about this film was phenomenal, from the tone and look to the touches of mood and performance with the characters. All the signatures of Batman's world from old to new comics, including 1986's The Dark Knight Returns and 1988's The Killing Joke. Jack Nicholson from his performance as Joker to earning big bank from merchandising is the stuff of legend. Michael Keaton after several comedies and his first dramatic turn, Clean and Sober (1988) definitely delivered as Batman/Bruce Wayne while winning over a few who said he couldn't. Kim Basinger almost missed the role of Vicki Vale, had to be faxed the script before heading to Pinewood Studios (London, England) and get into a groove of working on a film this size. The music by Danny Elfman and the soundtrack by Prince are undenialble. Also winning an Oscar for Best Art Direction by the late Anton Furst (Gotham City, The Batmobile). Batmania had everybody going crazy and eating up the success. The toys, video games, bookbags, lunch boxes, clothes, tattoos, etc. I became a bigger fan myself, started to get more into the comics, going beyond the tv series of the 1960s (Adam West/Burt Ward) and 1970s-1980s (Hanna Barbara's Superfriends). Burton proved the naysayers wrong, the studio believed in him to make a hit and follow through on it. Without a doubt, comic-book based films and modern day blockbusters owe a lot of thanks to this legendary piece of work.
The absurdist nature of a man who dresses as a bat, regardless of what his intentions are, is front and center with Tim Burton. I believe that highlighting Batman's eyes was an attempt by Burton to remind us that it's still just a guy inside the suit. As fantastical as most Tim Burton movies are, this is probably the one that is most grounded in what we might call reality. I just recently discovered your reactions but I appreciate them.
It probably should be noted that in the first year or so of Batman comics, he carried a gun and shot people (the pulp hero, the Shadow, was a big inspiration). There's one sequence where he's in the Batplane (autogyro to be specific) and he strafes a criminal's car with machine guns. The comic was so violent that parents complained. The publisher said that Batman could no longer kill people and they introduced Robin to soften the character. So this is the Batman in those early comics.
In Batmans first year or two in the late 30s and early 40s he would kill criminals all the time with no remorse. For example one time he hanged someone using his Batwing. 🦇
@@dylanbottom4669 yeah I have it sealed up. I’ve been meaning to get it graded and pressed but I just haven’t found the time and I don’t trust sending it out.
He was in a lot of Burton's movies because he was a Hammer Films vet. Burton was a fan of Hammer Horror and so tried to use as many of their actors in his films. This is why Gough and Christopher Lee are in many Tim Burton movies. Heck, Burton's _Sleepy Hollow_ is pretty much an homage to Hammer Horror.
43:20 Batman's "No killing" mantra was long before this film- so when my friends and I saw this in 1989 we were pretty confused at all the killing he did. Not to mention the Batmobile being armed with .50 cal machine guns.
the shot of the Batmobile blasting down the road that made Caleb say "whoa" is maybe my all time favorite shot sequence in any Batman film, behind only the 'Dark Tunnel' sequence in The Batman.
Danny DeVito as the Penguin is probably the grossest performance I’ve ever seen. I love it. Selina and Bruce are both insane and meant for each other; and the cherry on top is Christopher Walken is in for no reason. It’s lighting in a bottle
Michael Keaton was the reason that Bruce Wayne & Batman have a different voice. He was concerned that people would recognize Bruce Wayne and Batman as the same and talked about color contacts to better disguise the character and they ultimately settled on lowering his voice register. The suit was also so tight that he couldn’t hear and it made him go inward which made his character better. Michelle Pfeiffer wanted to play Vicki Vale but Keaton was against it because they were dating at the time and thought it would be weird. Michael Keaton came up with “I’m Batman” himself. He was supposed to say “I am the night”. Jack Nicholson made $60 million off the success of this movie which in 2024 is around $150,000. Robin Williams was offered the role of Joker when Nicholson hesitated. When he found out later that Warner Bros used him to get Nicholson to sign he refused to play the Riddler later and do any Warner Bros films until the studio properly apologized. 16:00 I was just starting to type George Clooney when you said it. He’s the only one that was a stretch for me cause he looked more like he would play the kind of Batman Ben Affleck played. 19:30 Michael Gough is my favorite Alfred. He reminds me of Alan Napier from the 60s Adam West Batman. 19:52 Vicki isn’t from Gotham so she isn’t aware of who Bruce is or his past. 23:30 the makeup department had to come up with a makeup that he could apply over the Joker white and remove it without removing the Joker makeup. 25:52 Jack Nicholson said he went real dark and deep with this version of Joker. He even warned Heath Ledger to not go too far into the character. 32:43 when they first designed it they didn’t have anyway for Batman to get in and out so they decided to make it like the cockpit of a jet. When Vicki takes her shoes off with the Batmobile it was because her shoes were scratching the paint. The paint they used was a special paint and color they made. 41:21 this is why Bruce looked at Joker weird when he said it cause that’s something that Bruce never forgot. 46:03 the money is supposed to be his money with his face on it. 52:42 he didn’t drop him though. He wasn’t able to get a proper grip when he went to catch him. Both had gloves and they weren’t able to make proper grip.
A couple of notes about the movie. The reason he steals the film from her is a subplot from the movie that was dropped. He doesn't like his picture taken. As for did he drop joker into the vat of chemicals, again something that wasn't in the film is he kinda recognize his face, obviously from what we learn later in the film that he killed the Waynes and that's when he he loses him and joker falls in
Great reaction from BOTH of you! I love this version, there's a lot more too it than modern audiences expect and it tends to win over reactors. I especially love Jack's portrayal of the Joker, it seems so natural for him. Being from way back, I had the comics and TV series in the 60s. As I recall, Batman was not a killer of the criminals (neither was Superman). Back then heroes were very clean cut and had to be paragons, at least for the kiddies.
Scary. This is why I think Nicholson’s Joker is superior to Ledger’s Don’t get me wrong, Ledger’s Joker was great and he was great… but the script didn’t have his Joker being as scary funny as this one. He was terrifying and hysterical at the same time
I don’t know why people assume that everyone knows who Bruce Wayne is. There are a lot of millionaires in my city but I have no idea who they are. I’m sure a lot of people would know who he is, but hardly everyone.
@@mariebourgot4949 I'm sure the billionaires in my city have some crazy backstories too, but I don't hear of ordinary people recounting them all the time.
@@mariebourgot4949 he inherited billions of dollars as a young kid, long before mass or social media. It's not beyond reason that people didn't know what he looked like.
Finally, someone from these reaction videos who appreciates the everyday, unassuming, quirky, and somewhat psychotic way Michael Keaton brings to this Bruce Wayne
Imagine this, Batman crashing through the ceiling of the museum only to realize "Batman: Damn it Alfred!! You gave me the wrong address! *Vicky is heard screaming from a distance and gets kidnapped* Batman: Damn it!". 😂
The painting Joker likes is one of Francis Bacon's "Figure with Meat", You may be unsurprised to learn that Bacon's other work heavily inspired the aesthetic of Silent Hill, particularly 2. In other words, Francis Bacon is the father of Pyramid Head.
45:28 to be fair, on-the-field documentation is a hugely underrated part of dealing with the aftermath of deadly incidents like wars, domestic attacks, etc.
Not sure if it was mentioned already, but the Killing Joke came first, 1988 if I am not mistaken, a year before this. Also as you may know, Joe Chill killed the Waynes in the comics, but they changed it to Jack Napier (the Joker) for this movie for the drama
Always cool to see Batman (1989) reaction. Fun fact is that Tim Curry was the second choice to play the Joker if Jack Nicholson had turned it down. He was also initially cast as the Joker in Batman The Animated Series but had to drop out due to bronchitis.
Prince didn't want to do it, Tim Burton didn't want Prince songs, because they thought it would make the movie dated; Warner Bros. demanded their star Prince make songs for Batman
Love to see this. Batman was a phenomenon back then I remember seeing it in the theater. Given Michael Keatons rennaisance and the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice teaser has everyone hyped Id love to see you react the original first movie. Its such a wierd classic and much loved.
The opening and closing theme music for *B:TAS* is Elfman. Walker's Batman theme is what's used in the episodes proper. But since Walker conducted Elfman's score for the 1989 movie and co-wrote the music for *The Flash* (1990 TV series) with him, they already had a good working relationship, so her Batman theme was going to have some spillover.
Batman didn't drop the Joker on purpose in the chemicals because I read the Book aslo in the Book they aslo show that the Money is Fake it has the Joker's face on it
keaton is best bruce wayne portrayal, awkward nerdy and quite eccentric but very aloof, he's the least to be suspected as batman whereas in the batman trilogy, christian bale portrays a way too slick "hollywood-trope" playboy bruce wayne
One of the funniest things to me. Is Michael Keaton does a fantastic and hilarious impression of Jack Nicholson, and was known for it at the time of casting. Further, Keaton, if not cast as Wayne, could have killed as Joker himself.
To this day I think this live-action Joker is the most accurate. You can see how animated series were inspired by this origin (especially in the Mask of the Fantasm where he was revealed to be one of the gang members before the accident). I don't think anyone else aside from Romero (60s Batman show) succeeded in bringing so much joy while being very dark and creepy at the same time. Heath nailed the chaotic and creepy aspect but not so much the goofy trickster part with murderous "toys" that Hamill's and comic book Joker is known for.
the comic accurate joker is comical/silly + dark, whereas the dark night's joker was just way too serious ("why so serious?", lol) + dark, a very good villain character, but just not the true depiction of the joker I personally think the animated series tv show got the joker the most accurate, comical/silly but so creepy, serious, and dark, both in his behavior, speech, mannerisms, and also his drawing-design too, just so well done, by the artists and by mark hamil in capturing the best and most accurate joker (jack nickolas went a bit too far into the silly, and also it was really just jack nickolas being jack nikolas, and not the joker, and heath ledger, too far into the serious, whereas mark hamil, and the artists designing the joker, got the perfect mix and balance of the two, correct)
10:18. Actually, the guy who hands Knox the drawing WAS originally going to be portrayed by Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, but he was too ill at the time. Look carefully at the drawing. You can see Bob Kane's autograph in the corner. Yes. He drew that.
The way Batman turns (moves his neck as if "he had a crick in his neck") is due to the fact that the mask he wears is one with the part that also covers the neck and shoulders, it's not a simple hood and that isn't detached from the neck. So the actor necessarily had to turn around like this. It has become a characteristic of Tim Burton's Batman and I find it very scenic (a bit like Robocop's movements, typical of that character in those movies). Another curiosity about this Batman's costume: his ears were made too long, without thinking about when he enters the Batmobile. So when he's inside, with the top of the car closed, he wears another mask with shorter ears. When you asked yourselves why the two journalists were so "ugly" on TV it was due to the fact that the Joker has now terrorized the city and since Smylex could be found in any beauty product (Batman had not yet released the combinations of the dangerous products, so any beauty product could be), the entire population no longer used these products, resulting in them being scruffy and unsuitable for being broadcast on live TV (like those two journalists, who seemed to have just woken up in the morning). P.S.: you have to react to Prince's "Batdance" video. It's a work of art. You will recognize many of the phrases, lines and sounds from the movie, included in the video (as well as in the audio version of the song only).
The big inspiration for this film from the Batman comics was the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers run from the late 70s. Those are the comics that this movie is the most like. Especially the Joker. It's still my favorite run of Batman comics.
So the no kill rule. Back in 1939 when Batman had his first comic book run he was conceived as more of a pulp hero like the shadow or zorro and as such he was capable of killing when necessary. Then Robin debuted a year later and Fredric Wertham put out his book "Seduction of the Innocent" which was his theory that comic books were gonna be the downfall of civilization much like Jack Thompson said of video games half a century later. Wertham scared the piss out of parents so much that the comic book companies had to axe horror comics and establish the comics code authority to work a level of quality control to be suitable for children. thats when the no kill rule came into effect and thats why in the 50s and 60s Batman became cartoony and semi sci fi. In the 70s we got a return to more mature storytelling as the comic code authority faded away because the paranoia faded away and you got stuff like The Dark Knight returns that explored more of Batman's psyche and why he refuses to kill. Tim Burton never read the comics and while the initial drafts of the script were pretty faithful to Batman comics in a lot of ways the no kill rule wasn't there because they wanted this movie to be a fun four quadrant blockbuster that they could be sure would make a buck. Also Tim Burton cared more about making a movie with his personal stylized vision than making an accurate Batman movie. P.S meg youre not wrong about Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel. Superman has a different relationship with killing than Batman. Superman doesn't have a hard line no killing rule. Rather he prefers to exhaust every other possible option but acknowledges there may well be situations where taking a life is the only option.
When Julius Schwartz first began editing Batman in the mid 1960s he had Batman pick up a gun and the fans went nuts. He didn’t make that mistake again.
I still argue that Batman didn't mean for Joker to die. He merely wanted to keep the Joker from escaping. He didn't know the gargoyle was going to break off. But there are other parts of the movie you can't explain away so easily. Like throwing the Joker henchman down the shaft and blowing up the chemical plant. Returns is even more problematic. Its best just to see this and all Batman movies as Elseworlds tales.
31:54 This was supposed to be from a spray from the chest flower, but the effects at the time were not at 2008 Two-Face levels yet. Also, per the film script, poor Alicia was forcibly on substances (she is unusually subdued onscreen).
It's interesting that Meg asked about Stan Lee because in the early 2000s he was invited by DC Comics to reimagine their main heroes in a comic book series called "Stan Lee’s Just Imagine...". He reimagined Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other greats. Lee gave his personal touch and changed the characters' names so that the first name and surname began with the same letter, just like he did at Marvel with Peter Parker, Reed Richards, etc. His Bruce Wayne, for example, became Wayne Williams. A black man who wore a completely black uniform, without symbol, with demonic wings and a mask that was the real representation of a bat head. He looked like DC's Man Bat.
When I was a kid, I thought the idea that the Joker was the one who killed Bruce's parents was canonical to the comics, because it made sense, thematically. Only when I saw Batman Begins did I learn that that wasn't the case.
If you do watch any Adam West Batman, I highly recommend doing the early episodes of the series and not the movie. The quality of the early episodes is way better than the movie in my opinion. The stories are essentially adapted from 50s and 60s Batman comics.
Jack Nicholson really is one of the best people they could’ve cast as the Joker.
He’d also be a good choice.
If Nicholson wasn’t available, I would’ve casted Willem Dafoe as an alternate.
Batman had his no kill rule in comics by now, but Burton didn't want to adapt that specifically.
Yeah he's using old school batman who killed his enemies also yeah Vicky wasn't he best love interest but when you see Batman Returns wow
In the early comics, Batman not only killed, he used a gun.
@@samuraiwarriorsunite shot Dracula
Keep in mind this was '89. All people (general audiences) knew of Batman was the 60's show. No one knew comics. Comics weren't cool like they are now. Adults who read comic or watched comic stuff were considered children.
So, the whole comics-accurate notion wasn't a thing. Comics were dapted to appeal to everyone. Everyobe forgets this. We are in a golden age that has never happened before.
@@biguy617 yeah just in the heat of battle as I feel most Batmen should
Batman doesn't kill people, Tim Burton does 😂😂😂
I didn't have a problem with it because sometimes the only way to stop the criminal is by taking them out. It's unrealistic to save everyone.
Shirley Walker did the music for the animated series but it was inspired by Elfman
Batman didn't kill those people. Man did.
@@Justin0807 True heroism isn't about saving everyone or "winning". Sometimes you have to lose for the right reasons.
@@FireLordIroh Yes, it's not about winning exactly, it's about saving innocent people as much as possible. If the hero has to eliminate some dangerous criminals in order to save the innocent, it's fine. For example, most police officers never really want to use lethal force but sometimes they have to.
Fun fact: Jack Palance, the actor who plays Grissom, was the inspiration for Darkseid’s face.
And Marvel's Dracula!
And completely the basis for Ra's al Ghul!
Loved his character in city slickers
The "I'm glad you're dead" scene along with his laughter is awesome.
Let's talk about the science of joker laugh, the only person in this planet who can do a perfect laugh as a joker is Jack Nicholson, so real so natural, especially in the scene where he electrocuted the mob,
he has a natural long breath, that's why the laughter sounds so good, that wheezing sound like people with asthma is so hard to do if you don't have that naturally, also listen to the laugh after joker push batman and vicki vale off the building, it's so f$&king delicious and satisfying to listen to especially if you listen through earphones, so haunting and joyful,
sorry to say but Heath ledger failed at that, he's just "woohh.. haha", except Joaquin Phoenix(great), the rest of them are so fake and forceful, they have to scream to get the joker's laugh, for example Mark Hamill, quite cringe and anoying actually,
the laugh was perfectly illustrated by Nicholson by having a set of laughs that range from maniacal and gleefully wild to dark and deeply threatening that sounds natural
I'm, so glad you realized Vicky figured out he was batman and that's why Alfred let her down to the cave. Everyone seams to think Alfred just did that for no reason at all.
LMAO!
Alfred could've lied and said he has no idea what she's talking about. Like what proof did she actually have?
Michael Uslan, who's taught college courses on the history of Comics and has served as a producer of every Batman movie, prepped Tim Burton by only showing him the early comics of Batman where he killed (1939-1940).
Also Michael Ulsan’s contract with WB/DC is basically perpetual. He served as producer on this and has severed as producer of some capacity on all subsequent Batman films.
Michael Uslan is the owner of the Batman film rights @@lowrivera
"This is a good ass time!" Love it. Yes, it was 1989; we had to party.
like it was 1999. You see what I did there? ;-)
Batman's no kill rule was a thing at the time this movie came out. The reason Batman doesn't really adhere to it in this movie is because killing the bad guy was just kinda what action heroes did in movies at this time.
Batman kills in every live action film
There's also no point in keeping villains around because there aren't going to be that many sequels.
@@integrity101Except in “The Batman”.
But the reason Stephen point out is specific to the reason Batman killed in the Burton movies. His point wasn’t about if Batman should or should not kill his foes.
Batman stopped killing and using firearms a year after his debut, which made him more superheroic and less of a pulp vigilante.
One of very few people that know this fact. Awesome!
Yes. He punched a murderer into a vat of acid in his first appearance. When he met his first super villain, Hugo Strange, who made giant monster servants. Batman killed them, but thought about how he preferred not to kill, but on this occasion it was unavoidable. He generally had a no-kill rule for a long time but it has gone back and forth in more recent times.
No, he continues to both here and there to this day.
@@TheGundamsword No, he doesn't, unless it's an Elseworld.
Year One and DKR and The Killing Joke all debut before this, his iconic 70s O'Neil run as well which is what a lot of BTAS is based on. It doesn't matter, but like he hadn't been killing for at least 2 decades of gritty Batman and even onger for Silver Age cheese Batman
As a Batmaniac I have nothing but love for this movie, but I can't wait for Batman Returns to see their reactions to Catwoman.
Michelle is to Catwoman what Michael is to Batman and Christopher to Superman. It wasn't just the looks or the acting, all that was a bonus. It was the eyes, the body language. These three seemed like they were less like acting and more like they were revealing a part of themselves few others ever got to see out of them.
@BrandonPhilipps-r9b AMEN!!!!!
48:12 His face when he’s watching Batman slaughter and mow people down with machine guns from his Batwing 😂
1:07:03 Coraline is not a Tim Burton project. It’s directed by Henry Selick, who directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, which IS a Tim Burton production. Henry Selick also directed “James and the Giant Peach”, which I also think is pretty good.
Henry Selick gets no recognition, it's tragic
Batman returns is awsome
The no kill rule was fairly early on in the comics, especially after Robin was created. I think everyone realized that it was a little messed up to have a grown man satisfy his bloodlust while a small boy in lil' green ballet slippers follows him around with an ear-to-ear smile on his face.
I mean, for sure, Batman did strait up kill people, but that didn't last long at all. Batman is famous for his no kill rule for a reason, it's existed almost as long as he has.
Great reaction, as always! :)
Yeah, people talk about how violent Batman was in his early days, but it was like... literally less than a year. Practically none of his familiar traits were nailed down at that point. Once Robin appeared and Batman was given his no-kill rule, he settled into his familiar form for more than half a century.
Batman did not drop Jack on purpose, he tried to pull him up, but lost his grip. As for killing others: no-kill rule had been established in the comics by this point (though he did kill some criminals in early books), but it was Burtons vision. Actually, almost every movie Batman kills someone, which some fans tend to forget criticizing every new portrayal of the character.
Adam Wesr's Batman killed people in the '66 movie, albeit unintentionally. Or at least reduced them to antimatter...
@@SchulzEricT……he got mad at Superman for killing CIVILIANS. He mowed CRIMINALS down with machine guns. But sure I guess we can pretend Superman killing in general was the problem.
@@SchulzEricT Yeah it was never even necessarily Batfleck's killing that annoyed me as much as Snyder's self-absorbed responses to criticism over it.
@@Priceluked -- ''Self-absorbed'' is what i think of in every Snyder movie. He's so self-indulgent, and every film he's made looks like he's jerking himself off. They are so ''look at how cool i am...'' The only thing worse than the Snyderverse is the awful, melodramatic, poorly written, plot hole-filled Arrowverse. And yes, EVERY Arrowverse show, from day one.
Never clicked on a video faster. This movie, and it’s sequels (yes, even the bad ones) were HUGE parts of my childhood. The first superhero movies I ever saw!
Its*
55:21 No way she called penguin mad hatter 🤣
I was about 10 when I watched this movie for the first time back in the 90s. The Joker gave me nightmares for weeks.
He didn't drop him in the chemicals on purpose plus he didn't know that he killed his parents yet.
At the beginning
Thug: Don't kill me man!
Batman: I'm not going to kill you.
Final confrontation with the Joker
Batman: I'm going to kill you!
@@fynnthefox9078 True, criminals should be wary of Batman, but only the Joker need fear for his life.
He didn't drop him, Jack slipped from his grasp.
Great reaction!! My favorite Tim Burton movie is his first, Pee-wee Herman's Big Adventure. It's still hilarious & just feels special.
With Wayne's kill count in this, it's basically the Robocop of Batmans.
I still have all four movies on VHS tapes and I'm never giving them away!
In case you're wondering, Vickie Vale first appeared in the comics in Batman issue 49, 1948. She disappeared in the 50's and made a big come back in the 1980's around the time this film would've began being worked on.
After the success of Superman the Movie (1978), WB and DC
wanted more than anything to bring Batman onto the screen
with the same energy, a decade in the making.
Although it's not the first Batfilm (1941, 1943, 1966),
it's the first one to break a whole lotta ground.
Timing is everything too and it hit just in time for Bats' 50th Anniversary.
Tim Burton was the youngest director to take on a film of this size and budget
while it seemed at the time, a more experienced filmmaker should've made it.
Everything about this film was phenomenal, from the tone and look to
the touches of mood and performance with the characters.
All the signatures of Batman's world from old to new comics,
including 1986's The Dark Knight Returns and 1988's The Killing Joke.
Jack Nicholson from his performance as Joker to earning big bank
from merchandising is the stuff of legend.
Michael Keaton after several comedies and his first dramatic turn,
Clean and Sober (1988) definitely delivered as Batman/Bruce Wayne
while winning over a few who said he couldn't.
Kim Basinger almost missed the role of Vicki Vale, had to be faxed the script
before heading to Pinewood Studios (London, England) and get into a groove
of working on a film this size.
The music by Danny Elfman and the soundtrack by Prince are undenialble.
Also winning an Oscar for Best Art Direction by the late Anton Furst
(Gotham City, The Batmobile).
Batmania had everybody going crazy and eating up the success.
The toys, video games, bookbags, lunch boxes, clothes, tattoos, etc.
I became a bigger fan myself, started to get more into the comics,
going beyond the tv series of the 1960s (Adam West/Burt Ward)
and 1970s-1980s (Hanna Barbara's Superfriends).
Burton proved the naysayers wrong, the studio believed in him
to make a hit and follow through on it.
Without a doubt, comic-book based films and modern day blockbusters
owe a lot of thanks to this legendary piece of work.
imagine waiting 11 years for a movie to be made & come out
The absurdist nature of a man who dresses as a bat, regardless of what his intentions are, is front and center with Tim Burton. I believe that highlighting Batman's eyes was an attempt by Burton to remind us that it's still just a guy inside the suit. As fantastical as most Tim Burton movies are, this is probably the one that is most grounded in what we might call reality. I just recently discovered your reactions but I appreciate them.
Ironic how they miss the Bob Cane cameo signature right as they're making a Stan Lee joke.
Since both Lee and Kane had a tendency to take credit for others’ work.
I literally realized while I was editing and DIED! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@MegMageReacts it's so easy to miss too! 😂
I think if bob and Stan were still alive together, they would've cameoed in each other's movies.
@@fynnthefox9078 getting the short end of the stick, as per usual 🙁
It probably should be noted that in the first year or so of Batman comics, he carried a gun and shot people (the pulp hero, the Shadow, was a big inspiration). There's one sequence where he's in the Batplane (autogyro to be specific) and he strafes a criminal's car with machine guns. The comic was so violent that parents complained. The publisher said that Batman could no longer kill people and they introduced Robin to soften the character. So this is the Batman in those early comics.
He even tosses someone out of the copter and he gets hung.
The Shadow & Zorro was an inspiration for Bob Kane
Michael Keaton started his career as a standup comedian before he transitioned to acting
Fact, Bob Kane was on the set of that movie and said to Keaton, “this is how imagined Batman”
This version really leans into how Batman is a little crazy himself.
The Joker with glasses was an Adam West reference as in one episode a fight completely stopped because the henchmen were wearing glasses
The tv show was intentionally campy. As kids we mostly didn't get how campy it was.
Caleb's face everytime Bats merks somebody, LOL
followed by Meg's mope at Joker's death . . .
In Batmans first year or two in the late 30s and early 40s he would kill criminals all the time with no remorse. For example one time he hanged someone using his Batwing. 🦇
I have that comic, that was a great issue
@@marcusraynak8277 you do!!!! That's super cool!
@@dylanbottom4669 yeah I have it sealed up. I’ve been meaning to get it graded and pressed but I just haven’t found the time and I don’t trust sending it out.
The soundtrack is perfect ❤
Alfred here is played by British Thespian Michael Gough, reprising the role through all 4 films.
He was in a lot of Burton's movies because he was a Hammer Films vet. Burton was a fan of Hammer Horror and so tried to use as many of their actors in his films. This is why Gough and Christopher Lee are in many Tim Burton movies. Heck, Burton's _Sleepy Hollow_ is pretty much an homage to Hammer Horror.
In the church when Batman knocked the pews over, he had broken ribs from the crash.
43:20 Batman's "No killing" mantra was long before this film- so when my friends and I saw this in 1989 we were pretty confused at all the killing he did. Not to mention the Batmobile being armed with .50 cal machine guns.
the shot of the Batmobile blasting down the road that made Caleb say "whoa" is maybe my all time favorite shot sequence in any Batman film, behind only the 'Dark Tunnel' sequence in The Batman.
This is one of those movies I can watch and quote among, and never get tired of
My mom took me to watch this in theater when I was 5 yrs old back in 1989 and now I'm 40 yrs old man and still love this Batman movie.
it loves you too
I hope you watch Batman Returns. It’s barely a Batman movie, but it’s so insane and weird I love it so much
I love insane and weird
Danny DeVito as the Penguin is probably the grossest performance I’ve ever seen. I love it. Selina and Bruce are both insane and meant for each other; and the cherry on top is Christopher Walken is in for no reason. It’s lighting in a bottle
Michael Keaton was the reason that Bruce Wayne & Batman have a different voice. He was concerned that people would recognize Bruce Wayne and Batman as the same and talked about color contacts to better disguise the character and they ultimately settled on lowering his voice register. The suit was also so tight that he couldn’t hear and it made him go inward which made his character better. Michelle Pfeiffer wanted to play Vicki Vale but Keaton was against it because they were dating at the time and thought it would be weird. Michael Keaton came up with “I’m Batman” himself. He was supposed to say “I am the night”. Jack Nicholson made $60 million off the success of this movie which in 2024 is around $150,000. Robin Williams was offered the role of Joker when Nicholson hesitated. When he found out later that Warner Bros used him to get Nicholson to sign he refused to play the Riddler later and do any Warner Bros films until the studio properly apologized. 16:00 I was just starting to type George Clooney when you said it. He’s the only one that was a stretch for me cause he looked more like he would play the kind of Batman Ben Affleck played. 19:30 Michael Gough is my favorite Alfred. He reminds me of Alan Napier from the 60s Adam West Batman. 19:52 Vicki isn’t from Gotham so she isn’t aware of who Bruce is or his past. 23:30 the makeup department had to come up with a makeup that he could apply over the Joker white and remove it without removing the Joker makeup. 25:52 Jack Nicholson said he went real dark and deep with this version of Joker. He even warned Heath Ledger to not go too far into the character. 32:43 when they first designed it they didn’t have anyway for Batman to get in and out so they decided to make it like the cockpit of a jet. When Vicki takes her shoes off with the Batmobile it was because her shoes were scratching the paint. The paint they used was a special paint and color they made. 41:21 this is why Bruce looked at Joker weird when he said it cause that’s something that Bruce never forgot. 46:03 the money is supposed to be his money with his face on it. 52:42 he didn’t drop him though. He wasn’t able to get a proper grip when he went to catch him. Both had gloves and they weren’t able to make proper grip.
Another actress for Vicki Vale was Sean Young. She was cast in the film but broke her leg falling off a horse and had to be let go.
A couple of notes about the movie. The reason he steals the film from her is a subplot from the movie that was dropped. He doesn't like his picture taken. As for did he drop joker into the vat of chemicals, again something that wasn't in the film is he kinda recognize his face, obviously from what we learn later in the film that he killed the Waynes and that's when he he loses him and joker falls in
Great reaction from BOTH of you! I love this version, there's a lot more too it than modern audiences expect and it tends to win over reactors. I especially love Jack's portrayal of the Joker, it seems so natural for him. Being from way back, I had the comics and TV series in the 60s. As I recall, Batman was not a killer of the criminals (neither was Superman). Back then heroes were very clean cut and had to be paragons, at least for the kiddies.
This is the only Batman movie I will ever need .. Saw it the night of its release.. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☑️
Scary. This is why I think Nicholson’s Joker is superior to Ledger’s
Don’t get me wrong, Ledger’s Joker was great and he was great… but the script didn’t have his Joker being as scary funny as this one. He was terrifying and hysterical at the same time
Oh, Batman has 6 children named after me, true story bro.
it's true, Huntress's real name is Stealthimaster8583 Wayne
The Joker has multiple origin stories in the comics, in one his name was Jack Napier.
Joker's real name is Antonio Gonzales, and ...
51:35 Caleb’s face lol. No one’s taken a swan dive like that since Wil E. Coyote.
In comics, Joker just appears. He has no background, and is often portrayed as a response to Batman.
I don’t know why people assume that everyone knows who Bruce Wayne is. There are a lot of millionaires in my city but I have no idea who they are. I’m sure a lot of people would know who he is, but hardly everyone.
@@mariebourgot4949 I'm sure the billionaires in my city have some crazy backstories too, but I don't hear of ordinary people recounting them all the time.
@@mariebourgot4949 he inherited billions of dollars as a young kid, long before mass or social media. It's not beyond reason that people didn't know what he looked like.
that's true
Tim Burton wanted Gotham City to look like "Hell had erupted from the streets."
it's like an art deco nightmare
it's awesome
Finally, someone from these reaction videos who appreciates the everyday, unassuming, quirky, and somewhat psychotic way Michael Keaton brings to this Bruce Wayne
To quote Burton “anybody who knows me knows I’d never read a comic book “
Imagine this, Batman crashing through the ceiling of the museum only to realize "Batman: Damn it Alfred!! You gave me the wrong address! *Vicky is heard screaming from a distance and gets kidnapped*
Batman: Damn it!". 😂
The painting Joker likes is one of Francis Bacon's "Figure with Meat", You may be unsurprised to learn that Bacon's other work heavily inspired the aesthetic of Silent Hill, particularly 2. In other words, Francis Bacon is the father of Pyramid Head.
That's awesome
45:28 to be fair, on-the-field documentation is a hugely underrated part of dealing with the aftermath of deadly incidents like wars, domestic attacks, etc.
Not sure if it was mentioned already, but the Killing Joke came first, 1988 if I am not mistaken, a year before this. Also as you may know, Joe Chill killed the Waynes in the comics, but they changed it to Jack Napier (the Joker) for this movie for the drama
also, in other comics, the killer is unknown, that gives Batman a reason to fight all criminals
Always cool to see Batman (1989) reaction. Fun fact is that Tim Curry was the second choice to play the Joker if Jack Nicholson had turned it down. He was also initially cast as the Joker in Batman The Animated Series but had to drop out due to bronchitis.
Prince recorded an entire soundtrack for this movie, and they used one song. Okay, two songs.
Prince didn't want to do it, Tim Burton didn't want Prince songs, because they thought it would make the movie dated;
Warner Bros. demanded their star Prince make songs for Batman
Love to see this. Batman was a phenomenon back then I remember seeing it in the theater.
Given Michael Keatons rennaisance and the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice teaser has everyone hyped Id love to see you react the original first movie. Its such a wierd classic and much loved.
Yesss I’ve never seen Beetlejuice (just the musical)!
Batman didn't purposely drop Joker in the acid. He clearly lost his grip.
Actually it was the late Shirley Walker that did the theme music for Batman the animated series. She was inspired by Elfman's theme.. 😊
The opening and closing theme music for *B:TAS* is Elfman. Walker's Batman theme is what's used in the episodes proper. But since Walker conducted Elfman's score for the 1989 movie and co-wrote the music for *The Flash* (1990 TV series) with him, they already had a good working relationship, so her Batman theme was going to have some spillover.
Batman didn't drop the Joker on purpose in the chemicals because I read the Book aslo in the Book they aslo show that the Money is Fake it has the Joker's face on it
I love Keaton’s charmingly awkward Bruce Wayne
keaton is best bruce wayne portrayal, awkward nerdy and quite eccentric but very aloof, he's the least to be suspected as batman
whereas in the batman trilogy, christian bale portrays a way too slick "hollywood-trope" playboy bruce wayne
He's the best Bruce Wayne because he's the only version you would believe is actually as mentally insane as the villians he's chasing.
Tim Burton is a briliant Gothic Director genius
Fun fact: Gotham is an old nickname for New York City, and Metropolis is an old nickname for Toronto.
In the next movie, Batman continues his kill streak.
Obsessed as a kid to this day
One of the funniest things to me.
Is Michael Keaton does a fantastic and hilarious impression of Jack Nicholson, and was known for it at the time of casting.
Further, Keaton, if not cast as Wayne, could have killed as Joker himself.
I GASPED with joy upon spotting this notification. Can't wait for the next ones!!! :)
I don't think that Batman dropped Jack Napier on purpose. Now you have to react to Batman Returns. It's much more Tim Burtonity.
Coraline isn't tim Burton, and he really just produced nightmare before Christmas he didn't direct or write it or compose any lyrics
To this day I think this live-action Joker is the most accurate. You can see how animated series were inspired by this origin (especially in the Mask of the Fantasm where he was revealed to be one of the gang members before the accident). I don't think anyone else aside from Romero (60s Batman show) succeeded in bringing so much joy while being very dark and creepy at the same time. Heath nailed the chaotic and creepy aspect but not so much the goofy trickster part with murderous "toys" that Hamill's and comic book Joker is known for.
the comic accurate joker is comical/silly + dark, whereas the dark night's joker was just way too serious ("why so serious?", lol) + dark, a very good villain character, but just not the true depiction of the joker
I personally think the animated series tv show got the joker the most accurate, comical/silly but so creepy, serious, and dark, both in his behavior, speech, mannerisms, and also his drawing-design too, just so well done, by the artists and by mark hamil in capturing the best and most accurate joker
(jack nickolas went a bit too far into the silly, and also it was really just jack nickolas being jack nikolas, and not the joker, and heath ledger, too far into the serious, whereas mark hamil, and the artists designing the joker, got the perfect mix and balance of the two, correct)
@@redmoonbloodmoon3161 Mark Hamill is animated Joker, not live-action. He doesn't count (and of course he's the best).
Watch the 1966 movie! It’s tons of fun.
Also, Joker says dropped, but to be fair, he was wearing leather gloves with blood, so he slipped
Great to see you and Caleb watching Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson
have a wonderful Monday afternoon y'all.📺🦇🦇📺
Jack set the precedent.. Everyone else just followed…☑️
10:18. Actually, the guy who hands Knox the drawing WAS originally going to be portrayed by Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, but he was too ill at the time. Look carefully at the drawing. You can see Bob Kane's autograph in the corner. Yes. He drew that.
The way Batman turns (moves his neck as if "he had a crick in his neck") is due to the fact that the mask he wears is one with the part that also covers the neck and shoulders, it's not a simple hood and that isn't detached from the neck. So the actor necessarily had to turn around like this. It has become a characteristic of Tim Burton's Batman and I find it very scenic (a bit like Robocop's movements, typical of that character in those movies).
Another curiosity about this Batman's costume: his ears were made too long, without thinking about when he enters the Batmobile. So when he's inside, with the top of the car closed, he wears another mask with shorter ears.
When you asked yourselves why the two journalists were so "ugly" on TV it was due to the fact that the Joker has now terrorized the city and since Smylex could be found in any beauty product (Batman had not yet released the combinations of the dangerous products, so any beauty product could be), the entire population no longer used these products, resulting in them being scruffy and unsuitable for being broadcast on live TV (like those two journalists, who seemed to have just woken up in the morning).
P.S.: you have to react to Prince's "Batdance" video. It's a work of art. You will recognize many of the phrases, lines and sounds from the movie, included in the video (as well as in the audio version of the song only).
Tim didn’t adapt the kill rule cause he felt cause of all the damage batman does it would be very unbelievable that he doesn’t kill
plus you had Robocop, Terminator, Rambo... killing was the right choice
Thanks, Meg! Thanks, Caleb! 🦇 Tim Burton's vision is always so distinct. I have such respect for his artistry.
The big inspiration for this film from the Batman comics was the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers run from the late 70s. Those are the comics that this movie is the most like. Especially the Joker. It's still my favorite run of Batman comics.
So the no kill rule. Back in 1939 when Batman had his first comic book run he was conceived as more of a pulp hero like the shadow or zorro and as such he was capable of killing when necessary. Then Robin debuted a year later and Fredric Wertham put out his book "Seduction of the Innocent" which was his theory that comic books were gonna be the downfall of civilization much like Jack Thompson said of video games half a century later. Wertham scared the piss out of parents so much that the comic book companies had to axe horror comics and establish the comics code authority to work a level of quality control to be suitable for children. thats when the no kill rule came into effect and thats why in the 50s and 60s Batman became cartoony and semi sci fi.
In the 70s we got a return to more mature storytelling as the comic code authority faded away because the paranoia faded away and you got stuff like The Dark Knight returns that explored more of Batman's psyche and why he refuses to kill. Tim Burton never read the comics and while the initial drafts of the script were pretty faithful to Batman comics in a lot of ways the no kill rule wasn't there because they wanted this movie to be a fun four quadrant blockbuster that they could be sure would make a buck. Also Tim Burton cared more about making a movie with his personal stylized vision than making an accurate Batman movie.
P.S meg youre not wrong about Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel. Superman has a different relationship with killing than Batman. Superman doesn't have a hard line no killing rule. Rather he prefers to exhaust every other possible option but acknowledges there may well be situations where taking a life is the only option.
When Julius Schwartz first began editing Batman in the mid 1960s he had Batman pick up a gun and the fans went nuts. He didn’t make that mistake again.
I still argue that Batman didn't mean for Joker to die. He merely wanted to keep the Joker from escaping. He didn't know the gargoyle was going to break off. But there are other parts of the movie you can't explain away so easily. Like throwing the Joker henchman down the shaft and blowing up the chemical plant. Returns is even more problematic. Its best just to see this and all Batman movies as Elseworlds tales.
@@JDoe-gf5oz It doesn't bother me. But it can be a problem for those who need things to square up with the comic book Batman.
45:54 why do they trust the joker? Have you not seen what people have done in the last 4 years? They do not avoid plagues.
Jack Nicholson wasn’t acting, he was just being himself. 😂
31:54 This was supposed to be from a spray from the chest flower, but the effects at the time were not at 2008 Two-Face levels yet. Also, per the film script, poor Alicia was forcibly on substances (she is unusually subdued onscreen).
You gotta watch Returns! It’s really Tim Burton flexing what he really wanted to do with Batman!
It's interesting that Meg asked about Stan Lee because in the early 2000s he was invited by DC Comics to reimagine their main heroes in a comic book series called "Stan Lee’s Just Imagine...". He reimagined Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other greats. Lee gave his personal touch and changed the characters' names so that the first name and surname began with the same letter, just like he did at Marvel with Peter Parker, Reed Richards, etc. His Bruce Wayne, for example, became Wayne Williams. A black man who wore a completely black uniform, without symbol, with demonic wings and a mask that was the real representation of a bat head. He looked like DC's Man Bat.
I think Jack said playing the Joler is his favorite character he's ever played because he has so many layers.
This Batman is more like Tony Stark if you think about it. ❤
this version of alfred is one of my favorites
When I was a kid, I thought the idea that the Joker was the one who killed Bruce's parents was canonical to the comics, because it made sense, thematically. Only when I saw Batman Begins did I learn that that wasn't the case.
THIS MOVIE!!!! ❤❤❤
If you do watch any Adam West Batman, I highly recommend doing the early episodes of the series and not the movie. The quality of the early episodes is way better than the movie in my opinion. The stories are essentially adapted from 50s and 60s Batman comics.