A special one-night-only screening of Tim Burton's «Batman» gave at least one moviegoer a fresh appreciation for the 1989 blockbuster, which returned to theaters for Batman Day at a Regal Cinemas location. The film, unseen by the writer since childhood VHS viewings, proved to be a revelation on the big screen — visually stunning, surprisingly dark, and far more tightly constructed than its tortured development history might suggest.
The theatrical experience revealed details that home video had long obscured. The grimy, smoke-filled, vaguely Dickensian Gotham City, the writer noted, is best appreciated in a pitch-black theater on the widest possible screen, with the original film print allowing audiences to absorb its intricate production design. The VHS copy, by contrast, did the movie «no justice whatsoever.»
Burton's film, which clocks in at under 120 minutes, wastes no dialogue and carries not «an ounce of fat,» according to the account. That lean efficiency stands in contrast to its famously difficult gestation. The first script was reportedly written in 1983 — six years before release — and passed through multiple writers, including a 30-page treatment from Burton's then-girlfriend, before Warner Bros. executives were finally satisfied. The result, however, justified the struggle.
Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker drew particular praise. The writer called him «an absolute delight,» arguing the film does not work without him — a fact reflected in Nicholson's healthy cut of the profits and his possession of the script's best lines, including the memorable «Never rub another man's rhubarb.» The role, which earned no Oscar nomination, showcased a range the writer had underappreciated as a child, distinguishing Nicholson's Joker from his equally unhinged Jack Torrance in «The Shining.»
Michael Keaton's turn as Batman and Bruce Wayne also earned strong marks. Keaton, previously typecast as a comedy actor, was initially met with fan groans when his casting was announced. Yet his Bruce Wayne emerges as a rather normal man — absent-minded, a little awkward, but intelligent and charming — making it understandable why Vicki Vale falls for him. The writer described Keaton's interpretation as perhaps the softest incarnation of the character ever put on screen, with the actor still deploying comedic instincts but in a more subtle, subdued register.
Danny Elfman's score was singled out as instantly iconic, hummable on the way out of the theater, and notably free of the «Elfmanisms» that the writer said clutter much of the composer's recent work. The fight choreography, however, received a small ding. The final battle between Batman and the Joker works fine and is well directed, with a waltz from Elfman adding humorous contrast to the violence, but the fighting itself is weak. The writer acknowledged the era — 1989, a decade before «The Matrix» — and noted that Burton has never been especially strong at action sequences.
The screening also highlighted Burton's broader career trajectory. The writer, never a devoted Burton fan but familiar with his work through an older sister, found it fascinating that Burton struggled as a Disney animator yet carved out a niche as a reliable company director who delivers films on time with modest returns. «Batman» is the film that made that reputation possible, granting him the credit to become that dependable studio figure.
In the end, the writer awarded the film a 9 out of 10, calling the theatrical rewatch a joy and a reminder of why the movie was a game changer for superhero cinema.