Opened: June 23, 1989

Directed by: Tim Burton

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance, Jerry Hall, Tracey Walter, Lee Wallace & William Hootkins

Compared to the post-2000 Batmans, Tim Burton’s film looks and feels much more like a comic with its strong, yet over-the-top performances.

Set up by his crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance), Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) falls into a vat of chemicals while fighting Batman (Michael Keaton). He survives and after cosmetic surgery, he becomes the Joker. Batman must take down the Joker, who replaces Grissom as the major crime lord in Gotham.

Bringing in Academy Award winner Nicholson to play the Joker was a strong move for this film. Playing into the campiness of the villain, his energy shows the psychotic Joker in a funny light that we don’t get to see anymore.

There’s not much realism in the film. The sets, though incredible, look fake. However, that allows for the comic book feel.

Final say: A nostalgic Batman. ★★★★☆