Batman (PG)



Well, this was about two hours of tonal whiplash. Which I guess is fitting, since "tonal whiplash" is a staple of both the Joker and Tim Burton. I understand the need to add comedy to relieve tension or create contrast with horror, but sometimes I couldn't tell if something was supposed to be intentionally comedic, or if it was intended to be badass but stupid in execution. The big one is Keaton's Batman costume being so restrictive he has to move his entire body to look around, and it makes him look like a poorly articulated action figure. You've also got stuff like the Bat Moon.

But how is it when I wasn't being thrown out by a tone more imbalanced than a hippo on a see-saw? Honestly, the romance between Bruce and Vicki Vale didn't do anything for me, which unfortunately eats up most of Batman's side of the story. The real star of the show is Jack Nicholson as the Joker. It helps that I could actually see him and his purple outfit, while the rest of the movie is so dark and muddy it's just shadows against shadows at times.

Rating: