BATMAN
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Tim Burton's BATMAN, inspired by Frank Miller's graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns," is a Gothic, Wagnerian treatment of the Batman mythos that explains the origins of Batman (Michael Keaton) and his nemesis, the maniacal Joker (a ripe Jack Nicholson).
Gotham City is a sunless, ominous
haven for criminals, held in the corrupt grip of crime boss Carl Grissom (the
ever-magnetic Jack Palance), and terrorized by a sadistic vandal and murderer
known as The Joker. But it isn't long before a dark, mysterious caped crusader,
who goes by the name of BATMAN, is on their trail and trying to thwart their
evil doings. In this darkly entertaining retelling of the DC comic classic,
ace photojournalist Vicki Vale (warmly and sympathetically played by Kim Basinger)
is also on the trail--she wants to find out who Batman really is. Based on
the popular comic book character created by Bob Kane for DC Comics; the story
and tone have nothing in common with the popular TV series of the 1960s. Imaginative
special effects and imposing, Gothic architectural sets dominate this visually
graphic, stylish film. Keaton gives a brooding performance as the Caped Crusader
and his interestingly understated alter-ego Bruce Wane. But is it Nicholson's
Joker that steals the show, with his unnerving, brilliantly maniacal portrayal,
especially in the context of his twisted relationship with Grissom's gal Alicia
(a lanky, disquieting Jerry Hall).
Genres: Action/Adventure and Science Fiction/Fantasy
Running Time: 2 hrs. 6 min.
Release Date: June 23, 1989 Nationwide.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributor: Warner Brothers
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Memorable Quotes from
Batman (1989)
The Joker: Haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?
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The Joker: I've been dead once already; it's very liberating. You might think
of it as... therapy.
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The Joker: I have given a name to my pain, and it is Batman.
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Joker: Hello, Vinny. It's your Uncle Bingo. Time to pay the check!
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Alfred Pennyworth: I have little desire to spend my few remaining years grieving
for the loss of old friends. Or their sons.
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Knox: You know what they say? They say he can't be killed. They say he drinks
blood. They say...
Eckhardt: And I say... you're full of shit, Knox. Oh, uh, you can quote me
on that.
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Jack Napier: Decent people shouldn't live here; they'd be happier someplace
else.
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Vicki Vale: You're insane!
Joker: I thought I was a Pisces!
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The Joker: Where does he get those wonderful toys?
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The Joker: [reciting his poem to Vicki] I'm only laughing on the outside /
My smile is just skin deep / If you could see inside I'm really crying / You
might join me for a weep.
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The Joker: Bruce... Wayne, n'est-ce pas?
Bruce Wayne: Most of the time.
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[Batman dangles a mugger over the side of a building]
Nic: Don't kill me! Don't kill me, man! Don't kill me! Don't kill me, man!
Batman: I'm not going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you
to tell all your friends about me.
Nic: What are you?
Batman: I'm Batman.
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Bruce Wayne: [as Vicki Vale walks out of hearing towards front door after
door bell rings] I'm Batman, I'm Batman
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The Joker: The pen, is truly mightier than the sword!
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Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent: We received a letter from Batman. 'Citizens of Gotham.
Gotham City has earned a rest from crime. But should the forces of evil rise
again to cast a shadow on the heart of the city, call me.'
Alexander Knox: Question. How do we call him?
Commissioner Jim Gordon: He gave us a signal.
[Commissioner Gordon activates the Bat Signal]
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Vicki Vale: Mr. Joker, you make such beautiful things, ohh, you're so powerful,
and PURPLE ohh I love purple.
Batman: Excuse me.
[Joker looks]
Batman: Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moon light?
[Punches him]
Batman: I'm going to kill you!
The Joker: You IDIOT! You made me. Remember, you dropped me into that vat
of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't
try.
Batman: I know you did.
[Punches him]
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The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil by
the pale moonlight?
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The Joker: Never rub another man's rhubarb.
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The Joker: Gotham City. Always brings a smile to my face.
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[Jack Napier is confronted with Batman for the first time]
Jack Napier: Nice outfit!
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[Joker gives someone a hand and electrocutes him]
Joker: Oh, I got a live one here!
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Vicki Vale: I've just got to know. Are we gonna try and love each other?
Bruce Wayne: I'd like to. But he's out there right now. And I've got to go
to work.
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[the Joker sees a picture of Vicki Vale]
Jack Napier: Stop the press, who is that?
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Vicki Vale: Some people think you're as dangerous as the Joker.
Batman: He's psychotic.
Vicki Vale: Some people say the same about you.
Batman: What people?
Vicki Vale: Well, face it. You're not exactly normal, are you?
Batman: This isn't exactly a normal world, is it?
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The Joker: Now comes the part where I relieve you, the little people, of the
burden of your failed and useless lives. But remember, as my plastic surgeon
always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile.
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Batman: You killed my parents.
The Joker: What? What? What are you talking about?
Batman: I made you, you made me first.
The Joker: Give me a break. I was a kid when I killed your parents. When I
say "I made you" you gotta say "you made me." How childish
can you get?
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Batman: I'm going to kill you!
The Joker: You IDIOT! You made me. Remember, you dropped me into that vat
of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't
try.
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The Joker: And now, folks, it's time for "Who do you trust!" Hubba,
hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free
money. And where is the Batman? HE'S AT HOME WASHING HIS TIGHTS!
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Vicki Vale: What do you want?
The Joker: My face on the one dollar bill.
Vicki Vale: You must be joking.
The Joker: Do I look like I'm joking?
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[Last lines]
Alfred Pennyworth: I thought champagne would be in order, ma'am.
Vicki Vale: Hi, Alfred.
Alfred Pennyworth: Mr. Wayne told me to tell you that he might be a little
late.
Vicki Vale: I'm not a bit surprised.
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The Joker: New and improved Joker products! With a new secret ingredient:
Smylex.
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[Jack is primping in front of a mirror]
Alicia: You look fine.
Jack Napier: I didn't ask.
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[the Joker reveals himself for the first time]
The Joker: Jack is dead, my friend. You can call me... Joker. And as you can
see, I'm a lot happier!
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The Joker: My balloons. Those are my balloons. He stole my balloons! Why didn't
anyone tell me he had one of those... things? Bob, gun.
[Bob hands him a gun, Joker shoots him]
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The Joker: Joker here. Now you fellas have said some pretty mean things. Some
of which were true, under that fiend Boss Grissom. He was a thief, and a terrorist.
One the other hand he had a tremendous singing voice. He's dead now, and he's
left me in charge. Now, I can be theatrical, and maybe even a little rough
- but one thing I am not, is a KILLER. I am an artist. I LOVE a good party.
So, truce. Commence au festival!
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[the Batwing is flying at Joker]
The Joker: Ah, come on you gruesome, son of a bitch! Come to me. Ha ha, come
on!
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The Joker: Darling, I've got to get you to the church on time.
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The Joker: What kind of a world is this where a man dressed as a bat gets
ALL MY PRESS? This town needs an enema!
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Commissioner Jim Gordon: This is Commissioner Gordon! I want him taken alive!
I repeat: Any man who opens fire on Jack Napier will answer to me!
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[the Joker reads the newspaper]
The Joker: "Winged freak terrorizes"? Wait'll they get a load of
ME!
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The Joker: Who's this loss?
Bob the Goon: This is Knox, the reporter.
The Joker: Bad tie.
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The Joker: You set me up over a woman, a WOMAN! You must be insane...
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Batman: You weighed a little more than a hundred and eight.
Vicki Vale: Oh really!
Batman: Let's go.
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Vicki Vale: I'm reading your stuff.
Alexander Knox: Well, I'm reading yours.
Vicki Vale: Hi! I'm Vicki Vale.
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Jack Napier: So gentlemen, that's how it is. Until Grissom, uh resurfaces,
I'm the acting President, and I say starting with this anniversary festival,
we run the city into the ground.
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Joker: I now do what other people only dream. I make art until someone dies.
See? I am the world's first fully functioning homicidal artist.
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Jack Napier: Hey Eckhardt, think about the future!
[Shoots him]
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The Joker: Why, Eckhardt, you ought to think about the future.
Eckhardt: You mean when you run this show? You ain't got no future, Jack.
You're an A-1 nut boy, and Grissom knows it.
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Joker: At midnight, I will dump twenty million in cash on the crowd. Don't
worry about me, I have enough.
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Joker: As though we were made for each other... Beauty and the Beast. Of course,
if anyone else calls you beast, I'll rip their lungs out.
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Alexander Knox: Why don't they call him Bruce Vain?
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Mugger: I'm tellin'you man, the Giant Bat!
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The Joker: It can be truly said, that I have a bat in my belfry.
[laughs]
The Joker: Shall we dance?
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The Joker: Sometimes I just kill myself!
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Batman: See that thing on my belt? Grab it! Whatever you do, don't let go.
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Eddie: I heard that the Bat got him.
Nic: The Bat? Oh, man. Gimme a break, will you?
Eddie: Five stories... straight down. There wasn't no blood in the body.
Nic: No shit. It was all over the pavement.
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Rotelli: What's with that stupid grin?
The Joker: Life's been good to me.
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Batman: Let me tell you about this guy I know. Jack. Mean kid. Bad seed. Hurt
people.
The Joker: I like him already.
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Bruce Wayne: You want to get nuts? Come on! Lets get nuts!
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[after revealling his latest "work", Alicia]
The Joker: Well, I'm no Picasso, but do you like it?
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Joker: Antoine got a little hot on the collar.
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The Joker: It's time to retire! Feel free to drop dead!
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The Joker: Hey you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses on, would you? Huh?
[Batman punches him]
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The Joker: We have a flying mouse to kill, and I wanna clean my claws.
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The Joker: They don't make 'em like they used to, hey Batsy!
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[Upon entering the museum]
Joker: Gentlemen! Let's broaden our minds. Lawrence?
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[Alicia sees Jack as the Joker for the first time]
Joker: Honey, you'll never believe what happened to me today.
[Alicia faints]
Joker: Huh.
[chuckles]
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Bruce Wayne: Y'see, my life is really com-PLEX.
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[to Rotelli's charred and smoldering corpse]
Joker: Your pals, uh, they're not bad people. Maybe we, uh, outta give them
a couple of days to think it over.
[shakes head]
Joker: No?
[looks surprised]
Joker: Grease 'em now? Well, OK. You are a vicious bastard Rotelli, and, uh,
I'm glad you're dead!
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Grissom: Jack, it's an important job. I need someone I can trust. You... are
my number one... guy!
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Joker: Bob, I want you to go down to the globe. Follow that reporter Knox.
Take your camera. See what he know about this Batman. And Bob...
[imitates Grisson]
Joker: Remember... you... are my number one... guy!
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Joker: Have you shipped a million of those things?
Scientist at Axis Chemicals: Yes sir!
Joker: Ship 'em ALL! We're gonna take 'em out a WHOLE NEW DOOR!
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Jack Napier: Brought you a little snack, Eckhardt.
[it's a wad of bills between two pieces of bread]
Eckhardt: Why don't you just broadcast it?
Jack Napier: Shut up.
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The Joker: Bob, I'm of a mind to make some mookie.
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Alexander Knox: [seeing Vicki for the first time] Hello legs!
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Alexander Knox: [observing one of Wayne's odd sculptures] Check this out!
He must have been "King of the Wicker People".
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Vicki Vale: What about your family?
Bruce Wayne: Actually, Alfred is my family.
Vicki Vale: You know, this house and all this stuff really doesn't seem like
you at all.
Bruce Wayne: Some of it is very much me. Some of it isn't.
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Alfred Pennyworth: Miss Vale telephoned. She was rather concerned. Dare I
suggest that your present course of action might only strengthen her resolve.
She is quite tenacious.
Bruce Wayne: You're right about that.
Alfred Pennyworth: And if I may say so, quite special. Perhaps you could try
telling her the truth.
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[about one of his statues]
Bruce Wayne: It's Japanese.
Knox: How do you know that?
Bruce Wayne: Because I bought it in Japan.
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The Joker: Bob? Gun.
[Bob hands him the gun - Joker shoots him, then sighs]
The Joker: I'm gonna need some time alone, boys.
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Vicki Vale: What do you want?
The Joker: Oh, Little song, little dance. Batman's head on a lance.
