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Batman
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Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 145 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton
  • Summary: Tim Burton's 1989 Blockbuster introduces us to the origins of Gotham City's fearless crimestopper Batman (Keaton) and his arch-enemy The Joker (Nicholson).

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    100
    It's a rare, beautifully made movie that offers you another world. [23 June 1989, Daily Datebook, p.E1]
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  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Andrew Collins
    80
    Jack Nicholson as The Joker helpfully provides all the colour.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Non Credited)
    60
    Despite its interesting, grim tone and undeniably striking visuals from director Burton and production designer Furst, the film fails to synthesize its strengths into a compelling whole.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Sheila Benson
    30
    The Joker has been demoted into a broad-scale sociopath, without a tempter's power or a mythic villain's complexity. And that's the movie's real undoing. [23 June 1989, Calendar, p.6-1]
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See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 48
  3. Negative: 6 out of 48
  1. Edmundo6190
    9
    By no means is this is a
  2. Compi24
    8
    An excellently written and technically superb action film, featuring one of the greatest turns of the titular character by way of Michael Keaton.
  3. Necromus
    7
    This movie was alright and had some great actors in it but I think it is overrated. People say they like this movie because Tim Burton put a very dark spin on it, but personally I did not find it to be that dark. Maybe it is because it had a top-40 Artist (formerly known as? currently known as?) Prince doing the soundtrack along with a cheesy medley song with samples from the movie playing regularly on top 40 radio. Maybe it was because it was being promoted by fast-food franchises like McDonalds/Burger King (don't remember which). In any case it seemed really mainstream in many ways that a Tim Burton film usually isn't. It was, at least, definitely better than the 3rd and 4th sequels to come when the torch was passed to Joel Schumacher. Jack Nicholson has an interesting interpretation of The Joker. It is worth watching but overrated.… Expand
  4. Riren
    4
    Good for children and little more, Tim Burton's vision of Gotham is underwhelming. Every set is either boring or art designed to death. The score is legendary, but can't save the wooden acting of all but one cast member - Jack Nicholson, who turns in an all-time great performance as the villain, the Joker. He gleefully steals every scene he's in, and thank goodness for him. The action is overwrought and cloying. Worse, several of its plot decisions (no spoilers here) became cliches that ruined several other franchises, including this one.… Expand

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