My schedule for watching movies and series from the '80s and' 90s didn't quite go well. I had too many responsibilities, I had to read the entire, large and complicated book by Jacek Bartosiak, and I was not able to feel the atmosphere. I limited myself to playing "Half Life 1", watching a season 1 track of "Beavis and Butthead" and trying to watch a few movies. I didn't like any of them after 20 minutes of screening, so I decided to reach for my 100% private movie list. The ones that I really wanted to watch (because the movies I wrote about in the first sentence are the titles recommended to me by my colleagues, friends). Irritated, I reached for a title that I will definitely watch until the end - whether I like it or not. I've never been a fan of this movie, especially when I was a child and teenager, it seemed funny to me. I've never seen it in its entirety, only fragments on TV. Batman hardly moves, Nicholson's acting was unacceptable to me for most of my life, not exactly the Knight of the Night I knew - he was too down to earth in my opinion. For years, however, I have been able to distinguish between facts and emotions. I am also able to watch the entire movie (series or anime), if it is highly praised by my relatives, whose opinion is important to me. Even if this genre does not suit me at all. For this reason, for several years I have been catching up with titles that were very important to people I could call my peers. I want to see if I like them and if I can consider them good.
And let me tell you this ... I'm still not a fan of it, but I appreciate it and I like it in my own way. Mostly because I needed an antidote for today's Marvel, DC and recently Sony movies. It is true that the third studio bothers me the least, because their productions are the closest to the old times (except for those created in collaboration with Disney), but I am still irritated by modernity. I wanted to see an image when the creators had to use more of the practical special effects of those years and less of CGI. I wanted to see something from a different era, with all its advantages and disadvantages. I was also curious what the work inspired by the creators of "Batman The Animated Series" looks like. I was surprised a few times very positively, for example with how well this film reflects comics. Ie. Bruce Wayne's personality, his relationship with women, Alfred, who he fought with (before the '90s, Batman fought more often with ordinary gangsters than with some mutants or threats from outside the Earth). Or other things I've seen in different art forms, lots of easter eggs for comic book fans. I don't know comics, I didn't read any, but for years this was the image of this hero in other media + many years later, I found out from UncleMroowy (I recommend this channel on YT) that it was more or less the same in comics. Even though it's not a super faithful adaptation, I think the creators did a good job in this aspect. Batman and Joker by Keaton and Nicholson were well brought to the big screen. For better or worse, all their essential features are shown. Especially in the case of the Joker - it was one of the few situations where I did not see a madman who did not scare me (you probably will disagree with that - well, my opinion), but a truly dangerous bandit. Although he has his abnormal behavior, he showed that he should be afraid. It is a bit worse with Bruce and his alter-ego. It's far from my favorite incarnation of this hero, but it's ok - I have no reason to complain other than "I just don't like it." Except for this armor, which makes the scenes in which he moves or fights numb. Well, I accept it, anyway.
I was also surprised by how much I liked the late '80s atmosphere of this movie. I expected it to bother me, but it was completely the opposite. It gave me pure, unfettered joy to observe it, although it was more like visiting a nice museum. Forgive me, but I can't treat this movie differently - I liked this style (well, I can even say that I am infatuated with it!), I could even watch the sequels, I watched it with genuine curiosity, but apart from the character of the Joker, I am not able to watch it seriously. It reminds me more of a much lighter version of "Batman Forever", but incomparably better made. Everything is so exaggerated for me - the appearance of the characters, the surroundings (those giant pipes, valves, policemen, Batman is too "heavy" for his armor that restricts his movements), Bruce Wayne, who is completely unconvincing to me as a warrior of justice .. I can't find a valid reason to complain, it just doesn't appeal to me. In "The Animated Series" it was different, but in cartoons everything looks better (and the creators have more possibilities). Batman is faster, more sinister, Bruce is closer to a playboy than just a cute and charming charmer ("my" Bruce is also like that, but the one from Michael Keaton is IMO more clumsy), the Joker, the Batmobile, his fighter and Alfred they also made a better impression on me, but again - I am referring here to the fact that it is easier to embellish it in a cartoon, so I do not take these arguments into account. Nevertheless, I repeat - even if I complain about these things, I like them, but I cannot understand the delight of my colleagues, mates and friends.
When it comes to music, I have absolutely no reason to complain. Danny Elfman made the best cinematic OST for a movie about this character I've ever heard. This is an understatement - no one is even able to compete with him, it's like a big guy (but without much experience in a street fight, for example) is trying to compete with an experienced MMA fighter. No kidding, please - Danny has no one to compete with. Anyway, this soundtrack was so good that Batman's theme was used to compose the opening credits of TAS (BTW, this is probably the only piece that I value more than the composer's work from that production). From what I think, some of the songs were also inspired by it, as well as the whole atmosphere of the series, which is much more suited to this soundtrack than the movie from 89.
In short, I played like an adult child. Two things in particular - The Joker, which finally stopped looking like a cheap cosplay to me (yes, you can already pile up to burn me on top of it), and I began to respect him like Jared Leto, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Hamill ( especially the two at the end) and differences from "today's" lore, Batman's "rogue gallery" and the way Gotham + its inhabitants are portrayed. Sometimes I would like to go back to those times and taste it in prime time ... Anyway, if, like me, you have not yet seen this movie by some miracle, then it is worth catching up. From the production side, I have nothing to complain about, except for short and artificial scenes with Batman (a similar problem was in the case of James Cameron's "Alien") - I think that every aspect could be at least 7/10. When it comes to effects, battle scenes, Batmobile etc. I'm not delighted with them, but from the perspective of those times, it looked at least good again. I suspect the fans and the kids were as fucking happy as people today are waiting for the new "The Batman" or an important episode of the MCU cinematic series. Overall, I had a very nice time, so I will not hesitate to watch the sequel right after writing this text.
