--- title: "Batman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/batman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/batman" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Batman (1989): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 13 reviews: 8 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics respond favourably to Tim Burton’s Batman, with praise clustering around its gothic Gotham City, imposing sets and dark comic-strip atmosphere. The reviews repeatedly credit Burton with giving the material a distinctive visual style, while several also admire the score and the use of sound and image to suggest character. Michael Keaton’s haunted restraint and Jack Nicholson’s expansive Joker draw substantial praise, though Nicholson’s dominance is not universally welcomed. The spread is wide: admirers find the imagery and performances compelling despite script weaknesses, while detractors see an unfocused story with too little suspense or emotional depth. The Guardian argues that Nicholson overwhelms the film and pushes it towards parody; Time Out welcomes his humour but finds Keaton’s Batman underdeveloped. The central disagreement is how much the atmosphere compensates for the plotting, with even several sceptical reviews acknowledging the strength of Gotham’s design. ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 July 1989. Burton has given the material a look, tone, and eerie intensity that goes beyond pulp into a powerfully glamorous spectacle with potent images and a poetic quality. The film captures the romantic flight of the Batman myth through its nightmarish Gotham City and strong visual stylization, despite some script shortcomings. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/07/10/the-city-gone-psycho) ## Radio Times — John Ferguson Rating 4/5. The critic praises Burton for taking Batman into dark comic-strip nightmare while weaving an arresting tale with Shakespearean irony, capturing Bob Kane's spirit in a sophisticated film noir with black humour and creepy images. Singles out the performances of Keaton and Nicholson placed in the same psychological bracket, and the impressive Gotham City set. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-95k8rv/batman/) ## The AV Club — Tom Breihan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2018. The critic highlights how the film stands out for its distinctive visual sensibility and personal directorial vision despite some pacing and plotting issues. Burton's gothic Gotham City design and the performances, particularly Jack Nicholson's Joker, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tim-burton-played-fast-and-loose-with-the-caped-crusade-1822743661) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 1989. The review calls the film the most intelligent adaptation ever made from a comic book, crediting Tim Burton with restoring the dark, serious tone of the original 1939 creation and dispelling the camp of the 1960s TV series. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/article/batman-0wkc6bbz7k6) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1988. Burton effectively echoes the visual style of the original comics while conjuring a nightmarish world of his own, with strong visual stylization and film-noir influences. Keaton captures the haunted intensity of Batman, Nicholson steals scenes as the Joker in a masterpiece of sinister comic acting, and the film will appeal to purists. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/batman-2-1200428063/) ## Slant Magazine — Kenji Fujishima Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 2014. The critic finds Burton's version compelling for its expressionistic use of sound and image to convey character and theme. The operatic score, surreal Gotham design, and broad acting style are noted as key elements that complement later interpretations like Nolan's. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-89-batman/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 1989. The film is a triumph of design over story, with a visually distinctive Gotham City but a plot and characters that fail to engage. Burton excels at creating an atmospheric noir-inspired world, but the movie lacks suspense, fun, and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/batman-1989) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 1989. The critic praises the striking visual design of Gotham City as a dark, Blade Runner-inspired urban hellscape that suits Burton's serious take on the material. However, Jack Nicholson's flamboyant, scene-stealing performance as the Joker overwhelms the film, turning it into parody and leaving Michael Keaton's Batman in the shade. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,558607,00.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 1989. Burton turns his back on camp to create a menacing atmosphere and shiveringly dense, poetic Gotham City with strong production design and score. The screenplay flops about and is disastrously low on wit, leaving the characters without a fighting chance. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-23-ca-2570-story.html) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 1989. The movie is an elaborate but shapeless reincarnation of the comic-book character that meanders from one image to the next without sustaining its vision. Production design is evocative, but the story and title character remain underwhelming despite strong performances from Nicholson and Keaton. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/23/movies/review-film-nicholson-and-keaton-do-battle-in-batman.html) ## Time Out — DW Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2011. The review finds the film plotless and unfocused like Dune, held together by sets and Burton's flair, but abandons promising angles for a slugging match; praises Nicholson's Joker for stealing the movie with humour, complains about Keaton's Batman lacking depth in the suit and Basinger's over-inflated role. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/batman) ## Empire — Andrew Collins 1 January 1989. The critic calls it the best and deepest Batman film, praising Tim Burton's Gothic vision before it turned campier, Anton Furst's astonishing set design, Michael Keaton's slightly dotty Bruce Wayne, and Jack Nicholson's unrestrained, showboating performance as the Joker that dominates the gloomy expressionist world. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/batman-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Ron Pennington 23 June 1989. The critic praises the film as a stunning achievement thanks to Tim Burton's unique visualization. The surrealistic visual style of Gotham City and strong performances, especially by Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, stand out as major strengths. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/batman-thrs-1989-review-801339/) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating A-. 16 June 2023. The critic calls Michael Keaton the definitive Batman and praises the film as one of the best in the genre due to its cohesive vision. Burton's distinctive gothic Gotham, practical sets, and the contrasting performances of Keaton and Jack Nicholson as the Joker are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/batman-1989-movie-review/) ## Paste — Kenneth Lowe Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2019. The piece positions the film as the key work that established the dark, gothic tone for modern Batman depictions and launched the superhero movie boom. It singles out Burton's twisted, Expressionist Gotham City and its atmospheric influence on later adaptations for particular note. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/batman/autumn-classics-batman-1989) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/batman.md