There are misguided souls who will tell you that Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) is the first time Batman is a detective, and first as film noir. Revisiting Tim Burton’s 1989 original makes all those claims look incredibly silly. It also confirms Reeves’ film is a hackish, boring mess.
But Batman (1989) has it all. Excitement, romance, action, and the best and most entertaining Joker of all time (better than Ledger and Phoenix by far). It stands heads and shoulders above all other Batman films, because it’s the closest in form and content to an actual comic book.
The colors, the action, the over the top performances are straight from the best Batman adventures of my youth. Even the Nolan films - which have their own James Bond like pleasures, do not match the pure gothic pulp of Burton’s direction and Elfman’s score.
But considering that our current screen Batman is an emo-incompetent - who can’t fight, solve crimes, or save Gotham from a villain who got his entire shtick from Seven - the 1989 original’s status as a genre masterpiece is fully secure.
I must admit, The Batman didn't leave a particularly strong or lasting impression on me. At least, not compared to Batman (without 'The').
With a villain who lacked presence and charisma, and a climax that amounted to a brawl against random goons rather than a proper confrontation with the main antagonist, it’s just not very memorable. It’s not a bad film by any means; it’s perhaps just a bit too grounded compared to the others, whereas Batman stories usually lean into the sheer eccentricity of his rogues gallery.
Does it deserve a rewatch? Sure. But it won't be getting nearly as many from me as the others do.