"Batman" isn't good vs. evil, but a showdown of freaks!? What was Tim Burton aiming for?

Batman Synopsis

Batman is a hero who eliminates bad guys one after another in Gotham City, where evil is rampant. In order to discover its true identity, news photographer Vicky begins an investigation with reporter Knox in tow. Meanwhile, Batman confronts Jack, a villain who attacked a chemical factory, and Jack falls into the poisonous liquid waste and seems to have died...but he is revived as the Joker! Joker, with a creepy smile plastered on his pure white face, burns with revenge on Batman.

Index

• A blockbuster, unconventional hero action movie
• Tim Burton focuses on the dual nature of the hero
• Two geniuses who made the film great
• The story of Batman and the Joker continues to deepen

A blockbuster, unconventional hero action movie

It's been a while since hero action movies based on American comics have been released in rapid succession. When looking for the origins of these American comic blockbusters, one cannot avoid the 1989 film "Batman" directed by Tim Burton. This film, which features DC Comics' popular hero Batman as the main character, earned over $250 million at the box office in the United States, beating out " Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade " which earned $190 million, to become the biggest hit of the year. It was later made into a series, with three films made in the 1990s.

In Japan, the film was released in December of the same year as a much-talked-about New Year's movie, grossing 3.4 billion yen. It didn't reach the success of Back to the Future Part II, which was released at the same time, but it was still a good performance considering that the character of Batman was not as well known as it was in America at the time. On the other hand, this film helped Batman become widely recognized as a hero in Japan as well.

"Batman" preview

A mysterious masked and costumed man suddenly appears in the crime-ridden city of Gotham City, defeating villains. Female cameraman Vicki and a reporter chase this bat-like man. His true identity is young businessman Bruce Wayne. At the same time that he met Vicki and fell in love with her, the Joker, who killed the big boss in the underworld, seized power and was threatening to plunge Gotham into chaos. Bruce, aka Batman, challenges him to a fateful showdown with this monster.

If you just follow the outline, it seems like a morality tale, but as anyone who has seen the movie knows, the content is not that simple. It doesn't have the refreshing aftertaste that an entertaining action movie should have, like the 1978 DC-original superhero action movie " Superman ." To put it simply, it's "dark." But it was well-received, as the box office results show. In this article, we will trace how this unusual superhero action movie was shaped.

Tim Burton focuses on the dual nature of the hero