I remember the few weeks before Batman burst into the screen. I remember very well that peculiar ad that appeared on the daily newspaper. First it looked like a piece of metal. Portions of it appeared the following week, and nobody could work out what the hell it was. This was parallel to the development of the new Batman movie directed by Tim Burton.

Prior to that, my only experience with Tim Burton, the director, is through Beetlejuice, a goofy ghost movie. It starred Michael Keaton who played the wacky ghost of the title. Imagine my surprise when it was announced that Keaton will be playing Batman/Bruce Wayne. Imagine the horror it the comic fans. This, after the announcement that the movie will be dark like the most famous title of Batman comic series, Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, which practically rejuvenated the interest in Batman titles. The only consolation fans had to live with was that Jack Nicholson will be playing the Joker.

The piece of metal on the ad finally revealed itself and turned out to be the Batman logo. What the...! It coincided finally with the release of the movie. What a marketing tactic! Arousing audience's curiosity with a piece of freakin' metal.

Alas, the movie came and was a big blockbuster. Nicholson was lauded for his over the top performance as the Joker and Keaton was accepted as Bruce Wayne/Batman, though some did it grudgingly. Burton earned his due respect as a great filmmaker. And the music. Man, the music.

Check out Danny Elfman in my Film Personality section and you know what I am talking about. Batman and Batman Return are the peak platform for Elfman's career. He has been unmatched ever since.

This could be an 'Origin' movie, as fans of the comics might think of just that at the beginning of the movie. A couple and a young son walks down the dark alley and couple of muggers appear. Fans will know that that's how Bruce Wayne's parents were killed. Well, here there is a twist. Suddenly Batman appears and thwarts the muggers plans. Suddenly we know that we are in the present. There is no 'origin' stuff. We see how the Gotham City people talk about this mysterious Six-Foot Bat person terrorising the criminals and 'strike fear in their heart.' We don't see much of Batman until he grabs one bad guy by the collar and says, "I'm Batman."

Then, we are introduced to Jack Napier, and see how he becomes the joker. I loved the mob meeting scene, after he had come back as Joker.

Mob :What's with that stupid grin on your face?

Joker: Life has been good to me.

The whole scene demonstrates the sick sense of humour that is Jokers and only Nicholson can do it. The dialogue he has with the dead, electrocuted mob guy is eerie, funny and horrifying. Many, who found the movie disappointing, lauded only Nicholson's performance. Well, I beg to differ. Not that Nicholson is not good, he is terrific. But Keaton was equally good as Bruce Wayne/Batman. As one critic pointed out, his role is split between this two that we feel he was not given enough screen time. If we saw those two different characters individually, I think Keaton did a wonderful job. It is so because of the split personality thing that was used for good purposes and explains Batman/'s existence. Keaton's is not the comic book Batman. Gone are the images of the square jawed, super good looking Bruce Wayne of the cartoon and TV series (?). Here, he could be an everyman. A man with a chip in his shoulder. A man who could be every bit as crazy as the Joker himself, but also has a strong sense of self-control. Keaton's portrays that very well.

The real hero of this movie is the art direction. I have never seen anything on big screen like Gotham City. Its eerie, cultural and completely out of this world. The clothing fashion is a cross between the noirish 30's and 40's and the 'yuppie' ish 80s. To lend to the bizzareness of this world where a man dresses up as bat to fight crime and his nemesis with screwed up face, Burton and his scriptwriter added plenty of other interesting character, which included Jack Palance as Jack Napier/Joker's well, ex-boss.

The downside? Kim Bassinger. Does she has to scream all the time. How Bruce Wayne can fall for her is beyond. Well, he is a playboy after all.

Batman was one of the biggest box office draw that year. Sequel was inevitable. Till then, and for a long time, I have and will revisit this wonderful movie..