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Honest Trailer - Batman (1989)

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Batman (1989) is the 142nd episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Joe Starr and Andy Signore. It parodies Tim Burton's 1989 superhero film Batman. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It was published on March 22, 2016, to coincide with the theatrical release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. This video was released at the same time as the Honest Trailer for Superman (1978) as part of a Batman vs Superman popularity contest. It is 5 minutes 57 seconds long. It has been viewed over 4.4 million times.

Watch Honest Trailers - Batman (1989) on YouTube

"So suit up for the blockbuster that seamlessly blended dark and gritty with camp, that not only created the look, feel, and music that would define Batman for years to come, but set the pace for every comic book movie to follow, from trailer hype, to merchandising, to angry fanboy backlash before the movie is even released." ~ Honest Trailers - Batman (1989)

Script[]

Get ready for the greatest Honest Trailer competition of all time: Michael Keaton's Batman vs. Christopher Reeve's Superman. Two Honest Trailers, one epic showdown. Stay tuned until the end of the trailer to see how you can determine the winner. Now, get ready for... Batman.

Before Christopher Nolan saved Batman from nipples, raves, and ice puns...

Mister Freeze: Chill!

...Tim Burton had to save him from this. (shows Adam West's Batman surfing)

Adam West's Batman: You know your neosauruses well, Robin; peanut butter sandwiches it is.

(shows Adam West's Batman dancing the Batusi)

Holy gritty reboot! Quick, to the Rebootmobile!

Tim Burton's Batman

Gear up for a movie that took the "bat" part of "Batman" pretty literally, as one man wages a war against crime in an awesome-looking Batsuit, and a severely limited range of motion. (shows Batman rigidly turning his head or eyes) Wow, that is stiff; can he even hear in that thing? Say what you want about Adam West, but at least he was able to move. (shows Batman tripping, knocking over a column of church pews)

Witness one of the best superhero castings of all time in Michael Keaton, a man so perfect for the role, his eyebrows are shaped like the logo. He's a reclusive billionaire dressed like your tenth grade English teacher, who's so unstable...

Bruce: (after smashing a vase with a poker) Now you wanna get nuts?! Come on! Let's get nuts.

...it actually feels plausible he would pretend to be a bat and beat up poor people.

Knox: I think your friend Wayne is really screwed up.

But the Batman can only be defined by his Joker, and Jack Nicholson is the definitive Joker. ...Except for Heath Ledger. Or if you're a Mark Hamill guy. And Leto looks kind of rad in Suicide Squad. You know, now that I think about it, Nicholson is kind of just doing a Cesar Romero impression. (clips comparing Cesar Romero's Joker laugh to Jack Nicholson's) You know what? Let's back this up.

But the Batman can only be defined by his Joker, and Jack Nicholson is... one of them. Watch as Jack Nicholson plays himself (montage of characters calling Jack Napier by his first name), until an accident transforms him into a slightly creepier version of himself, who laughs so much, he literally couldn't laugh any more if he tried. (montage of the Joker laughing) I think he ran out of laughing gas...

If you thought Batman had a rule against killing, you... were... wrong, as this version of the character ditches beating up criminals, and opts for straight-up murder. (shows Batman firing the Batwing's guns at Joker, but missing) Fans are ticked off he's got a gun in the new trailer? Tch! This Batman's a serial killer. (montage of Batman's kills in this film and Batman Returns)

Nick: (while being dangled off a building) Don't kill me, man!

Batman: I'm not going to kill you.

Nah, he probably is.

So suit up for the blockbuster that seamlessly blended dark and gritty with camp, that not only created the look, feel, and music that would define Batman for years to come...

Michael Keaton's Batman: (to Nick) I'm Batman.

Christian Bale's Batman: (to Falcone) I'm Batman.

...but set the pace for every comic book movie to follow, from trailer hype...

Newscaster: --the Batman trailer; it may be better than the movie that follows it.

...to merchandising...

Newscaster: --from billboards, to lunchboxes, to frisbees.

...to angry fanboy backlash before the movie is even released.

Newscaster: There was a controversy when actor Michael Keaton was cast to play Batman.

Angry Fan: In the comic, he's--he's six foot, 210.

In fact, now that I think about it, this movie checked every box in "Break the Internet" Bingo before there was even an Internet. Let's see here: "Change the Origin"... "A Controversial Lead"... "Kill the Hero's Main Villain"... "Completely Change the Costume"... Oh man, I'm on a hot streak! "Cast a Black Guy to Play a White Guy". Hey, I got Angry Internet Nerd Bingo! Do I win anything?

Starring: Battlejuice (Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman); Heeeere's Joker! (Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/The Joker); Batgirl's Uncle (Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth); You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to Be Recast in the Sequel (Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent); Jack Nicholson's Buddy That Nicholson Insisted Be in the Movie or He Wouldn't Do It (Tracey Walter as Bob the Goon); and Vicki Vale Screaming (Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale). (montage of Vicki screaming) Enough already!

Batman Burtons

for Batman (1989) - Batman Burtons. Title design by .

Honest title for Batman (1989) - Batman Burtons. Title design by Robert Holtby.

Okay, I've been trying to figure out what Joker says here for 26 years.

Joker: I'm of a mind to make some mookie.

"Eye of a mime makes a movie"?

Joker: I'm of a mind to make some mookie.

"Iodine mines make the moolah"? Ugh, this is going to bug me forever...

You've seen the Dark Knight take down the Joker; now, click on the box above to see Superman take on Lex Luthor, in this epic competition between two Honest Trailers. Are you Team Superman or Team Batman? We'll determine the winner based on the only thing that really matters: vieeewws. If the Caped Crusader gets more views, we'll make an Honest Trailer for Batman Begins; if the Man of Steel dominates, we'll do one for Superman Returns. So click on the box above to see the Honest Trailer for Superman '78, and be sure to watch and share, because the fate of Batman and Superman are in your hands.

Trivia[]

Reception[]

Honest Trailers - Batman (1989) has an 98.8% approval rating from YouTube viewers. Many media sites remarked that the Honest Trailer did a good job of putting Batman (1989) in its proper cultural context. The Nerdist wrote that Screen Junkies went pretty easy on the film and that the Honest Trailer proves "how awesome the movie is (and how much it “saved” Batman from the Adam West version)." Geeks of Doom made a similar comment, noting that the Honest Trailer reminds viewers "how terrible the Batman legacy was in the late 80s." SlashFilm found the Honest Trailer notable for discussing Batman's legacy, writing "Batman certainly has some campy elements of its own, but it’s also a comic book movie that deserves a lot of kudos for paving the way for the kind of comic book movies we have today." IndieWire appreciated the Honest Trailer's commentary on how the fan response to Batman foreshadowed “angry internet nerd" culture.

Production credits[]

Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - Batman (1989)

Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - Batman (1989)

Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey

Title design by Robert Holtby

Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner

Written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Joe Starr, and Andy Signore

Edited by Anthony Falleroni and Dan Murrell

External links[]

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