I’ve been planning to start researching the “Batman” era of Prince’s life and career, and I finally watched the 1989 Tim Burton film on Sunday. I hadn’t seen it since I was little, and I didn’t remember much. I figured I’d watch the movie and then listen to Prince’s soundtrack.

It was really cool seeing Prince’s name high in the opening credits. I felt really excited for him; landing the opportunity to do the “Batman” soundtrack was likely a huge deal.

I thought the movie was decent. Jack Nicholson did a superb job as the Joker; he definitely stole the show. The “Partyman” scene was great. I wonder how much of the scene was conceived prior to Prince’s involvement. I also appreciated the purple outfit. I don’t know enough right now to determine the extent of Prince’s influence on Nicholson’s character; I still have a lot of research to do.

I didn’t see any themes in the movie that might relate to the subject matter of my book. Some say that there are parallels between the Joker character and Prince. I don’t know enough about the Joker’s psychology to offer an opinion. Burton’s movie didn’t really provide a detailed character analysis.

I’m looking forward to listening to the soundtrack from beginning to end. Prior to watching the movie, I was only familiar with “The Future,” which I love. “Trust” also stood out to me while I watched the film. I also can’t wait to listen to Peach & Black‘s analysis of the album.

Do you like Tim Burton’s first Batman movie?