In crafting Tim Burton’s 1989 hit movie Batman, I took great care not to simply follow the script to please fans or stick to the original tone and characters. Instead, I focused on constructing a film that was solid and well-made. Despite the complexity of blockbuster productions, even those with massive budgets, they can still be prone to errors, just like small indie films. With Batman, however, the intricate process seemed almost flawless, making it hard to spot any mistakes.
However, just because there aren’t obvious flaws doesn’t mean they don’t exist. We’re going to highlight them now, and once you spot them, you might find it hard to ignore them from then on. From misspelled character names to inconsistencies in continuity, these are the oversights that slipped through during the production of Batman.
1) A Disappearing (and Reappearing) Popcorn Bowl
Approximately 82 minutes into the film, the Joker makes an appearance at Vicki Vale’s apartment. Unsure of how to react, she picks up a popcorn bowl instead. While it might not be the most sensible option in the room, it was what she chose in the moment.
In the movie, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger’s scenes are intercut, showing her sometimes holding a popcorn bowl and other times not. It seems more reasonable for her to put the bowl down and not pick it up again since she doesn’t appear to be using it. However, she doesn’t do that. Instead, there’s a continuity error, which is less noticeable than if Michael Keaton had picked up and put down the fire poker during the “You wanna get nuts?!” scene and Joker’s reaction. Still, it’s a continuity mistake in the film.
2) A Changing Frame
In the scene where Joker broadcasts his message to Gotham City, intended as a direct challenge to Batman, there’s a inconsistency or plot hole when viewed from Bruce Wayne’s point of view.
In a simpler, more conversational style: Inside his Batcave, Bruce is reflecting on his next step while watching TV and noticing the connection between Jack Napier and the Joker. When he pauses the video, he sees a picture of the Joker without makeup, with closed eyes. Later, when looking at the TV from Bruce’s perspective, the Joker’s eyes are open even though the broadcast is still paused. Unless Bruce briefly played the video again before pausing it once more, this seems like an anomaly in the footage.
3) Does Bob Teleport?
As Bob and the mimes move towards Gotham City Hall, we observe Bob snapping some photos. Later, Bob displays these pictures to Joker, but it’s only one picture that catches Joker’s attention – a photo of Vicki Vale. However, there’s a discrepancy: while Bob was standing on Vicki’s right side at the time, the image appears to have been taken from her left side instead.
4) Joker’s Bloodshot Eyes
The fight at Gotham Cathedral in the Batman movie stands out for its thrilling action, dramatic music, and suspenseful moments like the Joker making Vicki Vale dance while brandishing a fake gun with a “BANG!” flag. The scene also features a fittingly eerie atmosphere. Notably, one of the Joker’s henchmen foolishly leaps from a balcony, assuming the aged, creaky wood below would support him. However, he ends up going straight through it instead, highlighting the scene’s unexpected twists and turns.
The mistake in this scene isn’t what you might think – it’s actually related to the Joker’s eyes. In close-ups during the scene where the gargoyle statue falls from Gotham Cathedral and pulls the Joker towards his doom, his eyes are shown to be bloodshot red. However, once he lands on the ground with the toy laughing mouth by his side, his eyes have turned white. One possible explanation for this change is trauma, which the Joker may have suffered during his fight with Batman. It’s worth noting that when a person dies, there is an initial physiological response where the pupils dilate due to muscle relaxation. So while the Joker’s eyes wouldn’t have remained bloodshot after death, the shot of him on the ground was taken immediately after his fall, so there would still be some residual redness in his eyes.
5) A Gas-Proof Open Window?
Throughout the movie, Vicki successfully avoids Joker’s lethal laughing gas on multiple occasions. The first instance is at the art museum, followed by another escape during the final act. In the third act, she protects herself with a mask and also manages to evade the gas by quickly getting into a car. However, even as she enters the vehicle, she remains vulnerable to the gas’s effects.
Instead of implying that the grill somehow allowed it to enter, it was due to an open window. We see several shots of the car racing through Gotham’s streets, and in at least one of these, it’s evident that the passenger-side rear window is fully opened.
6) That Is Not Michael Keaton
As a die-hard movie buff, let me spill the beans on an intriguing tidbit from the original Batman film: It’s no secret that the suit, synonymous with the Dark Knight himself, was quite limiting. Now, you might wonder if this was the reason Michael Keaton, our caped crusader, wasn’t sporting the suit during certain shots of the alleyway brawl between Batman and Joker’s minions. Well, the answer is a bit of a mystery, but it’s safe to say that the restrictive nature of the suit might have played a role in those scenes!
It’s not entirely clear, but it seems plausible. What stands out, though, is the use of a stunt double in the Batsuit. This becomes quite evident when we see Batman from the front. The jawline is broader than Keaton’s, and in high-definition (4K), it’s difficult to miss that another actor took over the cape and cowl for the Beetlejuice performer.
7) You Actually Need to Inhale That First
In the well-known museum scene from the movie, there are several instances where the logic seems to jump, such as when a character feels the impact of a gas without necessarily inhaling it. For example, simply by being near a certain gas, one would typically not experience its effects unless they actually breathe it in.
Initially, when Vicki Vale receives the note to don the mask, one kitchen worker notices a vent and subsequently collapses without inhaling the gas, which hasn’t yet risen to his head. Three diners at a table near Vale also seem to spot the gas before actually inhaling it. The waiter experiences a painful fall down the museum staircase under similar circumstances.
8) “Vicky” Vale?
At the beginning of the movie, when Alexander Knox encounters Vicki Vale for the first time, there’s an unexpected mistake in character development. Vale is known for capturing stark and intense photographs, suggesting that she has often faced danger to obtain them.
In the early stages of the film, upon their initial encounter, Alexander Knox notices a significant inconsistency in Vicki Vale’s character portrayal. Known for her gritty and risky photography career, it appears that she has demonstrated remarkable bravery to capture those images.
Notably, she’s accomplished this for Time Magazine, yet they seem to have misspelled her name. Instead of “Vicki” Vale, they’ve written it as “Vicky” Vale on the cover. It’s odd to notice the abbreviated form of “Pictures” in such a renowned publication as Time, but maybe that’s not an error.
9) Knox Would Know Who Bruce Wayne Is
At the start of the movie Batman, Bruce Wayne throws a party. However, many of his guests appear unaware of his true identity. Given Bruce’s secretive nature, this isn’t entirely surprising. Yet, despite his secrecy, Bruce is well-known in Gotham due to both his tragic history and his charitable works. So, while some confusion might be expected, it’s still remarkable that so many guests don’t recognize him.
Although Vicki Vale might have a reason for being unaware of who he is, Alexander Knox seems to lack one. Vicki, known for her worldwide travels photographing various landscapes, is relatively new to Gotham City. In contrast, Knox appears to be deeply rooted in the city, possibly living there his entire life. Moreover, his career in journalism has been primarily focused on unraveling the intricacies of Gotham City. It’s somewhat surprising that, despite being face-to-face with one of its most prominent billionaires and philanthropists, he didn’t immediately recognize him at first sight.
10) The Untouched Painting
Within the movie, when Joker and his henchmen invade the museum, attack Prince, and wreak havoc on the artwork, it’s noticeable that there might be a significant inconsistency in continuity. This is evident because the state of the art in one scene appears to be different from the very next shot.
Specifically, one of the thugs smears paint-streaked handprints onto a painting in the scene following Joker. In the next shot, Joker is seen dancing around a statue and mimicking its pose. To his left, partially hidden from view, the same goon stands before what was supposed to be a soiled painting, but it now appears spotless and clean.
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2025-08-06 23:48