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Batman: The SilentPete Edit
Featured
Updated
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie Title:
Franchise:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1989
Original Running Time:
126
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
80
Time Cut:
46
Subtitles Available?
Available in HD?
Additional Links:
Brief Synopsis:
Batman was/is a pretty solid film, but it does not get Bruce Wayne quite right, in my opinion. Also, the film itself does drag a bit. Therefore, wanted to see if a slimmed down version of the film would play better than the original. In my opinion, it does.
Intention:
My intention was to speed the film up and remove the Vicky Vale love story, which is mostly out of character for Bruce Wayne, at least with how he is presented in this version of Batman.
Other Sources:
The commercial DVD was used.
Release Information:
Digital
Editing Details:
The primary strategy was to remove the Vicky Vale romance and keep the plot moving a bit quicker.
Cuts and Additions:
The film now opens directly on Gotham City and the family getting attacked by the two goons.
The interaction between the two goons has been shortened.
The credits now follow the teaser introduction of Batman.
Both of the the political speeches by and with Harvey Dent have been removed. Those scenes served two purposes. 1, they set up Gotham as a city in peril. That is still achieved without the scene, however. 2, they are a set up for Dent himself who would have continued as a two-face in sequels had they not changed their minds. So, they did not really serve a purpose.
Now, the film goes straight from the rooftop fight, to the credits, then back to the aftermath of the rooftop and Knox doing his investigation.
The sub-plot of Jack having an affair with Grissom's girl has been reduced to implying it versus showing it. So the scene of Jack and Grissom's girl is gone. It is only there to give Grissom more of a reason to get rid of Jack, but Jack's defiant attitude really serves that function well on its own. The implication of the affair is intact, just not actually showing it.
At Wayne mansion, Bruce's absent-minded behavior is removed, as is his interactions with Vicky in the middle of the party. Instead, we meet Bruce with Vicky and Knox in the display room.
Batman does not try to save Jack after he falls over the rail. Instead, he just falls. Batman trying to save him shows him to be a good guy in front of Gordon, and that needs to be a mystery to him at this point.
Bruce's date with Vicky has been removed.
The scene of Bruce asking for the file on his parents has been moved here after the Joker surgery scene..
Bruce looking at the police files about his parents and his flashback to their murder has been moved here as a continuation of Bruce asking for the files from Alfred. The sub-plot of Jack being the killer of Bruce's parents has been removed, so moving the scene here keeps the story focused on Bruce and takes the place of Vicky sub-plot.
The sub-plot of The Joker putting his toxin in house products and various people getting infected has been removed. In my opinion, it just slowed the film down. He is still working on something having to do with chemistry, but what that is is saved until the end with the big street attack and gas balloons.
Because Jack did not kill Bruce's parents, he has simply seen the Joker at the attack on the street and recognized his as Jack, prompting at look at his police file and noting his interest in chemistry.
The Joker's trip through the museum has been mostly removed. No Prince song and antics.
Bruce going to Vicky's and his interaction with the Joker has all been removed.
Everyone's accent to the top of the church has been trimmed down.
Vicky meeting Alfred at the end has been removed.
There are various cuts and trims here and there, but that is the bulk of it.
The interaction between the two goons has been shortened.
The credits now follow the teaser introduction of Batman.
Both of the the political speeches by and with Harvey Dent have been removed. Those scenes served two purposes. 1, they set up Gotham as a city in peril. That is still achieved without the scene, however. 2, they are a set up for Dent himself who would have continued as a two-face in sequels had they not changed their minds. So, they did not really serve a purpose.
Now, the film goes straight from the rooftop fight, to the credits, then back to the aftermath of the rooftop and Knox doing his investigation.
The sub-plot of Jack having an affair with Grissom's girl has been reduced to implying it versus showing it. So the scene of Jack and Grissom's girl is gone. It is only there to give Grissom more of a reason to get rid of Jack, but Jack's defiant attitude really serves that function well on its own. The implication of the affair is intact, just not actually showing it.
At Wayne mansion, Bruce's absent-minded behavior is removed, as is his interactions with Vicky in the middle of the party. Instead, we meet Bruce with Vicky and Knox in the display room.
Batman does not try to save Jack after he falls over the rail. Instead, he just falls. Batman trying to save him shows him to be a good guy in front of Gordon, and that needs to be a mystery to him at this point.
Bruce's date with Vicky has been removed.
The scene of Bruce asking for the file on his parents has been moved here after the Joker surgery scene..
Bruce looking at the police files about his parents and his flashback to their murder has been moved here as a continuation of Bruce asking for the files from Alfred. The sub-plot of Jack being the killer of Bruce's parents has been removed, so moving the scene here keeps the story focused on Bruce and takes the place of Vicky sub-plot.
The sub-plot of The Joker putting his toxin in house products and various people getting infected has been removed. In my opinion, it just slowed the film down. He is still working on something having to do with chemistry, but what that is is saved until the end with the big street attack and gas balloons.
Because Jack did not kill Bruce's parents, he has simply seen the Joker at the attack on the street and recognized his as Jack, prompting at look at his police file and noting his interest in chemistry.
The Joker's trip through the museum has been mostly removed. No Prince song and antics.
Bruce going to Vicky's and his interaction with the Joker has all been removed.
Everyone's accent to the top of the church has been trimmed down.
Vicky meeting Alfred at the end has been removed.
There are various cuts and trims here and there, but that is the bulk of it.
User reviews
2 reviews
Overall rating
9.5
Audio/Video Quality
10.0(2)
Visual Editing
10.0(2)
Audio Editing
9.5(2)
Narrative
9.0(2)
Enjoyment
9.5(2)
Overall rating
9.7
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Audio Editing
9.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I enjoyed this edit. The trick about watching an edit like this, where several things have been removed from the film, is paying close attention to what remains and whether it makes logical sense. This edit did a good job of that. There was only one tiny piece of audio that stuck out to me. During the final act, Vicki Vale says out loud, "Joker Smilex Gas" when she notices something seeping out of the giant float balloons. It stuck out to me because any other mentions of "Smilex" were removed from the film. But, that's not really a major quibble, more of a minor one. But what can I say, I'm a details person.
Overall though I think that it's definitely worth a watch, and sets out to accomplish the intention of the edit. The theatrical cut does seem too long to me when I try to watch it now, so it's nice to have a shorter, faster paced version.
Overall though I think that it's definitely worth a watch, and sets out to accomplish the intention of the edit. The theatrical cut does seem too long to me when I try to watch it now, so it's nice to have a shorter, faster paced version.
J
Overall rating
9.3
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
9.0
Great minds think alike, they say. And I'll be inclined to agree: this cut of Batman '89 was made way before SilentPete knew about my own edit "Batman: Descent Into Mystery" (remember that ancient thing?) and much less watched it, yet there's an incredible number of things that we did exactly or almost exactly the same. Objectives, character tweaks, reordering of scenes, specific solutions to certain problems, even additions. There was an incredible overlap. SilentPete and myself are pretty much on the same page regarding this film.
Not that I've done everything the same, of course, and in fact I didn't. For my tastes this one cut a little bit too much of Joker enjoying himself, which for me it's a major part of the fun but those who prefer more restrained versions of the character might appreciate this approach. Also, Batman's killer side mostly stays, as the editor opted for keeping more action in the story instead of sacrificing it to comic book accuracy. Just as valid, of course.
But the big issues and the approach to them are pretty much the same: no Bruce/Vicki romance, no Joker killing the Waynes, no Prince music video in the museum, no Alfred letting Vicki into the Batcave, none of that baloney. Also, if you thought my cut was short, this one is 80 minutes! Talk about fast pacing! Impossible to get bored watching it.
My own edit, being old as dust, is still SD, so until the day I decide to make it available on HD (maybe, maybe...) this is the closest thing to it. And it does look absolutely beautiful for an upscaled DVD source (with the added benefit of sparing us the godawful color regrade and replaced sound FX of the more modern releases). As for the content itself, it will depend on the viewer to prefer one or the other. For me, despite not completely matching my vision, it's a really great alternative, and one that makes me feel reaffirmed in that it seems my ideas weren't actually so bad after all...
Not that I've done everything the same, of course, and in fact I didn't. For my tastes this one cut a little bit too much of Joker enjoying himself, which for me it's a major part of the fun but those who prefer more restrained versions of the character might appreciate this approach. Also, Batman's killer side mostly stays, as the editor opted for keeping more action in the story instead of sacrificing it to comic book accuracy. Just as valid, of course.
But the big issues and the approach to them are pretty much the same: no Bruce/Vicki romance, no Joker killing the Waynes, no Prince music video in the museum, no Alfred letting Vicki into the Batcave, none of that baloney. Also, if you thought my cut was short, this one is 80 minutes! Talk about fast pacing! Impossible to get bored watching it.
My own edit, being old as dust, is still SD, so until the day I decide to make it available on HD (maybe, maybe...) this is the closest thing to it. And it does look absolutely beautiful for an upscaled DVD source (with the added benefit of sparing us the godawful color regrade and replaced sound FX of the more modern releases). As for the content itself, it will depend on the viewer to prefer one or the other. For me, despite not completely matching my vision, it's a really great alternative, and one that makes me feel reaffirmed in that it seems my ideas weren't actually so bad after all...
D