The Joker: Through the years

"Batman" (1989)

The Setup: Ambitious thug Jack Napier is betrayed by a mafia boss before falling into a vat of chemicals and emerging as the ghastly, deformed Joker. Seeking revenge, Joker takes over the mob and runs afoul of Batman while terrorizing Gotham City and competing with Bruce Wayne for the affections of photographer Vicki Vale.

The Punch Line: Director Tim Burton made this the most-anticipated film of 1989 by casting Jack Nicholson, the most popular and respected actor in Hollywood at the time, as the Joker. The Oscar-winner delivered a mix of ham and menace that hit more than it missed—but missed by a mile when it missed, as in the case of some uneven makeup work, cartoony violence and an over reliance on clever catch phrases. The issue of an origin for the Joker was further muddied by making the young Napier turn out to be the gunman who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents and set him on the road to becoming Batman.