Focus On: Michael Keaton

The Ghost With The Most

In this Focus On segment, I visit the wonderfully insane talent that is Michael Keaton.  If you grew up in the 1980’s like me, you are well aware of the comedic excellence of Michael Keaton.  You are already familiar with his string of popular comedies such as Night Shift, Johnny Dangerously, Mr. Mom, and the legendary Beetlejuice.

You were probably just as shocked as I was when it was announced that Keaton was Tim Burton’s choice to portray the Dark Knight in Burton’s 1989 film, Batman and its sequel, Batman Returns.  Heck, even Warner Bros. knew what they were getting into, placing almost all of the film’s promotional focus on the villain, the Joker, portrayed by the much loved and respected Jack Nicholson.

How could a guy known for playing comedic roles successfully nail down the dark, brooding Batman and his billionaire playboy alias, Bruce Wayne? Well, Keaton did it.  He did it better than probably anybody else could have at the time.  He was a perfect fit for the role and solidified himself as an actor with tons of range.  Prior to Batman, Keaton’s only serious role was as substance abuser Daryl Poynter in Clean and Sober.  Keaton did a great job in that film, but doubts were high for him as Batman.

Keaton didn’t stop with his success in Batman.  Instead, he took on more dramatic roles throughout the 1990’s in films such as One Good Cop and My Life.  He continued doing comedies like Jack Frost as well, but he proved time and again that he was a great actor by taking on various roles throughout the rest of the decade and into the early 2000’s.

Keaton started doing more independent films as the 00’s rolled along.  He also focused on voice over work in films such as Cars and Toy Story 3 and took on smaller roles in big studio projects like Herbie: Fully Loaded.  His career seemed to be leveling off with starring vehicles such as White Noise and the Robocop reboot not getting as much attention as his work in the 80’s and 90’s, but his star rose once again with his performances in Birdman and The Founder.

In 2017, Keaton returned to the summer blockbuster with his performance as Adrian Toomes/ The Vulture in Marvel/Sony’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.  Keaton gave Marvel fans something that had been severely lacking in the MCU up to that point.  He gave them a great villain.  Prior to the Vulture, the only villain that had any mass appeal was Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.  Almost every other MCU villain had been a bland figure for the heroes to slap around in the climax.  Keaton lifted Homecoming above its lighthearted tone and gave it a character that viewers could identify with and, especially in the scene where he drives his daughter and Peter to the homecoming dance, fear.

Keaton has signed on to return in the Spider-Man sequel and will be in the live action Dumbo directed by his Batman bud, Tim Burton.

He’s come a long way from being the goofball that I watched as a kid.  He has proven time and again that he can act in just about any type of role that you throw at him.  I highly recommend that you take a look at Keaton’s filmography.  He’s been in a ton of great films and has been nominated for and won many awards for his work.  Start with some of his early comedies and work your way up to his current projects.  He’s great!

As always, thanks for reading.  Be on the lookout for a Throwback Thursday tomorrow and hopefully a review of Solo in the next few days.