Best Batman Film?

[Airam]

I'm wondering if everyone that voted for The Dark Knight has actually seen the first 2... I haven't seen The Dark Knight yet but I'm 100% sure it could never become my favorite because I loathe Christian Bale (ts one of those things I can't really put into words, just everything about him rubs me the wrong way, always has). I will eventually give in and see it anyway at some point because I do want to see Heath's performance but its a chore for me to watch any film Bale stars in. That being said Keaton IS Batman (after Adam West 🙂 ) none other after him have held a candle to Keaton, so for me its tied between Batman and Batman Returns... I mean Keaton PLUS Pfeiffer PLUS Nicholson PLUS Burton, are you kidding me?! I LOVE those movies!

 

[4.O.cious Miss]

Re: Spoiler?

The Dark Knight was indeed a remarkable film. I thought the story line as well as the casting was fantastic. I agree with what's been said, Heath Ledger really shone there at the end, and I liked being able to see all the villains in the beginning (Scarecrow, Joker, Two-Face).
However, I'm still a true fan to the original Batman. I think Michael Keaton did a wonderful job as Batman, and Jack Nicholson played a key Joker. I admit that alot of my love for the original stems from the fact that the Joker is my favorite Batman Villain, and I am a huge JN fan. But, anyhow...The original remains my favorite, with The Dark Knight bringing up the rear.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

The Nolan films are the only Batman films that really do anything for me, although the differences between Nolan's and Burton's storytelling are evident and important. In Batman Returns, Catwoman's vulnerability and confusion are displayed through her torn and patched outfit, it's external and she wears her flaws on her sleeve. In a Nolan film, she would've probably had a monologue about it, that would've been wonderfully shot but ultimately just be spoon-feeding information to the audience. Still, Dark Knight was my favourite Batman film, but it's not one of my favourite films or anything.

I stopped reading by the time I got to JCC's absolutely ridiculous comment.

Lets actually take as a reference The Joker in Tim Burtons and Chris Nolans.

In Batman, the Joker is nothing more than Jack Nicholson in paint.
I like the film, but there is no depth in the character, no real characterisation. I am not threatened as a viewer by this character at all.

Heath Ledger, as much as it pains me to say, is a marvellous Joker. He is intimidating, scary and downright ruthless.

Your comment about 'being spoon fed' is absolutely absurd because of the Jokers characterisation.
The Joker is arguably one of THE most known of Batmans enemies, save Catwoman and the Penguin, and Nolan purposefully gave us nothing on what makes the Joker who he is.
There is a tendancy in big budget films that want to be critically smashing to give the villain of the piece a heart wrenching back story and give the viewer everything they need.
Nolan doesn't do this, instead he just makes the Joker a malevolent sadist.

Even characters like The Scarecrow (what were we spoon fed with him?) and Two Face show how differently Nolan approaches his characters.

I don't think anyone can assume what Nolan would do with a character such as Catwoman based on his other characters.

Having said ALL that, Adam West and Burt Ward will ALWAYS win it for me as Batman and Robin.

I have heard that a Smallville type show called 'Grayson' is being made - not really looking forward to that.

One final thing, my biggest Batman regret is that Jack Nicholson was the Joker. He was alright BUT he won the role over Tim Curry - HE would have been perfect in a Tim Burton film as The Joker.

 

[JCC]

I stopped reading by the time I got to JCC's absolutely ridiculous comment.

Lets actually take as a reference The Joker in Tim Burtons and Chris Nolans.

In Batman, the Joker is nothing more than Jack Nicholson in paint.
I like the film, but there is no depth in the character, no real characterisation. I am not threatened as a viewer by this character at all.

Heath Ledger, as much as it pains me to say, is a marvellous Joker. He is intimidating, scary and downright ruthless.

Your comment about 'being spoon fed' is absolutely absurd because of the Jokers characterisation.
The Joker is arguably one of THE most known of Batmans enemies, save Catwoman and the Penguin, and Nolan purposefully gave us nothing on what makes the Joker who he is.
There is a tendancy in big budget films that want to be critically smashing to give the villain of the piece a heart wrenching back story and give the viewer everything they need.
Nolan doesn't do this, instead he just makes the Joker a malevolent sadist.

Even characters like The Scarecrow (what were we spoon fed with him?) and Two Face show how differently Nolan approaches his characters.

I don't think anyone can assume what Nolan would do with a character such as Catwoman based on his other characters.

Nolan doesn't use symbolism like Burton does. They've got two different styles of filmmaking and characterisation, that's hardly a silly thing to mention when comparing two filmmakers.

 

[MichelleBFT]

The Dark Knight takes it for me for many reasons, but the most notable is Ledger's performance. I know, unoriginal, but true. I've seen the movie three times now, and every time I watch it he terrifies me more than he did the time before. And every time it makes me sadder that Ledger is gone. Typically I'm not affected by the deaths of celebrities, even if their deaths were unforeseeable and all that-- I typically don't care. But Ledger-- that got me. He was so, so talented, and I think he'd have been a huge talent for many years if he hadn't died.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

Nolan doesn't use symbolism like Burton does. They've got two different styles of filmmaking and characterisation, that's hardly a silly thing to mention when comparing two filmmakers.

No, he doesn't BUT you didn't just say that, you said
"In a Nolan film, she would've probably had a monologue about it, that would've been wonderfully shot but ultimately just be spoon-feeding information to the audience."

Explain the characters that we have been spoon-fed to the extent you can confirm the negative undertone of this comment.

 

[goldenboy]

Anyone seen the 40s Batman serial BTW?

YouTube - Batman (1943) Opening Credits

I've just seen a few minutes. Horrible, yet amusing action scenes. I kind of love the old 40s-style hammy film acting. The music's fun. The guy that plays Bruce Wayne has the playboy doofus act down pretty well.

 

[Randy Giles]

I would have to say Nolan's films are the best. I find them to be overrated and not as good as people would have you believe. And seeing The Dark Knight in theaters just once was enough. But it was very well crafted, directed, acted, written, with a good score, and Heath Ledger was amazing.

Christian Bale's Batman voice is utterly ATROCIOUS though and it literally pained me sitting through the scenes where he talked as Batman. And made me want a throat lozenge.

 

[itsxpaperdoll]

I too voted the Dark Knight despite my major Burton love. Nolans style is way more threatening than Burton's. Burton really captures the comic-y side of the Batman stories, whereas Nolan's managed to capture (in both the films he did so far) the whole dark, strange, dangerous atmosphere of Gotham city. Exactly because everything looks way more realistic.
Nolan's Wayne is more complicated, he really is the troubled hero he's supposed to be and in Burtons films (not to mention those other two) Wayne/Batman is more black and white. This can of course be a downside, troubled heroes seem to be everywhere nowadays and all, but I think it adds something to the story rather than that it takes something away. On the other hand, Nolans villains are very different from other modern villains, like Edmund B. said: they don't have a difficult past (apart from maybe Two-Face from the Black Knight), like villains are supposed to have in modern cinema. They're good old, old fashioned villains. This he may have in common with Burton, by the way.
All in all, for me the Dark Knight wins (but only slightly) from, for example, B. returns, because well, it's just a audio-visual whirlwind, and because of Heath Ledger's performance. I love Nolan's direction, he really knwos what he's doing and how he wants it, and I even love Bale as Bruce Wayne, and as Batman. He plays him more humane, showing his weaknesses and his strenghts. That, and he's IMO, more pleasan to look at than Michael Keaton 😛

That said, I still am a complete sucker for Burton's Gotham. They should make a museum out of that set. It's seriously cool. But just artistically. Gotham in Nolans films is a proper city, but a wretched one.

 

[Buffanator]

Am I the only one whom liked the cartoony aspect of Burtons? Guess so. haha
Thanks for replying, guys. Your responses are interesting.

No, by all means, NO! - you're NOT the only one! - I loved Burton's "cartoony" effects. I loved his "Gotham City" - because BATMAN started as a comic - so the cartoony effects is what made it so great to me.

I really enjoyed Nolan's Batman flicks - just recently saw The Dark Knight. While Heath Ledger was AWESOME as The Joker, I simply cannot & will not compare him to Jack Nicholson's Joker. The two movies & the Batmans & the Jokers were all very DIFFERENT. I like them BOTH. But I prefer Jack Nicholson's Joker simply because you get to see how the Joker came to be. I like Heath's Joker because you see the Joker as a truly insane individual.

I like Christian Bale both as Bruce Wayne & as Batman. BUT... in The Dark Knight, I HATED Batman's "voice". OMG! - sounded like Clint Eastwood on CRACK! it was horrible! - and I love Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne & as Batman. I didn't care for George Clooney or Val Kilmer as BW or Batman.

All in all, I enjoy both MK Batman movies & CB Batman movies. But I didn't really like the Val Kilmer or George Clooney movies.... didn't care for Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, or Two-Face - but in the Dark Knight, I thought "the birth" of Two-Face was AWESOME. I really liked that part of the storyline.

Thanks for reading "my review". 😀