When The Director Doesn't Like The Character

Excellent article that nailed one of the basic golden rules of film- respect the source material.
If that source material is an iconic character then all the more so.

One of the problems with Batman vs. Superman is that well, it's Frank Miller's Batman (best thing in the movie) squaring off against a Superman I don't recognise from anywhere. He's the outsider in his own damn movie.
I don't know what he stands for or his reasons for fighting. I understood Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne and his POV but not the guy who already had a (bad) film to set-up his origin story and character.

And although I liked John Carter it did feel like a thinly stretched film trying to do too much with too little. There wasn't as much depth to the characterisation as there was 'ooh, look at this next AWESOME THING I'm about to show you! You like that? Well how about this, and this, and this Thark. And this White Ape, no TWO white apes, and some ship to ship battles...' it was too crowded.
I loved the set-up but could've done with more stuff from the books.
 
thetopher said:
Excellent article that nailed one of the basic golden rules of film- respect the source material.
If that source material is an iconic character then all the more so.

One of the problems with Batman vs. Superman is that well, it's Frank Miller's Batman (best thing in the movie) squaring off against a Superman I don't recognise from anywhere. He's the outsider in his own damn movie.
I don't know what he stands for or his reasons for fighting. I understood Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne and his POV but not the guy who already had a (bad) film to set-up his origin story and character.
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He was actually pretty true to some of Superman's source material, it's just not the popular modern versions. Golden Age Superman was kinda an ass.
 
They don't need updating, they just need to be done right.
 
Buffy Summers said:
No, they weren't really Batman. At all.
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And we still have not seen a real Bane either. Which is sad.
 
I should shut up because I am one of the few that actually liked and enjoyed BvS.
 
I think there is a problem with a film trying to appeal too much to its source material. They are too very different mediums afterall. The look of the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's Batman films now looks very dated, and so Nolan transfered these stories into a more modern looking city, and updated both the characters and themes. I think he did a great job mostly, besides the last film.
 
Tim Burton is a hack. They looked dated when he made them. The first was ok, but the second was an abomination.
 
He took away the essence of what it means to be Batman. I've said it before, but Arrow does a fabulous job of being true to characters while still being able to mold the universe to fit tv.

Mr. Pole said:
And we still have not seen a real Bane either. Which is sad.
 
I should shut up because I am one of the few that actually liked and enjoyed BvS.
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Agreed on both points - I love Tom Hardy, I worked on that movie, but that was not Bane.
 
Mr. Pole said:
Tim Burton is a hack. They looked dated when he made them. The first was ok, but the second was an abomination.
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The man never even read a Batman comic. He looked down on them.
 
I prefer the second Burton one actually. Better performances, and I liked how they used Christmas as a sinister setting. But the script was a bit of a mess.
 
Buffy Summers said:
He took away the essence of what it means to be Batman. I've said it before, but Arrow does a fabulous job of being true to characters while still being able to mold the universe to fit tv.



Agreed on both points - I love Tom Hardy, I worked on that movie, but that was not Bane.
 


The man never even read a Batman comic. He looked down on them.
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Bane was the low light of that film, thought he was terrible, and some of that was Hardy's fault too.

But the problem is that most in tune with the comic book world visioary are the Schumacher films and they are also the worse Batman films, so that just shows you that moving away from the comic books are no bad thing.

Recently I had the mis-forture of seeing the sexist, smug mess which was Deadpool. Now that is what happens when you try to please the comic book crowd😉 We just need to accept that these characters/stories are behind the times and need updating. That's what Nolan did, and good for him.
 
Buffy Summers said:
I love Tom Hardy, I worked on that movie, but that was not Bane.
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But the thing is he could have EASILY been Bane. Further, if he were Bane I think you would have forgotten about Ledger's Joker. Bane is always shown as just being the muscle and none of the intellect.
 
These stories are updated every single month in the comics - the hack director of a film doesn't need to be the one to do the updating.

The Schumacher films were terrible also - because like every other comic movie of that era it was treated like a joke.
 
Mr. Pole said:
Well, they weren't really Batman, were they? I don't consider them Batman.
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Me neither. I enjoy them as gritty thriller movies that happen to have a guy sporting a Bat-costume/silly voice in them.

Burton's first Batman was the best interpretation I've seen. But then I'm a big fan of the WB cartoons as well, sort of that modern noir look.
 
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Hell yes - BTAS is the best representation of Batman on screen.
Buffy Summers said:
These stories are updated every single month in the comics - the hack director of a film doesn't need to be the one to do the updating.

The Schumacher films were terrible also - because like every other comic movie of that era it was treated like a joke.
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But the comic book form is very different to that of a film. When adapting to film you have to make these changes. I will have to take your word about them being updated every month. It just sounds to me than as a comic book fan you are never going to be happy with anything the films do, so it might be best just to stick to the comics.

thetopher said:
Me neither. I enjoy them as gritty thriller movies that happen to have a guy sporting a Bat-costume/silly voice in them.

Burton's first Batman was the best interpretation I've seen. But then I'm a big fan of the WB cartoons as well, sort of that modern noir look.
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The noir aspect appeals to me also, but the problem is the look of Gotham in the first Burton Batman film would look very dated now. Not only did Nolan's films update te look of the city, but they also updated the themes, like the whole link to terrorism. Some people don't want that from a Batman film, but I like that they explored such things. I think there is room for Burton's take on the series and Nolan's and to say they both work in their own ways.
 
Deathstroke is one of my favorite comic book characters, right along there with The Punisher. Deathstroke was done fantastically on Arrow, and The Punisher fantastically on Daredevil. I don't have a problem with small changes as long as they are true to the character. Making Bruce Wayne know the identity of his parents' killer negates what it means to be Batman.
 
Buffy Summers said:
Deathstroke is one of my favorite comic book characters
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Deathstroke is just a ripoff of Deadpool. One of MY favorite characters done fantastically in the movies not on a second-rate CW show. 😛

(yes dear, I know)
 
Mr Trick said:
The noir aspect appeals to me also, but the problem is the look of Gotham in the first Burton Batman film would look very dated now. Not only did Nolan's films update te look of the city, but they also updated the themes, like the whole link to terrorism.
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I think that one day the Nolan movie will look much more dated than the Burton one. Why? Because Nolan was trying to be realistic/gritty and link the Batman story to contemporary themes wheras the Burton movie isn't going a for a specific period- its gothic and stylised, more like an actual comic book. And that always dates less in the long run.

You can like one more than the other- the way in which the story is told- I understand that and I do enjoy the Nolan movies on their own merits- but saying one is better just because it looks less dated- we'll just wait and see.

Also I like that in the Burton movie it spends very little time of the actual origin story, and when it does that links into the ongoing plot.
I was so tired of yet another 'My parents are dead!!' bit in the DoJ movie. Anyone who doesn't know the origin of Batman and Supes probably shouldn't go and see the movies. Just sayin'.
 
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