Every movie version of Batman that we get seems to be darker and more grounded than the last. While that has made for some tense, dramatic films, it still leaves some of the cooler elements of the Batman mythos off the table. The more you strip down his vehicles and gadgets, the less cool and unique he begins to feel. Yes, it was interesting to see a reality based glider suit in The Batman, but I have to admit, the scene in The Dark Knight with the "memory fabric" of Batman's cape becoming a glider in Japan was a much cooler moment. Then there are the villains. with this ultra realistic route, it seems as if we'll never see any of Batman's more fantastical villains like Man-Bat or Clayface on the big screen. Hopefully for the next Batman installment, Director Matt Reeves can find the right balance.
20 comments:
Each Batman film thinks that it HAS to be darker than the one before... The next Batman film is just going to be people sitting in a theater looking at a black screen for 90 minutes to two hours. Nothing but a black screen. There are some good points to learn from Adam West's interpretation, combined with Batman: The Animated Series... In hindsight, the live action Batman films have been enjoyable... but head-scratching...
Did Francine and Foggy go a courtin? They are probably in a cheap motel making the beast with two backs.
I hope so, Ross. Because THE BATMAN, and Joaquin Phoneix as THE JOKER, were both off-balance as far as I'm permanently concerned. And that is most definitely _not_ a good thing!
@Anonymous: if I were the current head of DCWB, I would try to strike a retro-balance between Adam West and Michael Keaton. Like the old song says: "Everything old is new again."
@Ross: Interesting combo, today! It makes me hope their antagonist is Blackwing. :-)
@First Anon: if so, they were probably brainwashed into it. Maybe by Sleeze of Apokolips? Because, to my knowledge, that little anti-Yoda has yet to debut, here!
I agree with you, Ross. For me, Batman: The Animated Series struck just the right balance between grim and hopeful, down-to-earth and fantastical, and most other things. Gotham leaned into it, but just a tad too early and too heavily in my opinion.
Tangentially, it's generally bothered me that this incredibly wealthy guy lives in a big manor house with only one (or occasionally two) staff. When I had the idea of working up my own version, I went through all of Batman lore and added everyone I could find, even marrying chauffeur/mechanic Earl Cooper to the cook, Harriet. Everyone was in on the secret, helped to keep him grounded, and had skills that, in one way or another, helped support Bruce's work as Batman. The only job I couldn't find a name for was the gardener (I think one was mentioned on Gotham, right after Cobblepot killed Azrael, but I've never caught it).
With CGI technology Clayface could be a terrifying villain on silver screen!
Ross, if I may speak in partial defense of Matt Reeves the Batman and Robert Pattinson... we finally have a detective version of Batman who does actual detecting. We've finally got a movie where the audience knows as little or less than Batman about what's going on. If Reeves and Pattinson wanna do a 2nd and 3rd installment trilogy to make a trilogy of 'Batman: the World's Greatest Detective movies, I'm all for that...
...As long as we get a follow up with a new director and cast that's about Batman, The Scientist.
Guys like Clayface and Manbat and Mr. Freeze wouldn't work in the Matt Reeves style that's debuted so far. They could, however, work in another director's version. Especially if that director learned the trick of making humor work in Batman movies Bruce/Bats doesn't have a sense of humor, but everyone else does.
Bruce is never in on the joke, he's only pretending to be in on or out of a joke. Bats is never one to acknowledge a joke. That's because young Bruce's trauma destroyed his sense of humor and he never bothered to repair it, due to not seeing the value in it. It was his sacrifice to becoming Batman.
Alfred can be funny. So can Lucius, Aunt Harriet, Dick, Robin, Babs, Batgirl etc. They have a sense of humor. They aren't broken in the same way Bruce is.
Also love the cover. What sources did you use?
A Gil Kane DD cover and a Don Newton Batman interior
The gardener should be Guy Gardener. He has a green thumb.
@Anon@5:36: Uh... no. Just... no.
I LIKE Greggory Basore's point of view. This Batman is not a super friend or a Twilight Zone escapee. He's purely focused but he can still be surprised and not know everything all the time. Should have had him with 5-0. perfect pair.
DD looks like he was ready for his Kodak moment with that much moonshine.. .back lighting him. He has no webs or cape. Just 1 cane line. How will he keep up? He needs a jet pack. Could make an interesting Halloween issue - Matt in a blue dress or at least as Blue Devil (2012? really?)
Manbat in quality condition with a great mind? a true Classic!! He looked great.
Batman has met with Hawaii 5-0 on the blog - way back in 2010...
We'll have to agree to permanently disagree, Gregg and Hyram.
Even the Ben Affleck Batman, at his worst, is still undeniably 10x better than the Pattinson Batman at his alleged best!
@anonymous
I like the Afleck version of Batman also. Outta curiosity, what's your reasons for liking him better than R. Pattinson?
He was suitably convincing as the angsty vampire Romeo in the "Twilight" films. But, even his acting talent couldn't cancel out the needless nihilism written into the recent Bat-flick! So, unfair though it might be, Pattinson will always be too painful an association, in my mind, with that movie.
So it's less "hating the player" and more "hating the game" in this regard? I can dig that.
My biggest gripe with The Batman is that it's a 4 act story, with act 4 being/feeling imported from The Batman part II. That last act would have been a great set up for a second movie where the Riddler gets revenge from inside prison.
Hell, there's an idea, why not have a Batman trilogy that's the same villain all 3 times, even if one or two villains help out?
More like the military approach to teamwork: one teammate screws up, the whole team will suffer!
Here's an idea related to Greggory's: a Blue Beetle trilogy with the same villain three times, but a different Beetle? Part 1 uses Dan, Part 2 uses Ted, and Part 3 uses Jaime. (Something similar can be done with other heroes as well, I'm sure, but Blue Beetle is ideal for this because of how very different the three versions are.)
Or a June bride cover featuring Hector Hammond and a clone of Cassandra Webb given the MODOK treatment. That way, Ross could tentatively entitle it...
"The Wedding of MODAM Webb!"
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