Other than The Dark Knight what are your views on the other Batman films. I personally love Tim Burton's 1989 and 1992 movies, with Batman Returns maybe having a slight edge over the original. I also enjoyed Forever as a kid, but it's too juvenile to work once you reach a certain age. Obviously, Batman and Robin was a joke and it wasn't until 2005 that Nolan brought the Caped Crusader back from the ignominy into which he had falled with the thrilling Begins, though The Dark Knight is by far the superior film.
Batman
- Thread starter Captain Zog
- Start date
Didn't like TDK, although I plan to give the movie another shot sometime.
I like Batman (1989), Batman Forever, and Batman Begins (although it took me a two or three viewings to appreciate the movie). I really think Batman Returns is the worst of the bunch mostly because I think it is too gothic and Batman & Robin is really stupid, but, I think, it is more visually interesting to watch (note: that doesn't make it good!). Also, how can anyone not like Batman: The Movie with Adam West ("Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!")?
I like Batman (1989), Batman Forever, and Batman Begins (although it took me a two or three viewings to appreciate the movie). I really think Batman Returns is the worst of the bunch mostly because I think it is too gothic and Batman & Robin is really stupid, but, I think, it is more visually interesting to watch (note: that doesn't make it good!). Also, how can anyone not like Batman: The Movie with Adam West ("Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!")?
Good Will Riker
Admiral
I personally found 1943's "Batman serials" to be a blatant racist propaganda against the Japanese and Japanese Americans at a time in our world history when Franklin D. Roosevelt and Governor Earl Warren (Later the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.) spearheaded a movement to lock up over 110,000 Japanese Americans in prison camps throughout the United States, most notably in the northern part of California and the state of Arkansas.
A true injustice if I ever saw one.
This was the nadir of the entire Batman franchise from its very inception by Bob Kane (Lone Ranger + Zorro + Bat = Batman) to the present.
A true injustice if I ever saw one.
This was the nadir of the entire Batman franchise from its very inception by Bob Kane (Lone Ranger + Zorro + Bat = Batman) to the present.
I think Batman in general is racist. I mean, think about it...all the villains are white. Chased and beaten up by a man in black.
A white man dressed in black, insinuating that the only way a white man can empower himself and fight off the evil within himself (white representing villainry in the Batman universe) is embrace his inner African.
A white man dressed in black, insinuating that the only way a white man can empower himself and fight off the evil within himself (white representing villainry in the Batman universe) is embrace his inner African.
People have a go at Batman & Robin (and yes it is awful) but I flicking 1989's Batman on and off the other night when it was on TV, and Jesus its just as terrible IMO. I had to keep flicking off as I just couldn't watch it, but like a car crash I couldn't look away also
One scene had the Joker and his henchmen break into some museum. They were all wearing puffer jackets, berets and sunglasses looking like retards, and one had a boombox over his shoudler for christsakes. And all were dancing around like fuckwits whilst the Joker and co acted "really bad" by spraying some graffiti on a few paintings and painting a statues head green. Wow, what a badass!
God, I pretty much retched. Abysmal
One scene had the Joker and his henchmen break into some museum. They were all wearing puffer jackets, berets and sunglasses looking like retards, and one had a boombox over his shoudler for christsakes. And all were dancing around like fuckwits whilst the Joker and co acted "really bad" by spraying some graffiti on a few paintings and painting a statues head green. Wow, what a badass!
God, I pretty much retched. Abysmal
Word to your mother.
Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb.
I liked Batman, Batman Returns and Batman Forever. The first Batman doesn't hold up well at all upon repeat viewings, but at the time it was the first big budget, serious Batman, so that has to count for something. I'm probably in the minority in liking Returns the best of the foursome, even if it's rather odd that a movie called Batman Returns has Batman/Bruce Wayne in like 4 of the first 30 minutes.
Well, the original title for BR was Batman Returns Sometime During This Movie, But In The Meantime, Enjoy the Catwoman & Penguin Show. However, WB thought it was a wee bit too long, so they shortened it.
Are you actually equating the '89 film with the 1997 turd Batman & Robin. Burtons may be dated but it's got style. Plus Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker is closer to what most people would consider the 'traditional' character than Ledger's (though I of course loved his take on the character).
When I first saw Batman in 1989 I really, really disliked it. There was something about that movie that didn't click with me at the time. I think part of the problem was that rubber suit. I mean this motherfucker couldn't move in it. His punches were sluggish. He didn't walk, he shuffled. This fucker couldn't save Gotham City. He couldn't stand without two grips lifting him up in between takes. I couldn't buy the hero's physicality so I couldn't buy the movie.
Another problem with the movie for me was Michael Keaton. His Bruce Wayne was leaden. He moped around with these big lost lamp eyes and... I couldn't believe that people didn't realize this antisocial psychopath was Batman. I mean he did nothing to hide it. He didn't prance around and show everyone what a rich prettyboy he was. He just acted psychotic.
And then there was the Jacker. I liked Nicholson. Thought he was funny. But he was no more than Joker than Caesar Romero was. Much as Romero was Romero with pancake barely covering his 'stache, Nicholson was Nicholson with foam latex barely covering his ego.
The only thing I could say about this movie at the time was that it had a hell of a visual design. The moviemakers didn't let anybody down in that respect. It was a supremely visual movie. Personally I think it would have worked better as a silent movie than as a talkie. But maybe that's just me...
At the age of 33 I can say that I've warmed to the 89 Batman. I enjoy it as the camp that it is. Yes, that's right. I called it camp. If you live long enough everything becomes camp and Tim Burton's Batman is indeed high camp. Operatic camp but camp notheless. And it's great entertainment on that level if nothing else. It's such an over the top movie I'm ashamed that I didn't sniff it out as the campe it was back when I was 14.
Batman Returns I've loved since I first saw it. I don't know why. I've never known. It's one of those movies that's all over the map. It's a movie that shouldn't work but... Somehow it does. I've seen this sucker hundreds of times over the years and I imagine I'll watch it a million more. It's my favorite of the Burmacher Batman films. It's the triple fried egg with chili sauce and chutney sandwich of Batman movies!
Batman Forever! I love this movie! It's just so fuckin' Batshit crazy I can't help but love it! Most of all I love Chris O'Donnell's performance as Robin. This movie is proof that a Nightwing movie could have worked and O'Donnell would have been fantastic in it. I also have to give kudos to Jim Carrey for making a character I truly hate work. And Nicole Kidman for taking a badly written character and making her quasi-credible. Val Kilmer was IMO the first Batman to make that piece of shit rubber suit work. His punches, his kicks, his running and jumping with such speed show me that it was more than likely Michael Keaton's fault that Batman wasn't physical enough in the first movie rather thanbeing just the suits fault. I still hate the rubber suits but Kilmer proved they can work.
Batman & Robin: Worst movie of all time equaled only by Star Trek: Insurrection. Hate both those fuckin' movies. Hated Schwarzenegger as Freeze. Hated the Frankensteinian portrayal of Bane. Hated Alice Silverstone. For the first time ever hated Michael Gough. O'Donnell let me down this time. Hated the production design. Thought Uma Thurman was sexy though. Clooney was a brilliant casting choice because in real life he is Bruce Wayne. I've always felt bad that Clooney took full responsibility for the suckfest that is B&R because he was one of the very few good things about the movie. It's too bad he didn't have a real Batman movie to star in because he woulda been great in a good one.
BTW I may see hypocritical because I enjoy the unintentionally campy 89 Batman but not the intentionally campy B&R but that's because... The pie in the face gag is only funny if the schmuck's got dignity. Batman 89's got it. Batman & Robin don't. It's fuckin' clown shoes. Nothing more or less.
Batman Begins on the other hand is a brilliant movie. I have nothing more to say because there is nothing more to say.
Oh and since nobody's mentioned it I also think Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a brilliant movie. Every bit as good as Begins. I've seen it more than any other Batman production and it's not just my favorite Batman movies it's one of my all time favorite movies. I'm also one of the only people on Earth who say MotP in theaters. I saw it December 31st, 1993 and it's one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. I'm glad I saw it that day because it was gone within a week of that showing. It's quite literally something I would have been kicking myself over for the rest of my life had I missed it.
Well that sums up my feelings on every Batman movie but the Dark Knight. Just in case anyone cares here are my feelings on Dark Knight: Fuckin' awesome!
'nuff said...
Another problem with the movie for me was Michael Keaton. His Bruce Wayne was leaden. He moped around with these big lost lamp eyes and... I couldn't believe that people didn't realize this antisocial psychopath was Batman. I mean he did nothing to hide it. He didn't prance around and show everyone what a rich prettyboy he was. He just acted psychotic.
And then there was the Jacker. I liked Nicholson. Thought he was funny. But he was no more than Joker than Caesar Romero was. Much as Romero was Romero with pancake barely covering his 'stache, Nicholson was Nicholson with foam latex barely covering his ego.
The only thing I could say about this movie at the time was that it had a hell of a visual design. The moviemakers didn't let anybody down in that respect. It was a supremely visual movie. Personally I think it would have worked better as a silent movie than as a talkie. But maybe that's just me...
At the age of 33 I can say that I've warmed to the 89 Batman. I enjoy it as the camp that it is. Yes, that's right. I called it camp. If you live long enough everything becomes camp and Tim Burton's Batman is indeed high camp. Operatic camp but camp notheless. And it's great entertainment on that level if nothing else. It's such an over the top movie I'm ashamed that I didn't sniff it out as the campe it was back when I was 14.
Batman Returns I've loved since I first saw it. I don't know why. I've never known. It's one of those movies that's all over the map. It's a movie that shouldn't work but... Somehow it does. I've seen this sucker hundreds of times over the years and I imagine I'll watch it a million more. It's my favorite of the Burmacher Batman films. It's the triple fried egg with chili sauce and chutney sandwich of Batman movies!
Batman Forever! I love this movie! It's just so fuckin' Batshit crazy I can't help but love it! Most of all I love Chris O'Donnell's performance as Robin. This movie is proof that a Nightwing movie could have worked and O'Donnell would have been fantastic in it. I also have to give kudos to Jim Carrey for making a character I truly hate work. And Nicole Kidman for taking a badly written character and making her quasi-credible. Val Kilmer was IMO the first Batman to make that piece of shit rubber suit work. His punches, his kicks, his running and jumping with such speed show me that it was more than likely Michael Keaton's fault that Batman wasn't physical enough in the first movie rather thanbeing just the suits fault. I still hate the rubber suits but Kilmer proved they can work.
Batman & Robin: Worst movie of all time equaled only by Star Trek: Insurrection. Hate both those fuckin' movies. Hated Schwarzenegger as Freeze. Hated the Frankensteinian portrayal of Bane. Hated Alice Silverstone. For the first time ever hated Michael Gough. O'Donnell let me down this time. Hated the production design. Thought Uma Thurman was sexy though. Clooney was a brilliant casting choice because in real life he is Bruce Wayne. I've always felt bad that Clooney took full responsibility for the suckfest that is B&R because he was one of the very few good things about the movie. It's too bad he didn't have a real Batman movie to star in because he woulda been great in a good one.
BTW I may see hypocritical because I enjoy the unintentionally campy 89 Batman but not the intentionally campy B&R but that's because... The pie in the face gag is only funny if the schmuck's got dignity. Batman 89's got it. Batman & Robin don't. It's fuckin' clown shoes. Nothing more or less.
Batman Begins on the other hand is a brilliant movie. I have nothing more to say because there is nothing more to say.
Oh and since nobody's mentioned it I also think Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a brilliant movie. Every bit as good as Begins. I've seen it more than any other Batman production and it's not just my favorite Batman movies it's one of my all time favorite movies. I'm also one of the only people on Earth who say MotP in theaters. I saw it December 31st, 1993 and it's one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. I'm glad I saw it that day because it was gone within a week of that showing. It's quite literally something I would have been kicking myself over for the rest of my life had I missed it.
Well that sums up my feelings on every Batman movie but the Dark Knight. Just in case anyone cares here are my feelings on Dark Knight: Fuckin' awesome!
'nuff said...
I like the films of the 90s. Except for Batman and Robin... Arnold was a terrible Mr. Freeze... Clooney sucked as the Dark Knight.
I like most Tim Burton movies, but I've never been a big fan of his Batman films. They're definitely among my least favorite of his works. I never sat through either Batman Forever or Batman & Robin (I at least started "Forever" and gave up... awful, awful movie). I enjoyed Batman Begins and the Dark Knight quite a bit, even if I don't love them as much as everyone else seems to. Then again I'm not much of a superhero fan to begin with.
He says he's willing to take the blame for Batman & Robin if he gets the credit for The Perfect Storm.
Good Will Riker
Admiral
It was George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh who produced the 2002 American film adaptation of Insomnia (originally a 1997 Swedish film) for Warner Bros and convinced the studio to hire Christopher Nolan as its director, being fans of his 2000 film Memento.
Thus, helping to establish Christopher Nolan as the front-runner to direct Batman Begins.
For that, George Clooney atoned himself for all of his involvement with Batman & Robin. He may have actually contributed in saving it.
Umm, where did you read that it was George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh who convinced Warner Bros to hire Christopher Nolan? I've never read that before.
What is common knowledge is that since Nolan had done Insomnia for the studio, when they were looking for a new director for Batman they knocked on Nolan's door, and he was at that time interested in the offer. I've never heard anywhere where it was Clooney & Soderbergh that "convinced" Warner Bros to hire Nolan.
Link?
Good Will Riker
Admiral
Straight from the horse's mouth:
link - http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/17/business/clooney.php
And, for future reference, do please credit me as the person who found this information instead of telling your friends that it was you.
Love The Tim Burton Films, can't stand the other two.
The 60's series is a lot of fun as well, but obviously in a different way.
The New series is by far the best.
The 60's series is a lot of fun as well, but obviously in a different way.
The New series is by far the best.
