Batman has always been my favorite superhero. My close second of course is Wonder Woman, followed by Superman. I am DC Comics fan boy. Although I really appreciate Marvel comics for X-men and the Hulk (my two favorites of that universe). DC is the father of comic books while Marvel is like the cool uncle. lol. Sadly to date DC has not made very many films from their library of characters, well compared to Marvel.
My introduction to the Dark Knight was via re-runs of the 60's high camp series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. I think most people that I speak to or other fans my age started this way too. I was really young maybe 6 or 7. I was already a fan of the Wonder Woman re-runs. My dad would watch with me, mainly because he thought Lynda Carter was smoking hot! lol I watched
because she was just awesome (I'll save my love of Princess Diana for another blog). Well one Saturday afternoon, while surfing all 30 channels of cable, I fell upon this series. I loved it. I loved the Joker, played by Cesar Romero, with that
crazy laugh and that caked on white makeup to cover his mustache (seriously). I loved the Riddler and Penguin. My first Catwoman was Eartha Kitt. I didn't even realize there were some white women playing Catwoman before and after Eartha until a few years later.
After, watching the TV show for many years, I decided I wanted to start reading the comics. The first one I picked up was "The Killing Joke" (1988) which BTW
is one of the main influences on the movie coming out this weekend. After seeing the Joker being funny and I guess more zany than diabolical in the TV show, this Joker in the comic was fcking nuts! Its a grim story with amazing artwork and a standout among all of Batman's comics. I will admit I do not collect many comics. I rarely purchase them. I do not proclaim to be the absolute authority on all things
Batman but I know enough to warrant my views of the character. So its the summer 1989 and the rest is movie history...
Batman (1989)
Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Jack Nicholson as The Joker/Jack Napier
Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale
Directed by Tim Burton
From the opening shot of the bat symbol and that huge score by Danny Elfman, you are transported to a very dark, corrupt, crowded, and crime riddled Gotham City. A place you would not want to be in at night, hell even in the daytime. This place sucks and the citizens of Gotham are shells. Empty frightened human beings. The current thing they fear the most is the mysterious Batman. In Batman's quest to fight crime and avenge his parents murder by ridding Gotham of criminals, he creates his nemesis, The Joker. The Joker, once known as gangster Jack Napier, slips from Batman's grip and falls into a vat of toxic waste. Joker's sole purpose is to wreak havoc on Gotham and somehow become its greatest hero (I use the term hero loosely, its like he was trying to get the city on his side so he could run the whole town).
Jack Nicholson stole the show in this movie. His interpretation of the Joker is decidedly deviant. He relishes in the pain of others. All the things that scare us, are cause for laughter in the Joker's mind. From disfiguring the public of Gotham by tainting household chemicals and cosmetics to scarring his once beautiful girlfriend, Alicia. "She just threw herself out of a window...hey you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." Keaton's Batman is very tangible. AS I watched this film again the other day, I realized his Bruce Wayne is not arrogant but more approachable. As in his scenes with Vicki Vale, his mystery is there in his eyes but he gives of himself as a normal man. His best scene being the one that takes place in Vicki's apartment before the Joker rudely interrupts. His Batman, on the other hand, is really great. Tough and no nonsense. You get the sense that his brain is on overdrive and actively solving problems. Whats my next move and such. The grand finale is fantastic. The atmosphere built up to this point becomes the "now or never" moment for both characters. The Joker loses his cool but tries to maintain his confidence. Batman can see right through him, but what really pushes Batman at this point is the nail in the Joker's coffin "Tell me something, you ever
dance with the devil in the pale moonlight... I don't know, I just like the sound of it". One of the best comic book movies ever made. My Grade: A+
Batman Returns (1992)
Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Michelle Pfeifer as Catwoman/Selina Kyle
Danny Devito as The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot
Directed by Tim Burton
Its a dark and snowy Christmas in Gotham as the camera pans into the Cobblepot Mansion. A freakish baby boy has been born to High Society parents (played by Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger, Pee Wee and Simone from Pee Wee's Big Adventure
also directed by Tim Burton). So naturally the horrified parents throw the child, basket and all, into the river which carries him into the sewer. Queue Danny Elfman's haunting score and we are into the next chapter of the Batman saga. The abandoned child grows to become the Penguin. A rotund, foul mouthed, grotesque with a plan to ruin the families of Gotham city as well as becoming the next mayor. Meanwhile a mousy, pushover of a secretary named Selina Kyle, is walking through her life blindly. Her naivety and curiosity end up being her undoing. However with her death she is given a new lease on life. Biting, licking, gnawing, alley cats bring her back from the grave.
My favorite character in this film is Catwoman. She transitions so well from lowly assistant to slinky,crazy, Catwoman. You know this bitch is seriously twisted. All her life she has been put upon. Those around her, make her feel unimportant and invisible. When she transforms into Catwoman, all of those inhibitions go right out the window. "I don't know about you miss kitty, but I feel..so much yummier."
Towards the end, you realize that she wants to be normal again but her new life empowers her to be. There is no going back. The Penguin is a tragic character. I honestly feel sorry for him yeah he's being sadistic, exacting his revenge on the
first born children of Gotham but all he knows is envy. He was born unlike anyone else and he himself could never accept that. I will say that making his character sex hungry and perverse was a little strange for me. I guess growing up in sewer, you really don't get much action. His part in the finale is very sad but the moment is ruined somewhat by the lack of technology in those days. Hey, they did the best they could for the time. Batman, again played by Keaton was good although a bit out shined by the villains. His scenes with Michelle are some of the best in the movie. My Grade: B+
Side note: FCK you Pitof and Halle Berry for ruining an awesome character and for pulling Catwoman out of the Batman Mythos. You Bastards!
Batman Forever (1995)
Val Kilmer as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Jim Carrey as The Riddler/Edward Nigma
Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face/Harvey Dent
Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian
Chris O'donnell as Robin/Dick Grayson
Directed by Joel Shumacher
Okay so here begins the downward spiral of the Batman film franchise. We are introduced to Two-Face pulling off a bank robbery with one of the most annoying security guards in film history being placed in a safe which just so happens to fill up with acid. Kilmer's Batman comes to the rescue. From here on in the tone of the film is pretty much set. There are a lot of colors in this new Gotham Shumacher has created. There are constant moving lights, think rock concert lighting. We are introduced to Edward Nigma a scientist and inventor who needs more funding from Wayne enterprises but is denied. His envy of Bruce Wayne and his mind control/
thought stealing contraption help him to become the Riddler. One day Bruce is at the Circus with Chase and while the Flying Graysons are performing, Two-Face crashes the festivities. Robin witness' his families death and vows revenge on Two face. The finale is quite theatrical. Think rock star lighting and planetarium rolled into one.
I loved the costume design in this movie. The Riddler's outfits are fantastic down to the cane. Carrey's portrayal of him was pretty good actually but a little too over the top. Hell, the whole movie is over the top. This is so far removed from Burton's creation Tommy Lee is such a good actor but I found his Harvey Dent annoying. Everytime he was on screen I shuddered from disgust.lol. Cool Cameos
from Drew Barrymore and Debbie Mazar. Chris O'donnell was a perfect Robin but a tad too old for the part. Val Kilmer just didn't do it for me as Batman. Not bad but not good either. The best thing about the movie you ask? Its the soundtrack! Kiss from a Rose by Seal, U2, Mazzy Starr, PJ Harvey. Great soundtrack even today. My Grade: C+
Batman & Robin (1997)
George Clooney as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Chris O'Donnell as Robin/Dick Grayson
Arnold Shwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze/Dr. Victor Fries
Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy/Dr. Pamela Isley
Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl/Barbara Wilson
Directed by Joel Shumacher
Holy Crap Batman! what the hell is this?? Nipples on the bat suit you say? I'm not even going to go into too much detail about this one. lol. We get a new Batman played by George Clooney and guess what he sucks. lol George Clooney plays George Clooney in every role. I've never liked him as an actor and I don't think I ever will. You know he was just cashing this check because he really wasn't doing much at the time! Chris O'Donnell tried his best as Robin again. Although he looks hot as hell in this movie, he isn't given much to do except being a total fuck up whom Batman has to keep saving. Last time I checked, Batgirl was Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter but not in Shumacher's movie. Gee, lets make her Alfred's niece and shoehorn her into the script shall we. Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy is campy and fun "My vines have a crush on you" but a waste of talent. And then there is AHNOLD! oh my god, could they have written him more ICE-puns? "Alright everyone, Chill" "Allow me to break the ice, my name is Mr. freeze" its like stop already. There is not a lot I like about this movie but its become sort of a guilty pleasure. Its just so bad. My Grade: D-
Batman Begins (2005)
Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Liam Neeson as Henry Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul
Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow/Dr. Jonathan Crane
Thank God for Director Chris Nolan and Writer David Goyer. They saved Batman from the campy doom that was the last two movies.This is the story of how Bruce Wayne came to become Batman. After his parents untimely death, Bruce must come to grips with who he really is. Also exacts revenge on the man who killed them but sadly, fate has other plans for him. He has been split down the middle and decides to do some soul searching. It leads him into the hands of a mentor, Henry Ducard.
Ducard teaches Bruce the ways of the League of Shadows, a group of ninja assassins. Bruce returns to Gotham a changed man however while he's been away, organized crime has taken over. Bruce is believed to be dead to Wayne enterprises has been taken out from under him. He reclaims his company, discovers a giant cave beneath Wayne Manor and begins to enlist the help of Lucius Fox. Lucius is the man who has developed all the "wonderful toys" ( I couldn't help myself). While Batman is being born, a doctor by the name of Jonathan Crane begins creating his alter ego to instill fear in others, The Scarecrow.
This film resurrected Batman and brought him back to full glory in a very realistic way. I think they had to be drastic in tone to wash the taste of Shumacher's mess out of the audiences mouth. This is Christian Bale's movie. His Bruce Wayne is cocky, wild eyed, unashamed and determined. Although you can definitely see that he is struggling with his new persona. His relationship with his childhood friend and now love interest is faltering. His father figure in Ducard has let him down and betrayed his own moral sensibilities. Bale has got it down. I love the Scarecrow. What a fantastic villain for this story. His ability to create a drug induced fear was awesome. Ra's motivation is very finite. Let Gotham cave in on itself. Dog eat dog. But Batman knows he has to try to restore his city into what it was or what it could be ideally. Little does he know, that the more he tries to be a savior to the city, the more the criminals would need to up there antics. Which is precisely what happens at the end of Batman Begins. The joker has been unleashed on
the people of Gotham. My Grade: A
The DARK KNIGHT
I am a fan of Director Christopher Nolan. His films never cease to amaze me. Insomnia, Memento, and The Prestige are all top notch films.
Amazing!
So when he tackled Batman Begins he really reinvented the character for today's audience. His Batman is tough, brooding, challenging and just plain cool.
So does the Dark Knight live up to the hype? Yes. There was a guy in our audience tonight who stood up during the credits and decided to share his opinion with his group of friends. He said "a lot of cool sequences but it doesn't live up to the hype." It actually made a little angry only because I don't think he gave the film a chance to show him its worth. Should you go in blindly and not take the reviews to heart? Yes!. Even my mini review. This is a great film with great performances. So many things that I wasn't expecting. Amazing action, tense drama and some awesome thrills.
Hands down, Heath Ledger is amazing. He has taken a character that sometimes people dismiss because of his appearance and made him truly frightening. Don't ge me wrong I love Nicholson's Joker. I always will. This Joker is disgusting son of a bitch. He is what you most fear, a man with nothing to lose. His performance will stun you while making you snicker. I am sorry Heath is gone. I would have loved to see him continue this role.
The rest of the cast is great. Bale owns Batman. Michael Caine is perfect as Alfred. Gary Oldman does so well. Another standout for me was Aaron Eckhart. He is amazing as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Very strong performance. I won't spoil the movie anymore. Go into this movie, sit down and let it take you, you will not be disappointed. Btw I will say there are some minor flaws. Some parts really annoyed me, I think some of you will know what I mean when you see them. However not enough to deter me from seeing this again. Also, its sad to me that this world that Nolan has created may not see the crazy villains of Batman's Universe. I would love to see Catwoman get another chance, or the Riddler or the Penguin for that matter. But we'll see. All the actors are signed for a third film, so lets hope it comes out great.
My Grade: A+
Batman Blog 2 - coming soon. My rundown of Batman in animated form. Also where I describe and dissect his wonderful world of villains...or as they say his Rogue's Gallery.
Rich
comment away!!!!
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