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Neil
26-Aug-2008, 08:14 PM
Michael Keaton's 'Batman' was reasonably good... But it looks t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e now in comparison to Bale's. I can hardly watch it without grimacing!

zombie04
26-Aug-2008, 09:46 PM
I rewatched it with a friend a week ago, and I didn't think it was all that bad. The only problem I can see with it is that Tim Burton only scraped the surface with the character. The Batman did seem a little stiff in comparison with Bale, but Nolan's new films focus a lot more on the Bruce Wayne side of the character. Burton gave you glimpse of who Wayne was, but that was about it. You don't see his false public personality versus the true, dark personality he has. In my opinion Burton did a good job putting a comic book on film, while Nolan did a great job in creating a world.

sandrock74
26-Aug-2008, 10:36 PM
It was just on cable over the weekend and I watched it for the first time in years. It doesn't look too dated. The Bat-suit could have been better to allow for more freedom of movement.
I still liked it.

The Dark Knight was just too damn depressing for me. I liked Iron Man much more.

bassman
26-Aug-2008, 11:02 PM
I just watched it on TV this past weekend actually. I still enjoy it for what it is, but as zombie04 stated, it's just not very true to the character.

Batman Begins & The Dark Knight are definitely better adaptations of the source material and all around superior films to me. TDK is the best comic adapted to film yet.:)

What REALLY looks dated in Burton's film is Nicholson's OTT Joker. After Ledger's psychopath, Nicholson almost looks like Ceasar Romero. That Dances to Prince.:stunned:

Bub666
27-Aug-2008, 02:09 AM
Yeah,the new batman movies are alot better.

MinionZombie
27-Aug-2008, 10:11 AM
lol, funny you should mention this Neil. I got the 2-disc Batman 89 DVD recently and yeah, it just confirms that I was never that "into" Batman with those movies, then Nolan came along with his 'Nolanverse' and sucked me right into it all with two superior films sitting right atop the entire franchise.

I was watching Batman 89 and just thought, "christ, this is positively sedate pace wise". Also, Batman doesn't have much depth at all, the car is not that great anymore - it just seems to pootle along with the aid of undercranking (not like the Tumbler which is flat out barging it a full tonne through a wall).

Also - even though Burton's films are regarded as "dark" and "brough Batman back to it's dark roots", when you compare it to Nolan's flicks - which ARE ACTUALLY DARK (if not pitch black at times) - Burton's just look like slightly ballsier versions of the telly show now.

Mind you, I still enjoyed Jack's Joker immensely - but he wasn't threatening, he was just fun and silly (I rather enjoy that ridiculously long-barelled gun he pulls out of his trousers at one point, that was hilarious).

Now though - compare Batman 89 to Batman Returns. Christ! Another huge difference.

Batman Returns has barely any Batman in it, and all you see mostly is Batman climbing ladders and walking through doors ... not exactly menacing is it? Cat Woman is naff and underdeveloped, Bruce Wayne/Batman continues to be underwritten, and the Penguin is way off into silly comic territory (although one of the better things about the film).

The main problem with Batman Returns is that it's, like Bassman was saying before, a Burton movie with a bit of Batman chucked in every once in a while.

...

They're entertaining movies (although really only Batman 89 is good, because "Forever" and "& Robin" just go daft again, and "Returns" is just fairly meh now), but Nolan took a franchise that was entertaining - but far from deep, and recently very, very silly - and turned it into something it should always have been from the off (as in the movie part of the franchise).

Nolanverse ALL the way.

SymphonicX
27-Aug-2008, 12:36 PM
I f**king hate Tim Burton.

Neil
27-Aug-2008, 12:52 PM
I f**king hate Tim Burton.

Edward Scissorhands was genius!

Not seen Sweeney Todd yet, but looking forward to it!

bassman
27-Aug-2008, 01:16 PM
Edward Scissorhands was genius!

Not seen Sweeney Todd yet, but looking forward to it!

Yeah, Scissorhands is a slice of gold. And what about Beetlejuice or Pee Wee's Big Adventure??? I definitely think Burton's earlier work is his best.

Sweeney Todd? Eh. I wasn't impressed. Not. One. Bit.

MZ - How do you think the penguin in BR is like the comic character? He is NOTHING like the character. In BR he is a sewer-living, goo-spitting, ACTUALLY cold blooded(WTF?), version of one of Burton's cartoon characters or something. Nothing like any of the comic versions of the character...

Bub666
27-Aug-2008, 01:23 PM
Edward Scissorhands was genius!

Not seen Sweeney Todd yet, but looking forward to it!

I loved Edward Scissorhands,it's a great movie.

SymphonicX
27-Aug-2008, 01:25 PM
Edward Scissorhands was genius!

Not seen Sweeney Todd yet, but looking forward to it!

Was not a bad movie, some funny parts....Jonny Depp makes it though, and without Depp, Burton is nothing.

Just bored of his style, the constant use of Danny Elfman, all that stuff...ugh.

bassman
27-Aug-2008, 01:33 PM
Just bored of his style, the constant use of Danny Elfman, all that stuff...ugh.

You don't like Elfman? He's one of the greatest score writers of our time, imo.

SymphonicX
27-Aug-2008, 01:45 PM
Just....too....overused.....

Maybe it's cos The Simpons is on every single f**king day of my life!! haha

I'd go for Williams over Elfman any day...

AcesandEights
27-Aug-2008, 01:46 PM
Dear god! Another Batman thread :moon:

But yeah, the new Batman really brings the campy side of the previous film and tv incarnations to light. For people who haven't really read the comics, I suppose it serves as a solid reminder of where Batman stories have been going in the comic off and on over his existence.

_liam_
27-Aug-2008, 02:21 PM
I think the Burton films have superior production design & atmosphere, but the Nolan ones are a lot better in almost every other way.

Jack's joker is still great, but just isn't as compelling as Ledger's.

The early episodes of the animated series actually kick the ass of the Burton movies in a lot of ways.

SymphonicX
27-Aug-2008, 04:07 PM
The animated series was AWESOME. I loved it. Proper violent. Mark Hamil made an amusing Joker for sure.

Love Superman: Doomsday too - awesome cartoon movie!

Bub666
28-Aug-2008, 02:29 AM
Love Superman: Doomsday too - awesome cartoon movie!


That was a great movie.

MinionZombie
28-Aug-2008, 10:00 AM
MZ - How do you think the penguin in BR is like the comic character? He is NOTHING like the character. In BR he is a sewer-living, goo-spitting, ACTUALLY cold blooded(WTF?), version of one of Burton's cartoon characters or something. Nothing like any of the comic versions of the character...

Was too lazy to explain properly I guess, what I was meaning was comic as in SILLY, unrealistic, daft...that sorta thing, and yet the Penguin was the most compelling part of Returns.

I don't agree with liam on the production design front though, they're two very different styles, but in Begins they had ginormous sets, whole streets laid out with a far larger scale than in 89. The Tumbler too - a feat of engineering in itself. The new Batman outfit, far more tough-looking than before - it looks like it can take some sh*t and protect Wayne throughout, plus the cape really works in the Nolanverse.

Before the cape just looked like a leather cape to swish about a bit. There's a great sense of form following function in the Nolan flicks, which I think works far better for the franchise, but that's me anyway.

bassman
28-Aug-2008, 12:14 PM
I don't agree with liam on the production design front though, they're two very different styles, but in Begins they had ginormous sets, whole streets laid out with a far larger scale than in 89.



I think Batman had a larger set. They built many different streets and portions of the city at some large studio over on your side of the pond.

But with Begins, they only built the narrows. Most of the exteriors were shot on location in Chicago, Illinois.

SymphonicX
28-Aug-2008, 12:24 PM
I saw returns in the cinema when I was about 10....
hated it then...hate it now!

MinionZombie
28-Aug-2008, 05:49 PM
I think Batman had a larger set. They built many different streets and portions of the city at some large studio over on your side of the pond.

But with Begins, they only built the narrows. Most of the exteriors were shot on location in Chicago, Illinois.
You sure, I remember watching the extras for Begins and they kept going on about the size of their sets, using these massive air hangers to house all this stuff ... and indeed - in Britain, BOSHTY! :cool:

zombie04
28-Aug-2008, 10:59 PM
As I recall, the sets built in the hanger were just for the Narrows, Ra's place in the beginning, and two other locations. The exterior shots were largely done in Chicago and the Wayne mansion was filmed in the UK as well.

MinionZombie
29-Aug-2008, 10:29 AM
What about the massive street with the train bridge and all that? I'm gonna have to dig out the DVD now and see exactly what they built on stage.

Wasn't Batman 89's set basically three main streets and some alley stuff, plus the Bat-cave.

Also - Begins had a set for the Bat-cave, filled with water, great big carvings for the walls and all that.

That's it...I'm getting the DVD out and seeing exactly what they built on sets. :D

bassman
29-Aug-2008, 12:16 PM
As zombie04 pointed out, they built the narrows, a portion of the monorail, and other sets on stage but the rest was filmed in Chicago.

Now TDK on the other hand was filmed MOSTLY in Chicago it seems...

MinionZombie
29-Aug-2008, 04:50 PM
As zombie04 pointed out, they built the narrows, a portion of the monorail, and other sets on stage but the rest was filmed in Chicago.

Now TDK on the other hand was filmed MOSTLY in Chicago it seems...
Yeah, but which had the bigger sets ultimately, Batman 89 or Batman Begins?

...

God I feel like such a nerd right now. :lol:

bassman
30-Aug-2008, 12:40 AM
Yeah, but which had the bigger sets ultimately, Batman 89 or Batman Begins?

...

God I feel like such a nerd right now. :lol:

Obviously we can't really tell, but judging by the special features on the dvd, Burton's Gotham seemed like a HUGE set.

MinionZombie
30-Aug-2008, 10:47 AM
Obviously we can't really tell, but judging by the special features on the dvd, Burton's Gotham seemed like a HUGE set.
Yeah, I mean they looked pretty big and all, but I always got the impression from the Batman Begins DVD that their sets and housing for the sets were gigantic...hmmm.

*continues to be an absolute nerd* :rolleyes::p

Trencher
30-Aug-2008, 11:58 AM
I like the bat suit better in Tim Burtouns film, but other than that I think that only Tim Bourton could do what he did when he made the Batman movie. Withouth him there would have been no Batman begins.

RustyHicks
30-Aug-2008, 04:02 PM
Burton's Batman and BR was perfect for the 90's. It was a fun comic book romp,
as for the New Batman, it is perfect for these times. A dark, serious movie that
is both awesome and eye opening, Burton's films were dark and funny, kind of like
watching a comic book come to life.
I enjoy both series
With the exception of Batman Forever and Batman and Robin,
those were just goofs

Yojimbo
30-Aug-2008, 05:18 PM
I f**king hate Tim Burton.

Thank you. I was feeling a bit guilty thinking that I was the only one who does not really like Burton. Not that he has not done some passable work, just annoyed with him is all.

Feel the same way about Terry Gilliam as well.




I'd go for Williams over Elfman any day...


And Goldsmith over Williams, and Bernard Herman over Goldsmith.