Falling Shot

[thecolorsblend]

This shot was used in a lot of TV spots and trailers. And I think one reason for that is because you'd never have seen something like this from Burton. The colors, the kinetic energy, the dynamic camera movement, it's just not something that Burton circa 1995 would've been interested in. That's not a knock on Burton; just an acknowledgement that the marketing department chose well.

It really did a lot to establish that BF (for better or worse) would be its own thing, separate from Burton's movies. Schumacher was crafting something bigger, flashier, comic bookier in some ways than anything Burton would have ever attempted.

Plus, it really was a game-changing moment in terms of the visual language of Batman in cinema. Stuff like that had been done in the comics since the beginning but that shot was the first time that wide audiences were exposed to the coolness of Batman. Nobody can say for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if that one shot added an extra $25 million to BF's theatrical run in America.

Finally, I think the shot holds up pretty well. It's relatively primitive CGI and so it was done in a pretty conservative way. The camera never lingers on any single element of the shot for too long, the shot itself is rather brief, Batman is kept small in the frame half the time and the slick and shiny panther suit is already a good match for slick and shiny CGI. There's a lot of unsung craftsmanship in that one shot and I adore it to this day.

[The Dark Knight]

Plus, it really was a game-changing moment in terms of the visual language of Batman in cinema. Stuff like that had been done in the comics since the beginning but that shot was the first time that wide audiences were exposed to the coolness of Batman.

Blockbuster movies should be about showing something the average Joe fan film cannot replicate. It can be a balancing act to ensure it doesn't become a videogame, but generally speaking, CGI allows filmmakers to depict comic heroes to their full potential, such as Batfleck jumping off the Batwing into the warehouse.

Forever and B&R deserve praise in the way they expanded the potential of the character, but Begins also contains a lot of personality in the way Batman operates – specifically the Tumbler boost jumping across rooftops and using the cape to glide over the Narrows.

Finally, I think the shot holds up pretty well. It's relatively primitive CGI and so it was done in a pretty conservative way. The camera never lingers on any single element of the shot for too long, the shot itself is rather brief, Batman is kept small in the frame half the time and the slick and shiny panther suit is already a good match for slick and shiny CGI. There's a lot of unsung craftsmanship in that one shot and I adore it to this day.

I think the iron maiden entrance in Returns is a good example of how things evolved in the space of one film. In Forever we see the full tunnel journey from Bruce's office to the batcave, rather than having him exit on the other side. Though I still think there's a certain charm to the Burton presentation, whether it's done by choice or the limitations of the day, much like the Wampa sequence in the original Empire Strikes Back.   

Burton had the glider in Returns, which is in the same suspension of disbelief category as West's bat shield (that he carries around and stored in some unknown place). But even then the actual use as depicted on screen is controlled. We get a close-up of his head/shoulders, the crowd going crazy and the last stages of his landing.

I'm glad the film depicted the landing as being clean, rather than crashing into garbage bins as per the comic adaption. I suppose the comic was trying to communicate the idea Batman was rattled by the preceding events, but I don't think that would've been necessary. Coolness doesn't need to be balanced out with failure all the time.

[The Laughing Fish]

This shot was used in a lot of TV spots and trailers. And I think one reason for that is because you'd never have seen something like this from Burton. The colors, the kinetic energy, the dynamic camera movement, it's just not something that Burton circa 1995 would've been interested in. That's not a knock on Burton; just an acknowledgement that the marketing department chose well.

It's funny you mention that. When OnStar ran its Batman TV advertisement campaign back in the early 2000s, you can see glimpses of that jumping shot from the film, as he's coming towards Anton Furst's Batmobile. As you can tell, the colours are muted to match the Burton atmosphere.

Sadly, this commercial is the closest thing we'll ever get to seeing another Burton Batman film.