The Batman SPOILER Thread!

[thecolorsblend]

https://bleedingfool.com/news/batmangate-dc-writer-posts-damning-proof-matt-reeves-stole-his-script

The tl;dr of it is Chris Wozniak is claiming that Michael Uslan stole basically the entire plot and setup of TB without compensation. He provides evidence of his claims in his YouTube video.

Decide for yourself if he's telling the truth. Honestly, I think the pieces all fit together pretty well. Well enough to merit further investigation anyway.

[Kamdan]

https://bleedingfool.com/news/batmangate-dc-writer-posts-damning-proof-matt-reeves-stole-his-script

The tl;dr of it is Chris Wozniak is claiming that Michael Uslan stole basically the entire plot and setup of TB without compensation. He provides evidence of his claims in his YouTube video.

Decide for yourself if he's telling the truth. Honestly, I think the pieces all fit together pretty well. Well enough to merit further investigation anyway.

This will likely only go as far as Steve Englehart's claims about The Dark Knight stealing from his material.

[Slash Man]

Finally saw it as complementary entertainment on a flight. As you can probably tell for being this late, I was not looking forward to it. Just on principle, with the amount of reboots coming out nowadays and watering down franchises, I just felt they weren't worth my attention and patronage (I've felt similarly about Lightyear).

I know the reception has been generally good, if a little inflated. What I mean by that is franchises that are dormant or unsuccessful for years will get a lot of hype if a new entry is more than competent; to the point where it's commonplace to see critics claiming "this is the best X movie ever!" So I'll say this is definitely a competently made film and held my attention all the way through, including the slower parts. The large assortment of characters actually did work to form a cohesive whole, which normally spells doom for superhero films.

Pattinson is an interesting case. It seems like every director wants to cast the next Heath Ledger, who successfully subverted typecasting and elevated the film. Pattinson has similarly been repairing his reputation through a series of serious roles (he's a talented actor and doesn't deserve to carry the burden of his teen heartthrob roles). While I still believe he was miscast, he still gave this role 100%.

Getting the bad out of the way, I think this is one of the worst looking Batsuits that's too techy and changes the facial structure of the cowl too much. The Bruce Wayne portrayal is also a bit TOO unbelievable. Breaking away from the playboy facade of the comics, I found it similar to Keaton's portrayal. Though he's way too moody and unrelatable to make for a good Bruce. That, and it's apparent that he was not in the kind of shape to be Batman.

But as for the positive, the portrayal of Batman may be one of the most accurate I've seen. Most portrayals are good, but have a couple definitive moments where he acts out of character. I never got that here. They nailed his cooperation with Gordon and the GCPD, as well as just his general purpose. Good Bat-voice too (slightly raspy and disguised like Keaton, not growly like Bale or robotic like Affleck). I know I spent a lot of time on nitpicks here, but believe me that this portrayal of Batman makes the film worthwhile.

The villains were all serviceable. Not sure we needed Colin Farrell as the Penguin, but again he works with what he's given. But I do have many issues with the Riddler. In a vacuum, Paul Dano's performance is fine, but comparing him to the comics, he's unrecognizable to me.

While I prefer Riddler's classic look, I recognize that his three-piece suit redesign may bode better for realism. But seeing none of those used and the look they settled on is very disappointing. As for the characterization: it's funny that some fans complain that Jim Carrey was trying to be Jack Nicholson's Joker. I'd make the claim that this Riddler was trying too hard to be Heath Ledger's Joker.

Going back to my disdain for reboots, I always dread having to be reintroduced to the same core cast over and over again. Gordon was fine, Catwoman was fine, but for some reason I was just apathetic about this Alfred. We've already seen some fantastic portrayals of the character, and Andy Serkis' just hasn't come close.

The film was also hindered by its length and scope. Everything was wrapping up in a satisfying conclusion before the Riddler destroys the city. In general, this would have worked fine as two films. The ending was very drawn out, and it didn't help that we got the Marvel sequel teaser ending with the Joker. I miss when films were just allowed to have satisfying and conclusive endings; cliffhangers have definitely worn out their welcome in the superhero film genre.

Those were just some of my thoughts. Much better film than I anticipated, but not sure if I can put it up there with the greats.

[The Dark Knight]

Getting the bad out of the way, I think this is one of the worst looking Batsuits that's too techy and changes the facial structure of the cowl too much.

I think the Keaton and Affleck suits are the best, but I still don't mind this one. I like the various influences it has, such as Arkham Knight, Gotham By Gaslight and the original chest logo. It does have the Nolan era feel but it's still 100% unique to Pattinson.

Those were just some of my thoughts. Much better film than I anticipated, but not sure if I can put it up there with the greats.

That's a fair assessment. The Batman isn't mind-blowing nor bad. They handled the reboot aspect tastefully in the sense the movie just begins and jumps straight into an already established world. The Riddler mostly worked for me, especially when you consider the modern material they base him on. I liked The Penguin, and the mobster/businessman angle was the right way to go. I liked Serkis, but he definitely needs more to do next time. Indeed, the overall product feels more like groundwork, because it is. We have at least two or three TV shows in the pipeline along with one sequel. The expansion is going to be greater than most incarnations of Batman, so let's hope they have worthwhile ideas in mind.

[Andrew]

I hated the movie, it mostly felt like a lot was what I had already seen before and either worse or as bad.

Pattinson Batman felt too much like just Bale Batman again with some elements from Keaton added in, very cheap.

I had been looking forward to Farrell as Penguin and Dano as Riddler and they were so disappointing. In particular the Riddler felt like just doing the Joker and Bane again combined.

John Turturro as Falcone and Jeffrey Wright as Gordon were pretty much the only good parts.

[thecolorsblend]

I hated the movie, it mostly felt like a lot was what I had already seen before and either worse or as bad.

Pattinson Batman felt too much like just Bale Batman again with some elements from Keaton added in, very cheap.

I had been looking forward to Farrell as Penguin and Dano as Riddler and they were so disappointing. In particular the Riddler felt like just doing the Joker and Bane again combined.

John Turturro as Falcone and Jeffrey Wright as Gordon were pretty much the only good parts.

I enjoyed the production design and cinematography immensely. This is a bit different look for Gotham City and it plays for me.

Also, the Zodiac meets Se7en tone of the film was another winner. I'm accepting the fact that this is probably the closest we'll ever get to David Fincher directing a Batman film. I appreciate this aspect of the movie.

Another successful element of the film is the score by Michael Giacchino. The main hero theme easily lends itself to different phrasings, speeds, pitches, instrumentation, etc. The dynamic quality of the hero theme elevates this movie considerably in my estimation.

I dig the Batsuit too. You can see where Bruce will gradually improve the design and make modifications that will improve his effectiveness.

Still, there are so many Batman films in the background for me. Even if you put aside the awesome animated stuff out there, Burton, Schumacher, Nolan, they all have something captivating about their work that keeps me coming back. Their shadows loom large as well. At this point, I don't think a Batman film can exist that will top the work Burton, Schumacher and Nolan in my book. Or at least, I don't think it's likely to ever happen.

So, all I want from a new Batman film is for it to be enjoyable on its own merits. There's no need for a director to completely reinvent the wheel as far as I'm concerned.

[Silver Nemesis]

I watched The Batman again on Blu-ray last month and I still enjoyed it. I think the movie could use some editing to tighten it up, as well as some humour to offset the numbing sombreness. But it's a good film.

Still, there are so many Batman films in the background for me. Even if you put aside the awesome animated stuff out there, Burton, Schumacher, Nolan, they all have something captivating about their work that keeps me coming back. Their shadows loom large as well. At this point, I don't think a Batman film can exist that will top the work Burton, Schumacher and Nolan in my book. Or at least, I don't think it's likely to ever happen.

We've had so many good Batman films that it's getting harder for them to make an impact. Which is why now would be the perfect time for Batman Beyond. That would take things in a fresh new direction and be unlike any previous live action Batman movie.

[Travesty]

We've had so many good Batman films that it's getting harder for them to make an impact. Which is why now would be the perfect time for Batman Beyond. That would take things in a fresh new direction and be unlike any previous live action Batman movie.

I think if they just put Batman in a more fantastical environment, it would really change things up. I love The Batman, it may be my favorite live action Batman, but it does feel a bit derivative of the "grounded" takes. I still prefer Batman in a fantastical setting, and I think he works bets there. I want to see him go up against a Clayface, Freeze, Ivy, Croc, etc. I still think the DCAU is my preferable take all around, and I think it would be really cool to have a more "period piece" movie similar to BTAS. Plus, I think the technology is there to properly do it.

[thecolorsblend]

I think if they just put Batman in a more fantastical environment, it would really change things up. I love The Batman, it may be my favorite live action Batman, but it does feel a bit derivative of the "grounded" takes. I still prefer Batman in a fantastical setting, and I think he works bets there. I want to see him go up against a Clayface, Freeze, Ivy, Croc, etc. I still think the DCAU is my preferable take all around, and I think it would be really cool to have a more "period piece" movie similar to BTAS. Plus, I think the technology is there to properly do it.

Your mouth to God's ear. Back when the digital backlot style was more trendy, I thought a Batman film along those lines would be different enough to automatically set itself apart from the pack. Not so sure if that's a viable option anymore tho.

So many great villains have never been seen on film. Clayface, Man-Bat, Hugo Strange and the Monster Men, The (Mad) Monk, so many choices and so much "new" territory. Wide audiences haven't seen the majority of what Batman mythos can offer.

[The Dark Knight]

The cinematography of The Batman is incredible. If it's not the best looking Batman film it's definitely near the top. If the same creative team is on board they're already half way there, ala Joker II. Reeves knows now what people liked and what needs to be tinkered with. I think in the end we'll have two TV shows that occur in between the three movies (The Penguin and something else like the Arkham show). That's a solid run for this universe. After that, I'm guessing the DCU Batman will continue the character's cinematic representation and stand alone. That's probably the best bet for a more fantastical BTAS style interpretation.