Batman Begins

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 15th, 2007, 6:07 pm

Oh, thanks for the info Z.

Figures.....

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 18th, 2007, 3:42 am

Forever was okay, my biggest problem with that movie was that tommy lee jones should have played it a little less crazy.
It didnt fit the character and The Riddler alone was crazy enough for one movie.

Yeah, that's it to a T!!

The best parts Tommy Lee had were the subdued Two-Face scenes (not many of those

) where he's thinking something over, or when he tells Batman "You've always been a good friend Bruce," etc....

Also, remember that scene where Batman throws a whole bunch of coins at Two-Face and he doesn't know which one is his or which decision to make and he goes ballistic?

Great scene!

I bet that fits into the film even better with the excised footage.

And Riddler was so nuts (and a lot of fun) that a brooding Two-Face would have been such a perfect foil!

Post by **Ben** » March 18th, 2007, 12:33 pm

Going on the deleted scenes on the Forever DVD, I think it would have been a much <I>weaker</I> film with them in. Having seen them, some are unintentionally hilarious (Kilmer down the cave) and none of them add any plot, which is what I was hoping for. Forever, as it is, is a tighter film, however disjointed it is.

And if Two-Face knew Bats was Bruce...why didn't he just go public with that? Surely the biggest disruption ANY villain could cause to the Wayne way of things...

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 23rd, 2007, 7:20 am

Not really to do with Batman, but made me think of the Prestige A LOT:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/houdini_exhumation

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 23rd, 2007, 8:34 am

Had to post this:

A REALLY interesting interview with Frank Miller about his new Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder comic that's on the stands now--it could be a very good model for the next Bat films, especially if they include Robin!

Batman is the same age as Bale in Batman Begins, (mid 20's) and he still takes on Robin, who's like 12.

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Batman/A ... Robin.html

NRAMA: Going back to the start of this project, how was this pitched to you? Did they say they wanted Batman, or Batman and Robin, or just see what you wanted to do?

FM: They specifically wanted to do Batman and Robin. My first condition was that it would be called Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder. I immediately knew that Robin was going to be the subject of the story. That way, we could play Batman a bit more of the archetype and the stern father, and Robin as the young warrior, learning his way.

NRAMA: That said, your Batman that you’ve shown in previous stories is, if anything, eminently practical, to the point of being methodical and emotionless in his ways. Why in the world would he bring a child into this world of his?

FM: I felt that somebody finally had to explain that, and I worked hard on it.

NRAMA: But still, it does seem to go against his view of protecting innocents, as well as innocence…

FM: No, it makes perfect sense when you think about it. He explains it to Alfred in the story, saying, “I’m a young man, but I won’t always be young, and the mission has to continue.” Robin is his apprentice. He’s training his replacement. That’s the life he intends for Robin.

Of course Alfred’s reaction is, “I’m dyspeptic!” and is horrified that Bruce would do such a thing, and even, if he did something like that, admit it out loud. Alfred already has to deal with this nutcase as a boss, and now he has to worry about a kid as well.

NRAMA: The apprentice approach does seem to go towards the ideas that “Batman would never put a child in danger.” Is it that, he would, if that child is his apprentice?

FM: Well, he didn’t want to get Dick Grayson at this age. It was the murder of his parents that forced his hand. Bruce was going to wait, as he puts it, “Until the kid was old enough to shave.”

NRAMA: So Bruce wasn’t going out, shopping for a12 year-old?

FM: No, but he’d been watching Dick Grayson because he was the most talented kid he’d seen yet. He was planning on taking him under his wing in maybe another six years, but instead, he has to do it when the kid is still too young for the job.

NRAMA: How does that play in the story? It seems that would affect the dynamic that Bruce was planning to have when training his apprentice…

FM: it is important in the series. My Robin is snotty. The two do not get along for a long time. There’s always banter back and forth, where Robin thinks that a lot of the stuff Batman does is old fashioned and weird, and kind of odd – and this is Batman, who is all of 24 or 25. But when you’re 12, a 24 or 25 year old is Methuselah.

NRAMA: Speaking of the whole setting in time, you’ve said that this is, at least, unofficially, “Batman: Year Two” for you…

FM: That’s the way I’m thinking of it, the title is definitely Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder. I love having my name on something called that. I always loved the “Boy Wonder” line, before he was turned into the Teen Wonder, and almost a “Grim Robin.” But I just love the idea of a young Robin. That’s why I created Carrie Kelly in Dark Knight - I just loved the contrast between this stocky, tough, dark adult, and a colorful little pixie running around.

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 24th, 2007, 2:38 pm

Alicia Silverstone as a Cabbage Patch Kid. "Awwe Uncle Alfred!" Wink

Also, unless, Alfred was much older than her mom or her mom had her very late, he's way too old to be her uncle.

Grandfather, maybe.

She's supposed to be like 16 or something, (after all wasn't she at "Oxbridge Academy"?) and Alfred is what....in his late 70's? Just one of the many things that made no sense.

(Of course, being Pat Hingle's daughter in that film wouldn't have made all that much sense either....considering how old Pat Hingle was by then.

)

Post by **Randall** » March 25th, 2007, 1:53 pm

I'd assumed he was her great uncle.

Post by **ShyViolet** » March 25th, 2007, 9:10 pm

I'm pretty sure he's her real uncle though, because he refers to how "my younger sister Margaret" died and then how he has supported Alicia ever since....then later he talks to her about the CD-rom and how he was in Africa and Alicia says: "I remember mom getting photos," or something.

And he says: "You look so like your mother," etc....etc.....

Post by **ShyViolet** » April 12th, 2007, 12:07 am

Copyright Warner Brothers

Kinda sad that this commercial was probably one of the last times (maybe the last time) that Mel Blanc did Bugs/Daffy before he died......(Bugs Bunny advertising a 900 number is just wrong!

)

He did a great job! Nice to hear the "real" voice of Bugs Bunny.....

Post by **ShyViolet** » April 14th, 2007, 8:52 pm

Nolan's take on past Batman characters:

Nolan explained that as long as he is directing, he is not including Robin in the franchise because Christian Bale was still portraying a "young Batman", which meant Robin was "still in a crib somewhere". In addition, Nolan considered the Penguin difficult to portray on film, explaining, "There are certain characters that are easier to mesh with the more real take on Batman we're doing."

Re: Robin: Well, not according to Frank Miller's new series....

Re: Penguin being difficult to portray on film and not "real" enough--Oh yeah, just ask Tim Burton....His Penguin may not have been everyone's cup of tea but he was worlds away from Burgess Meredith (who I actually liked) or the cartoon Penugin in Superfriends....*

IMHO Nolan just doesn't have the guts to go there or get that close to the mythical/fantasitc nature of Batman....which makes me very skeptical about how he will handle the Joker.

*And of course don't forget the '90s animated series take on a "serious" but deadly Penguin....

Batman Begins is my favorite Batman film so far...My problem with it is it's almost 'too' realistic though.

Exactly.

**************************************************

I know The Dark Knight seems far away but.....

....it's next year people!!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/

Post by **Daniel** » April 15th, 2007, 9:06 pm

Ooh, so soon.

Knowing the sequel actually features the Joker, it should be a lot better than Batman Begins. Which, for the record, I thought was ok.

I just hope they don't ruin the Joker!

Post by **ShyViolet** » April 18th, 2007, 4:26 pm

Me too Dan!

Also, here's some cool trivia from IMDB about The Dark Knight

(OK, now I finally get that Maggie G is going to be Rachel, not Lt. Montoya--I kept hearing conflicting things but glad that's put to rest.

)

I'm glad it's Maggie but Rachel McAdams--who was terrorized by Cillian Murphy in Red Eye--would have been GREAT.

I totally respect Nolan as a director, I LOVED The Prestige, Insomnia and Memento, but I"m still a bit unsure about his handling of Bats (although all in all I still think Begins has great things to it, as a film it's great--but as a Batman film I got some doubts, and I hope that Nolan irons out the plot deficiencies the second time around better, and doesn't shy away as much from the "mythical/fantasy" nature of Batman, and that he doesn't just give us "The Commish/James Bond" for 100 minutes and then Bale in a rubber suit for the other 20....or however long this is going to be.

You're totally awesome Chris, but please don't **** this up!!

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 8th, 2007, 8:02 pm

* Billy Dee Williams appears as Harvey Dent, who in the comics became Two-Face. Williams took the role with the expectation that he would be brought back to play Two-Face and reportedly had a contract clause added reserving the role for him. During casting for Batman Forever (1995) Warner Bros. decided they would prefer Tommy Lee Jones and bought out Williams' contract.

This was from IMDB...interesting how much it resembles Eckhart's situation....It's debatable whether they should/shouldn't have dumped Billy Dee for Tommy Lee...on the one hand I though Tommy Lee had some cool scenes, but I can't help but wonder how Billy Dee would have done it.

"Billy Dee! Billy Dee!"

(from "The Klumps" movie

)

But I seriously doubt Nolan would be dumb enough to dump Eckhart just because he's not a "big name".....when Bats 89 was being cast and made the whole Batman franchise was still "sleeping" so they had no idea if there would be another Batman film later on.

Billy Dee might have done a good job if given the chance. Also, I wonder exactly what it was about him that Burton (or WB, Peters, etc...) thought would make a good Two-Face.

Post by **Randall** » May 9th, 2007, 12:40 am

Casting Jones as Two-Face was really pretty dumb. The guy is not handsome, and is scarred already, so making him into Two-Face really missed the visual point of the character. (Plus, his performance was waaaayy too maniacal.) I'd have much rather seen Billie Dee get to continue as Dent.

Post by **Ben** » May 9th, 2007, 8:33 am

Not to mention that Billy Dee is obviously black and Tommy Lee (hey, there's a poem in there somewhere) is obviously white.

I mean, they could have kept up <I>that</I> continuity at least, perhaps even in the make-up!

Jones came off as a Nicholson wannabe.