Batman Begins Talkback *Spoilers Version*

BreakABone · 06-15-2005, 03:53 PM

Ok not that anyone is reading the other thread, but figured since that one is pretty much spoiler free. I could have one that could include spoilers or what have you. And of course, general feedback.

Anyhow, I caught the noon showing of the movie with a friend. And though my opinion may not be the best one to take on this movie (overly) biase, it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Like lots of reviews will say not just one of the best comic book movies, but a general all around movie.

The movie is really divided into two parts. The Genesis of The Batman and the well first real threat the Batman has to save Gotham from.

The first part of the movie is awesome. There is a lot more backstory given here then in any other version of Batman's origins. Even though he has very little screen time, you are able to feel for Thomas Wayne. He is a good man and it pains him to see his city falling no matter how much he tries. He also loves his son and has a very special relationship with him. The worst thing about it, is the audience knows what will eventually happen to him so its made all the more sad. Oddly, or maybe not, the mother is given very little to work with.. I found that kind of disappointing since the father is so close to the son.

Anyhow, we then see the fall out of Bruce's parents death much later. Bruce can't fit in too well it seems, leaving Princeton and trying to kill Joe Chill to enact revenge for his parents. He is unable to enact revenge because someone gets to Chill first because he was gonna rat on the biggest crime boss in Gotham, Carmine Falcone. This of course shows Bruce that corruption in Gotham runs much larger than his parents death.

In one the more chilling scenes of the movie, Bruce confronts Falcone in some club. And is basically told mess with me and you or any one you hold dare will get it. This of course leads to part of the motivation for Bruce to put....

Er this is getting long winded.

Anyhow, it is an awesome sequence that allows you to see how Bruce gets to be who he is. From studying the underworld to his training in different arts. And of course meeting up with Ducard and Ra's Al Ghul.

Well, Bruce joins up with the League of Shadows and does well. Becomes like their prime student and as the prodigal son of Gotham, he is in a prime position to help them destroy Gotham. Bruce doesn't quite see it that way and blows the joint (quite literally).

He returns to Gotham and with the aid of family butler Alfred, and Applied Sciences head, Lucious Fox, Bruce is able to create his Batman persona.

Now this Batman is unlike any other in the movies. He is more stalker than fighter. The scenes with Batman are usually depicted as horror films. With a dark creature run in and out of the shadow and grabbing his would be victim. It really really really works well. The fear of the villians is one of the best parts of the movie.

The fights scenes on the other hand, leave a little to be desired. because they decide for the quick cuts, you just see stuff hitting no idea who is hitting who (95% of the time its probably Batman landing the blows but eh). It isn't too distracting most of the time because Batman is winning, but the final fight could of been better without it. And we know Bruce and Ra's can go.

Er I'll add more later. But I must make a note. The Scarecrow is a f*(K!ng bad ass villian. And his hallunctions are some of the best parts of the movie. I'm sure not many people knew who ScareCrow was before this movie, but after it everyone will be asking.

Krypton · 06-15-2005, 04:05 PM

I can't wait to see this movie, the more and more people talk about it, the more and more I want to see it.

Ginkasa · 06-15-2005, 10:31 PM

/me sighs

I have to wait until this weekend to see it...

I'm so excited ^_^

/me shrugs and walks away

Professor S · 06-18-2005, 01:39 AM

Just saw it, and it was great. Christopher Nolan definitely did his homework on The Batman and borrowed a lot from the right source: Frank Miller. Frank Miller is the master of The Batman with his seminole tales The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, in fact much of Batman Begins appears to be directly influenced by Year One.

BTW, IGN just voted those two stories as the #1 and #2 greatest Batman stories ever told. Check them out. Arkham Asylum is a great one too, as is The Killing Joke.

Back to the movie, Christian Bale did a great job, but he may have gone a little over the edge with the snarling even though I know thats what they were going for. Gary Oldman IS Commisoner Gordon. And even though they screwed with one of the greatest foes in Batman's history, Ra's Al Ghul, Liam Neison does a great job playing the dual roles of Ducard and Al Ghul.

Oh yeah, and this is THE BEST Batmobile EVER. Hands down.

Seth · 06-18-2005, 02:00 AM

Saw it tonight. Not bad.
The drug stuff was crazy. Not like the normal superhero movie for sure.

drink oj

MuGen · 06-18-2005, 03:52 AM

Although I still think Michael Keaton played the best Batman... I believe Batman Begins is the best overall Batman movie ever made. Having seen all of them, they seem to have gotten all the elements correct. They show how he begins and how he takes form... and even how he gets all his weapons and gadgets. Showing him as a more stealthy assassin type really worked well. I didn't like the cartoons or even the movies with George Clooney and Val Kilmer in which he just blows through a glass ceiling and the villains hail "It's Batman!"

Seeing the villains fear the bat really brought out the essence of what Bruce Wayne really was aiming for, and what League of Shadows taught him in using Fear to engage enemies.

Also the end... with the joker card... my heart was racing.... I cannot wait for the next installment..

BreakABone · 06-18-2005, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Strangler

Just saw it, and it was great. Christopher Nolan definitely did his homework on The Batman and borrowed a lot from the right source: Frank Miller. Frank Miller is the master of The Batman with his seminole tales The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, in fact much of Batman Begins appears to be directly influenced by Year One.

Ok this has nothing to do with the movie, but eh it was mentioned. I honestly have never seen the appeal in The Dark Knight Returns. I just don't get it. As far as alternative futures goes, I would prefer the world of Batman Beyond.

Year One is good stuff.

But personally, I prefer Jeph Loeb as my Batman writer. Long Halloween. Dark Victory. Superman/Batman first few issues. Hush to a degree.

Quote:

Back to the movie, Christian Bale did a great job, but he may have gone a little over the edge with the snarling even though I know thats what they were going for. Gary Oldman IS Commisoner Gordon. And even though they screwed with one of the greatest foes in Batman's history, Ra's Al Ghul, Liam Neison does a great job playing the dual roles of Ducard and Al Ghul.

I like the snarling to a degree. Like when he had Flass. But to me the voice was too inconstint (spelling?) sometimes it sounded like an animal, other times it sounded more human like and then there were times it just sounded like Bruce.

I thought they did well with Ra's. Especially eliminating his supernatural attributes at least for this movie (they weren't really needed in my book, maybe a sequel can look into it).

Quote:

Oh yeah, and this is THE BEST Batmobile EVER. Hands down.

And yeah it was a pretty bad ass batmobile. Probably won't win any beauty contest.

Jonbo298 · 06-18-2005, 07:13 PM

Good movie. No huge complaints.

I think the second one will hopefully see Bruce 'modifying' the Tumbler into the well-known batmobile and well, since they obviously setup the second movie with the 'lair' being the 'true' bat cave lair we all know from Batman, I think the second movie may usurp the first one since it seems like its gonna get into more of the meat of Batman. Joker, maybe the well known batmobile, well known lair, rebuild of house, etc...

Ginkasa · 06-18-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonbo298

maybe the well known batmobile

I'd prefer the Batmobile stay the same. I'd prefer not to have a complete redesign every movie like we did with the last three.

Anyway....

I just saw the movie, and loved it. Although I enjoyed it, the smaller role for the villains seemed really weird to me, after having grown up on the past four films. I prefer it, it just wasn't what I was used to.

I'm interested to see what they do with the second film. The Joker should be interesting in this new Batman universe..

/me shrugs and walks away

GiMpY-wAnNaBe · 06-18-2005, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sony

Also the end... with the joker card... my heart was racing.... I cannot wait for the next installment..

Uh, i don't think that it points toward a new movie with joker, but rather the original batman, in which Joker was the villian.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyways, Batman begins was hands down the best batman thus far. Great casting, beautiful plot unfolding, and finally a batman movie thats somewhat plausible. The "stealth creature of the night" is much better represented in this movie than say, george clooney's prancing around gotham in a rubber suit.

BreakABone · 06-18-2005, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GiMpY-wAnNaBe

Uh, i don't think that it points toward a new movie with joker, but rather the original batman, in which Joker was the villian.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyways, Batman begins was hands down the best batman thus far. Great casting, beautiful plot unfolding, and finally a batman movie thats somewhat plausible. The "stealth creature of the night" is much better represented in this movie than say, george clooney's prancing around gotham in a rubber suit.

No its pointing to a whole new movie. The movie isn't related to the other ones, more than the fact it shares the characters' name (I wouldn't even say traits as many of the characters in this universe are potrayed completely different.)

Crono · 06-19-2005, 01:31 AM

I saw Batman Begins tonight. Great movie. Usually I fall asleep half way through most movies but this one kept me awake, I even held in a piss I had to take about 20 min into the movie, just so I wouldn't miss any significant part.

ulala06 · 06-19-2005, 09:08 AM

i loved this movie from start to finish.

scarecrow comes off a little scarier than in the cartoon.

lol.

Bond · 06-19-2005, 04:48 PM

Best superhero movie ever.

Professor S · 06-19-2005, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakABone

Ok this has nothing to do with the movie, but eh it was mentioned. I honestly have never seen the appeal in The Dark Knight Returns. I just don't get it. As far as alternative futures goes, I would prefer the world of Batman Beyond.

I loved TDKR, because I think no other book has gone so far into Batman's true reason for doing what he does. Its not vengeance or justice... its guilt. In TDKR Batman is guilty that he is still alive and his parents are dead, especially because he has outlived his parents. He feels guilt for having abandoned Gotham and Jim Gordon. He feels guilt over the death of Jason Todd.

A recurring theme throughout the book is that Batman is looking for a good way to die. Its not until the end that he finds a new purpose and reason to go on. Also, I think the symbiotic relationship between Batman and the Joker was examined beautifully, with the Joker sitting in Arkham waiting for Batman to resurface.

You also have to remember that stories like this for Batman were non-existant before Frank Miller re-invented what Batman could be and mean.

IMO, its brilliant and one of the truly important moments for comics as a artform along with The Watchmen and most recently Earth X.