But I've heard some of Batman Begins is based of the Batman Comic called Batman: Year One. Is Year One a mature Batman comic!?I've heard that it was gritty so is this unlike the other Batman comics!?Or is the same range with the Animated series!? Thanks for your time!
I just returned from the cinema; I just had to see Batman Begins on opening night.
What can I say? I was completely thrilled with every aspect of this movie. I urge all of you interested to shell out the cash to see it. I've always held the first Batman (well the one with Keaton and Nicholson) as the best, but Begins has eclipsed it.
The other Batman movies have scratched the surface of what's brooding inside Bruce Wayne. We see this, we see that, but we see only the surface. Batman Begins takes you to Bruce's core.
Bale, Freeman, Neeson, Oldman, and Caine are all perfectly cast. Even the tumbler, which at first turned me off, succeeded in pleasing me. I guess anything that bulky that can reach 60 mph in under 6 seconds with a top speed of 220 is good enough for me.
Ebert gave it four stars and called it "...the Batman movie I've been waiting for." I second that.
I am very excited about this upcoming Batman flick. I liked Tim Burton's movies and I know I'll like Christopher Nolan's movies. He did a great job with Insomnia and I've heard good things about Momento. It has some of my favorite actors including Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman.
I have only 3 complaints about the film.
1. They are not using Danny Elfman's theme from the Tim Burton movies. It is great and is instantly recognizable to most Batman fans.
2. The batmobile looks gay! No offense to those who like the new look, but I hate it. It looks like a tank.
3. Katie Holmes is in it. I never liked her. Even before this new thing she has going on with Tom Cruise I still didn't like her. They could have found a better love interest for Bruce Wayne IMO.
I agree with you on all but 3.
Katie Holmes did a passable job and therefore is granted clemency from me.
I wouldn't say that the batmobile was "gay" but it wasn't what I envisioned being a true comic fan. Maybe I was looking for more sleekness to the design...I don't know...I didn't care for it.
If I had a beef about the movie, it would have to be the costume Bale wore. It sucked and tarnished a nearly flawless achievement. Keaton's looked cooler but that just me.
I give Batman Begins...3 1/2 stars! Go see it...it's worth the price of admission.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
You are surprisingly silent about Holmes, Sir Miles. Any particular reason?
Well, yes, but not really. Holmes did a very decent job in her role; the only reason I left her out is because the actors I mentioned are in a superior acting class than she is (not just specifically in this movie). Bale proved himself to me in the movie, so I could list him but I just wouldn't have felt right listing Katie Holmes next to Morgan Freeman (or any of the others).
I saw Batman Begins today, and I'm still trying to recover. As I wrote about Spider-Man 2 last year, BELIEVE THE HYPE!! This film is good. Stunningly good. In fact, I'll go so far as to say it's excellent--THE definitive Batman movie to date. Gone is Tim Burton's gothic, psychotic freakshow. Gone is Joel Schumacher's neon-drenched homoerotic campfest. Here is a film that takes its comic book origins seriously, that focuses on character, and that delivers a story that echoes our fears of terrorism hitting metropolitan centers, and which is filled with themes about the need for redemption and the power of family.
I knew I was hooked from the beginning, when I felt genuinely moved by the plight of young Bruce Wayne, who feels lost in the grand Wayne Manor and who blames himself for his parents' deaths. Although the "first" four films (I put "first" in quotes because I think BB belongs in a separate category) touched on Batman's origins, the implications of this early tragedy were never handled with any depth or complexity--parents die, Bruce becomes Batman. End of story. In BB, we are made to understand that the deaths of the Waynes are just the first step in a long journey that leads to the creation of Batman.
In a lot of ways, you can read this as a film about Bruce's need to find a family, and the human relationships here are particularly strong. Some people have griped that it isn't clear who are the villains in this film, but it's obvious that EVERYONE is a villain, except for the small crowd Bruce/Batman gathers around him: Alfred (a wonderful Michael Caine), Rachel, Lucius, and Sergeant Gordon (an excellent Gary Oldman, who has a LOT to do as Gordon--probably THE most under-utilised character in those other Bat-flicks); they form a loose family that bands together to fight the evil that threatens to consume Gotham.
On the issue of families and villains, I have a bit more to say, but I can't say it without spoilers--so if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't highlight the following:
Liam Neeson's character--Ducain? Dulcote? I swear I can't remember--is, like Alfred and Gordon, someone Bruce turns to as a father-figure. What a shock, then, to discover that HE and not Ken Watanabe is really Rais al Ghul. That the man who trained Bruce and taught him how to overcome his fears turns out to represent a perverted view of justice that Bruce must reject gives this film an emotional resonance that is entirely missing from those other Bat-films. Neeson is an excellent villain, because you believe him and you like him--it's what's inside that makes him fascinating, not a makeup job or special effects.
Also, some people have said they're disappointed in The Scarecrow. Well, in point of fact, The Scarecrow really ISN'T in the movie, but we do get to see Jonathan Crane BECOME The Scarecrow. The mask he uses isn't a disguise--it's simply used to shield him from his own fear gas--and it isn't until Crane loses his mind that he embraces his Scarecrow identity. Personally, I love that he escaped at the end, along with another baddie from the comics--Mr. Zsasz--and other lunatics, giving us the sense that they'll all be back to challenge the Bat in new and interesting ways. The fact that The Joker is apparently new on the scene is an another indication that it isn't just Batman who begins here--it's the entire WORLD of Batman that begins.
What else made me happy? Little things--the strong resemblance the actor playing Bruce's father had to Christian Bale. The look of Gotham--a futuristic city that has begun to decay before its time. I also want to defend the Tumbler, which has a chunky, Frank Milleresque badass quality to it; and I don't see why some have called the Batsuit silly--it looks no worse than any of the other Batsuits, and it's probably a shade or two better. It doesn't have the bulky, Robo-Bat look of the original Batman movie, and thank God the Joel Schumacher nipples are gone. Last of all, this old Bond fan was overjoyed to see that the elderly water main operator was played by none other than Shane Rimmer. Good to see he's still playing technician roles after all these years!
So, in the end, five stars, thumbs-up, the feel-good movie of the summer, etc. I loved it. No other way to put it.
I saw Batman Begins today, and I'm still trying to recover. As I wrote about Spider-Man 2 last year, BELIEVE THE HYPE!! This film is good. Stunningly good. In fact, I'll go so far as to say it's excellent--THE definitive Batman movie to date. Gone is Tim Burton's gothic, psychotic freakshow. Gone is Joel Schumacher's neon-drenched homoerotic campfest. Here is a film that takes its comic book origins seriously, that focuses on character, and that delivers a story that echoes our fears of terrorism hitting metropolitan centers, and which is filled with themes about the need for redemption and the power of family.
I knew I was hooked from the beginning, when I felt genuinely moved by the plight of young Bruce Wayne, who feels lost in the grand Wayne Manor and who blames himself for his parents' deaths. Although the "first" four films (I put "first" in quotes because I think BB belongs in a separate category) touched on Batman's origins, the implications of this early tragedy were never handled with any depth or complexity--parents die, Bruce becomes Batman. End of story. In BB, we are made to understand that the deaths of the Waynes are just the first step in a long journey that leads to the creation of Batman.
In a lot of ways, you can read this as a film about Bruce's need to find a family, and the human relationships here are particularly strong. Some people have griped that it isn't clear who are the villains in this film, but it's obvious that EVERYONE is a villain, except for the small crowd Bruce/Batman gathers around him: Alfred (a wonderful Michael Caine), Rachel, Lucius, and Sergeant Gordon (an excellent Gary Oldman, who has a LOT to do as Gordon--probably THE most under-utilised character in those other Bat-flicks); they form a loose family that bands together to fight the evil that threatens to consume Gotham.
On the issue of families and villains, I have a bit more to say, but I can't say it without spoilers--so if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't highlight the following:
Liam Neeson's character--Ducain? Dulcote? I swear I can't remember--is, like Alfred and Gordon, someone Bruce turns to as a father-figure. What a shock, then, to discover that HE and not Ken Watanabe is really Rais al Ghul. That the man who trained Bruce and taught him how to overcome his fears turns out to represent a perverted view of justice that Bruce must reject gives this film an emotional resonance that is entirely missing from those other Bat-films. Neeson is an excellent villain, because you believe him and you like him--it's what's inside that makes him fascinating, not a makeup job or special effects.
Also, some people have said they're disappointed in The Scarecrow. Well, in point of fact, The Scarecrow really ISN'T in the movie, but we do get to see Jonathan Crane BECOME The Scarecrow. The mask he uses isn't a disguise--it's simply used to shield him from his own fear gas--and it isn't until Crane loses his mind that he embraces his Scarecrow identity. Personally, I love that he escaped at the end, along with another baddie from the comics--Mr. Zsasz--and other lunatics, giving us the sense that they'll all be back to challenge the Bat in new and interesting ways. The fact that The Joker is apparently new on the scene is an another indication that it isn't just Batman who begins here--it's the entire WORLD of Batman that begins.
What else made me happy? Little things--the strong resemblance the actor playing Bruce's father had to Christian Bale. The look of Gotham--a futuristic city that has begun to decay before its time. I also want to defend the Tumbler, which has a chunky, Frank Milleresque badass quality to it; and I don't see why some have called the Batsuit silly--it looks no worse than any of the other Batsuits, and it's probably a shade or two better. It doesn't have the bulky, Robo-Bat look of the original Batman movie, and thank God the Joel Schumacher nipples are gone. Last of all, this old Bond fan was overjoyed to see that the elderly water main operator was played by none other than Shane Rimmer. Good to see he's still playing technician roles after all these years!
So, in the end, five stars, thumbs-up, the feel-good movie of the summer, etc. I loved it. No other way to put it.
Ahh I'm glad you liked it as well as I did. Much like you I saw the movie yesterday and it's still resonating in my head.
Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know, it's Ducard.
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
I just came back from seeing this movie. WOW! This was a great movie. But I have one question that needs to be answered
Who killed Chil in the courthouse?
It might have been answered during the movie but there was a disturbance in the movie and some of the movies dialogue was missed. I guess I'll have to see it again
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
So can anyone please help out with my question above about Batman: Year One!?
Batman:Year One has a mature storyline and is influenced--in part--by the movie Taxi Driver.Not the entire content as much as the visuals and the narrative style.There's no nudity or excessive violence or harsh language--if that's what concerns you.This story was originally published as a 4-part story in the Batman comic book itself.It was later republished in book form without any alterations to the text or artwork.
Batman:Year One was only one of the inspirations for Batman Begins--Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween and Dark Victory have also been cited as offering portions of the reference material for the screenplay.The early alliance of Batman and Jim Gordon which is central to the Year One story is what influenced the onscreen depiction of this relationship in Batman Begins.Indeed,Year One is in many ways more about Jim Gordon than it is about Bruce Wayne--who,as drawn by David Mazzuchelli, resembles the young Gregory Peck--while the young Jim Gordon looks a great deal like the late Archie Goodwin as he appeared in his early forties,when he was writing Batman comic books--right down to the eyeglasses,the reddish hair and the thick moustache.
That said,when all is said and done Batman Begins is an original story drawing upon and elaborating on the established origin of The Batman which dates back to 1939 and was first written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane for Detective Comics.
And Batman Begins isn't a prequel to the previous Batman movies but is instead the beginning of an entirely new Batman film series set apart from everything that has come before.
Today's Telegraph review is pretty much how I'd give it. He describes Katie Holmes as not so much a high-powered DA as a 'conscientous milk moniter'. )
Chill was killed by the woman who approached him in the courthouse and said something on the lines of "Mr. Falcone has something for you." She shoots him and is immediately wrestled to the ground by the cops and other bystanders.
Gotta love that new spoiler feature!
Vox clamantis in deserto
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Thanks Hardyboy!
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
You liked Spiderman 2? Sheesh, it was awful compared to the first one.
I presume that this is directed at me; if so, yes indeed, DFXX, I loved Spider-Man 2, and I stand by everything I wrote on this thread a year ago.
Back to Batman Begins, though--yet another thing I enjoyed about it is that Batman in this film is what he was originally meant to be--a DETECTIVE. There are scenes of him eavesdropping on suspicious persons, exchanging information with people in the know, and finding things out--in an often heavy-handed way. The closest any of the other four films came to making Bats a detective was in Batman Forever, where he had to piece together a bunch of riddles. Once again, Batman Begins is THE Batman movie. If Bale and Nolan are on board for another film, I'm stoked!
I definitely plan to see it. After Hardyboy's rave review, Shawn Levy of THE OREGONIAN giving it an A-, and the fact it is directed by Christopher Memento Nolan, it cannot wait.
A diversion – which are the best Batman episodes from the Sixties series?
I have the Batman movie on DVD but haven't got round to watching it yet... I saw it years ago mind, not as good as the 30min episodes... About statesmen being turned to dust or something... Catwoman giving me the horn...
A diversion – which are the best Batman episodes from the Sixties series?
I have the Batman movie on DVD but haven't got round to watching it yet... I saw it years ago mind, not as good as the 30min episodes... About statesmen being turned to dust or something... Catwoman giving me the horn...
I don't know the specific names of the episodes, but that old Batman series was hilarious, campy fun. I especially liked the one where Batman is stuck in a GIANT CLAM! and the one where the Joker is about to crush Robin with an ink press. ZOINK! POW! BIFF! KA-POW!
And Batman Begins isn't a prequel to the previous Batman movies but is instead the beginning of an entirely new Batman film series set apart from everything that has come before.
Could this mean that Batman will face Joker, Penguin, etc. again? ?:)
I think Batman Begins 'begins' a whole new era of Batman movies, where the other movies never existed before. And we meet all our favourite villains once again. I think that would be awesome and would do justice to many characters.
Well, the ones I know have been mostly used up... The most charismatic ones have certainly been done and some of them ruined. Two-Face was so over the top, his mad self took-over too much. I loved how the original one conflicted all the time with his other half, often arguing with himself... None of that survived in Batman Forever.
Comments
They say it is the best comic book movie ever. I don't know if I believe them, but at least the movie should be good.
I've read two reviews so far, one has given the film 4/5 and the other gave it 0/5 - go figure !!
But I've heard some of Batman Begins is based of the Batman Comic called Batman: Year One. Is Year One a mature Batman comic!?I've heard that it was gritty so is this unlike the other Batman comics!?Or is the same range with the Animated series!? Thanks for your time!
What can I say? I was completely thrilled with every aspect of this movie. I urge all of you interested to shell out the cash to see it. I've always held the first Batman (well the one with Keaton and Nicholson) as the best, but Begins has eclipsed it.
The other Batman movies have scratched the surface of what's brooding inside Bruce Wayne. We see this, we see that, but we see only the surface. Batman Begins takes you to Bruce's core.
Bale, Freeman, Neeson, Oldman, and Caine are all perfectly cast. Even the tumbler, which at first turned me off, succeeded in pleasing me. I guess anything that bulky that can reach 60 mph in under 6 seconds with a top speed of 220 is good enough for me.
Ebert gave it four stars and called it "...the Batman movie I've been waiting for." I second that.
You are surprisingly silent about Holmes, Sir Miles. Any particular reason?
I agree with you on all but 3.
Katie Holmes did a passable job and therefore is granted clemency from me.
I wouldn't say that the batmobile was "gay" but it wasn't what I envisioned being a true comic fan. Maybe I was looking for more sleekness to the design...I don't know...I didn't care for it.
If I had a beef about the movie, it would have to be the costume Bale wore. It sucked and tarnished a nearly flawless achievement. Keaton's looked cooler but that just me.
I give Batman Begins...3 1/2 stars! Go see it...it's worth the price of admission.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Well, yes, but not really. Holmes did a very decent job in her role; the only reason I left her out is because the actors I mentioned are in a superior acting class than she is (not just specifically in this movie). Bale proved himself to me in the movie, so I could list him but I just wouldn't have felt right listing Katie Holmes next to Morgan Freeman (or any of the others).
I knew I was hooked from the beginning, when I felt genuinely moved by the plight of young Bruce Wayne, who feels lost in the grand Wayne Manor and who blames himself for his parents' deaths. Although the "first" four films (I put "first" in quotes because I think BB belongs in a separate category) touched on Batman's origins, the implications of this early tragedy were never handled with any depth or complexity--parents die, Bruce becomes Batman. End of story. In BB, we are made to understand that the deaths of the Waynes are just the first step in a long journey that leads to the creation of Batman.
In a lot of ways, you can read this as a film about Bruce's need to find a family, and the human relationships here are particularly strong. Some people have griped that it isn't clear who are the villains in this film, but it's obvious that EVERYONE is a villain, except for the small crowd Bruce/Batman gathers around him: Alfred (a wonderful Michael Caine), Rachel, Lucius, and Sergeant Gordon (an excellent Gary Oldman, who has a LOT to do as Gordon--probably THE most under-utilised character in those other Bat-flicks); they form a loose family that bands together to fight the evil that threatens to consume Gotham.
On the issue of families and villains, I have a bit more to say, but I can't say it without spoilers--so if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't highlight the following:
Also, some people have said they're disappointed in The Scarecrow. Well, in point of fact, The Scarecrow really ISN'T in the movie, but we do get to see Jonathan Crane BECOME The Scarecrow. The mask he uses isn't a disguise--it's simply used to shield him from his own fear gas--and it isn't until Crane loses his mind that he embraces his Scarecrow identity. Personally, I love that he escaped at the end, along with another baddie from the comics--Mr. Zsasz--and other lunatics, giving us the sense that they'll all be back to challenge the Bat in new and interesting ways. The fact that The Joker is apparently new on the scene is an another indication that it isn't just Batman who begins here--it's the entire WORLD of Batman that begins.
What else made me happy? Little things--the strong resemblance the actor playing Bruce's father had to Christian Bale. The look of Gotham--a futuristic city that has begun to decay before its time. I also want to defend the Tumbler, which has a chunky, Frank Milleresque badass quality to it; and I don't see why some have called the Batsuit silly--it looks no worse than any of the other Batsuits, and it's probably a shade or two better. It doesn't have the bulky, Robo-Bat look of the original Batman movie, and thank God the Joel Schumacher nipples are gone. Last of all, this old Bond fan was overjoyed to see that the elderly water main operator was played by none other than Shane Rimmer. Good to see he's still playing technician roles after all these years!
So, in the end, five stars, thumbs-up, the feel-good movie of the summer, etc. I loved it. No other way to put it.
I enjoyed reading your review Hardyboy!
Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know, it's Ducard.
It might have been answered during the movie but there was a disturbance in the movie and some of the movies dialogue was missed. I guess I'll have to see it again
Batman:Year One has a mature storyline and is influenced--in part--by the movie Taxi Driver.Not the entire content as much as the visuals and the narrative style.There's no nudity or excessive violence or harsh language--if that's what concerns you.This story was originally published as a 4-part story in the Batman comic book itself.It was later republished in book form without any alterations to the text or artwork.
Batman:Year One was only one of the inspirations for Batman Begins--Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween and Dark Victory have also been cited as offering portions of the reference material for the screenplay.The early alliance of Batman and Jim Gordon which is central to the Year One story is what influenced the onscreen depiction of this relationship in Batman Begins.Indeed,Year One is in many ways more about Jim Gordon than it is about Bruce Wayne--who,as drawn by David Mazzuchelli, resembles the young Gregory Peck--while the young Jim Gordon looks a great deal like the late Archie Goodwin as he appeared in his early forties,when he was writing Batman comic books--right down to the eyeglasses,the reddish hair and the thick moustache.
That said,when all is said and done Batman Begins is an original story drawing upon and elaborating on the established origin of The Batman which dates back to 1939 and was first written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane for Detective Comics.
And Batman Begins isn't a prequel to the previous Batman movies but is instead the beginning of an entirely new Batman film series set apart from everything that has come before.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Gotta love that new spoiler feature!
I presume that this is directed at me; if so, yes indeed, DFXX, I loved Spider-Man 2, and I stand by everything I wrote on this thread a year ago.
Back to Batman Begins, though--yet another thing I enjoyed about it is that Batman in this film is what he was originally meant to be--a DETECTIVE. There are scenes of him eavesdropping on suspicious persons, exchanging information with people in the know, and finding things out--in an often heavy-handed way. The closest any of the other four films came to making Bats a detective was in Batman Forever, where he had to piece together a bunch of riddles. Once again, Batman Begins is THE Batman movie. If Bale and Nolan are on board for another film, I'm stoked!
Now why do you say that!? Doc Ock was a way better villan than the Green Goblin! All the Green Goblin wore was just a Power Rangers mask.
And thanks for the information Willie Garvin! Would you say its along the lines of the Animated series!?
I have the Batman movie on DVD but haven't got round to watching it yet... I saw it years ago mind, not as good as the 30min episodes... About statesmen being turned to dust or something... Catwoman giving me the horn...
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I don't know the specific names of the episodes, but that old Batman series was hilarious, campy fun. I especially liked the one where Batman is stuck in a GIANT CLAM! and the one where the Joker is about to crush Robin with an ink press. ZOINK! POW! BIFF! KA-POW!
Could this mean that Batman will face Joker, Penguin, etc. again? ?:)
Yes indeed--in fact, the closing scene of Batman Begins hints at that possibility, but I won't spoil anything here.
MBE
But that means Schumacher's film didn't happen as well. Which is good!
I think we need the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman etc. again because the new franchize would run out of decent villains by the next movie!
Better still, they could invent new villains for the movies... But I don't see that happening, and I'm not sure how good that would be.
Well, the ones I know have been mostly used up... The most charismatic ones have certainly been done and some of them ruined. Two-Face was so over the top, his mad self took-over too much. I loved how the original one conflicted all the time with his other half, often arguing with himself... None of that survived in Batman Forever.