Would you buy a HOT TOYS George Clooney Batman?

[Captain Britain]

I think the first Batman movie is good enough...it's stagey and theatrical but so's the character. It just doesn't nail the legend like Superman The Movie did.

Plus I visited the set, so I've got a particular affection for it.

 

[8th wonder]

And with that one line you make my point for me.
My friend, when i refer to a shoddy script, i refer more to the first batman, the '89 movie. out of the two, i thought returns was better. the story was fine, but i fealt too many liberties were taken with both Batman, and joker. There is an established story, with established characters. stick to those, don't reinvent the wheel. Make a batman film if that's what you're going to do, and don't do an homage to something that you love.
I'm a comic geek, so i see comic book movies from that perspective.
Also, said it before, and will say it again, i disaprove of Burton making batman into a Murderer. His films auto-fail on that alone.

You could also say that Burton created an other world batman. Many batman comics are like that. Burton's batman kills because he is basically insane.

James O, Barr of whom i'm a big fan wants to do a batman story as well. A hardboiled batman that uses drugs.

 

[FlyAndFight]

James O, Barr of whom i'm a big fan wants to do a batman story as well. A hardboiled batman that uses drugs.

Put him in an armored suit with a Camelbak filled with scotch and we've got us Tony Stark...

 

[DarkArtist81]

I'm a comic geek, so i see comic book movies from that perspective.
Also, said it before, and will say it again, i disaprove of Burton making batman into a Murderer. His films auto-fail on that alone.

That was always something that bothered me about those films, even to this day. The fact that Batman knowingly enacted revenge on the Joker, killing him. Even if he didn't know for sure that the statue would break, he knew it was a dangerous move that could end in the murder of the Joker.

And throughout the comics, Batman has come close to killing a villain... Joker especially. But he always held back, because if he were to cross that line he would be going against the laws and system he holds so dear. He would cease to be a hero and become a murdering vigilante. Something that would go against the core of his being and push Gordon to bring him down.

 

[GuruAskew]

What Batman did to the Joker in the '89 Burton film is no different than what he did to Ra's al Ghul in "Batman Begins". The same thing happened with the origin story. All the nerds whine and moan about the Joker being tied into the Batman origin story but nobody complains about Nolan tying Ra's al Ghul into the origin. Neither of them is accurate to the comic in any way, shape or form.

As for Clooney as Batman, he wasn't the problem. The movie was horribly-written and horribly-directed. Clooney could have been a kickass Batman in a kickass Batman movie but alas, he was in a crappy movie so people erroneously blame him for the crappiness.

I might buy the Burton/Keaton figures. His movies weren't great but they were the only ones that even came close to capturing the style of comics in general. Schumacher's movies were too cartoony and Nolan's are too "realistic" (translation: visually dull and uninspired) and Burton's are the porridge that Goldilocks chose.

The Nolan batsuit is arguably the worst of the series. People complain about the Bat-nips in the Schumacher films but the costumes were otherwise fine (at least the "standard" ones were, the "final battle" suits in both films were incredibly cheesy) and that's because the same costume designer worked on all 4 of the Burton/Schumacher series and issues like bulkiness and impaired mobility that plagued the initial costume were gradually ironed out. The costume design took a big step backwards with "Begins", it's like they were starting back at square 1 and it's a proportional mess and it looks really bulky and it bunches up oddly. Lindy Hemming knows what she's doing on Bond movies but like practically everyone working behind-the-scenes on "Batman Begins" she was in over her head.

For my money, if you could combine the best elements from the two Burton costumes into one you would have the definitive cinematic Batsuit. For example, I prefer the musculature on the abs/stomach from the first movie to the artificial/mechanical abs from the second movie, but I like the more traditional logo from "Returns" with the technical improvements, like the lessened bulkiness.

The good thing about toys though is that you can cheat a little in regards to things like that. You can cut down on the bulkiness of the first "Batman" Batsuit to make it look better while still remaining true to the intention of the design. It's like an idealized version of what they tried in the movie. It's a tough call between 100% accuracy and insignificant improvements. I personally wouldn't want a Godzilla figure to have a zipper sculpted into the back or a zombie from a Romero film with noticeable makeup seams and obvious squibs so I'd like to see Hot Toys make an '89 Batman look as good as possible, because nothing should come close under ideal circumstances.

 

[8th wonder]

=GuruAskew;830368]What Batman did to the Joker in the '89 Burton film is no different than what he did to Ra's al Ghul in "Batman Begins". The same thing happened with the origin story. All the nerds whine and moan about the Joker being tied into the Batman origin story but nobody complains about Nolan tying Ra's al Ghul into the origin. Neither of them is accurate to the comic in any way, shape or form.

Great point

As for Clooney as Batman, he wasn't the problem. The movie was horribly-written and horribly-directed. Clooney could have been a kickass Batman in a kickass Batman movie but alas, he was in a crappy movie so people erroneously blame him for the crappiness.

Have to disagree on this one, his face does not suit the mask in my opinion and his voice is to slick for batman.

I might by the Burton/Keaton figures. His movies weren't great but they were the only ones that even came close to capturing the style of comics in general. Schumacher's movies were too cartoony and Nolan's are too "realistic" (translation: visually dull and uninspired) and Burton's are the porridge that Goldilocks chose.

Partly agree. I think batman returns is really unique and special, a great script, great actors and characters, great visual style, a great film. Batman 89 has it's imperfections but is still very entertaining and well made, a good movie.

Nolans style is indeed dull and uninspired. The world he created is not really something for a guy that dresses up like a bat, his style is way to slick. a guy that dresses up like a bat, cape and all, the word gothic springs to mind. Not bladerunner-like sets like Nolan uses. I think you were a bit to nice though for not mentioning the turkey script by throw-away Groyer.

Schumacher clearly couldn't take batman seriously, i think he just didn't care and made a homo-erotic batman film to suit his own preferences maybe.

The Nolan batsuit is arguably the worst of the series.

I agree, even reminds me of power rangers.

The costume design took a big step backwards with "Begins", it's like they were starting back at square 1 and it's a proportional mess and it looks really bulky and it bunches up oddly. Lindy Hemming knows what she's doing on Bond movies but like practically everyone working behind-the-scenes on "Batman Begins" she was in over her head.

agreed

 

[Ursus3978]

The Nolan batsuit is arguably the worst of the series. People complain about the Bat-nips in the Schumacher films but the costumes were otherwise fine (at least the "standard" ones were, the "final battle" suits in both films were incredibly cheesy) and that's because the same costume designer worked on all 4 of the Burton/Schumacher series and issues like bulkiness and impaired mobility that plagued the initial costume were gradually ironed out. The costume design took a big step backwards with "Begins", it's like they were starting back at square 1 and it's a proportional mess and it looks really bulky and it bunches up oddly. Lindy Hemming knows what she's doing on Bond movies but like practically everyone working behind-the-scenes on "Batman Begins" she was in over her head.

I used to feel that way about the Begins suit.
But it has grown on me since I first saw the movie.
Partly because of the Takara version of the figure, wich is really really cool looking.
Partly because I really don't like the new Dark Knight costume. Waaaaay too busy and soooooo far removed from the look of a comic book superhero (except maybe Iron Man).
He's starting to look more like the Sam Rami Green Goblin than Batman.

Maybe if it were a scenario of Batman about to fight Superman like at the end of the Dark Knight graphic novel and he needs to don a super suit of armor, then I could see it, but I can't see why he's going to need this suit in the new movie.

 

[creecher]

Have to disagree on this one, his face does not suit the mask in my opinion and his voice is to slick for batman.

Not knocking your opinion, though with a mask on, it's hard to tell whose face it is. I would have thought wardrobe would be responsible, as they would have made the mask to fit. Are you saying you don't think Clooneys jaw is cartooney enough?

No one ever comments much on Bales speech impediment. His lisping really irritated me by the end of Begins.

 

[8th wonder]

=creecher;830622]Not knocking your opinion, though with a mask on, it's hard to tell whose face it is. I would have thought wardrobe would be responsible, as they would have made the mask to fit. Are you saying you don't think Clooneys jaw is cartooney enough?

Maybe to cartoony, not tough looking.

No one ever comments much on Bales speech impediment. His lisping really irritated me by the end of Begins.

I always mention that, forgot it in my post above. His bat voice is really ridiculous. The lisp plus that he sounds like he has some throat desease.

 

[chuck20]

I'd much rather get a HT Adam West

 

[Captain Britain]

I really, really hope The Dark Knight turns out to be great - I love the opening six minutes, and it would be great to see a Batman movie done in the style of an early seventies detective thriller, which this seems to be. But I didn't like Batman Begins - it read well, but on screen I just saw a load of cliches, like Bruce Wayne basically being a kick ass ninja. I'm really bored of superhuman Kung Fu heroes! I'd love to see a film where the hero doesn't know any martial arts, but just knocks people out with a good punch.

 

[8th wonder]

I really, really hope The Dark Knight turns out to be great - I love the opening six minutes, and it would be great to see a Batman movie done in the style of an early seventies detective thriller, which this seems to be. But I didn't like Batman Begins - it read well, but on screen I just saw a load of cliches, like Bruce Wayne basically being a kick ass ninja. I'm really bored of superhuman Kung Fu heroes! I'd love to see a film where the hero doesn't know any martial arts, but just knocks people out with a good punch.

I thought the first 6 min wich i saw on youtube looked really boring, completely without atmosphere. I don't really see the seventies stuff honestly, looks exactly as hollow as all movies that are made today. The positive: ledgers Joker's voice and overall performance looks pretty cool.

Am i the only one or does the first Joker shot (in the trailer) look like he was inspired by Jack Nicholson. How he arrogantly moves his lips, like he is not impressed. Jack does the exact same thing at the museum with Basinger, i believe it's after the first fully functional homicidal artist piece of dialogue.

 

[GuruAskew]

I thought the first 6 min wich i saw on youtube looked really boring, completely without atmosphere. I don't really see the seventies stuff honestly, looks exactly as hollow as all movies that are made today. The positive: ledgers Joker's voice and overall performance looks pretty cool.

Yeah, that looks like every heist scene that's ever been filmed in the history of movies. It's completely by-the-numbers then then again, so is the entire "Batman Begins" film.

I also have never been impressed by what I've seen of Ledger's performance. I know he died and everything but that isn't going to stop me from being honest about what I've seen and what I've seen (and that's everything that's been seen) is just not great.

 

[lerath666]

I'd much rather get a HT Adam West

people like to knock this series, but out of EVERY live action version of batman, this was the most true to the source material ( or perhaps Bat-terial ) that particular series was ALLMOST EXACTLTY like the comics of it's day.
Modern day Film-makers could learn alot from that method.

On one hand, I do agre that Ras'Al'Ghoul felt like an insert, but's a beleiveable one. Ras is immortal, and likes to shape the future.
I can agree o putting the burton films in an elseworlds catagory, IMHO it's where they belong.
ALOT of directors seem to have ( And I'll admit Nolan and singer are included in this) the desire to make a super-hero film, but are too scared to make their own heroes. so the take known heroes, and mold them how they like it.

Burton's batman films were good superhero movies, but Lousy batman films.
The same can be said of MOST comic book movies. X-men 1 for examplew FELT like the x-men. 2 was a standard sequel to one, good, but not great, and 3 was utter garbage. oh well, atleast 3 had apocalypse, if you know where to look.

 

[lerath666]

Yeah, that looks like every heist scene that's ever been filmed in the history of movies. It's completely by-the-numbers then then again, so is the entire "Batman Begins" film.

I also have never been impressed by what I've seen of Ledger's performance. I know he died and everything but that isn't going to stop me from being honest about what I've seen and what I've seen (and that's everything that's been seen) is just not great.

Mark Hamil. BEST JOKER PERFORMANCE EVER. Even if it is voice only

If you want a definitive joker Comic book, go Read the same one Mark based his performance off primairly ( and roumer has it so did Ledger, but we will see)

This book is also where the "Official" Joker Origin comes from. Allong with the Origin of Oracle.
to quote Joker himself "If I must have a backstory, I prefer it to be multiple choice"

hey look, It's barbra Gordon.

and that's where Oracle comes from.

 

[DarkArtist81]

I really, really hope The Dark Knight turns out to be great - I love the opening six minutes, and it would be great to see a Batman movie done in the style of an early seventies detective thriller, which this seems to be. But I didn't like Batman Begins - it read well, but on screen I just saw a load of cliches, like Bruce Wayne basically being a kick ass ninja. I'm really bored of superhuman Kung Fu heroes! I'd love to see a film where the hero doesn't know any martial arts, but just knocks people out with a good punch.

For those that knock Begins, understand that it is the first Batman movie to take the source material seriously. Every other Batman film has butchered some part of Batman's origin or who he is at his core.

Batman knows Martial Arts. Period. Even if it is Cliche. He traveled the world to learn how to punish evil, it's part and parcel to the comics legend. At least (In Begins) he's not using some flashy style like in previous films. They used a much more aggressive style of fighting, more to the point. Like Batman would actually use.

I'll agree about the bunching up aspect of the Begins suit... It looked odd when he leaned over and such. And the new films costume looks busy as Hell. But that doesn't matter to me. I only care about character and staying true to the Batman myth. These new films do that exceptionally well.

No Joker as the one who killed Batman's parents (Lamest part of the original 89 film), No neon wearing--over the top---Two Face, Alfred doesn't keep letting people into the Batcave, etc..

Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid... 89 Batman and Returns was huge for me. But that was before I immersed myself into the comics stories and really delved into the character of Batman, as well as his rogues gallery. Now that I have done that, I consider Begins the more accurate... better film.

 

[lerath666]

For those that knock Begins, understand that it is the first Batman movie to take the source material seriously. Every other Batman film has butchered some part of Batman's origin or who he is at his core.

Batman knows Martial Arts. Period. Even if it is Cliche. He traveled the world to learn how to punish evil, it's part and parcel to the comics legend. At least (In Begins) he's not using some flashy style like in previous films. They used a much more aggressive style of fighting, more to the point. Like Batman would actually use.

I'll agree about the bunching up aspect of the Begins suit... It looked odd when he leaned over and such. And the new films costume looks busy as Hell. But that doesn't matter to me. I only care about character and staying true to the Batman myth. These new films do that exceptionally well.

No Joker as the one who killed Batman's parents (Lamest part of the original 89 film), No neon wearing--over the top---Two Face, Alfred doesn't keep letting people into the Batcave, etc..

Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid... 89 Batman and Returns was huge for me. But that was before I immersed myself into the comics stories and really delved into the character of Batman, as well as his rogues gallery. Now that I have done that, I consider Begins the more accurate... better film.

 

[8th wonder]

=DarkArtist81;832056]For those that knock Begins, understand that it is the first Batman movie to take the source material seriously. Every other Batman film has butchered some part of Batman's origin or who he is at his core.

So in your logic adding something different, or giving ones own view of the character equals not taking the character seriously? Great logic.

Batman knows Martial Arts. Period. Even if it is Cliche. He traveled the world to learn how to punish evil, it's part and parcel to the comics legend. At least (In Begins) he's not using some flashy style like in previous films. They used a much more aggressive style of fighting, more to the point. Like Batman would actually use.

I think Keaton has a way more impressive fighting style. He trained kickboxing and that's one of those fighting styles that actually works in real life.

I'll agree about the bunching up aspect of the Begins suit... It looked odd when he leaned over and such. And the new films costume looks busy as Hell. But that doesn't matter to me. I only care about character and staying true to the Batman myth. These new films do that exceptionally well.

The suit looks like ^^^^ and that doesn't matter? We are talking about a superhero here. Also recently i read an article about a comic book artist who also did batman stories. He didn't think Batman begins's batman character was that true to the comics. Will try to find the interview.

Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid... 89 Batman and Returns was huge for me. But that was before I immersed myself into the comics stories and really delved into the character of Batman, as well as his rogues gallery. Now that I have done that, I consider Begins the more accurate... better film.

Even if it were more accurate it is not even close to being the better film, in fact Batman Begins is a bad film when looking at basic cinematic values. The script, the acting, cinematography, art direction, the score etc.. are all veryyyy mediocre.

 

[MaulFan]

Even if it were more accurate it is not even close to being the better film, in fact Batman Begins is a bad film when looking at basic cinematic values. The script, the acting, cinematography, art direction, the score etc.. are all veryyyy mediocre.

I disagree with that entirely. Like DA, I grew up with Keaton, and still enjoy the Burton Batman films, but in a way, they're almost cartoony in the way things go down and are played out. One thing I love about Begins is the fact it brought a sense of realism to the story and gave believable routes to how an average Joe comes into posession of skills and tools to do what Batman does. I thought the cinematography and lighting were fantastic, editing very well done, the score very engaging and adds to the story pulling you into the memoments and I thought all of the acting was top notch. I consider Batman Begins the first Batman FILM where the Burton and Schumacher entries are more like take you back to being 5 years old movies. They have their value, but looking at the entire body of live-action Batmans, I don't think the first 4 are even in the same league as Begins and undoubtedly TDK will be.

 

[8th wonder]

=MaulFan;832236]I disagree with that entirely. Like DA, I grew up with Keaton, and still enjoy the Burton Batman films, but in a way, they're almost cartoony in the way things go down and are played out. One thing I love about Begins is the fact it brought a sense of realism

Realism, realism, there is nothing realistic about Batman Begins, what the hell is so realistic about it? Because it's so boring? Not to mention that for a character that dresses up like a bat creating an own world for him to live in is a better idea, a world where somebody could actually do that, like burton's!

to the story and gave believable routes to how an average Joe comes into posession of skills and tools to do what Batman does. I thought the cinematography and lighting were fantastic, editing very well done, the score very engaging and adds to the story pulling you into the memoments and I thought all of the acting was top notch

If you think that's top notch please watch some more cinema instead of popcorn flicks. The score sounds like a score from a Michael Bay flick.

I consider Batman Begins the first Batman FILM where the Burton and Schumacher entries are more like take you back to being 5 years old movies.

Returns especially was made for a mature audience look at the extras on the dvd, Begins however was actually made for kiddies.

Just to show you why parents were so shocked back in 92, they were expecthing a kiddie flick like Begins. Not the dark movie returns is:

Cats chewing on bloody hands

Now after he mutilates the guys nose let's have the Penguin make more of his pornographic comments. "teach her my french flipper trick"

They have their value, but looking at the entire body of live-action Batmans, I don't think the first 4 are even in the same league as Begins and undoubtedly TDK will be.

Begins is sooo contemporary and will be forgotten very soon because it doesn't bring anything unique.