Batman Hype!

[Keyser Soze]

With the Spoiler boards getting increasingly Spoilery, perhaps it's time to inject some more life into the Non-Spoiler boards. I think I'll try creating and contributing to more threads here, starting with this one.

Here, we can talk about the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne, as portrayed by Christian Bale. How do you think his character will develop in The Dark Knight Rises? Here is a place to discuss all things Batman, and post any speculation and relevant, non-spoilery pictures and articles.

[ron1705]

All these movies have been about Bruce's journey and I suspect that this will be even more noticeable in this movie. In the first movie he began his fight against crime and the second movie tested his moral compas. I suspect Bane will challenge him both physically and psychologically, and he will finally become the 'legend' Ra's referred.

PS, I'm glad you're trying to inject some life into the non-spoiler section. The spoiler section is reaching a point where I'm afraid that I will spoil too much.

[Keyser Soze]

Thanks, ron! That was my concern too. I still want to have somewhere to talk about the film, though.

You touch on a good point when you mention how the whole series thus far has been about Batman's journey. I disagree with this notion that Batman was overshadowed or didn't have anything to do in The Dark Knight. Ultimately, The Dark Knight was just as much Bruce Wayne's story as Batman Begins was. And I expect The Dark Knight Rises to be the same.

Here's an interesting video about Batman's psychology, which was on the special features of the TDK blu-ray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGJXF3uJuXI

[Batmind]

I think more than physically Bane will challenge him on a mental level and we'll get to see just how smart Bruce Wayne really is. I'm talking comic book Batman-smart. In the end sequence he's gonna make Bane scratch his head.

That's what I hope at least.

[ron1705]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

I disagree with this notion that Batman was overshadowed or didn't have anything to do in The Dark Knight. Ultimately, The Dark Knight was just as much Bruce Wayne's story as Batman Begins was. And I expect The Dark Knight Rises to be the same.</p>

I agree, TDK was very much about Bruce Wayne. In BB Bruce established his moral compas. He was a vigilante but unlike Ra's he wasn't an executioner. This moral compas established in Begins was then tested by The Joker, just like The Joker tested Dent, Gordon and the citizens of Gotham. And like you said, I expect this will return in TDKR as well. But the question his how? Will Bane test how far Batman is willing to go (again)? Or will be Batman be gone for a long period (intentional or not)?

[Tatsumarushinob]

Batman Begins- It's all about Batman's physicality, his drive, and his willpower will to gain something. If anything, The Batman begins after he has won his first battle in a lifelong war, in the war to create change through example, the war on crime. Batman Begins is the first battle of his origin. It's simple and mostly uncomplicated. Batman makes mistakes and is all about learning.

The Dark Knight- It's all about maintaining his ideals and his values after giving rise to hope and faith through violence. However, like everything, every action has an equal or opposite reaction. Now he's facing even more corruption coupled with a villain who is corrupt and insane. A villain who likes to corrupt and who likes to drive normal or sane people to the brink, mostly using his wits and tricks. But the one person the Joker cannot defeat is Batman. Indeed as the Joker notes: Batman is incorruptible. Joker was certain he couldn't physically defeat, only to find out that Batman is the real deal. And here Dent comes in, he's there as Joker's final try at breaking Batman's spirit and his hope. So in this sense Joker wins until Batman checkmates by taking the fall and 'making EVERYONE believe' he killed Dent and all those cops, preserving hope simultaneously. But he knows the truth and so does Gordon.

The Dark Knight Rises- I believe this will be a combination of the first two movies. In the sense that it will test Batman's physical and mental strength severely. This is what a villain like Bane represents. Bane has as much purpose as Batman. I imagine this one about re-discovery, patience, digging deeper into his will and reserves in order to fully become The Dark Knight. This will be all the themes we've been presented with so far x3. If you can expect something, it's that this third entry will as different from the second one as the second one was from the first one.

[ron1705]

Very nice analysis! I would like to point out though that although BB and TDK are different from each other, they go together very well. And I expect the same will apply to the third movie. I expect a larger scale, a villain that's both a threat physically and mentally and I hope to see some more Batman-Gordon scenes.

[Keyser Soze]

The Batman cover for December's issue of Empire:

[Keyser Soze]

And a pic of Batman from inside the mag:

[Keyser Soze]

It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a very precarious place at the end of The Dark Knight. His reputation in tatters, on the run. And I think, perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later. Eight years after The Dark Knight. So he's an older Bruce Wayne. He's not in a great state. Not that he was ever in a great state! He's frozen in time. He's hit a brick wall.

- Christopher Nolan

It does harken back to that notion that this guy is originated from great pain and he has to address that - but at what point does it become indulgence? The question is: how long do you allow pain to dominate your life? He has to try and answer that and move on."

- Christian Bale

SOURCE: Empire

[ThePhantasm]

Aren't those pics and that info considered spoilery?

[Keyser Soze]

I wouldn't say so. I'd say if it's going in official promotional material released half a year before the film's release, it's nothing we wouldn't find out in a synopsis or trailer.

[Enriquespy]

I also migrate to the spolier free section.
I believe it would be good to establish exactly what constitudes a spoiler and what doesn't.

[Deathlok]

I've recently come out of the spoiler section as it is just getting too much in there now. I enjoyed seeing the filming pictures and videos, because there was no context to them. But now people are starting to talk about specific happenings in the film.
They might be right, they may not.

But I don't wanna know!!!

[Keyser Soze]

Yeah, it's too much for me. I just started reading a post and had to jerk the cursor away before I read any more. It was in the General Discussion thread, and it was a list of plot points they know, through leaked stuff from the set, they know happen in the film.

[DocMag]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

Thanks, ron! That was my concern too. I still want to have somewhere to talk about the film, though.

You touch on a good point when you mention how the whole series thus far has been about Batman's journey. I disagree with this notion that Batman was overshadowed or didn't have anything to do in The Dark Knight. Ultimately, The Dark Knight was just as much Bruce Wayne's story as Batman Begins was. And I expect The Dark Knight Rises to be the same.

Here's an interesting video about Batman's psychology, which was on the special features of the TDK blu-ray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGJXF3uJuXI

That was a really great documentary. Thanks for posting that. People, you gotta watch it!

[uniqueweasel]

I agree the spoilers really are getting too much.

Anyway for Bruce Wayne/Batman I think it would be interested if like in some of the previous stories TDKR could touch on more with the aspect, would there be the same kinds of villains if it wasn't for Batman, perhaps Gotham could begin to question if villains like the Joker and Bane wouldn't be in Gotham if it wasn't for Batman, like the joker said "this city deserves a better class of criminal" sort of opposition to gotham having Batman as their hero.