The Dark Knight Batman's artificially modulated voice: DVD option to turn it off

[Malone]

Whether or not you like Bale's voice in "The Dark Knight", you have to appreciate that Nolan and company were trying to take a step in the right direction. In the Burton/Schumacker series, the character of Batman got progressively less and less intimidating. Nolan was trying to go another step up from "Batman Begins" and make Batman meaner and scarier.

 

[markstrange]

In TAS bruce wayne changes his voice from normal to Deep and cold when he dawns the bat suit

 

[namaste008]

I just watched Begins hours ago and I must say they should have gone middle of the road; it's as though neither one is just right. On Begins sounds like Bale and on TDK he sounds like Scarecrow.

 

[laudanum09]

TDK sounds like scarecrow? lol I actually really liked Bale's TDK voice and acting. Thought it was years better than BB and his inflection and cadences were really nice. I know he drew out a lot of words but for some reason I enjoyed it quite a bit.

and that comment about a 10 year old pretending to be older for a prank call? well i actually feel similarly about the voice except I try and think of it as a thirtysomething year old man pretending to be a gargantuan bat-demon to fight crime. That is much more absurd and thats what draws me to batman. I take him seriously in the sense that he takes himself seriously, I know its a psychologically traumatized man in a suit that in some sense thinks he is this 'creature of the night' when in fact he is an anti-hero whose ethics are actually quite fragile when under high pressure ( the joker indeed proves it). I also thought there was plenty of 'badass' batman to counteract his questionable psychological stability.

 

[obiwan]

when hes says "ppl....ready to believe... in GOOOOOD" ugh that was terrible.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

It just seems really stupid to me. After finally getting past the stigma of the goofy 60's TV show, past Michael Keatons gruf BDSM killing Bats, and Kilmer and Clooneys nipples and neon cheese, all people have to complain about is Bales voice. Jesus, I wish I could send them back to a Time when Bill Murray was going to play Batman.

Hold up, Michael Keaton's BDSM Batman? Are you adding on things to make Keaton's Batman seem worse? Because that doesn't make a bit of sense. The complaints about Bale's voice, however, do.

 

[Saint]

It just seems really stupid to me. After finally getting past the stigma of the goofy 60's TV show, past Michael Keatons gruf BDSM killing Bats, and Kilmer and Clooneys nipples and neon cheese, all people have to complain about is Bales voice. Jesus, I wish I could send them back to a Time when Bill Murray was going to play Batman.

Disparaging Keaton should be grounds for arrest and permanent detention.

 

[Figs]

Hold up, Michael Keaton's BDSM Batman? Are you adding on things to make Keaton's Batman seem worse? Because that doesn't make a bit of sense. The complaints about Bale's voice, however, do.

What does BDSM stand for?

 

[OctaviusINC]

I think Bale's voice really makes his Batman stand out among all the other actors who have portrayed the Bat. The more he talks the more hokey it gets, but Batman really doesn't talk that much. I've grown to like it. I know some of my friends don't like it. I had one friend who didn't understand why he used his "bat-voice" when he talked to Lucius, who obviously knows he's Batman. I explained that when Bruce puts on the suit he becomes a different person. It would kind of sound funny to hear Bale's regular voice in the suit and it would take away from Batman IMO. But my friend just shrugged "Whatever".

Personally I think Kilmer had the best Bat-voice. His was like Bale but a little less growly.

And on the whole subject of TDK, I'm sick and tired of all these noobs who seen the movie and think they're Batman experts now. All these idiots running around spewing Joker quotes (quoting them wrong btw) declaring themselves "experts" yet when I'd mention if they took part of the viral marketing they look at me like I'm speaking Korean.

"What verbal marketing?"
Ugh.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

What does BDSM stand for?

I'm not exactly sure what the acronym stands for, but it refers to things such as bondage, domination, etc.

 

[Crook]

An overlapping abbreviation of Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism (SM).

 

[Hello Beautiful]

The only part that annoys me is when he lisps when talking to Harvey in the street with Schiff:

"Your schtance........a schymbol...."

Apart from that, I love it.

 

[I Am The Knight]

The only part that annoys me is when he lisps when talking to Harvey in the street with Schiff:

"Your schtance........a schymbol...."

 

[hatebox]

^ I've no idea either...

 

[Sevb30]

But almost 70 percent are ok with it as it is.

 

[Magma Dragon]

Apparently I'm the only one that thinks his voice was clearer and less gruff in BB. Let me make it clear though that I have NO PROBLEM with his voice in TDK. Just an observation.

 

[regwec]

I thought Bale's enchanced voice was fine, but I don't see why anyone would vote against an option to turn it off.

I mean, you could just leave it on.

Why would anyone want to force everyone else to watch what they like, if there could be an option for personal choice?

 

[markstrange]

Stop dissin' the Goddamn batman! He might want to rape your car.

 

[8blades]

In BB it was perfect because the whole film was about fear and intimidation and so the voice made perfect sense.

In Dark Knight, the voice and the character just stood out because the film was not about Batman but more about Harvey Dent.

 

[jackjack924]

when hes says "ppl....ready to believe... in GOOOOOD" ugh that was terrible.

That was the ONLY part that bothered me! Otherwise I thought it was fine.

 

[Kaizer]

Well...If you look at it from a technological standpoint, the DVD may in fact sound a little different than what we've seen in the cinema. You see, when a movie is projected in a theatre, the framerate is slightly different than it is when you get it on home-video, making the sound a bit slower and deeper, if you will, so, he MAY sound a bit better on dvd. I'm not complaining though.

 

[Crook]

I've never read or heard about that. Got a link?

 

[Hello Beautiful]

You seriously don't know the bit I mean?

After Bats catches Harvey's coin on the second flip to decide whether he will shoot Schiff in the alley, Bats goes on to say stuff like ''What if people saw you doing this - everything would be undone" and that sort of stuff. Somewhere in this dialogue he says: "Your stand against crime" or something and, "you're a symbol of hope".

The lisping on stand and symbol annoy the hell out of me.

Understand now?

 

[the_monk]

The only time I can understand people disliking the voice is at the end...but the dude is out of breath and then gets shot and before that beaten with a crowbar. Gotta expect him to have trouble talking by that point.

 

[I Am The Knight]

You seriously don't know the bit I mean?

After Bats catches Harvey's coin on the second flip to decide whether he will shoot Schiff in the alley, Bats goes on to say stuff like ''What if people saw you doing this - everything would be undone" and that sort of stuff. Somewhere in this dialogue he says: "Your stand against crime" or something and, "you're a symbol of hope".

The lisping on stand and symbol annoy the hell out of me.

Yes, I know the scene. But I don't recall any annoying "lisping" ... And I'm not a huge fan of Bale's Bat Voice in TDK.

Understand now?