Ben Affleck or Michael Keaton?

[DarkVictory]

Honestly, I came into this thread ready to vote for Affleck, but reading it has reminded me of so many of the awesome little things Keaton did.

The idea that you could 'only' prefer Keaton is because of childhood memories is such weak garbage. The 'I'm not going to kill you, I want you to do me a favor line...' works for me on the same level as 'swear to me' and I can't think of a single moment that Affleck has that rises to that level for me.

It's hard for me to determine how to vote on this one. If it's about characterization, which is something that goes beyond the actors themselves, I'd go with Keaton. I mean, don't get me wrong, Burton lost the plot on Batman, too. But we still innately understand Batman as a hero, first and foremost.

If it's about look, I'm split. I honestly prefer Keaton's Batsuit in the first one to any other one made for the films (second probably being Bale's TDK/TDKR suit). The movement limitations create some laughable moments, but it just looks so imposing (and we get lots of good shots that make use of those qualities, far beyond anything Snyder did... Burton did such a great job with using the shadows that the mask creates on the face) but Affleck is probably the most 'Batman' looking actor the films have ever seen and the physique he built for the films is quite impressive.

If it's acting, I lean towards Affleck, mostly because I didn't totally hate Batman when the film's story pretty much leads to like you should have. (I'm sure a little Bat-nostalgia is at work here, too). Keaton wasn't bad, though, and his innate comic timing actually works so well in so many moments.


So I'm pretty split down the middle here. But there is a reason why Keaton set the precedent of being the first major 'superhero miscast' that everyone ended up loving. He earned that, let's not just toss it away as being simply childhood nostalgia just because something new and shiny has just shown up in theaters.

 

[KalMart]

Keaton and Affleck are my two favorite ones. But Keaton wins by an inch.



I feel the same about his Batman actually. Standing, motionless... more Batman than so much yelling and so many speeches from other Batmen.

Also...intentional or otherwise, his stoic and reserved vibe as Wayne kind of worked as a contrast to all the Burton-craziness et al going on everywhere around him. Normal guy in a weird world, in a lot of ways. Maybe that sat better with me because I don't like Burton and his style in just about any of his movies, so Wayne was a nice 'oasis' if you will. Whereas (appropriate for the films), Bale and Affleck's Wayne are more of a direct, brooding reflection of the films' vibe.

 

[batmanswife]

Ben because he makes a gorgeous Bruce Wayne and an even sexier Batman.

 

[Elayis]

I've never understood the love for Keaton as Batman. I can't buy him as physically durable enough to fight crime (and win), and his Bruce just never sat right with me. He never disappeared into the role. Especially the "let's get nuts" scene," I feel like that could've come from any other Keaton movie. Maybe it's a generational thing. I may have seen the movie when I was younger, but I only remember seeing it after Begins was released.

Affleck, on the other hand, really surprised me. I don't know if I'm comfortable comparing him to Bale (since Bale had much better films to work with), but he was very good, easily the best thing about the movie.

 

[Kobra]

Affleck was great but Keaton's still my favorite.

Your avatar might be the single greatest shot in the history of Batman movies. Just amazing.

I vote Ben Affleck.

 

[BatFan1982]

Keaton used to be my favorite. He had those eyes (like in Batman Returns when he meets Selena for the first time), that glowed and were creepy looking.

But Ben, to me, is the closest to Batman of the modern comics and of B:TAS. That scene of him training and working out real hard in the cave, is 100% Batman. Batman pushes himself, physically and emotionally to get the job done.

 

[Travesty]

Batfleck

 

[shauner111]

Affleck for me.

Sometimes i liked Keaton's voice in the cowl (like his first appearance). Other times he sounds too much like Bruce/Keaton. I will always like his Batman, but i don't love it because it's a little too cartoony for me. His Bruce was just Keaton being himself.

Ben looks more like the Bruce/Bats from the comics. Not just his build but his hair, his face, the way he carries himself. Batfleck's regular suit is better.

Both of them are written to be killers. But at least Batfleck has a chance to play a Batman where he was younger and not killing. That's not Ben or Michael's fault though. So we can only judge them based on what they brought to the table as actors. Ben wins.

 

[Slade W]

Affleck IMO.

 

[Ponyboy]

I'm still siding with Keaton. There's an emotional connection to his performance as Batman that I don't get with the other actors. Though, for varying reasons, Affleck did surprise me. And also, for me, he was better than Bale.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Ben Affleck was a more proficient killer, no selective killing of henchmen.

 

[shauner111]

After watching the movie a few times, im gonna go with Keaton and change my vote. Affleck has quite a few chances to change my opinion, but ill stick with Keaton right now.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Speaking of future movies, I'm glad this poll has no time limit.
I'll wait for future movies to determine, preferably his solo movie.

 

[Ponyboy]

After watching the movie a few times, im gonna go with Keaton and change my vote. Affleck has quite a few chances to change my opinion, but ill stick with Keaton right now.

Nice to see he's still gettin some love. I am surprised by the number of Affleck votes to Keaton, though. I didn't think there'd be that big of a gap.

 

[The Batman]

Keaton, easily.

Keaton's Bruce Wayne was, IMO, far more interesting and likable than Affleck's.

Keaton's Batman was, to me, much more badass, both in terms of Batvoice and overall approach. Overall, I like Keaton's approach to the Batman persona more than Bale's as well.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

Keaton, easily.

Keaton's Bruce Wayne was, IMO, far more interesting and likable than Affleck's.

Keaton's Batman was, to me, much more badass, both in terms of Batvoice and overall approach. Overall, I like Keaton's approach to the Batman persona more than Bale's as well.

From The Batman himself! 'Nuff said.

 

[AnneFan]

Affleck for me. He has all the ingredients.

 

[shauner111]

Affleck for me. He has all the ingredients.

Almost.

 

[Knightfall]

Better Wayne: Affleck. Keaton was good but ultimately Affleck was just a bit better at the Wayne portrayal.

Better Batman Performance: Keaton by a long mile. Affleck may look more comic accurate but Keaton had him beat in expressions and voice. He was the grumpy stodgy silent Batman that we love with a deepish whisper. Where as Affleck was lazy and let the suit do the work. He sounds like Optimus prime and looks bewildered and lost in the suit most of the time.

 

[AnneFan]

Almost.

For you.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Affleck's Batman as scourge of the underworld did not make me feel any joy in watching him, with the exception of his fight scene, and being able to move his neck. His portrayal as a killer of criminals didn't cut it for me.

Keaton's killings did not feel out of place to me, and I will be the opposite of The Joker and say he is funny and intimidating laughing, especially before the kill.

 

[Ponyboy]

Keaton's killings did not feel out of place to me, and I will be the opposite of The Joker and say he is funny and intimidating laughing, especially before the kill.

I think that's why even at the time of the movie's release... there wasn't a big backlash over the "killings" in the film. Burton was a bit clever in the way he filmed each "death" in that you never saw anyone draw their last breath. I mean, we know the "head black thug" couldn't have survived his fall down the bell tower, we know that, but it also didn't show him die. And because the film wasn't graphic in that sense (heck, even the Joker's body wasn't a complete mess of exploded organs, bone, and blood as it should've been from a fall of that height) Keaton's killings didn't feel as you say out of place. The most graphic scene was probably Rotelli's burnt husk. And as disturbing as it was, in the context of the scene, the words "I'm glad you're dead" are hilarious.

 

[The Joker]

I think that's why even at the time of the movie's release... there wasn't a big backlash over the "killings" in the film.

There was from fans. For Returns, too, among other bad decisions made in those movies;

 

[Ponyboy]

^I just mean that I don't remember there being a big backlash in these sense that it didn't stop further Batman movies from being made.

But here's an interesting point that I had forgotten. I do remember the McDonalds-Batman Returns backlash. I was surprised by that, not at the time, but looking back, because the first film was plainly & overtly sexual. Funnily enough, my mother and I were talking about Batman Returns this past Christmas. I was visiting with her and Returns was on television. She recalled that my brother and I (14 yrs old at the time) liked the movie but we thought Catwoman was "weird" and Penguin was "really gross." We also didn't ask to see the film repeatedly in the theatre as we had with the first movie. These are things that I didn't even recall. So, even my own mother's trepidation about the films was partially true. In '89 she heard the first movie was "too dark" after reading a review in the newspaper, and I think had it not been for my father we wouldn't even have seen '89 Batman. (Dad always was loose on what we watched and did). And luckily I was going on 11 years old at the time. So you can see how whatever that backlash was, whether in the press or on TV, had almost affected my own family's movie-going experiences.

 

[The Joker]

^I just mean that I don't remember there being a big backlash in these sense that it didn't stop further Batman movies from being made.

Oh I see. Sorry I thought you meant there wasn't any complaints at all about it.

But here's an interesting point that I had forgotten. I do remember the McDonalds-Batman Returns backlash. I was surprised by that, not at the time, but looking back, because the first film was plainly overtly sexual. Funnily enough, my mother and I were talking about Batman Returns this past Christmas. I was visiting with her and Returns was on television. She recalled that my brother and I (14 yrs old at the time) liked the movie but we thought Catwoman was "weird" and Penguin was "really gross." We also didn't ask to see the film repeatedly in the theatre as we had with the first movie. These are things that I didn't even recall. So, even my own mother's trepidation about the films was partially true. In '89 she heard the first movie was "too dark" after reading a review in the newspaper, and I think had it not been for my father we wouldn't even have seen '89 Batman. (Dad always was loose on what we watched and did). And luckily I was going on 11 years old at the time. So you can see how whatever that backlash was, whether in the press or on TV, had almost affected my own family's movie-going experiences.

For what it's worth I think the reaction to the Returns backlash was OTT. Not in the sense that parents were disturbed by some of the content in it, because there was some hardcore imagery in it like Penguin biting off noses, eating raw fish, cats chewing Selina's fingers etc. But how WB handled the backlash.

They didn't have camp up the franchise and basically suck all the darkness out of it. They could have just toned down the violent imagery and sexual innuendo that Returns had. B'89 hit the right note there. They should have just gone back to that instead of pumping in neon, bat nipples and bat credit cards.