The Dark Knight Capes and Cowls - New Batsuit Discussion Thread

[nickyg641]

Except Bale looks nothing like Bruce Lee for this film, so he is neither the sleek ninja martial artist, NOR the intimidating body builder. He's done NOTHING with his body, and I think that's a cop out for what he calls "the most bad-ass of superheros."

I mean if I were about to play the most "bad-ass of superheros" I wouldn't be so diluted as to think that characters body looked exactly like me on an average day. I'd be working out like crazy.

I would tend to agree. He's by no means weak looking or average, but he doesn't look much different than he does in most of his other roles.

 

[capt. slaughter]

but to say he is scrawny is a joke, he is in great shape. i see no beer belly or flabby arms. he is in very great shape for the movie.

 

[nickyg641]

but to say he is scrawny is a joke, he is in great shape. i see no beer belly or flabby arms. he is in very great shape for the movie.

Nobody's saying he looks scrawny. At least I'm not. I'm just saying that he doesn't looked nearly as intimidating as a character like Batman should.

 

[batman11]

Personally, and I am hoping for something like this, I wanna see some sort of reason as to why Bale may be looking a little less buff in TDK. Perhaps he's spending so much time hunting down the Joker, he no longer has the chance to work out or attend to his physique, or eat well, or even sleep. As the film goes on, I think it'd be interesting to see Bruce become more pale, a bit frail, and altogether, very worn out. It would show the massive effect his duty to protect the city is having on him, as well as his trying efforts and possible developing obsession with catching the Joker.

Anyhow, that's just something I'd like to see, not necessarily gonna happen by any means.

I'd also like to point out that in Begins, Bale was pretty Uber ripped, therefore, when comparing him now to back then, sure he may seem smaller, but it doesn't mean he's "scrawny" (someone did say it in this thread, I'm sure of it lol). However, I haven't seen some of the spy shots mentioned where he's wearing a sleeveless shirt, so I guess I can't really say (I've only seen the official/leaked photos where you can't actually see his build).

EDIT: I believe it was Sandouras who said "scrawny".

 

[-Arya-]

Nobody's saying he looks scrawny. At least I'm not. I'm just saying that he doesn't looked nearly as intimidating as a character like Batman should.

He looked intimidating enough in Begins, and I personally think he'll look the same once we see him in action in TDK.

 

[Saint]

Vanity muscles as opposed to what, the NO muscles he has currently for TDK?

Agreed. I'd rather think that "he's awfully big for being so agile", than think "he's awfully scrawny for throwing those thugs around like that and scaring everyone who fights him."

That's right. Even with an awesome suit you can bet your butt that Batman would be hitting the gym every chance he got. This Batman doesn't look like he'd even be able to climb a rope with only his arms. I've seen high school kids in better shape.

A word of advice: when you resort to bogus hyperbole you only make your argument look foolish. Bale is certainly not as big as he was for Begins, but to say he's "scrawny" is nonsense:

The muscle mass isn't there any more, but he's hardly "average." He's still in shape, and if you think "he didn't work out at all for this one," you've got a bizarre notion of what the human body normally looks like. You don't have arms like that without working out. Period.

And of course, it doesn't matter at all unless you see him without his shirt on. Muscle mass is nice, but hardly a requirement.

 

[capt. slaughter]

bruce is probably doing alot more cardio then lifting weights.

 

[batman11]

^BatmanFanatic, is that the shot you are referring to, cause you made it sound like his arms were tooth picks, LOL. As Saint said, you can definitely tell there's been some working out there, the muscle is obvious.

And of course, it doesn't matter at all unless you see him without his shirt on. Muscle mass is nice, but hardly a requirement.

Didn't I get yelled at today for saying something doesn't matter if you don't see it on screen?

LOL j/k

 

[capt. slaughter]

thats the pic i was talking about, you can see definition in the forearms and the biceps.

 

[bunk]

Off topic, but I'm really interested to see what Bruce ends up using his new computer set up for.

 

[capt. slaughter]

Off topic, but I'm really interested to see what Bruce ends up using his new computer set up for.

yeah same here, im really hoping we get to see some detective work being done in this movie.

 

[batman11]

Off topic, but I'm really interested to see what Bruce ends up using his new computer set up for.

Yeah good point. The computer has always been part of Batman, so it'll be interesting how they incorporate it into TDK since it was MIA in Begins.

 

[the_monk]

Okay, nitpickers. Check out the nose in this shot from Begins:

http://www.batmanunmasked.com/displayimage.php?album=5&pos=324

It makes him look like a goober.

If you freeze ANY frame from ANY movie, you can naturally nitpick and find flaws. I know this, because I work on pictures of beautiful people all day. Does that mean that every image taken in the shoot flatters the subject? No, not at all. You're lucky to get 15 great images from a 300+ image shoot.

When I watch Batman Begins, I think the suit looks great. However, there are many freeze frames I've seen where I think it looks ridiculous.

 

[Crook]

I don't recall people complaining about the nose at all in BB. Still or otherwise.

Has nothing to do with looking better in motion, it's about the angle it is shot in. As can be seen in the interrogation room, a face-front shot of the cowl looks just as bad when moving. It's a design annoyance, plain and simple, that they just have to shoot around.

 

[nickyg641]

I don't recall people complaining about the nose at all in BB. Still or otherwise.

Has nothing to do with looking better in motion, it's about the angle it is shot in. As can be seen in the interrogation room, a face-front shot of the cowl looks just as bad when moving. It's a design annoyance, plain and simple, that they just have to shoot around.

Which brings us back to: Why design something that you have to "shoot around", when you could just as easily create something that looks good no matter what? I wonder what goes through the head of the designers when they do these things. I have a feeling it's something like "That looks totally cool, let's throw it in."

 

[Crook]

To be honest, I don't know. I can't imagine anyone would look at that and scream "it's perfect". The cowl looks GREAT in some shots, it really does, but there are angles that just destroy that image completely.

I'd hate to imagine it was simply a lazy decision to not view this entire design from all possible angles. There's just no feasible reason why it has to look so damn big on his head at various shots.

 

[Superhobo]

Okay, nitpickers. Check out the nose in this shot from Begins:

http://www.batmanunmasked.com/displayimage.php?album=5&pos=324

It makes him look like a goober.

If you freeze ANY frame from ANY movie, you can naturally nitpick and find flaws. I know this, because I work on pictures of beautiful people all day. Does that mean that every image taken in the shoot flatters the subject? No, not at all. You're lucky to get 15 great images from a 300+ image shoot.

When I watch Batman Begins, I think the suit looks great. However, there are many freeze frames I've seen where I think it looks ridiculous.

There's nothing really wrong with that pic, aside from the fact that the cowl is like two inches that-a-way of where it should sit on his face. The nose looks fine.

 

[Banquet]

Off topic, but I'm really interested to see what Bruce ends up using his new computer set up for.

More off-topic, but I was wondering... is there a thread for the batcave? The pictures/footage I've seen have all been in this brightly lit florescent room. Is this the "new" batcave? I hope not...

 

[Kaizer104]

bruce is probably doing alot more cardio then lifting weights.

Yes, I'm guessing he learned his lesson from the bloody log he couldn't lift by himself.

 

[Marden]

Well, I looked through pictures of the suit from Batman Begins and some from The Dark Knight and I'm little surprised that the change is that huge, but I still can deal with it. I only hope the new suit will look black in the movie, because if not, that would be the only problem I couldn't deal with. But then again, I'm not some huge fanboy and don't need to nitpick everything.

 

[BatmanFanatic]

but how do you know if he isnt ripped underneath the shirt, i guess we will just have to see the movie

Cause you can tell by his scrawny neck and skinny arms while he's wearing a T-shirt he isn't ripped? It's kind of obvious.

Note - the pic I'm thinking of is not the one that was posted. I'll have to find it. But basically even in the pic that was posted, that is what Bale normally looks like. He's not any bigger, leaner, more defined or anything other than how he is in all his "average build" roles ... 3:10, Reign of Fire, Equillibrium, Prestige... same level of muscle. That's not a Batman build to me, nor is it a "Bruce Lee" build, so would everyone please quit invoking his name? Bales body looks nothing like Bruce Lee.

 

[BatmanFanatic]

but to say he is scrawny is a joke, he is in great shape. i see no beer belly or flabby arms. he is in very great shape for the movie.

Sorry if I hold the physique of Batman up to higher standards than simply "not having a bear gut." Bale is lean, like he always is because he's just a thin guy, but there is no muscle tone.

I for one don't think ALL of Batmans muscles should be sculpted onto his SUIT.

 

[Mandalore464]

He's not any bigger, leaner, more defined or anything other than how he is in all his "average build" roles ... 3:10, Reign of Fire, Equillibrium, Prestige... same level of muscle.

Sorry man, you can't say he has the same body in Equilibrium, Reign of Fire, The Prestige and
3:10 to Yuma. (Pics attached, click the links)

The guy said countless times he hates working out so it's obvious he won't do it for roles that don't require it (Prestige, 3:10) in which he has his "normal" body. He even looks a little puffy in The Prestige actually.

It's obvious he worked out for the other two (RoF and Equilibrium), very obvious. No one has a body like that just "normally". Sure he looks nowhere as big as he is in Batman Begins, but I could sure deal with a Batman the size of Bale in Equilibrium.

Now I will concede the pic showing him in TDK wearing his black t-shirt and sitting next to Alfred makes it clear he is not as buffed (shoulders especially) as he was in BB or even Equilibrium. But his arms make it clear he has indeed hit the gym for TDK, just less than when he shot Reign of Fire, Equilibrium, Batman Begins...

 

[BatmanFanatic]

Sorry man, you can't say he has the same body in Equilibrium, Reign of Fire, The Prestige and
3:10 to Yuma. (Pics attached, click the links)

The guy said countless times he hates working out so it's obvious he won't do it for roles that don't require it (Prestige, 3:10) in which he has his "normal" body. He even looks a little puffy in The Prestige actually.

It's obvious he worked out for the other two (RoF and Equilibrium), very obvious. No one has a body like that just "normally". Sure he looks nowhere as big as he is in Batman Begins, but I could sure deal with a Batman the size of Bale in Equilibrium.

Now I will concede the pic showing him in TDK wearing his black t-shirt and sitting next to Alfred makes it clear he is not as buffed (shoulders especially) as he was in BB or even Equilibrium. But his arms make it clear he has indeed hit the gym for TDK, just less than when he shot Reign of Fire, Equilibrium, Batman Begins...

You are correct, it appears he was more beefed up in Equilibrium than I remember (hey, he didn't have his shirt off for that long =P) but now that only makes me more pissed. I mean... WTF, Equilibrium is more important than The Dark Knight? I know he hates working out, he's always complaining about how mind numbing it is, well too bad this is your job Bale! To fit the freakn' part! The fans count on it. And the idea that for some small indi movie he does that hardly anyone in the US saw, he goes through the trouble of building the muscle, and for TDK he doesn't do anything - or at least obviously not nearly as much.... it makes me feel like he's just mailing it in now, because he's a star now as opposed to when Euilibrium was made.

 

[not_a_victim]

Sorry if I hold the physique of Batman up to higher standards than simply "not having a bear gut." Bale is lean, like he always is because he's just a thin guy, but there is no muscle tone.

I for one don't think ALL of Batmans muscles should be sculpted onto his SUIT.

"Bear gut"
Ha ha
However, I agree.
Bats has no superhuman powers, so he should be protrayed as pushing himself and his body to its fullest potential.
He should never look like an ordinary guy walking around.
-Ironman's strength comes from his suit, and Stark need only be able to fit in it.
-Superman's strength comes from his alien DNA, which need not even be explained to us.
-The Hulk is just a brute, but the comics have hinted that his strength is quasi-mystic.
However, Bats is just a man, so to do what he does, he needs to be portrayed as a man who has made himself a cut above others, and yes, the actor that portrays him should bring that forth in all ways possible, including being in "better than average" shape. When Bruce takes the costume off, or takes his shirt off, we should be saying to ourselves, "Jebus! Lookit that! Wayne's a monster!"
Yes, just like Clark Kent does, Wayne should dress down his physique when he is Wayne, but it should still be there, even if for just one or two pop shots in the movie.