The Dark Knight Rises Character Portrayals - Old films vs Nolan films (Spoilerish)

[Havok83]

With the release of TDKR, I thought Id create this thread to see which portrayals of the various shared main characters that people preferred

Bruce Wayne/Batman - Michael Keaton vs Val Kilmer vs George Clooney vs Christian Bale

Bane - Jeep Swenson vs Tom Hardy

Robin (Dick Grayson/John Blake) - Chris O'Donnel vs Joseph Gordon Elliot. True, technically different characters but close enough counterparts

Commisioner Jim Gordon - Pat Hingle vs Gary Oldman

Alfred - Michael Gough vs Michael Caine

Harvey Dent/Two-Face - Billy Dee WIlliams vs Tommy Lee Jones vs Aaron Eckhart

Joker - Jack Nicholson vs Heath Ledger

Selena Kyle/Catwoman - Michelle Pfeiffer vs Anne Hathaway

 

[CapedCrusader14]

All of the Nolan cast members for me.

 

[Art Damage]

All Nolan.

Can't even question anything...

Though I may give a little more to Chris O' Donnell cause his Robin made more of an impact for me at the time when I didn't mind Robin.
I'm not a Robin fan so JGL and the John Blake character did nothing for me.

 

[Art Damage]

This just makes me realize looking at all of this pictures how much I'm going to miss Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne.

 

[choskins]

For me:

Bruce Wayne/Batman - Michael Keaton
Bane - Tom Hardy
Robin (Dick Grayson/John Blake) - Joseph Gordon Elliot
Commisioner Jim Gordon - Pat Hingle, but close
Alfred - Michael Gough, but close
Harvey Dent/Two-Face - Aaron Eckhart
Joker - tie
Selena Kyle/Catwoman - Michelle Pfeiffer

 

[007]

Keaton/Bale too close to call. Different takes on both the characters. I still mrginally prefer keaton, as batman is voice was golden, I'm personally not that fussed by bale's growl, but I still prefered keatons. keaton's wayne was witty and funnier, I did like that.

Kilmer was OK in both role's, not great though by an stretch, just about watchable though.

Clooney, good wayne, awful batman. Did not have the physique. I really do rate clooney highly as an actor, his casting as batman was ridiculous and to this day stinks as the studio getting the biggest name at the time possible to fill the role to put bums on seats. Square peg in a round hole come to mind.

Bane - Tom hardy. Not even really worth discussing further, although I am not the biggest fan of his bane tbf.

Robin - Chris O'donnell drew the short straw real big time. I felt he was good as robin in BF, I actually really enjoyed him. Played with an arrogancem with the exception of the holy rusted metal line, he was a good character and COD acted well. Batman and Robin however completely un did this by making him look like a complete imbecile, in action and with pretty much most lines he came out with, its like his mental age had gone backwards to that of a ten year old. He suffered the most from this film imo. Robin was made to look like a completely idiotic character, its still recovering from that nightmare.

JoSEPH - benefited from playing a serious role in a serious film not with the aim of going for kid freindly atmosphere, a very good actor.

JGL gets the nod here because of his role, and the fact COD was stupid enough to read the script of BAR was gonna undo the decent work he did in BF and not realize it was so bad it was going make his career nose, and how ridiculous it was going to make him look.


Gordon - G oldman.

Alfred. Tie. Loved goughs portrayal. Love caine in general. Both excellent.

Two Face. Aaron eckhart. But then again he did benefit from far superior make up and a great script. Tommy Lee, a very, very good actor in his own right, had neither of these things. Infact tommy lee's two face was just written, and made to look so bad its laughable.

Joker - Nicholson. Dont shoot me, ledger's portrayal was magnificent I loved it, it was oscar worthy. But JN was physcotic in a funny way. I think its one of his better performances. And he deserved every cent he was paid for that film.

Hathaway, she really was one of the brightest spots of the dkr, phenominal performance. . Pheifer was great though.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

All of the Nolan cast members for me.

I agree with this too.

 

[Bruce Malone]

I actually like pat hingle's cameo in TDKR:

 

[General Vulcun]

All Nolan, except for Catwoman. I still think Pfeiffer is a bit better, but as Selina Kyle, Hathaway takes the cake.

 

[Thoix]

All Nolan for me.

 

[The Joker]

All Nolan's for me.

 

[Drizzle]

Commisioner Jim Gordon - Pat Hingle, but close

That's the first time I've ever seen anyone prefer Hingle over Oldman as Gordon. I'm curious as to why you think so.

 

[choskins]

I think people give Oldman the nod b/c they like the actor better. I like the character in '89 better though, regardless of the actor. Gave more of a comic-feel to the character.

 

[JackWhite]

Nolan all the way for me.

Only one that I feel I'm not sure on, is Catwoman. Anne simply killed it in TDKR, but my favorite portrayal of a character from the first four films is Michelle's Catwoman. I know, IMO, Anne was a better Selina, which was pretty much a given; but it's a tie for me as to who was the better Catwoman.

 

[JackWhite]

I think people give Oldman the nod b/c they like the actor better. I like the character in '89 better though, regardless of the actor. Gave more of a comic-feel to the character.

Really? I'm not trying to piss on your opinion, not that kind of guy; but I always felt Oldman's Gordon was the undisputed Gordon for pretty much everyone.

 

[The Joker]

I think people give Oldman the nod b/c they like the actor better. I like the character in '89 better though, regardless of the actor. Gave more of a comic-feel to the character.

What was so good or comic booky about the Gordon in the 1989 movie? He didn't do anything. He never even had one single scene with Batman.

 

[choskins]

He played a big role in the '89 movie. For example, he was responsible for the raid on the chemical plant that led to Joker's creation (which included Batman in that scene BTW). I just felt like the character was more "Gordony". Maybe not as deep or got as much screen time, but he personified the character to me more. Had more of the "comic book" feel.

Y'all don't have to agree. We all have our opinions. If there was a right answer, there is no need to ask the question. LOL

 

[The Joker]

He played a big role in the '89 movie. For example, he was responsible for the raid on the chemical plant that led to Joker's creation (which included Batman in that scene BTW).

No he didn't. Eckhart, the fat corrupt Cop was responsible for that. He was working for Grissom. It was a set up. Grissom wanted Napier killed so he sent him on some phony errand to Axis and then sent Eckhart and his squad to bust Napier.

Gordon found out about it and came in half way through the raid. He never set it up. He never got to interact with Batman in it either.

I just felt like the character was more "Gordony". Maybe not as deep or got as much screen time, but he personified the character to me more. Had more of the "comic book" feel.

I don't see how. He had practically no Gordon traits at all. No family. No friendship with Batman. No friendship with Harvey Dent. Nothing. He just stood around for most of the movie saying boring lines.

 

[JackWhite]

He played a big role in the '89 movie. For example, he was responsible for the raid on the chemical plant that led to Joker's creation (which included Batman in that scene BTW). I just felt like the character was more "Gordony". Maybe not as deep or got as much screen time, but he personified the character to me more. Had more of the "comic book" feel.

Y'all don't have to agree. We all have our opinions. If there was a right answer, there is no need to ask the question. LOL

That's cool. I'm use to the usual arguments Keaton vs Bale, Nicholson vs Ledger, Pfiffer vs Hathaway - now we shall add Hingle vs Oldman to the on going debates!

 

[DeGenerate10]

Nolan across the board

 

[animexcel]

Can't really choose between Keaton and Bale. Both are awesome. Though I liked how Keaton disguised his voice as Batman better than Bale. I think it's funny that Keaton doesn't do his Batman voice while he's alone; I just recall the time before he drove into Batmissile mode in the narrow alley saying something like "Now we're worried." or "Meow" after he takes out one of Catwoman's claws out of his wound. Bale still does his when he says "So that's how it feels like" after Catwoman vanishes while he was in midsentence lol. I thought it was a good opportunity to not have used his voice in that scene, but still funny.

Robin. I'd have to give Chris o' Donnell the edge because...he was the Robin that became Batman's partner.

Bane: Tom Hardy. No question.

Gordon: Oldman.

Alfred: That's a tough one. So that's a tie for me.

Catwoman: Another tough one, but I'll go with Michelle Pheiffer. Though I'll give that Anne's Selina Kyle is still kick-ass.

Joker to Heath and Two-Face to Aaron Eckhart.

 

[Bruce Malone]

It's not fair to rate chris o'donell and JGL equally on their portrayal of robin. That was not the purpose of Blake's character who was john blake not robin.

The fact that his name came out after was incidental and used as a nod to an amalgamation of past robin's. He was not playing any one robin character as o'donell was.

Performance wise however there's no way you can rate o'donell ahead of JGL.

 

[choskins]

No he didn't. Eckhart, the fat corrupt Cop was responsible for that. He was working for Grissom. It was a set up. Grissom wanted Napier killed so he sent him on some phony errand to Axis and then sent Eckhart and his squad to bust Napier.

Gordon found out about it and came in half way through the raid. He never set it up. He never got to interact with Batman in it either.

I don't see how. He had practically no Gordon traits at all. No family. No friendship with Batman. No friendship with Harvey Dent. Nothing. He just stood around for most of the movie saying boring lines.

You're right on the raid. He came in and said something to the affect of "This is the Commissioner. No one fires a shot or they answer to me." He also gave us the bat signal scene at the end.

 

[choskins]

now we shall add hingle vs oldman to the on going debates!

lol!

 

[Drizzle]

He also gave us the bat signal scene at the end.

So did Gordon in the final scene in Batman Begins.