the best physical embodiment of Robin is ironically an ASIAN actor named Tony Jaa. He's about the size of an adult Nightwing and he too is the world's greatest acrobat. Look how this guy moves, he's untouchable exactly the way Dick Grayson would be in a fight. Towards the end of this
clip from Ong Bak is a scene where tony literally runs down the alley ON the shoulders and heads of the bad guys before they can react. This is the type of energy and dynamism of Robin that's never been shown, and why audiences would connect with him. What's NEVER been captured on film is the idea that this man is the greatest human (non-enhanced) embodiment of spiderman... but since he's human you dont use CGI you use the sickest human stunts possible using walls, furniture, other ppl as props.
That clip is pretty good. Humour is cheap, but the choreography (when they weren't going to replay heaven) was neat.
Having read through this thread, I could see Robin working in the current continuity. Of course, this isn't a "Robin or bust" statement, or "anything but Robin" (both of which are utterly stupid IMO). The progression would be very, very easy.
I read in the Sydney Morning Herald Spectrum section from the 5th that Two Face is being portrayed as a vigilante without the principles of Batman. Essentially, he's like Batman, but totally unrestrained.
In the third film, Batman increasingly finds himself going down this path himself in his one man crusade. Bruce still plays the part of the playboy, but finds it harder and harder to hide his moral self-destruction. He and Alfred fight, Batman falls out with Gordon, and he's finding himself ever more isolated.
This is where the character of Dick Grayson comes in. Now there has been a suggestion made in another thread that Dick was a witness who needed protection since he'd seen something he shouldn't have, blah blah blah. That isn't what I'm getting at. In the end, he needs to be taken in, perhaps more by Alfred than Bruce. Dick rarely sees Bruce, and starts to wonder where he is all the time. One night, Dick wakes up from a nightmare and hears Bruce coming in.
He then discovers the Bat cave, and Bruce tells him to forget he ever saw it and tells Alfred to get rid of him. Alfred refuses, saying words to the effect that Dick will end up far worse off than him unless he gets some guidance, not to mention Bruce hasn't been holding up to his one-man crusade very well.
Initially, he'd be nothing more than the guy on the radio, keeping Batman informed of police radio, etc, and occasionally making a joke (nothing campy please). Eventually these jokes, as well as Dick's overall presence and determination to help in the crusade against crime, arrest Batman's decline into amorality, and provide a key point of difference between him and Two-Face.
Possibly one way to end the movie is that Gordon lights up the Bat signal. Dick tells Batman the signal's gone up, but Batman is busy and sends Dick, as Robin (of course, this is the very end of the movie).
In short, Robin acts as messenger rather than direct crime fighter. When he does fight, he only does so when the odds are already stacked in his favour (don't fight battles that you haven't already won, no?).
Intelligence and patience are really all a writer needs to bring in Robin and make it work.
Seriously, fans seem to think their movies will go on forever. I have a hunch Batman 3 will be the last time we see Batman in a solo movie for a LONG time (though he'll probably show up in JL if WB ever gets that together).
