How many here are old enough to remember reaction about Michael Keaton as Batman?

[C. Lee]

Hehehe, you're an old dude!

Let me tell you of Conan and the days of high adventure......

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Let me tell you of Conan and the days of high adventure......

Crom laughs at your post...laughs from his mountain....

Conan = one of my favs!

 

[charl_huntress]

OMG...Conan....

I am the wellspring from which you flow....

JAMES EARL IS THE MOOFOOING MAN

 

[C. Lee]

The first Conan is classic.....love it.

 

[RedIsNotBlue]

The first Conan is classic.....love it.

Haha. Just the other day at the videostore I work at I got into a conversation with one of the renters getting Batman Begins and I said it was one of my favorite films and really set a great base for comic book movies to come. And he started talking about how he was a huge fan of Frank Miller and comic films too and he felt the same way back in the day about Conan like I do Batman Begins and how Conan pretty much sparked Hollywood's interest in looking more into comic book films. I really need to rewatch the Conan films again I haven't seen them in a long time.

 

[Showtime]

Since I wasn't a big fan of Batman at the time, when I saw that Keaton was Batman I kept thinking to myself, "Why did they pick Mr. Mom for Batman?"

 

[charl_huntress]

I thought the same about Bale. I still think he's too short, but he plays a great Batman, so sometimes initial judgements can be wrong.

 

[Scooter]

Bale...

 

[AsteroidMan]

Most of the stuff I see quoted or linked are AintitCool.Com type sites. Those types of reviewers get paid off all the time. It's not fanboy hate, it's the reality of the movie business.

OK. We all know that nay-sayers are very fast in spreading bad news. Let's assume that among the hundreds of press reps. at the screening, at least 10 hated the movie and were not paid (enough ) by WB. Wouldn't it be logical to see at least 10 negative reviews online mere hours after the screening to counter-balance the "paid" positive ones?

The closest thing to a negative review we've got 4 days after the screening is... the AICN review which tells us a laundry list of problems and that the movie is very good, but not great. (There was a hearsay post on JoBlo with similar content - "good but not great")

Also, people who hate SR with passion wouldn't print a good review. They would take the "money" you talk about and still print a negative one. Or a "balanced" one. The worst that could happen would be not to get invited by WB to a screening again...

So I am still counting the reviews and waiting for those 10 negative ones...

 

[charl_huntress]

Bale...

Yep...that's exactly what I said

 

[Jul-el]

The first I saw/heard of Keaton was in TIME magazine.I was about 12 and saw the pic of Keaton as Batman.Needles to say I didn't need convincing.Same with Spidey pic.Routh?The pics alone have NOT sold me but I'll wait till the movie to pass Judgement.Hoping for the best!!

 

[Monstera]

I was a kid when Batman was released but I used to read Wizard Magazine at the time so I had my full blown comic book nerd stage going.

Wizard Magazine wasn't anywhere near around the time Batman '89 came out.

The first Conan is classic.....love it.

The movie (both of them) also craps on everything that the original Robert E. Howard Conan was about. In fact, Milius nearly slanders Howard in the DVD commentary, too.

 

[Steelsheen]

i was a kid when i heard about Keaton going to be in a Batman movie. my memory of him was from Gung Ho and Bettlejuice, so i assumed he was gonna be The Joker or The Riddler-- since he was really good with those crazy characters. then later i realized he was gonna play The Dark Knight-- and i went "WHAT?! Batman is not a wise cracking nutzoid". but one look at the Batman trailer and right away i was SOLD with Keaton as Batman

like Reeve's Superman, Keaton's Batman will always have a special place in my heart. and his Batman was still the best Batman version ever until Bale's version came around with BB

given that and my assesment of Routh as Superman-- its still a tougher sell. i'm still not sold to him being the Man of Steel as of yet, but i'm starting to see Routh's version of Superman and so far its seems to be ok. the litmus test comes on the 28th, so here's hoping

 

[Nivek]

... and his Batman was still the best Batman version ever until Bale's version came around with BB

Well, he only had to compete with Adam West. So he had a very small hill to climb.

 

[Steelsheen]

Well, he only had to compete with Adam West. So he had a very small hill to climb.

i meant more looking in hindsight with the other batman actors that came after him (Kilmer and Clooney) . i stuck by my man Keaton even when everybody around me was fawning over Kilmer

speaking of which, my first memory of Batman was the Adam West version , so it was a little jarring to read the comics and you have read this dark, brooding character who's a little scary at times.

 

[CapBeerCino]

Then.... I saw the first Batman trailer. OMG! Blown away! The Bat outfit looked cool as hell, Jack Nichsolson as the Joker was awesome, and they even showed the famous Batwing scene. The movie had me at hello. I knew I was going to like it.

You were a kid back then I have a feeling that you were a little less judgemental than you are now.

 

[Bad Superman]

I remember my reaction to the news when Keaton was cast as Batman. I thought "WTH!!??!! This is the guy that starred on Mr. Mom!!!" By the time the credits rolled in Keaton was Batman for me. I still think he's still the best of the list.

 

[afan]

IMHO Batman has yet to be correctly cast, and like two other of my favorite fictional heroes Tarzan and Conan, has also yet to be accurately portrayed on film.
Not a comment on the quality of any film efforts, to date just on the failure to present the character.

 

[JamalYIgle]

IMHO Batman has yet to be correctly cast, and like two other of my favorite fictional heroes Tarzan and Conan, has also yet to be accurately portrayed on film.
Not a comment on the quality of any film efforts, to date just on the failure to present the character.

You can say alot of things about Arnold Swarzenegger, but he was a good Conan. As far as Tarzan goes, you can't get better than Johnny Weismuller. There is no actor who is going toaccurately portay a fictional character in your mind, because everyone will always have a different interpretation of what that character is supposed to be.
Personally I always thought(At the time) Alec Baldwin would have made a better Batman/Bruce Wayne than Michael Keaton. That's the reason I liked Christian Bale's performance in BB.

 

[JamalYIgle]

I

I was a kid when Batman was released but I used to read Wizard Magazine at the time so I had my full blown comic book nerd stage going.

Wizard Magazine didn't exist until 1992. Nice try though.

 

[afan]

You can say alot of things about Arnold Swarzenegger, but he was a good Conan. As far as Tarzan goes, you can't get better than Johnny Weismuller. There is no actor who is going toaccurately portay a fictional character in your mind, because everyone will always have a different interpretation of what that character is supposed to be.
Personally I always thought(At the time) Alec Baldwin would have made a better Batman/Bruce Wayne than Michael Keaton. That's the reason I liked Christian Bale's performance in BB.

Clearly you have never read the source material; the books of Burroughs(Tarzan) and Howard (Conan). Find 'em read 'em, and then judge the films in relation to the source material.
I am a huge fan of the Weissmuller Tarzan films, but they truly take liberties with the character.

 

[jensmith]

Hell I remember when Superman The Movie came out.

Me too. I was 14.

 

[JamalYIgle]

Clearly you have never read the source material; the books of Burroughs(Tarzan) and Howard (Conan). Find 'em read 'em, and then judge the films in relation to the source material.
I am a huge fan of the Weissmuller Tarzan films, but they truly take liberties with the character.

Really? I've read Tarzan of the apes, I've also read Starship Troopers and that also has nothing to do with the movie either. The thing is , a movie isn't a novel, and shouldn't have to be exactly like a book. I remeber in the 90's there was a syndicated TV version of Conan that was supposed to be more in line with Howard's novels, but it didn't work in live action.

 

[Exile]

I was a junior in high school in 89' and remember hearing about Keaton being chosen to play Batman. At first I was surprised because I didn't believe he had the physique or the looks for the role. I still gave him the benefit of the doubt when I learned that it was Tim Burton directing it and figured that since they had worked together in Beetlejuice that he knew what he was doing. Seeing the trailer however dispelled any doubts I may have had. I am looking forward to Superman Returns and I think Routh will do a great job.

 

[C. Lee]

Clearly you have never read the source material; the books of Burroughs(Tarzan) and Howard (Conan). Find 'em read 'em, and then judge the films in relation to the source material.
I am a huge fan of the Weissmuller Tarzan films, but they truly take liberties with the character.

Yeah...people who grew up with the old movies without reading the books (and just for the record...I grew up with the old movies...then read the books)....don't realize that Tarzan winds up an articulate gentleman (he learns to speak French before English for example) who will turn into an avenging beast at the drop of a hat.

Mike Henry, Jock Mahoney, and Ron Ely did some of the adaptaions that were closest to the character of the books...at least in my opinion. What do you think afan?