Imagine its late 1992, and your WB

[Borat]

Man, I hate soccer moms. They ruin everything!

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Considering how much Batman Forever made, I would have made the same decision. I dispute the idea though that BR was made only for adults. It was very popular (not as popular as 89, but still) when I was in grade school.

 

[DACrowe]

It was popular with some kids, but Burton did not make that movie for anyone but adults. It did not pander to teens with action and broad comedy (at least not the kind you'd expect to find in a teen-friendly movie) and it was dark without trying to comfort or coddle children at all. It wasn't made as a happy adventure with a nice ending. The ending was that of moral ambiguity and bleakness with Batman losing the fight for normalcy when Selena rejected him, losing the fight to save her (or Shreck for that matter), in disillusionment and brooding introspection on a lonely Christmas eve and a notion that there are no real heroes in the world with the "monster" of the movie getting a tragic death and mournful burial.

This movie was not meant for kids and did not have pretty action scenes and fights. Burton made the closest a superhero film has come to art house in my opinion and did not pander to target demographics. Batman Begins while the most mature Batman picture (until tomorrow) still had a semi-happy ending and left enough eye candy and jokes in to please kids and teens without the heavy themes becoming overbearing like in BR. TDK on the other hand while being very different (and better) than BR, is following in its footsteps a little bit. I don't see any McDonald's glass mugs of Two-Face for example.

 

[El Payaso]

Considering how much Batman Forever made, I would have made the same decision. I dispute the idea though that BR was made only for adults. It was very popular (not as popular as 89, but still) when I was in grade school.

I think we already covered the point of BR being marketed wrong for kids?

 

[Matt.S99]

I would get rid of all the childish MCDonalds marketing for starters. I know they make alot of money that way, but its a risk id be willing to make. I would keep tim, tell him to keep his style to these movies but to tone it down just a little bit, but not so much that it makes it campy.

 

[Johann Krauss]

I would've kept burton on

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Maybe WB execs had seen the Shumacher directed Falling Down with Michael Douglas

WB: "Hey this is terrific, this man is tired, desperate and out on a warpath in Los Angeles to rid gangs, that deals perfectly with our revamped Batman, get me Joel on the phone"

JOEL: "Hi you wanted to see me about reinventing the Batman franchise"

WB: "Yes Joel we loved The Lost Boys and Falling Down, can you bring that same sort or edginess to Batman but still make him accessible to audiences?"

JOEL: "Of course, I'd just like to make a suggestion in that we replace Keaton with a younger stud and I'm including neon backgrounds and oiled up men in circus outfits"

WB: "TERRIFIC! welcome aboard"