The Dark Knight Kevin Conroy's thoughts on bale and ledger

[akfj]

There has been no Barman on the screen yet.

Correct, there has been no Barman.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Agreed, 100%.

There has been no Barman as of yet.

 

[Superknight]

I love conroy's voice, but I agree with an earlier poster who said they loved Keaton's bat voice.

Here are my two cents:

1. For Batman:
Keaton = Badass Batman
Bale = Badass Bruce Wayne
Conroy = Badass Bat-Voice (in animated series')
West = Brainy Batman








2. For Joker:
Nicholson = Badass Joker
Ledger = Creepy Joker
Hamill = Psycho Joker (voicewise in animated series') (very manic in expression)
Romero = Joker's silly playful side

 

[AnneFan]

I can see where people come from regarding Bale’s Batman voice. Though I think the concept works for the Nolanverse. We often suspend our disbelief in the area of secret identities. It’s a totally different tone, but ala the 60s show, we have Bruce Wayne dealing with Gordon and then as Batman for example without changing his voice at all. The Nolanverse has different aims and attempts to have us suspend our disbelief less. So having something more extreme, pushing the growl as described in Year One to the limit to differentiate the two characters makes sense here I think.

 

[Elevator Man]

I can see where people come from regarding Bale’s Batman voice. Though I think the concept works for the Nolanverse. We often suspend our disbelief in the area of secret identities. It’s a totally different tone, but ala the 60s show, we have Bruce Wayne dealing with Gordon and then as Batman for example without changing his voice at all. The Nolanverse has different aims and attempts to have us suspend our disbelief less. So having something more extreme, pushing the growl as described in Year One to the limit to differentiate the two characters makes sense here I think.

There's a difference between disguising your voice and sounding like you got something up your throat.

 

[HarleyQuinn12]

To me it sounded like Batman had asthma when he was talking to Joker at the end.

 

[darklord1967]

I can see where people come from regarding Bale’s Batman voice. Though I think the concept works for the Nolanverse. We often suspend our disbelief in the area of secret identities. It’s a totally different tone, but ala the 60s show, we have Bruce Wayne dealing with Gordon and then as Batman for example without changing his voice at all. The Nolanverse has different aims and attempts to have us suspend our disbelief less. So having something more extreme, pushing the growl as described in Year One to the limit to differentiate the two characters makes sense here I think.

My Two cents:

In BOTH of Nolan's Bat-films, Christian Bale made The Batman sound as if he had to urgently rush to the bathroom to relieve himself lest he crap his shorts. It was a distracting train wreck of a voice that was LAUGHABLY bad.

As Bruce Wayne, Bale is properly pompous, arrogant, breezy and carefree. The perfect picture of a billionaire playboy. But as The Batman… sigh…

This is partially the script’s fault, and partially his own. Bale explained in an interview that he chose that voice to seem more animal-like. And defenders of Bale’s Bat-performance have explained that the voice is a realistic way for The Batman to erase all connections between himself and Bruce Wayne.

But consider this: If The Baman had remained a basically silent spooky character, (as he had been in the comics years ago), this might NEVER have been an issue to begin with.

Even more importantly: All of the very best Batman comic book writers and editors are in unanimous agreement that the real “disguise” is NOT The Batman. It is instead Bruce Wayne. The true persona… the true individual occupying that host body is “The Bat”. So anything fake, artificial, or “manufactured” for the purpose of creating a distance between the two personalities should be connected to Bruce Wayne… not The Batman. It is Bruce Wayne’s voice that would have been consciously pitched higher and made more jovial and silly, while the Batman speaks (very sparingly) in his true un-disguised voice full of outrage, pain, and brooding. A Clint Eastwood-like whisper spoken from the shadows would have gone a LONG way toward scaring the HELL out of anyone. Bale’s Batman voice was downright laughable. It sounded painfully forced… like a child play-acting on what a “tough guy” should sound like. It… was… horrible. And it was a clear indication of Bale’s poor understanding of this character.

Kevin Conroy other the other hand understood this principle beautifully (with varying degrees of success), and this is why he is probably considered the definitive voice for The Batman by many, many fans.

In the comics, there have been instances (even in recent years), where Alfred Pennyworth has had to use his experience as a stage actor to actually coach Bruce Wayne on what his silly, frivolous playboy voice should sound like (in order to create a greater separation from The Batman). I say again: Wayne is the manufactured personality with the fake "put on" voice. NOT The Batman.

Both Nolan and Bale missed this basic point entirely.

 

[Elevator Man]

I agree with everything you said darklord1967. I love how Conroy understood the difference between the personas. For example, on the "Eternal Youth" episode from B:TAS Bruce Wayne was yelling at one of his employees I think on the phone with his "phony" Bruce Wayne voice .And then after he hangs up he uses his Batman voice when talking to Alfred. I always thought that was "amazing" when I was kid and still do. And Alfred is so used to the voice that it doesn't even bother him one bit. That's when I realised that his Batman voice was his actual voice. But he always talks to Alfred with his Batman voice on the show anyway unless he's in public.

And another episode where he showcased the fake Bruce voice with great effect was when he was on the phone (again) in the "On Leather Wings" episode I believe. He was on the phone with Dr. Marge in front of Alfred in the bat cave. Talking to Marge with his happy go lucky Bruce voice. Then as Batman hangs up he resumes to his normal (Batman) voice when talking to Alfred. I remember at one point when I was kid thinking that Batman and Bruce Wayne were played by two different voice actors. That's how distinctive the two voices by Conroy were.

Yeah I agree Conroy really nailed the voice more than any actor before and after him (animated and live action).

 

[wootbaby]

My Two cents:

In BOTH of Nolan's Bat-films, Christian Bale made The Batman sound as if he had to urgently rush to the bathroom to relieve himself lest he crap his shorts. It was a distracting train wreck of a voice that was LAUGHABLY bad.

As Bruce Wayne, Bale is properly pompous, arrogant, breezy and carefree. The perfect picture of a billionaire playboy. But as The Batman… sigh…

This is partially the script’s fault, and partially his own. Bale explained in an interview that he chose that voice to seem more animal-like. And defenders of Bale’s Bat-performance have explained that the voice is a realistic way for The Batman to erase all connections between himself and Bruce Wayne.

But consider this: If The Baman had remained a basically silent spooky character, (as he had been in the comics years ago), this might NEVER have been an issue to begin with.

Even more importantly: All of the very best Batman comic book writers and editors are in unanimous agreement that the real “disguise” is NOT The Batman. It is instead Bruce Wayne. The true persona… the true individual occupying that host body is “The Bat”. So anything fake, artificial, or “manufactured” for the purpose of creating a distance between the two personalities should be connected to Bruce Wayne… not The Batman. It is Bruce Wayne’s voice that would have been consciously pitched higher and made more jovial and silly, while the Batman speaks (very sparingly) in his true un-disguised voice full of outrage, pain, and brooding. A Clint Eastwood-like whisper spoken from the shadows would have gone a LONG way toward scaring the HELL out of anyone. Bale’s Batman voice was downright laughable. It sounded painfully forced… like a child play-acting on what a “tough guy” should sound like. It… was… horrible. And it was a clear indication of Bale’s poor understanding of this character.

Kevin Conroy other the other hand understood this principle beautifully (with varying degrees of success), and this is why he is probably considered the definitive voice for The Batman by many, many fans.

In the comics, there have been instances (even in recent years), where Alfred Pennyworth has had to use his experience as a stage actor to actually coach Bruce Wayne on what his silly, frivolous playboy voice should sound like (in order to create a greater separation from The Batman). I say again: Wayne is the manufactured personality with the fake "put on" voice. NOT The Batman.

Both Nolan and Bale missed this basic point entirely.

The difference between Conroy and Bale is that Conroy tries hard to be the "comics Batman." He tries hard to do a cool voice for a cool dude who runs around in spandex and knows he's cool.

Bale plays Batman as a dude who's running around beating up bad guys and the last thing on his mind is trying to make Batman sound cool. The only thing he's trying to do is distort his voice so he doesn't get recognized/voice IDed via software and **** the rest I'm busy here kicking ass and trying not to die while taking guys out.

His voice sounds stupid. Neither Bale nor Batman really gives a ****.

Conroy is basically a b-list hamfisted actor who does an entertaining Batman, in a manner that longtime fans come to expect. He is good at this. I mean look at what he says about Mark. Using his vision you'd have a corny, hackneyed Joker hamming it up like on TAS rather than a cool twist like Ledger's Joker. If Conroy directed the movie, you'd probably have a corny slow motion pearl-string-breaking-on-the-ground moment and Bruce going nooooooooo in slow motion. And 90% of comic book nerds would stand up and applaud.

All that would be pretty terrible in a major motion picture, but it works on a small screen cartoon.

 

[Caekzor]

I love how Conroy understood the difference between the personas.

So do Bale and Nolan.

 

[Batman jr.]

Yes, Bale's voice is sometimes over the top in TDK. But Conroy's critique sounds like a sad fanboy. He could've expressed his "feelings" in a more polite way. Conroy's voice works in the animated series, but would be dull in a movie.

And I still don't understand why people rave about Nicholsons' Joker. It was just him with a big smile & dancing on acid.

Hamill is of course great as Joker, no doubt about that.

 

[Baneis8feettall]

Bale's voice in The Dark Knight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dJma8pVAvH4#t=41s

Conroy's voice in The Dark Knight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=n6gM6D6i1O0#t=82s

Same scenes. If Christian Bale sounds like throat cancer then Kevin Conroy sounds like Old Spice Guy.t:

 

[shallbecomeabat]

What I really REALLY hate about this threat is how some of you guys bash Bales batvoice and act like its a fact that its crap. Its all a matter of opinion. In my circle of friends I almost exclusively know people who love the Balebatvoice.

In my opinion Bales voice is great and one of many factors that make his Batman portrayal the definitive one for me, outside of the comics.

I grew up with the BTAS series and loved it, but I never got why people loved Conroy that much. I always hated his batvoice. In my ears it doesn't sound like Batman... it sounds like a knight on a horse, riding into battle. Its so frikking high and mighty... I never could stand it.
In my eyes Conroy as Batmans voice is hugely overrated and his insights in the character are barely skin deep, so I really don't get why people care so much about his opinion. Just because he has voiced the character doesn't mean he has any clue about it, or is some sort of expert on all things Batman. The lines he recorded for the Arkham Asylum game were totally out of character ("Gordon isn't as dumb as he looks" WTF?!? I know he didn't wrote them, but still) and as some guy asked him in an interview to answer a question as Batman himself, about the war on crime he said "Its a dirty job... but somebody has to do it", which, in my eyes is something that the character would never say.

So, in the end... I get that a lot of you guys love him, but in my eyes, bale is the definitive Batman, not Conroy.

 

[Batman jr.]

I think that "Not everything. Not yet" sounds very good.

 

[Two-Face]

Conroy's voice is the definitive Batman voice but I liked Bale voice in BB, in TDK he took it little to far. When read comics I think of Conroy's voice in my head.

 

[Mandalore464]

Edit : Deleted

 

[Keyser Soze]

I'm not going to bash either guy. Conroe and Bale are the two definitive Batman actors, in my opinion. For the most part, I like Bale's Batvoice, apart from, "I'm not wearing HOCKEY PAAAAAAAADSSSSS!!!!" But say what you will about it, it's become iconic. Ask a random Joe on the street to, "Do a Batman voice," odds are they'll do Bale's growl.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Yeah. And most of my friends can hardly do it

Spoiler

Doesn't mean I can do it any better, though

 

[bullets]

I'm not going to bash either guy. Conroe and Bale are the two definitive Batman actors, in my opinion. For the most part, I like Bale's Batvoice, apart from, "I'm not wearing HOCKEY PAAAAAAAADSSSSS!!!!" But say what you will about it, it's become iconic. Ask a random Joe on the street to, "Do a Batman voice," odds are they'll do Bale's growl.

Bale's Batman does sound a bit funny but it's plausible because he's trying to disguise his voice.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Bale's voice gave batman a very distinctive sound. I'd actually say the bat voice has actually become iconic.

When people reference batman in pop culture they inevitability fall into the bale version of the character.

TDK did over do some elements in post however for TDKR i'm sure they've found the right balance.