No genuinely good fight scenes in any of the four films

[CConn]

I must say, I've always been quite a fan of the Cathedral fight scenes in B89. They just seemed to be exactly the kind of fighting Batman would engage in.

Oh, and I hate Catman with a passion.

 

[Catman]

Oh, and I hate Catman with a passion.

In a few days Mirko will be deleting threads that have been inactive for a year. I'm just saving some threads.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

Good point, Catman.

As for the original topic... I disagree. The fights in B89/BR were spectacular. BF had decent elements to them, but they lacked the verve that Keaton brought to his fights. B&R and BB? I'd rather forget those. It's easy ebcause I could see the damn fights in BB...

 

[mjbull23]

I have to go back to an earlier post in this thread, about BF and how un-batmanlike it was for him to descend down in the middle of a huge gathering of people, before he's about to go deal with two-face and his thugs.

Completely agree... Splashy entrances just don't fit my picture of his motus operandi... Looked great, don't get me wrong,

 

[Catman]

I liked the entrance in BF because in that franchise it became a bit of a trademark for Batman to do that! The best, of course, being in B89. I loved how Joker said "Boo" to Vicki then suddenly Batman comes crashing through the window, saves Vicky, and gets the f--k out of there! That was awesome!

 

[mclay18]

The cathedral fight scene in B89 was entertaining, but it just wasn't exciting in terms of choreography. In fact, I was just laughing at how stupid the Joker's goons were and marveling at the photography. I forgot most of the action scenes from BR, save for the ones involving Catwoman. The fight sequences in BF and B&R were perfunctory but excessive and not that exciting. I did enjoy the fight between Poison Ivy and Batgirl in B&R, but that was because Silverstone and Thurman were in a catfight.

I'm going to defend the fight sequences in BB, though. Christopher Nolan wanted his version of Batman to attack criminals suddenly and unexpectedly, hence the majority of the fight scenes being chopped up. If you've watched the movie repeatedly like I have, you can see who's hitting who. Even so, the fight sequences were exciting -- the climax on the monorail was the best action scene in the film.

 

[The Joker]

I really enjoyed the Batman/Catwoman fights.

 

[El Payaso]

There just aren't any memorable, exciting fight scenes. Sure, the scuffles with thugs in Batman are decent, but Burton has never been an action director. The clashes with Catwoman are snappy but brief. Batman Forever has a very disapointing face-off between Robin and Two-Face, and Batman doesn't even fight Two-Face or the Riddler! We know Two-Face can fight, and the Riddler not only has that cane, but he's downloaded the memories of millions of people. Including Batman himself. So he should be able to put up a decent fight. In a comicbook movie, that makes sense. Forever could have been so much better with a two vs two climax, which would be the perfect symbolic conclusion to a movie all about duality.

Then we have Batman & Robin, which ironically does have climactic showdowns, Batgirl against Poison Ivy, Batman against Freeze, Batgirl and Robin against Bane, but they are all lamer than a $20 fanboy production.

On the contrary, there's very good fighting in all of those movies. Maybe B&R is the exception, I haven't seen that in a long time for my own good.

That was lame. How can a fat, wheezy thug beat seven shades out of one of the world's greatest martial artists, equipped with combat armour and a cache of high tech weaponry?

Because the thug was not fatty but muscular and Batman is human. Which btw is one of the greatest things about the character. He can be beaten.

there were excellent fight scenes in begins. just because the way they were edited, doesn't discredit them as good fights.

The editing is precisely what discredits them. And by discredit I mean ruined poorly and tragically. Easy the worst fight scenes in the whole 5 Batman movies since 1989. Virtually non-existant.

 

[Agentsands77]

There just aren't any memorable, exciting fight scenes.

It's really true. There are a few that are passable (they're still rather clunky because of how much the suit hinder Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney), but any really thrilling, pulse-pounding fight scenes? Nope.

 

[El Payaso]

It's really true. There are a few that are passable (they're still rather clunky because of how much the suit hinder Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney), but any really thrilling, pulse-pounding fight scenes? Nope.

Really thrilling, pulse-pounding fight scenes? Maybe not. It depends on what pounds your pulse. For that matter not in any Superman film either.

Genuinely good fight scenes? Oh yes.

 

[Agentsands77]

Really thrilling, pulse-pounding fight scenes? Maybe not. It depends on what pounds your pulse. For that matter not in any Superman film either.

Well, I'm no big fan of the Superman franchise (of the films, I only really like SUPERMAN RETURNS, though I understand that's the minority opinion around these parts), but it doesn't mean that there couldn't be a thrilling, pulse-pounding fight. By all means, the Zod and Superman encounter would ideally be one of the most intense, brutal fights even captured on screen, but on a truly epic scale.

Genuinely good fight scenes? Oh yes.

What are you using as your criteria for a "genuinely good" fight scene?

To me, I thought the fights lacked drama and impact, were often there purely for comedic effect, and looked awkward and/or clumsy because of how oddly Batman had to move (Batman looks stiff as a board most of the time, especially in B89 and BR - look at BR's Batman maneuver where he bends over at the waist and spins around rather slowly... ugh).

I mean, honestly, there's nothing in any of the Batman films the equivalent of the Red Grant/James Bond train car fist fight from FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and there really should be. An intense, violent encounter as both go toe-to-toe. The fights in B89 and BR were about as convincing as the Roger Moore fight scenes in his Bond films - sometimes fun, but hardly great work.

 

[cryptic name]

Yes. It does.

i must've missed the memo stating your opinion has any effect on mine.

 

[GoogleMe94]

nah the fight scenes in B89, Returns and even forever were much better then the begins fights. the scene in Forever where batman is being held by those 2 thugs and yet manages to lift his legs and kick that other thug in front of him, thats memorable. begins was just a mess as far as the fight scenes go. maybe the actual fights WERE good, but thanks to horrendously bad editing, you couldnt see a damn thing in the final product. i still dont get what happens after batman shoots his grapple at some nija guy, then all of a sudden hes flying over the edge, like wtf just happened? its kinda hard to enjoy fights when you cant even make out what is happening. i much prefer batman kicking one thug in a dramatic one kick blow then someones leg mysteriously disapear from view before a kick.

 

[Leenie]

I have no particular comments about Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, because I haven't seen those films in YEARS, and I have no desire to see them again anytime in the future. So, I'll move on ...

Batman had some good fight scenes, and it's not because of the choreography; it's because of the personality. It was entertaining to watch Batman and Joker duking it out. In my opinion, the action isn't what made Batman, it was the story and the characters. It didn't need to have the greatest actions scenes ever.

The action in Batman Returns, I believe, goes through a downward spiral as the movie progresses. The very first action scene was great, and the last one was laughable (and not in a good way). The penguins with the rocketpacks were an insult to my intelligence. Sorry, Tim Burton.

I'm expecting people to blast me. My apologies, I'm not too kind when it comes to Batman Returns. I think it's a decent movie, but I think it's very far from great ...

 

[brainchild81]

i must've missed the memo stating your opinion has any effect on mine.

Don't worry. I'll tell them to send it out again

 

[Kevin Roegele]

A good fight scene is not down to simply down to choreography or spectacle; it's about how exciting it is. Simply, you should be sitting there on the edge of your seat, feeling with every second that someone could be killed.

Most of the fights in the Batman movies aren't exciting because they are simply Batman taking down endless thugs. There is never any suggestion they have any chance of defeating him, rarely even landing a blow themselves.

Batman Begins does this better, because when Batman fights Ras' ninjas, they do have menace. Although ultimately they are just henchmen like the Joker's goons or Two-Face's thugs, you do believe they could pose serious threat to Batman.

Atleast Batman does encounter atleast one worthy physical foe in most of the movies; in Batman, it's the final one of the Joker's goons, a very Indiana Jones-like fight. In Returns there is Catwoman. And in B&R you have both Bane and Mr Freeze. One of the problems with Forever is that no-one can touch Batman in the fighting department. Ideally, the Riddler, having downloaded the brainwaves of Bruce himself, should be able to fight as well as him.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Don't worry. I'll tell them to send it out again

Can you make sure I get a copy please?

 

[mclay18]

Really thrilling, pulse-pounding fight scenes? Maybe not. It depends on what pounds your pulse. For that matter not in any Superman film either.

Genuinely good fight scenes? Oh yes.

What you classify as heart-pounding, thrilling action scenes in your opinion? I'm not being sarcastic, just curious.

 

[Furious Styles]

I always loved the whole "Why can't you just die?" scene in Batman Forever when Two Face blasts Batman straight to hell. And only Robin rescues a helpless Batman from being buried alive.

Kinda cool scene.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I always loved the whole "Why can't you just die?" scene in Batman Forever when Two Face blasts Batman straight to hell. And only Robin rescues a helpless Batman from being buried alive.

Kinda cool scene.

Not fight scenes though.

 

[Furious Styles]

Not fight scenes though.

No, no it's not.

 

[El Payaso]

What you classify as heart-pounding, thrilling action scenes in your opinion? I'm not being sarcastic, just curious.

Scenes that get your heart pounding and make you get thrilled. And I'm not being sarcastic either.