The Dark Knight Rises Riddle Me This: The Riddler Characterization Thread

[ronny]

Reese as Riddler is pretty dumb IMO.

Hey he's names Mr Reese-mister reese-mysteries! Geddit! Geddit! Even more ridiculous than E. Nygma.

How? HOW? How can you really say that "Reese" is a more absurd surname than "Nygma"?
That is so utterly preposterous I can't believe that you could type it with a straight face.
Edward Nygma. Margaret Pye. Julian Day. Maxie Zeus. Humphry Dumpler.
All awful names which were created by unimaginative, unmotivated people. You honestly think Coleman Reese is as bad as that? Coleman Reese which sounds like the name of a real human being? Coleman Reese that doesn't sound like it was dredged up from the chamberpot of bad ideas?
What are you on?

 

[Rodrigo90]

If Coleman Reese is The Riddler...goodbye cruel world from me,lol.

 

[Two-Face]

It would like when Burton gave Joker (Jack Napier) a name in Batman 89.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

How? HOW? How can you really say that "Reese" is a more absurd surname than "Nygma"?
That is so utterly preposterous I can't believe that you could type it with a straight face.
Edward Nygma. Margaret Pye. Julian Day. Maxie Zeus. Humphry Dumpler.
All awful names which were created by unimaginative, unmotivated people. You honestly think Coleman Reese is as bad as that? Coleman Reese which sounds like the name of a real human being? Coleman Reese that doesn't sound like it was dredged up from the chamberpot of bad ideas?
What are you on?

I didn't say Reese is a more absurd surname than Nygma. What are you on?

I said the pun Mr Reese-Mysteries is worse than E. Nygma. And it is.

The whole idea of Reese being Riddler is ridiculous.

 

[ronny]

No it's not. It's really, really not.
You want the Riddler to get a reaction? To be hated?
Everyone hated Coleman Reese. And not because Harto is a bad actor either, but because he was absolutely believable as an obnoxious, snotty coward of a man.
Remind you of anyone?
Reese's character fits the Riddler to a tee. People are against it because they want to secretly cheer on the villain. Never figuring in the idea that an arrogant, well-spoken sociopath is meant to be hated.
On every level, Coleman Reese would work in the role. Nashton is a con man, what makes you think he uses just one alias?
You people are unbelievable.

 

[Two-Face]

"You people are unbelievable" just cos we don't agree with you?

 

[ronny]

No, because you are so against the idea. It's almost like you've got a complete mental block that totally stops you from even entertaining the notion that Josh Harto would make a brilliant Riddler.
Honestly, it's like trying to reason with a lump of clay.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

No it's not. It's really, really not.
You want the Riddler to get a reaction? To be hated?
Everyone hated Coleman Reese. And not because Harto is a bad actor either, but because he was absolutely believable as an obnoxious, snotty coward of a man.
Remind you of anyone?
Reese's character fits the Riddler to a tee. People are against it because they want to secretly cheer on the villain. Never figuring in the idea that an arrogant, well-spoken sociopath is meant to be hated.
On every level, Coleman Reese would work in the role. Nashton is a con man, what makes you think he uses just one alias?
You people are unbelievable.

We're unbelievable because we don't agree with your shoddy, obvious and ridiculously cheesy idea for Riddler. Ok then, I'm unbelievable.

I'm against it not because I secretly want to cheer on the villain. I'm against because like I said, it's a predictable, obvious, crappy, cheesy idea.

It reminds me of that stupid notion that the kid from Begins will turn out to be Robin. Or that Catwoman will definitely be in the next movie because Fox made a off hand remark about cats.

 

[ronny]

Okey-dokey, how is it cheesy? Or crappy? Or even obvious?

 

[Mistah K88]

Personally I don't think Reese is smart or clever enough to be Riddler. He was shot down quickly as soon as he made his demands. The only reason people suggest that he is Riddler-like at all is that he has an idea who Batman is, nothing more...The basis is clearly not on his wit. Also, yes the pun Mister Reese is just as dumb as E. Nygma.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Reese as The Riddler is just plain stupid. Not creative or realistic.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

Why is there so much hostility towards this idea?

Okey-dokey, how is it cheesy? Or crappy? Or even obvious?

This is amusing.

To have a change of name in Nolan's franchise is still unheard of. The Riddler's name is EDWARD NYGMA. I get changes like Edward Nashton because they come from the comics, but something as drastic as Coleman Reese?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not being a purist here. But there's a difference between Zealous Purism and respect for the material... to change the Riddler's name is as gratituous as it gets. Unless there's a pretty great reason backing it. There isn't.

Beside, am I the only one Reese is done for in the movies? He may not return and that's it. His part was not unnecessary and random, and it was very complete without adding further development (especially a twist this big). The guy was used for a lot of things, consisting of... showing the logistics of nobody ever figuring out who Batman was, and what Bruce/Fox could do about it.... Joker changing his mind about revealing Batman (true terrorist random thinking) and punishing Reese instead.... Wayne risking his life to save Reese's, showing the audience that he is going to protect the innocent, even when the innocent actively try to stop his crusade.
To me, Reese's last look is as lapidating as the Joker's last look in the film (being apprehended by SWATs). The glance he shared with Wayne, Wayne looking him liek saying: "I f****d my f****ng Lamborghini for you, even when you tried to scr** me... I'm watching you. You owe me a Lamborghini."

Yes, Reese is resentful. Hhe can hate Gotham and become a villain to get back at Batman, alright... but he's a loser. A total loser. His character is the sterotype of the loser. He tries to blackmail Fox, and gets the verbal-abuse-threat treatment. He tries to unmask Batman on T.V., he almost gets killed and the one who saves him is the same he was trying to harm. That guy had no gut. No backbone. THAT kind of Riddler can't be a decent villain... and if he's no decent villain, he doesn't have a reason to be in the sequel.

And I find amusing you didn't notice all these things.

 

[ronny]

I'll say this again: Have you never heard of someone using an alias? Creating a fake identity?
Never?
You've never come across anyone doing this in films or books or comics?

Plus, I think The Riddler is quite a spineless person. Does that negate his effectiveness as a villain? Nope, it makes him more dangerous. People like that, with big egos and little hearts, can become very threatening when they're backed into a corner.
He's not brave, he's not supposed to be. I don't see your point.

 

[Two-Face]

We already had that in Begins. why would be wanna see that again?

 

[ronny]

It really depends on what approach they take. If they build up to The Riddler and at the end it's Reese, then yeah, it will be well-trodden and rather predictable.
But they could establish off the bat that Coleman Reese never existed at all and go from there.

 

[Jozef]

There is some speculation that Reese will become The Riddler in the next film, but there is little proof to support this other than his name, 'Mister Reese' (Mysteries). His high self-esteem concerning his aptitude, desire to gain more power and prestige, and feelings about Bruce Wayne may also inspire a criminal career. Besides that, the alter-ego of The Riddler was shown to be an employee of Wayne Enterprises in the story of Batman Forever. Christopher Nolan could have inspired story for the the third film by this.----


that was on a batman wiki so its an old idea, but not a completely ridiculous one as some think. howevEr you can also use this as proof we arent getting a real riddler, and this is nolan's way of giving us a riddler like chaRacter.

 

[ronny]

Also, yes the pun Mister Reese is just as dumb as E. Nygma.

No, no it's not.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Turning him into a clever criminal is silly.

I want The Riddler to have a complex mind. If youve ever played Silent Hill 2,the sort of complex and disturbing mind James Sunderland has. Or to make it more simple,Ted Bundy. If you have seen the trailer for the movie,then youll know what I mean.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

I'll say this again: Have you never heard of someone using an alias? Creating a fake identity?
Never?
You've never come across anyone doing this in films or books or comics?

In (good) comics and films, this is rather integrated into the story in a way that does not negate everything we've seen this far. If he was using an alias then he was probably already a criminal, and everything we saw him do in TDK was just a farçe, rendering his part in TDK pointless. It's a cringewrothy plot development, at best, and a carer destroying move as a storyteller at worst.

Besides, by that logic anyone could be the Riddler. Why not that TV reporter dude? Or the upstanding citizen that is about to blow the prisoners ferry? They're both spineless, arrogant, suit-wearing, caucasian, adult males. The second could be called Edward Nygma. But hey, we've already established that the name is not important, so why should physical qualities matter? He could be Lucius Fox, after all that guy is pretty smart and knew Wayne's secrets without even asking! And that's a pretty dangerous fella! No, no, the Riddler must be white, I'm sure, no matter what those Eddy Murphy rumors said.. so he could be that little kid from the Narrows in Begins! That kid is Edward Nygma.

...

Give. Me. A. Break.

Plus, I think The Riddler is quite a spineless person. Does that negate his effectiveness as a villain?

In the level in which Coleman Reese was spineless? Yes.

Nope, it makes him more dangerous. People like that, with big egos and little hearts, can become very threatening when they're backed into a corner.

He was backed into a corner and even that couldn't make a decent obstacle out of him. Not even that. The moment he's revealed as the Riddler, it would be chuckle-inducing.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

that was on a batman wiki so its an old idea, but not a completely ridiculous one as some think. howevEr you can also use this as proof we arent getting a real riddler, and this is nolan's way of giving us a riddler like chaRacter.

You're using the concept of "proof" in a pretty inexact way, to say the least. "Inexact" being an euphemism for "dead wrong", of course.

Also, yes the pun Mister Reese is just as dumb as E. Nygma.

No, no it's not.

 

[Jozef]

mr reese isnt as dumb as e.nigma because mr. is a surname not a first name.

 

[Two-Face]

As said many times on here Wiki is usually edited by poeple if you have a account.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

mr reese isnt as dumb as e.nigma because mr. is a surname not a first name.

... this is becoming epidemic.

 

[Jolly C.]

kk stop the hoobla about the names for now...how about reeser could stay in the story as a misleading suspect for the riddler and then he gets killed by the real riddler in a deathtrap??? I could see that having some advantages.

 

[Infinity9999x]

No it's not. It's really, really not.
You want the Riddler to get a reaction? To be hated?
Everyone hated Coleman Reese. And not because Harto is a bad actor either, but because he was absolutely believable as an obnoxious, snotty coward of a man.
Remind you of anyone?
Reese's character fits the Riddler to a tee. People are against it because they want to secretly cheer on the villain. Never figuring in the idea that an arrogant, well-spoken sociopath is meant to be hated.
On every level, Coleman Reese would work in the role. Nashton is a con man, what makes you think he uses just one alias?
You people are unbelievable.

No, I'm against it because as of now, I'd rather have a more experienced actor play the main antagonist of the next Bat-film. The guy in TDK doesn't have the kind of presence I'd like in that magnitude of villain. Now, to be fair, if Nolan sees something in him that I don't (since I've only seen him for a few minutes of screentime) then more power to him. But as of now, I'd rather not have Mr. Reese for the Riddler.