There is quite a bit of discussion about his size and people saying his size doesn't matter. But I'm sorry: it does. They changed Bane's mask (which was iconic) and now he is looking to be average size (which is also inaccurate seeing as his SIZE was also iconic). Yes, of course acting is important. But accuracy helps too.
You can't change a character 100% and then just base it on the characterization or story. Because yes he looks like Bane in the teaser and promo shot. But in these spy images he looks like a goon with a gas mask. (Yes I know spy images don't do justice, I'm well aware of that) But if this in fact the finished product of Bane, than it is a weak follow up to the Joker.
This is the final chapter to one of the greatest super hero trilogies, to the best Batman series of movies we have seen to date. They are following up the Joker with Bane, which I love (don't get me wrong) but that means to top the most iconic villain of pop culture today that they have to out do themselves. The Joker isn't just some bad guy, he is an icon as much as Batman is.
I'm still holding my breath for some digital enhancements, and before anyone harps about cgi. Nolan uses it, he used it on Two-Face (and it was pretty bad ass and seamless) he's also used it in other areas of his Batman movies that have been seamless. Now take Xerxes, or Steve Rogers. Special effects made those characters smaller and bigger. If the technology is out there, why not use it and just make Bane a BIT larger. I'm not even asking for the steroid juice pig Bane, I just don't want him to be short.
Hardy is already muscular (although he is a small man, accept that fact) so even with muscle he still looks small over all. But with the right lighting and camera work he can look big (which is also what I'm hoping for in this film).
These images below prove that lighting and camera work can make him look big. Because clearly he is not big in either image.
YES, he has massive traps and lats, and with the right angle, and his arm extended (which allows for his lats to spread) and his head and back hunched over, with white light shined on him, against a black background which will make him look big. But the truth is, he's not even big in the promo image, look at his arm. It's all lighting tricks.
And in the teaser footage, people saying he looks big? Come on, you see the back of his head and his shoulder AND he is in the foreground. He doesn't look that big, the camera just makes him look bigger because he is closer to us in the frame.
So my point is, the arguments about Bane are silly. I love Hardy, he's a fantastic actor, I'm glad they picked him. I just hope that in the film he comes across bigger than he does in the spy images.
--dk7
. Ras a Ghul, then did not look like Liam Neeson, bathed in the lazarus pit to stay immortal, thats the way he is supposed to be, but yet he wasn't according to Nolan.
