DocLathropBrown
The Man with the Hat is Back
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2003
- Messages
- 3,175
- Reaction score
- 969
- Points
- 73
For me, Keaton just felt right. He exuded deep thought, hidden trauma, without even having to try. Like Kim Basinger said; "I could easily see him as an orphaned child."
The mystery aspect that Burton gave Batman, I won't say that it was the right way to go.... we should know something about Batman's origins other than the catalyst, but after seeing BB, I'm glad he's more mysterious to us in B89/BR. God, it sure helps give him a more Batman-ish aura, because we don't know that much about him, just like everyone else in the film.
Just as Nolan made us see Batman as the criminals see him (not at all), Burton did the same thing, just not applied to fight scenes. We know barely enough about Batman, so he's just as mysterious to us as he is to every other character in the piece.
BB, for my money, took the mystery out of Batman. It told too much. Becuase it had to cater to an audience that wanted to know too much. As a film buff/amatuer filmmaker, it didn't feel right. We delved too far into Bruce's psyche, so by the time he becomes Batman, it feels too much like Bruce Wayne in a mask, not like another being, which is something specified in the comic books. Batman and Bruce Wayne are two different entities.
And Burton nailed that. By simply keeping us in the dark about Batman and letting Keaton's eyes and mannerisms tell us what kind of person he was, and how he felt inside. Burton's Batman and Wayne feel like the seperate entities that they're supposed to be.
About the BB comedy... it didn't always work. Almost never, actually. But I don't despise it as much as other people. I was able to look past it. Alfred was made too much of a smartass in the name of comedy. He's supposed to have a warmth to him, and because of him being a smartass, the scenes where he should have felt warm, really didn't. Alfred says smartass things in the books, but not to the degree that Nolan, Goyer and Caine had him go in the film. Not to mention he's supposed to have a proper British accent...
But I'm getting off-topic.... On another note, Keaton just felt dangerous. Bale was Dangerous as well, but it was more akin to a police officer. You know he could kick your ass, but he's reasonable. Keaton's Batman just felt like I probably wouldn't want to get on his bad side, at all. Keaton just caught that ready-to-explode power that I get when I read the Batman comics, Bale's Bat is no less lethal, but overall, doesn't feel the same. It's hard to explain, really.
I won't say that Burton gave us the right Batman films (At least, not for the modern version of the character), but I ultimately feel it's better because even though both Burton and Nolan heavily tweaked the material (And Nolan tweaked it in worse ways that Burton, I feel), Burton just tweaked it in a way that feels more mythic. Like the DC Comics, I might add. I prefur DC to Marvel because DC's got larger-than-life characters that deal with problems befitting of them. Marvel has down-to-Earth characters who relate to angsty teenagers, who deal with the problems we face. That's all well and nice, but Marvel heroes are the ones you want to be.... DC's are the ones you want to look up to. And Burton captured that. BB felt closer to Marvel style heroes than it should have, and Burton's feels mythic, grand and big, like the Batman comics.
I just saw B89 last night on my friend's new 65 inch 1080p HDTV, with 7.1 surround.... it was like being born again. B89's my favorite film, seen it a truly countless number of times.... but last night was like seeing it again for the first time! I was just in awe at how much better it is than BB to me. I was totally transported back to my childhood, and I stared at that screen in awe. I was watching my hero save Gotham City. And that's all that really matters. Bale's not my hero, Keaton is. And it'll really never change.
The mystery aspect that Burton gave Batman, I won't say that it was the right way to go.... we should know something about Batman's origins other than the catalyst, but after seeing BB, I'm glad he's more mysterious to us in B89/BR. God, it sure helps give him a more Batman-ish aura, because we don't know that much about him, just like everyone else in the film.
Just as Nolan made us see Batman as the criminals see him (not at all), Burton did the same thing, just not applied to fight scenes. We know barely enough about Batman, so he's just as mysterious to us as he is to every other character in the piece.
BB, for my money, took the mystery out of Batman. It told too much. Becuase it had to cater to an audience that wanted to know too much. As a film buff/amatuer filmmaker, it didn't feel right. We delved too far into Bruce's psyche, so by the time he becomes Batman, it feels too much like Bruce Wayne in a mask, not like another being, which is something specified in the comic books. Batman and Bruce Wayne are two different entities.
And Burton nailed that. By simply keeping us in the dark about Batman and letting Keaton's eyes and mannerisms tell us what kind of person he was, and how he felt inside. Burton's Batman and Wayne feel like the seperate entities that they're supposed to be.
About the BB comedy... it didn't always work. Almost never, actually. But I don't despise it as much as other people. I was able to look past it. Alfred was made too much of a smartass in the name of comedy. He's supposed to have a warmth to him, and because of him being a smartass, the scenes where he should have felt warm, really didn't. Alfred says smartass things in the books, but not to the degree that Nolan, Goyer and Caine had him go in the film. Not to mention he's supposed to have a proper British accent...
But I'm getting off-topic.... On another note, Keaton just felt dangerous. Bale was Dangerous as well, but it was more akin to a police officer. You know he could kick your ass, but he's reasonable. Keaton's Batman just felt like I probably wouldn't want to get on his bad side, at all. Keaton just caught that ready-to-explode power that I get when I read the Batman comics, Bale's Bat is no less lethal, but overall, doesn't feel the same. It's hard to explain, really.
I won't say that Burton gave us the right Batman films (At least, not for the modern version of the character), but I ultimately feel it's better because even though both Burton and Nolan heavily tweaked the material (And Nolan tweaked it in worse ways that Burton, I feel), Burton just tweaked it in a way that feels more mythic. Like the DC Comics, I might add. I prefur DC to Marvel because DC's got larger-than-life characters that deal with problems befitting of them. Marvel has down-to-Earth characters who relate to angsty teenagers, who deal with the problems we face. That's all well and nice, but Marvel heroes are the ones you want to be.... DC's are the ones you want to look up to. And Burton captured that. BB felt closer to Marvel style heroes than it should have, and Burton's feels mythic, grand and big, like the Batman comics.
I just saw B89 last night on my friend's new 65 inch 1080p HDTV, with 7.1 surround.... it was like being born again. B89's my favorite film, seen it a truly countless number of times.... but last night was like seeing it again for the first time! I was just in awe at how much better it is than BB to me. I was totally transported back to my childhood, and I stared at that screen in awe. I was watching my hero save Gotham City. And that's all that really matters. Bale's not my hero, Keaton is. And it'll really never change.
.
