Batman Begins !

[areaseven]

Batman Begins premieres tomorrow, so let's keep this thread up front. And while we're at it, the mods should consolidate all 10+ other Batman Begins threads to one super thread.

[EXO]

I hate Batman merchandise... as much as I like Batman.

I'm gonna predict over 100 million for this opening weekend. even if it was to open on a friday. Everyone underestimated the first batman film too.

[Fortress_Maximus]

Did you guys see the gloves on them while they were fighting with swords?

Yes, it's part of the tools used in one style that Wayne mastered parts of to create his own fighting style.

Bale said in an interview, "it's part of the fighting style called Keysi... It's a very brutal fighting style and it fits really well with the batsuit, and particularly with the ears and everything, just the way it goes. And it's very savage, very fierce, and I had to learn that. We have a lot of different fight sequences. I did learn every single fight sequence that's in the movie."

Sidenote, I really hope they keep the romance to a min. Lets hope we get into Bruce's mind and his keen detective skills, that IS what he considers himself, first and foremost. The worlds BEST detective.

We know for this film to expect martial arts emphasis w/the training and possibly overkill against regular goons, but again Ra's it should be nice. Since he is a metahuman.

Lastly, I hope the next film will include Lady Shiva "the worlds DEADLIEST barehanded fighter in the DCU".

Edited June 14, 2005 by Fortress_Maximus

[areaseven]

International Batman Begins websites:

Batman Begins (Italy)

Batman Begins (Spain)

バットマン ビギンズ (Japan)

[myk]

Just wondering, what Batman Begins merchandise have you guys picked up so far? I was thinking of picking up the Batmobile, but I don't know if it's worth it.

Ugh...Batman toys have always been on the "tacky" side, and the new wave of items continues the tradition so I for one am staying away. I wonder if the designers of the Hummer, one of the ugliest vehicles ever created, had anything to do with the design of the new Batmobile?

[mpchi]

This IS an awesome movie!

Just saw it at a early screening, and it blew me & my co-workers away. For you guys that have been waiting for this, you are in for a treat. Best American super hero movie I've see yet!

[Mr March]

That's encouraging. I have been reading plenty of positive response about the film. I was hoping Nolan would pull it off and I was confident in Bale's ability to handle a dark character with credibility. He is the american pyscho after all

[mikeszekely]

looks great so far. So that's why Qui Gon doesn't have a ghost, he transported to Earth to become Bruce Wayne's mentor. I wonder what Batman's midichlorian count is.

That's pretty funny, considering I was just talking to my one friend (a HUGE Star Wars fan) who was saying, "You know, I'm glad Liam Neeson's in it."

So I ask him why, and if it was because Neeson was in Star Wars. He replies, "No, I just think he's a good actor. He was great as Qui Gon."

"True," I admit, "but he's Qui Gon in almost every other role I've ever seen him in."

Anyway, I wasn't that excited for the movie before (how many times, be it cartoon, comic book, novel, or movie) have I seen the origin of Batman? I figured it'd be good, and that I'd see it, but it didn't have me pointing at the TV and yelling, "I want to see that!" every time a trailer comes on, the way War of the Worlds has been doing. With the reviews starting to come in, though, and the reviews being very favorable (IGN Filmforce going so far as to call it the greatest super hero movie of all time), I'm starting to get excited. Too bad I can't see it until the weekend.

Is anyone interested in the videogame? No reviews yet, but the previews are pretty good. It's only retailing for $39.99, and the PS2 version comes with a movie pass, so I figured (especially with the discount) that it might be worth it.

[Blaine23]

That's pretty funny, considering I was just talking to my one friend (a HUGE Star Wars fan) who was saying, "You know, I'm glad Liam Neeson's in it."

So I ask him why, and if it was because Neeson was in Star Wars. He replies, "No, I just think he's a good actor. He was great as Qui Gon."

"True," I admit, "but he's Qui Gon in almost every other role I've ever seen him in."

You have to be kidding. The dude is Oskar Schindler, for crap's sake.

It's hard to imagine that playing Qui-Gon would ever eclipse the lead role in one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed movies of all time.

[mikeszekely]

That's pretty funny, considering I was just talking to my one friend (a HUGE Star Wars fan) who was saying, "You know, I'm glad Liam Neeson's in it."

So I ask him why, and if it was because Neeson was in Star Wars.  He replies, "No, I just think he's a good actor.  He was great as Qui Gon."

"True," I admit, "but he's Qui Gon in almost every other role I've ever seen him in."

You have to be kidding. The dude is Oskar Schindler, for crap's sake.

It's hard to imagine that playing Qui-Gon would ever eclipse the lead role in one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed movies of all time.

I haven't seen Schindler's List in probably 10 years. The imagery of the film is stronger in my mind than any one actor's performance.

Now, I'm not sure if you're telling me that he was brilliant as Oscar Schindler and is honestly a good actor, or if all of his characters (Qui-Gon included) are the same as Schindler.

That said, all I'm saying is that in most of the films that I've seen Neeson in (not all), whatever character he plays, he plays almost EXACTLY like Qui-Gon Jinn. I like the guy, and I think he plays that one character well... but he's struck me as rather one-dimensional lately.

In any case, like I said, I think Schinder's List is still a brilliant film, but it's more about the imagery. Also, without taking anything away from Schindler's List, Star Wars is more pop culture. So yeah, I think more people are going to remember Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn than anything else.

Edited June 15, 2005 by mikeszekely

[Loner]

Funny. Whenever I think of Liam Neeson, the first thing I think of is the movie Darkman.

[reddsun1]

We know for this film to expect martial arts emphasis w/the training and possibly overkill against regular goons, but again Ra's it should be nice. Since he is a metahuman.

Metahuman? What's that? I'll admit, I'm looking forward to getting a chance to see this one--that, and WoTW. And I can't remember the last movie I paid to see in the theater [been spoiled by cable].

Like Loner, Liam Neeson will always be Darkman to me...LOL, that, and one of the band of thieves in Krull

[Mr March]

The reviews are pretty solid so far, and one of my most trusted sources for reviews gave Batman Begins a very positive score. Check it out:

Batman Begins reviewed at Filmcritic.com

Box Office Mojo has given the film the most glowing review I've seen, more so than most other websites. I hope the film is worth such praise.

Batman Begins reviewed at BoxOfficeMojo.com

As for Liam Neeson, I think he's a very good actor and have enjoyed watching his performances in almost every film he's cast. Personally, I really don't care much for which role Neeson plays as long as I can see him act. With Liam, it's not about the work, not the work...it's the presentation

[EXO]

That's pretty funny, considering I was just talking to my one friend (a HUGE Star Wars fan) who was saying, "You know, I'm glad Liam Neeson's in it."

So I ask him why, and if it was because Neeson was in Star Wars.  He replies, "No, I just think he's a good actor.  He was great as Qui Gon."

"True," I admit, "but he's Qui Gon in almost every other role I've ever seen him in."

You have to be kidding. The dude is Oskar Schindler, for crap's sake.

It's hard to imagine that playing Qui-Gon would ever eclipse the lead role in one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed movies of all time.

I haven't seen Schindler's List in probably 10 years. The imagery of the film is stronger in my mind than any one actor's performance.

Now, I'm not sure if you're telling me that he was brilliant as Oscar Schindler and is honestly a good actor, or if all of his characters (Qui-Gon included) are the same as Schindler.

That said, all I'm saying is that in most of the films that I've seen Neeson in (not all), whatever character he plays, he plays almost EXACTLY like Qui-Gon Jinn. I like the guy, and I think he plays that one character well... but he's struck me as rather one-dimensional lately.

In any case, like I said, I think Schinder's List is still a brilliant film, but it's more about the imagery. Also, without taking anything away from Schindler's List, Star Wars is more pop culture. So yeah, I think more people are going to remember Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn than anything else.

After seeing this movie, it maked perfect sense why they got him to play that part. They needed someone who was typecast in that role. check it out and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Man... I had a whole review already typed out... I had to delete it all cuz I coudn't stop typing. All I can say is see it... it's damn good. Remember when you saw Aliens for the first time... that's how good it is.

[reddsun1]

Hmm, was surprised to see this one, considering how well this movie's being received so far. Only 2 out of 4 stars.

--oh yeah, so have they finally decided what fuggin' decade this is going to be set in? I know it's difficult to pigeon-hole a character/franchise like that, especially since it's been around for what, 50-something years? But still, it got a little friggin annoying: the '89 movie looked like it hovered somewhere in the early 80's; the cartoon wasn't even on the radar [there were jets, helicopters and such, but people still wore derby hats and drove what looked like Packards and Hudsons]; those god awful Shumacher films looked like "Metropolis" on steroids and acid at the same time. Now we're supposed to be going back, "before" all the previous films. So has Bruce Wayne got a gadget for time-travel too?

Bale Gives Us Dark Evolution of 'Batman'

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 10:30 AM EDT

The Associated Press

By CHRISTY LEMIRE

"Your anger gives you great power _ but if you let it, it will destroy you." Advice from the manipulative Chancellor Palpatine to malleable Anakin Skywalker, as the young Jedi teeters on the edge of becoming Darth Vader in the most recent "Star Wars" prequel? Close.

Those words of warning actually come from the mysterious mentor to Bruce Wayne, the industrial heir on the verge of embracing his own dark side for the sake of good and transforming himself into Batman in "Batman Begins."

Although we all know which came first in this chicken-and-egg scenario, comparisons between these summer blockbusters are inevitable, as both reveal the back stories of iconic pop-culture figures.

Some of the same sorts of revelations that give "Revenge of the Sith" a sense of geeky adolescent wonder surface here, too: the joy of discovering how Bruce (Christian Bale) develops the Batcave, the Batsuit and the Batmobile (rendered here like a gas-guzzling Hummer, nothing like the sleek Corvette-style Batmobile in which Michael Keaton tooled around the streets of Gotham back in 1989).

But except for a few quips from the formidable supporting cast _ including Michael Caine as an ideal Alfred the butler and Morgan Freeman as Bruce's equivalent of Q from the James Bond films _ "Batman Begins" is suffocatingly self-serious. And to continue the comparison, that only makes "Sith" look superior.

Yes, the Dark Knight is supposed to be a tormented soul, having witnessed his parents' murder and used that guilt and anger as the inspiration for his nighttime forays into vigilante justice. You won't find any nipples in the Batsuit here, which should appease the purists who were appalled by the Joel Schumacherization of the franchise with "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin" in the mid-1990s.

But at least Schumacher (and Tim Burton more successfully before him) put their own directorial stamps on their films. It's hard to tell that "Batman Begins" began with Christopher Nolan, the mastermind behind "Memento," one of the most inventive films in recent memory.

As director and co-writer (with David S. Goyer, who also wrote the "Blade" movies based on the comic books), Nolan takes an admirable stab at developing a character-driven drama, only to give in to generic action-movie conventions with a blinding, deafening, explosion-laden finale that could have capped off any number of interchangeable Jerry Bruckheimer flicks.

There are also some surprising inconsistencies throughout the script, such as the jarring morning-after-the-destruction scene, and the fact that Bruce is presumed dead for seven years while secretly training to become Batman (Liam Neeson plays his mentor, yet another "Star Wars" reminder), and no one is shocked to see him alive and well when he returns to save Gotham from crime and corruption.

Then again, this Batman isn't exactly a live wire himself. While Bale is beautiful, chiseled and self-possessed, he has a steely detachment behind his eyes _ a quality that served him well in the starring role in "American Psycho," but renders him almost passionless here.

But the weakest link of all is Katie Holmes as Bruce's childhood friend and vague love interest, Rachel Dawes. Part of the problem is that this is a man's world _ at least it will be until Catwoman shows up in a couple of episodes _ so her role is underdeveloped, and part of the problem is the casting itself. It is simply too difficult to accept the former "Dawson's Creek" star, with her exceedingly youthful good looks and little-girl voice, as a tough-as-nails assistant district attorney who represents one of the last bastions of morality in this decaying urban cesspool.

Speaking of Nolan's Gotham, with help from cinematographer Wally Pfister (who also shot "Memento" and Nolan's "Insomnia"), it is a visually striking mixture of images. It's almost Chicago, only a little slicker and a little grittier at the same time.

But another of the film's attempts at relevance _ a threat of foreign terrorists spreading poison through the city's water supply to create massive communal panic _ comes off as a clunky reflection of real-life homeland security concerns.

It's a little too tabloid- and cable-news-ready for a character, and a story, that are timeless.

"Batman Begins," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic element. Running time: 137 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Edited June 16, 2005 by reddsun1

[ComicKaze]

Hmm, was surprised to see this one, considering how well this movie's being received so far.  Only 2 out of 4 stars. 

--oh yeah, so have they finally decided what fuggin' decade this is going to be set in?  I know it's difficult to pigeon-hole a character/franchise like that, especially since it's been around for what, 50-something years?  But still, it got a little friggin annoying: the '89 movie looked like it hovered somewhere in the early 80's; the cartoon wasn't even on the radar [there were jets, helicopters and such, but people still wore derby hats and drove what looked like Packards and Hudsons]; those god awful Shumacher films looked like "Metropolis" on steroids and acid at the same time.  Now we're supposed to be going back, "before" all the previous films.  So has Bruce Wayne got a gadget for time-travel too?

Man, this movie has nothing to do with the rest. It's an entirely separate storyline that's trying very hard to differentiate itself from them. And this movie's primary concern was realism, putting Batman in the real world. It has nothing to do with time. The others simply existed in stylized fantasy universes, even the 60s Batman.

Edited June 16, 2005 by ComicKaze

[Mr March]

I'm not going to defend the film vehemently until I've actually seen it, but like ComicKaze has posted, Batman Begins doesn't follow the established franchise films prior to 2005. It is a reimagining, a reboot of the entire franchise; basically an attempt to make money again with a new creative vision, especially given the large number of other super hero films that are pulling in the cash.

[Anubis]

Yahoo movies has a bunch of clips for the movie. It looks awesome.

[sabretooth]

i saw it tuesday at midnight and i give it a b+ , pacing issues and needed some better editing but a whole assload better than the last 2 bat flicks

[Isamu Atreides 86]

saw this movie tonight and loved it. great movie. I really hope they continue on with the series. The ending was a pretty good cliffhanger.

Edited June 16, 2005 by Isamu Atreides 86

[SpacePirateNeko]

Whoever wrote that 2 stars review is an assnugget.

This movie was incredible it blew me away completly and its probably the most well written comic book movie ever made.

I honestly dont care how many times they envision batman...batman is an american pop culture legend ...hes a modern day robin hood or king aurther. Someties the story is on cue ( burton ) sometimes its awful ( those other two ).

This time they did good....REAL good

Edited June 16, 2005 by SpacePirateNeko

[kanedaestes]

oh my god, oh my god, they have finally got it right. withouth a doubt the best batman movie ever (which is saying a lot cause mask of the phantasm was the best before that). And maybe one of the best superhero movies ever, i cant wait to watch it again, and again. i havent felt this good about a movie in so long, a movie that i want to see over and over again in the theaters, i dont care how much it costs, it is very much worth every penny, u are in for a ride

[Blaine23]

I haven't seen Schindler's List in probably 10 years.  The imagery of the film is stronger in my mind than any one actor's performance.

Now, I'm not sure if you're telling me that he was brilliant as Oscar Schindler and is honestly a good actor, or if all of his characters (Qui-Gon included) are the same as Schindler.

That said, all I'm saying is that in most of the films that I've seen Neeson in (not all), whatever character he plays, he plays almost EXACTLY like Qui-Gon Jinn.  I like the guy, and I think he plays that one character well... but he's struck me as rather one-dimensional lately.

In any case, like I said, I think Schinder's List is still a brilliant film, but it's more about the imagery.  Also, without taking anything away from Schindler's List, Star Wars is more pop culture.  So yeah, I think more people are going to remember Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn than anything else.

You might be right, but I have my doubts that Neeson will be another Alec Guiness, who was dismayed to learn his legacy in popular culture would ultimately be as Obi Wan.

Unlike Guiness, Neeson has appeared in a ton of films, from Darkman, Schindler's List to Rob Roy and Love Actually. I actually think Neeson is pretty amazing for defying type. I mean, any guy who could actually be in Next of Kin with Patrick Swayze or Krull, but still go on to do as many good roles as he has is defying a pretty good amount of typecasting.

You might see him as playing roles "EXACTLY like Qui Gon", but I have to wonder what movies you're watching. Was his roleas Dr. Alfred Kinsey similar? Did he seem similar as a Russian sub commander in K:19? What movies does he remind you of Qui Gon in? How is he one-dimensional?

Maybe to the SW fandom, he'll always be known as some Jedi - but I think the world at large has a much higher opinion of the title role in Schindler's List than The Phantom Menace... hell, most Star Wars fans list Episode I as their least favorite film.

Edited June 16, 2005 by Blaine23

[bsu legato]

Neeson's "Gawain" in Boorman's Excalibur was pretty un-Qui Gon.

[UN_MARINE]

don't forget 'DARKMAN'

[kanedaestes]

well those of u thinking that about his character in batman are in for a treat

[EXO]

You know this movie is unexpectedly funny too. Not in an awkward way either. The characters are just that sarcastic...

Bruce trapped under a beam... Alfred tells him "What the bloody hell good are those push ups if you can't pick up a log?"

[Hikuro]

I'll see if I can see this over the weekend, its on my summer movie list that's for sure.

[Mr March]

well those of u thinking that about his character in batman are in for a treat

I think I've actually been exposed to a few spoilers as a result of the many film reviews I've read. I think I know what you're talking about, but I won't embelish here. I'm definitely going to see this film this weekend. I'm very excited.

[JKeats]

I thought Burton's original Batman had a great score. What about this one?

[kanedaestes]

it was a good score, but it didnt have any decerning theme music or anything like the other ones, it was there and helped with the mood. i dont think batman should have theme music it doesnt suite the feel of him or this particular movie

[Ghadrack]

I was pleased, went and caught a late showing last night and suffered for it this morning, but the movie made it worthwhile. Potential spoiler alert:-----------

I think everyone knows from the ads that the Scarecrow was in the movie. Anyhow, just in case I didn't want to ruin that tidbit for anyone. Anyhow, I was thouroughly pleased with the way they handled his character, really nice effects around his fear toxin, made for some really damn fun scenes in the movie.

Good flick!

[uminoken]

I thought Burton's original Batman had a great score. What about this one?

I think Batman should have some thematic score, but Elfman's style doesn't fit the new feel of this Batman....but I think they could have done more with the themes they had. I mean the score works in the film but not so much on the cd....Hans Zimmer (and the rest of the MediaVentures team) is the main composer with additional (wonderful) cues by James Newton Howard....after hearing it on both cd and the movie, they should've just given the job to JNH....

[SpacePirateNeko]

Actually its odd but theres a few scenes where i was just waiting ..gasping ..to hear elfmans batman....towards the end

by the way this movie has one of the best closing lines ever

[EXO]

I forgot all about the theme... it was just a wild ride from beginning to end.