Batman Begins: The Thread

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Far and away the best Batman movie. I have only the most minor of quibbles with it (and those were mostly w/the most "conventional" action movie elements - Neeson's unnecesssary long explanation at Wayne Manor, the fight scene on the monorail). Totally involving right off the bat (big ups for the no credits), great acting, great script, a fully realized visual world - I couldn't help thinking this was THE perfect encapsulation of the character. Hits so many high notes its unbelievable - the hallucinogen effects, tons of great noir tropes and dialogue, emphasis on believability"(or if not outright believability than at least a consistent internal logic). Seeing the Spiderman movie on endless re-runs this weekend I was struck by how much unbelievably shittier those films looked, not to mention how much worse the acting and scripts were. This is far and away the best "superhero" comic movie of recent years, its only real competition being the X-Men films.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 16:08 (eighteen years ago) link

spiderman tries to look like a comic book, though, colorwise, and on those terms it succeeds well (like the burton batman films, really). batman tries something totally different; to kind of insert some comic book elements into an action thriller, and it succeeds well also

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 20 June 2005 16:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I know the respective characters are served best by different approaches, but the Spiderman movie really didn't work for me. All that awful CGI, terrible Green Goblin outfit, Macy Gray, etc. It seems very clumsy and obvious to me, without ever delivering any real emotional impact. I hated it so much I haven't bothered with the second one... to me there wasn't enough of the alienation/teenage pathos, McGuire totally miscast, papered over with garishness and one liners. Really the only scene I liked was the last one with Osborn at the gravesite.

(also, both myself and the folks I went with wanted to see the Batman Begins movie again almost immediately - Spiderman I *did* see several times in rapid succession and each time I thought it got worse).

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 16:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Spiderman 2 is an order of magnitude better than Spiderman.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Has anyone cross-referenced this movie w/Batman:Year One comics? It seemed very faithful in parts, there were certain sequences I remember verbatim (summoning the bats, the joker card at the end, etc.) but apparently I don't have these comics anymore, so I couldn't go back to them for reference when I got home.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link

I know this is really pedantic, but did it bother anyone else that little Bruce Wayne looked nothing like young Christian Bale? (As evidenced from Empire of the Sun)I know it's hard to find convincing child actors, but this bugged me for some reason.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Hahaha my wife kept saying "WOW HE LOOKS JUST LIKE CHRISTIAN BALE IN 'EMPIRE OF THE SUN' WOW WOW"!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Has anyone cross-referenced this movie w/Batman:Year One comics?

Read upthread. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:45 (eighteen years ago) link

I thought the kid's resemblance was pretty good. Re: "Batman Year One," they HAD to have it open and propped up everytime Gary Oldman sat down in the makeup chair.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Gary Oldman always amazes me with his ability to look not-like-himself in every movie. I'm not sure what he really looks like, anymore.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:49 (eighteen years ago) link

http://conspiration.ca/alien/alien_head.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:51 (eighteen years ago) link

The Falcone angle is quite a bit different, Flass in the comic is like a 6'4" Swede-American; the film borrows quite a few things from B:YO, and if it does not keep with the actual details (Joker was poisoning the water supply in the book, and w/o any overt exposition about mask esalation (mascalation?)), it is faithful to the tone.

jocelyn, he looks like Jim Gordon!

― Leeeeee (Leee), Monday, 20 June 2005 18:51 (eighteen years ago) link

See this film on IMAX. See this film on IMAX

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Monday, 20 June 2005 19:32 (eighteen years ago) link

I must agree with that assessment.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 19:33 (eighteen years ago) link

"Flass in the comic is like a 6'4" Swede-American"

ahhh - that's right, that was nagging at my brain. Cuz movie's Flass = comics' Harvey Bullock.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 19:38 (eighteen years ago) link

Newsflash: Rex Reed is catty! Also, we're morons.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 20 June 2005 20:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"young sidekick-cum-roommate-cum-jailbait Robin"

― Iamsomature (Jocelyn), Monday, 20 June 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link

"This movie goes to elaborate means to actually provide a few of the answers we’ve all been waiting for. Nothing about the relationship between Batman and his adoring young sidekick-cum-roommate-cum-jailbait Robin... "

in other words, Rex Reed is gay and he's angry that this movie didn't provide any wanking material.

x-x-x-post godDAMMIT!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 20:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Wow. Rex Reed is a gigantic mouth-breathing idiot.

(xpost: Judging by what my straight female and gay male frineds have been saying, Christian Bale sans shirt = primo wanking material.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 20:16 (eighteen years ago) link

hmm that's true - maybe Rex just needs a "bottom" to identify with.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Translation: Rex Reed is a chickenhawk.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 20:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Catty or jealous?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 21:06 (eighteen years ago) link

mark hammill played some kind of archvillian in the short-lived "flash" tv series. does anyone else remember the short-lived "flash" tv series?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 20 June 2005 21:07 (eighteen years ago) link

the 100lbs claim does seem a bit dubious, but the blogger is not taking into account that Bale was coming back from already being quite a bit *underweight* for his role in the Machinist when he undertook this "regimen".

That Rex Reed review reads like he was almost watching a completely different movie from the one I saw.

(I remember the Flash TV series - it sucked, but Mark Hammill had a wacky two-toned costume... shit, I forget who he was, off to IMDB).

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 21:09 (eighteen years ago) link

Ah yes, the Trickster. Sub-Riddler character.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 21:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Robert Crumb was awesome in this movie.

― Semaphore Burns (nordicskilla), Monday, 20 June 2005 21:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman have signed to star in a
second "Batman" movie, but love interest Katie Holmes has been dropped.
Movie bosses are thrilled with the response to "Batman Begins" -- it took
$46.9 million in its first weekend at the US box office -- and have
snapped up the film's stars for a sequel.

Bale as Batman was the first to put pen to paper, followed by Caine as
butler Alfred and Freeman as Bruce Wayne's business associate Lucius Fox.

But Holmes won't reprise her role as district attorney Rachel Dawes --
reportedly because Warner Bros. is angry her engagement to Tom Cruise has
stolen media attention away from the movie.

A source tells Page Six, "Everyone is in agreement that the movie's
strength is with Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman."

Adding of Holmes, "She won't be in the sequel ... the next romantic
interest will be a much stronger actress.

"Warner is happy that people are now focusing on who'll be playing the
Joker rather than Katie and Tom."

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 22:38 (eighteen years ago) link

tellingly, no mention of Nolan. I'm skeptical of a sequel that doesn't involve him... still....

CRISPIN GLOVER as the Joker!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 22:39 (eighteen years ago) link

especially if they go with the "failed standup comic" origin angle from "The Killing Joke", oh yes...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 22:40 (eighteen years ago) link

The blogger is also not taking into account that Christian Bale isn't a competitive athlete; no one would give a shit about the health consequences of steroids if everyone in the sport was on them. At that level it's a parity issue, not a health issue.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 22:41 (eighteen years ago) link

(xpost You have given me nightmares of Colin Quinn as The Joker.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 June 2005 22:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Jack Black!

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 20 June 2005 22:53 (eighteen years ago) link

wow, katie holmes pwned

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:12 (eighteen years ago) link

The film has no interesting villains. No Catwoman, no Mr. Freeze, no Penguin, no Poison Ivy, no Batgirl.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

― Sara Sherr, Blogger and Stereolab Fan (ex machina), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Translation: Rex Reed is a chickenhawk.

Rex Reed has recently pushed for NYFCO acting awards for Jeremy Sumpter and Emile Hirsch, so there you have it.

― Eric H: not a troll, with one exception (Eric H.), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Sara is back for the attack!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Still, I can't deny that I found myself nodding in agreement a couple times while reading the Rexx0r's "review." (I liked both Spiderman 2 and Unbreakable much more than this one, to say nothing of the second Burton Batman.)

― Eric H: not a troll, with one exception (Eric H.), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:23 (eighteen years ago) link

pffft M. Night Shamalamadingdong and his (not so) "surprising" endings.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 23:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Imagine him doing this one.

"OMG BRUCE WAYNE IS BATMAN!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:29 (eighteen years ago) link

NO WAY! I TOTALLY DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 23:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Rex Reed nominated Jeremy Sumpter?!? Well, I guess Rex and I will both be glued to the set tonight for this masterpiece: Don't Forget That Tonight Lifetime is Showing *Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life* The Teen Internet Porn Addiction Movie!!!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 20 June 2005 23:32 (eighteen years ago) link

I believe it was for Peter Pan. The man clearly wants to tap some tan 15-year-old azz.

Imagine him doing this one.
"OMG BRUCE WAYNE IS BATMAN!"

And yet I'm reading scores of defenses for this film's elementary chronological juggling and its lame fight scenes.

― Eric H: not a troll, with one exception (Eric H.), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:36 (eighteen years ago) link

Call me skeptical that Shamalyan would have improved on either.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:42 (eighteen years ago) link

OMG, "BRUCE WAYNE" IS JUST A MASK BUT BATMAN IS WHO HE REALLY IS!

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Heheh. Wasn't that at the end when Bale and Wayne were doing that useless smooch scene? I kept looking over their shoulders.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Anyway:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40641000/jpg/_40641684_cruise203.jpg

CRUISEBOT CARES NOT THAT HOLMESBOT IS NOT RECAST. CRUISEBOT HAS OTHER THINGS TO DO. I ACKNOWLEDGE CROWD.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 00:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Call me skeptical that Shamalyan would have improved on either.

True.

― Eric H: not a troll, with one exception (Eric H.), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link

i would love crispin glover as the joker. or even the slightly-overused-these-days johnny depp!! has he ever done a bad guy?

Ah yes, the Trickster. Sub-Riddler character.

oh man. the riddler is already so sub-joker.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 00:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Ned why are you so cruel to celebrities?

― Semaphore Burns (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 00:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Johnny Depp!!! Could be good, I think.

― giboyeux (skowly), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 00:55 (eighteen years ago) link

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