Batman Begins

[VANFLAMESFAN]

im seeing it again this afternoon..............l love how everyone here loved it as well

[Hakan]

I was a little underwhelmed by the movie. The movie itself was excellent and by far the best Batman movie. (it really exposed those awful Tim Burton movies for what they were) I guess it just didn't live up to the Year One graphic novel.

Pros:
Finally a Bruce Wayne character!
Excellent pacing, really built up to the point where he turns into Batman.
Gary Oldman as Gordon was really good.
Katie Holmes was competent and didn't ruin any of the scenes she was in.
Christian Bale.
Secondary characters add a robust feel beyond the celluoiod film. Like that villian, I forget his name in the comic but every time he knife's someone he notches a scar on his body.
Loved the tease at the end setting up the second movie.

Cons:
I didn't like the fast editing of the fight scenes.
The computer graphics were corny, I wish they redid it either with no cgi and more contemporary film effects or toned down the intensity of them.
Didn't like Crane, too school boy looking.
Wished Batman was more brutal.

All of these criticisms come from me already being a Batman fan therefore the casual fan would probably have loved it.

[Agamemnon]

Just saw it, agree with all the good stuff above. Definitely one of the best if not the best Batman movie.

It looked like they were setting up another one at the end, though, it also could run fairly seemlessly into the original Keaton/Nicholsan as well, more or less.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally posted by Hakan@Jun 19 2005, 03:33 PM
Cons:
I didn't like the fast editing of the fight scenes.
The computer graphics were corny, I wish they redid it either with no cgi and more contemporary film effects or toned down the intensity of them.
Didn't like Crane, too school boy looking.
Wished Batman was more brutal.

The fight scenes were purposely like that, as Christopher Nolan explains:

“[Audiences] have gotten comfortable seeing fighting portrayed in this graceful, dance-like fashion to the point where the violence loses its threat. I wanted to take it back to a grittier place, where you feel the punches a bit more.”

Remember in the beginning at the temple when Ducard challenges Bruce for the first time after Bruce climbs the mountain? Bruce tries to use his practiced Kung-Fu but Ducard just beats him to the ground brutally like in a street fight and says: "it's not a dance!"

The entire film was filmed that way, the Batmobile included in the same vein. If you notice, you never see a full shot of the Batmobile taking off and landing like other cliche action directors like Michael Bay would want to do. The bridge was just begging for a slow-motion shot, but that would have been horribly ridiculous. Nolan films it so you just see it crashing to the ground in blitzing cuts that show the raw speed and continuous energy of all the scenes. There's no time to stop and survey it all like in tired action movie cliches. The fight scenes take the same approach, trying to throw you into the fight.

This film had almost no CG at all, they really tried to keep everything realistic as possible and it was a breath of fresh air after all the CG crazy Superhero flicks. It's incredible that they built 8 real Batmobiles and they cost $500,000 each, are like 3 tons, but do 0-60 in like 5 seconds!

Christian Bale went on record saying he wanted to create an R-Rated version of Batman but that couldn't happen because they had to keep it PG for the mass market.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally posted by Agamemnon@Jun 19 2005, 04:40 PM
Just saw it, agree with all the good stuff above. Definitely one of the best if not the best Batman movie.

It looked like they were setting up another one at the end, though, it also could run fairly seemlessly into the original Keaton/Nicholsan as well, more or less.

It's not a prequel. Joker is going to be in the next installment. Bale signed on for 3.

[SoulOfTheFlame]

Originally posted by Hack&Lube+Jun 19 2005, 05:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Hack&Lube @ Jun 19 2005, 05:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Hakan@Jun 19 2005, 03:33 PM
Cons:
I didn't like the fast editing of the fight scenes.#
The computer graphics were corny, I wish they redid it either with no cgi and more contemporary film effects or toned down the intensity of them.
Didn't like Crane, too school boy looking.
Wished Batman was more brutal.

The fight scenes were purposely like that, as Christopher Nolan explains:

“[Audiences] have gotten comfortable seeing fighting portrayed in this graceful, dance-like fashion to the point where the violence loses its threat. I wanted to take it back to a grittier place, where you feel the punches a bit more.”

Remember in the beginning at the temple when Ducard challenges Bruce for the first time after Bruce climbs the mountain? Bruce tries to use his practiced Kung-Fu but Ducard just beats him to the ground brutally like in a street fight and says: "it's not a dance!"

The entire film was filmed that way, the Batmobile included in the same vein. If you notice, you never see a full shot of the Batmobile taking off and landing like other cliche action directors like Michael Bay would want to do. The bridge was just begging for a slow-motion shot, but that would have been horribly ridiculous. Nolan films it so you just see it crashing to the ground in blitzing cuts that show the raw speed and continuous energy of all the scenes. There's no time to stop and survey it all like in tired action movie cliches. The fight scenes take the same approach, trying to throw you into the fight.

This film had almost no CG at all, they really tried to keep everything realistic as possible and it was a breath of fresh air after all the CG crazy Superhero flicks. It's incredible that they built 8 real Batmobiles and they cost $500,000 each, are like 3 tons, but do 0-60 in like 5 seconds!

Christian Bale went on record saying he wanted to create an R-Rated version of Batman but that couldn't happen because they had to keep it PG for the mass market. [/b][/quote]
The WAY to do gritty violence was clearly displayed in the movie "Snatch".

My favorite comic book movie is UNBREAKABLE, by far. But batman begins is in my top 5.

[CaramonLS]

Just got back from it. Great movie.

[Hakan]

Originally posted by Hack&Lube+Jun 19 2005, 05:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Hack&Lube @ Jun 19 2005, 05:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Hakan@Jun 19 2005, 03:33 PM
Cons:
I didn't like the fast editing of the fight scenes.
The computer graphics were corny, I wish they redid it either with no cgi and more contemporary film effects or toned down the intensity of them.
Didn't like Crane, too school boy looking.
Wished Batman was more brutal.

The fight scenes were purposely like that, as Christopher Nolan explains:

“[Audiences] have gotten comfortable seeing fighting portrayed in this graceful, dance-like fashion to the point where the violence loses its threat. I wanted to take it back to a grittier place, where you feel the punches a bit more.”

Remember in the beginning at the temple when Ducard challenges Bruce for the first time after Bruce climbs the mountain? Bruce tries to use his practiced Kung-Fu but Ducard just beats him to the ground brutally like in a street fight and says: "it's not a dance!"

The entire film was filmed that way, the Batmobile included in the same vein. If you notice, you never see a full shot of the Batmobile taking off and landing like other cliche action directors like Michael Bay would want to do. The bridge was just begging for a slow-motion shot, but that would have been horribly ridiculous. Nolan films it so you just see it crashing to the ground in blitzing cuts that show the raw speed and continuous energy of all the scenes. There's no time to stop and survey it all like in tired action movie cliches. The fight scenes take the same approach, trying to throw you into the fight.

This film had almost no CG at all, they really tried to keep everything realistic as possible and it was a breath of fresh air after all the CG crazy Superhero flicks. It's incredible that they built 8 real Batmobiles and they cost $500,000 each, are like 3 tons, but do 0-60 in like 5 seconds!

Christian Bale went on record saying he wanted to create an R-Rated version of Batman but that couldn't happen because they had to keep it PG for the mass market. [/b][/quote]
Thanks for the update.

One of the cons was the whole batmobile rooftop scenes. Suspension of disbelief was riding a little too high. I would have prefered that scene severely edited or just cut.

As per the gritty fight scenes I agree that the choreographed fight scenes are tiring and passe now. I was fully hoping for the Batman fight scenes to be gritty and violent. That's how Batman fights. He's a monster, he makes you feel severe pain, but he wont kill you.

The problem I had was that it was edited too quickly. You never had a sense of violence or impact just quick shots of punches flying and people dropping. How about you would have one continuous shot where Batman takes on three guys and breaks all three of their arms shot with a gradually slowing speed until at teh end it was at 3/4 speed? I thought the fight scenes were very blah and unoriginal. You never respected how physically awesome Batman is supposed to be. Of course Batman does learn to become that way so maybe he's just learning the ropes too. I do hope in the next movies we see more of his brutality.

The CGI was only during the 'fright' scenes but I thought it was so typically Hollywood and lacking any artistic sense. You can make very frightening images and scenes using conventional film techniques and fx. Instead we got more of the same kind of crap, it has no style and is put in for the 13-15 year olds to say 'cool'.

Still, I really enjoyed the movie and hopefully the Batman 2 with the Joker will make up for the collosal mess that the first Batman did. I really hope they don't make that movie pg. Any movie with a good Joker has to be pg-13 at least. Joker's friggin evil!

[Maritime Q-Scout]

that's true the Joker is insane in every sense of the word. He's evil and sadistic. In this movie it was more of the "bad guys" trying to bring balance to the planet. Their intentions were honourable in the Machiavellin sense of the term. Balance and harmony, whereas Joker is out for Joker and wants to see you suffer.

A stronger rating, more violent movie for the next one would be great. This one could get away with being "softer" as of the reasoning above, and the fact Batman doesn't come into play until halfway through the movie. It's more development of Batman and how he comes to be, rather than here's an evil bad guy.

Ok... I have to see it again. I keep putting it off, maybe tonight?

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally posted by Hakan@Jun 20 2005, 03:34 PM


Still, I really enjoyed the movie and hopefully the Batman 2 with the Joker will make up for the collosal mess that the first Batman did. I really hope they don't make that movie pg. Any movie with a good Joker has to be pg-13 at least. Joker's friggin evil!

The two Burton movies and this latest one have all been PG13 in the States......it was PG in Canada because we have a different ratings system.....we have G, PG, 14A, 18A and R............Us has G, PG, PG13, R.............so, the next one will be PG 13 like the last one........



.......Hakan, I think ur being a little too critical.....just because it the exact same thing as the comic book page for page doesnt make it bad......I think ur cons of the movie were a little over-critical........but whatver......

[MrMastodonFarm]

I seen it two nights ago, and I must say, I enjoyed it. Far superior to any other Batman movie, by a long stretch. Not as good as the Spiderman or X-Men movies but it was close, nice to see DC starting to get it right as well.

I loved the ending though, very simple introduction to the Joker "I'll check it out" I love the idea that Batman isn't expecting a big time villian like that yet.

Interesting casting news for the sequel, apparently Katie Holmes has been dropped from the Bat sequel.. good, she was horrible.

Johnny Depp would make a great Joker.