Hot Toys Announce Batman Returns License

[Frank]

Seriously I'd like to see the Batman films continue ad infinitum. Let's face it, each new artist and writer to the comic books re-interprets the character, why not a Director and Writer? Burton had his fairy tale interpretation, Shumacher had his camp-60's homage and Nolan had his "real-world" go at the character. I'd love to see someone do a Dark Knight Detective interpretation, and an Arkham City interpretation, and so on and so forth. There will always be Batman movies and media and the character, his look, and his psyche, are going to be continuously re-imagined until the end of time.

True. We'll never agree what makes a perfect batman film, but with movies the slate is harder to clear due to the sheer amount of coordination, talent and money required. With each generation comes new cultural conventions, expectations, technological progress to renew the entire concept in our imagination. It's also like politics, Nolan needs a term limit.

 

[kl241]

True. We'll never agree what makes a perfect batman film, but with movies the slate is harder to clear due to the sheer amount of coordination, talent and money required. With each generation comes new cultural conventions, expectations, technological progress to renew the entire concept in our imagination. It's also like politics, Nolan needs a term limit.

Nolan did his 3. He told his vision and moved on. I am looking forward to the next "interpretation" of Batman. If I don't like it, there's always hope for another who will come along and make it more interesting than the last. It keeps the series fresh and creative. I certainly wouldn't mind stand-alone films but multi-million dollar contractual agreements, product endorsements and marketing means that re-casting and re-booting the series can't happen too quickly, lest you have a revolving door of actors playing Batman between films ala Kilmer and Clooney. I think 2-3 films per actor/director is perfect. It gives them time to develop the character and their vision and then, as in the case of Nolan, you know when it's time to leave.

 

[Frank]

Nolan did his 3. He told his vision and moved on. I am looking forward to the next "interpretation" of Batman. If I don't like it, there's always hope for another who will come along and make it more interesting than the last. It keeps the series fresh and creative. I certainly wouldn't mind stand-alone films but multi-million dollar contractual agreements, product endorsements and marketing means that re-casting and re-booting the series can't happen too quickly, lest you have a revolving door of actors playing Batman between films ala Kilmer and Clooney. I think 2-3 films per actor/director is perfect. It gives them time to develop the character and their vision and then, as in the case of Nolan, you know when it's time to leave.

To be more precise, the urge to keep Nolan as a creative influence is going to be with us for some time to come. If they can't get him to come in as producer for Bat vs Supes, they will do their best to emulate him. Hopefully they can avoid chasing those instincts but I'm not entirely sure they can.

 

[kl241]

I kind of expected Zack Snyder would be the successor until he got Man of Steel so I'd imagine it's going to be up for grabs for almost anyone. Nolan is a filmmaker and he wants to move on to other things. He is already executive producer of MOS. He can't be Warner's only go-to guy for comic book movies. It's time to bring in a new creative team and reboot the series again with a brand new actor.

 

[gothamcityboy]

Seriously I'd like to see the Batman films continue ad infinitum. Let's face it, each new artist and writer to the comic books re-interprets the character, why not a Director and Writer? Burton had his fairy tale interpretation, Shumacher had his camp-60's homage and Nolan had his "real-world" go at the character. I'd love to see someone do a Dark Knight Detective interpretation, and an Arkham City interpretation, and so on and so forth. There will always be Batman movies and media and the character, his look, and his psyche, are going to be continuously re-imagined until the end of time.

well said mate, we really need the batman character that can capture the essence of detective batman as we seeing in the comic. i hope in we can see this batman in the sequel of man of steel

 

[Darth Zangetsu]

So no word on this line, but Pepper Potts is getting a figure.... Cause that's what people want, is more Pepper Potts. So basically after Man of Steel and Roadblock, I literally have nothing I'm excited for. And if my 89 Batmobile comes with some of the problems that many other's have, this will be very disappointing. I really wanted a Returns suit Keaton Batman. Oh well.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

So no word on this line, but Pepper Potts is getting a figure....

Oh - they're not done, they're trawling the films for inspiration 24/7.

Everyone from the dry cleaner, to the mailman's getting a run.

 

[TheFiend]

Like I said, not the best example. I realize many dislike the PT. Although I agree that Christensen is not a terrific actor, his character arch worked for me. The younglings slaying was very deeply felt for me. I felt all the pain we were supposed to feel. Very dark stuff, and obviously not okay, but I can't agree that 'you don't come back from that'.


Anyway, relating to the subject at hand, you may reject the PT, but that doesn't mean it's not canon.

Oh, I know, its official canon.
I can't deny that. I was just simply pointing out that it work both ways for people. While you can accept the PT because it was make Returns pay off more, I reject it because it hurt the OT for me, among many other things.

About the younglings, I just feel Lucas went too far with that one. As a viewer there's no way I can accept any sort of redemption from a kid killer.besides I thought it would have been cooler to see him take out trained Jedi.

Btw, I wasn't picking on your post or anything, Ive just been on a SW kick.
Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Batfreak]

Also I noticed some posts bashing the U2 song from Forever. HOW DARE YOU. that song is kickass and one of the reasons I love U2 as a whole. I still play that and kiss from a rose fairly often, just 2 great songs from Batman Forever.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

HOW DARE YOU.

Quite easily..

Just kidding, but while I love Seal as an artist & acknowledge U2 as an iconic band, those songs are tainted by that movie too much for my tastes.

I'm not into the 90s U2 stuff anyway - mainly the early albums..

 

[Batfreak]

"User CP" and then on the left side, "Edit Ignore List."

I don't use it much, but if annoyed hard enough and long enough, I'll make it happen.

Thank you kind sir!

 

[Batfreak]

Quite easily..

Just kidding, but while I love Seal as an artist & acknowledge U2 as an iconic band, those songs are tainted by that movie too much for my tastes.

I'm not into the 90s U2 stuff anyway - mainly the early albums..

well that's your preference, but for me U2 is one of my alltime favorite bands, probably my favorite when it comes down to it. cant say ive heard a truly BAD album by them, terrific rock right there! I especially like that they aren't all superficial rock crap like so many bands, they songs have a deeper message and sometimes very touching, and they seem in touch with there spiritual side which I like as well in recent years. I grew up listening to the Forever soundtrack and looping the seal and U2 songs over and over and over lol. and being a huge Forever fan, the songs only added to the movies fun over the top summer blockbuster style. seeing batman and robin running into the screen with the batsignal, then the awesome "hold me thrill me kiss me kill me" playing with the batsignal showing while the credits played......as the riddler would say, JOYGASM! I used to get, and still get, goosebumps at that part. NOTHING in the Nolan movies give me that same general "wow!" feeling that the first 3 original batman films did. One of the things that I dislike about the Nolan films is the lack of any truly iconic scenes. Most of the scenes in TDK trilogy could be taken out of any big budget crime thriller. There's nothing distinctly "batman" about them. And the few scenes that do attempt to be quirky actually come off as being derivative of the Burton films.

As much as I love the tim burton movies, there is something I genuinely love about Batman Forever that I wish they would bring back to the films. the epic scope, the villians actually looking like there comic book counterparts and not some revisionist sh**, the comic book colors, the serious yet not super serious tone, that wicked batmobile, that bombastic superhero music score.....they seriously need to bring those elements back to batman. if they can do it pretty well with the recent marvel movies, why not DC?

I saw one argument that I thought was interesting that said Forever is bad because it was a B-movie trying to be an A-movie. It said at least B&R knew it was a B-movie and didn't try to be anything else.

huh? all the batman movies, yes even Batman & Robin are A list pictures which gigantic budgets, even if the film itself like B&R didn't do that well, its still considered an A picture.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

How big is U2 in the US?

I'd say you're more likely to get HT BF figures, before they draw any inspiration from it to make future films.

That said - I'd probably get a Carrey Riddler in the suit & bowler hat.

 

[Batfreak]

frankly, I don't have much hope for a next series of films, because it seems hollywierd is having too much of a hardon for chris Nolan lame "gritty" style to even think about making a true Comic Book batman movie like they used to. However I'm perfectly content with the original batman anthology from the 90's anyway so it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Frank]

How big is U2 in the US?

Couldn't be much bigger in the 90's when the song came out. 91-93 saw a huge surge for them that they've been drifting from ever since and will never recapture. That's when I really discovered them as a teenager and they were the closest thing to the Beatles in popularity at the time whether you loved 'em or hated 'em.

 

[sallah]

frankly, I don't have much hope for a next series of films, because it seems hollywierd is having too much of a hardon for chris Nolan lame "gritty" style to even think about making a true Comic Book batman movie like they used to. However I'm perfectly content with the original batman anthology from the 90's anyway so it doesn't matter to me.

I may not have quite the same affection for the Schumacher films as you (I like certain elements of Forever, nothing about B & R), I too would love for the films to get away from the Nolan "real world" stuff and get more in line with the "comic book feel"... Which I think Burton nailed while not even being a big fan of the comics.

Most of all- I'd like to be able to take my sons with me to a Batman movie, just like my Dad did when I was young. The Nolan films are geared towards an adult audience. Not only are they a little dark for the 12 and under crowd... I gotta say that they are little boring and tedious as well (that isn't meant as a dig at Nolan fans, that is just my opinion, especially when giving a fatherly eye towards which movies will hold a kid's attention). Schumacher's films skewed towards the younger crowd, while Burton's movies feel like they hit the perfect sweet spot between younger fans and adults.

So I am with you. Get Batman back to a comic feel that is pleasing to both young and old!.... (though I highly doubt this will happen)

Sallah

 

[a-dev]

Also I noticed some posts bashing the U2 song from Forever. HOW DARE YOU. that song is kickass and one of the reasons I love U2 as a whole. I still play that and kiss from a rose fairly often, just 2 great songs from Batman Forever.

U2 have a lot of classics but I think their powers have waned. I can't remember a single song from their last album. I will always listen to their greats however and because of those be open to new stuff they do, in case its good.

 

[DarthDiggler]

frankly, I don't have much hope for a next series of films, because it seems hollywierd is having too much of a hardon for chris Nolan lame "gritty" style to even think about making a true Comic Book batman movie like they used to. However I'm perfectly content with the original batman anthology from the 90's anyway so it doesn't matter to me.

I actually prefer my comic book movies more gritty, grimdark (loved the latest Dredd film and Dark Knight Rises, but wasn't crazy about Whedon's The Avengers, for instance).

Come to think of it, how I'd love to see a proper film adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, provided they put it in the right creative hands.

But I can certainly understand those that miss the more comic book-ish Bat-films.

 

[DarkMagic]

I actually prefer my comic book movies more gritty, grimdark (loved the latest Dredd film and Dark Knight Rises, but wasn't crazy about Whedon's The Avengers, for instance).

Come to think of it, how I'd love to see a proper film adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, provided they put it in the right creative hands.

But I can certainly understand those that miss the more comic book-ish Bat-films.

Me too. Batman inherently has some over-the-top elements (chiefly that he doesn't just get killed within his first week crimefighting ) but for me what contrasts him against most other "classic" comicbook heroes is that he seems right home in stories that have minimal sci-fi / fantasy elements, just as he can work well in more fantasy-and sci-fi-steeped stories (dueling an immortal, fighting a shapeshifter, or woman immune to every poison who controls plants or a man with sub-zero blood in his veins).

For me, Burton's movies had a great style aesthetic with some moodiness, Schumacher's movies had a great colorful 90's comic-booky feel with that dove even deeper into fantasy elements, and Nolan's movies focused the hard-edged grit and psychology of the character the best that has yet been done in live action.

Set-design wise though, Nolan's movies had very minimal changes to the real locations in which they were filmed and I could see why that turned some fans off and the good effect of it. The turn-off is that I didn't get a distinct feeling of "Gotham" , just a barely noticeably (and in many cases not-at-all) dressed up Chicago, New York, LA, Pittsburgh etc standing in for Gotham, so the city did not leave much impression on me. On the other hand, this is also a good thing since it feels like a very deliberate choice to avoid an overly stylized feel that might steal some of the focus away from where he wanted it...on the psychology and dynamics between characters. Substance over style. Before any Burtonites* jump on me I'm NOT saying the Burton films are without substance, or that the Nolan films are without style. They each had some of both, but put different weight on each part.

*See what I did there? BTW, I'm both a Burtonite AND a Nolanite. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be. I even like some of what Schumacher did.

 

[Ponyboy]

well that's your preference, but for me U2 is one of my alltime favorite bands, probably my favorite when it comes down to it. cant say ive heard a truly BAD album by them, terrific rock right there!

Their last album definitely proved (as someone else said earlier) that their powers are waning. I think "Horizon" was the weakest thing they've done since the mid to late 90s-- and this is coming from someone who's loved nearly all of their records. It was great to see them rise up again in 2000, and in some ways I think they bested the emotion of that record with the release of Atomic Bomb... but yeah, I've been let down by them ever since. Anyway... there's no doubt they're still one of the greats, and one of the best live shows you'll ever see.

All that said, I certainly wouldn't mind hearing them on another Batman soundtrack.