The Batman (June 25, 2021)

[Wor-Gar]

I'm not familiar with The Last of Us at all, but I'm sure someone jumped on the Ophiocordyceps train as soon as it was featured on a nature show, if that's what you're talking about ...

I was, and I do know that show from way back... and I had the same thought about what a great movie/alien/zombie idea.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Got to point out the "Wor-Gar" shot -- Batman being dragged against his will across the platform in the final battle. Troublesome capes

Also, anyone else think that Commissioner Savage sounds like a girl?

 

[Captain Clown]

There were a lot of funny voices in this movie.

 

[abake]

Got to point out the "Wor-Gar" shot -- Batman being dragged against his will across the platform in the final battle. Troublesome capes

Also, anyone else think that Commissioner Savage sounds like a girl?

In my recent re-watching of BvS (UE, of course, only way to watch the movie), I noticed how neatly Snyder deals with the pros and cons of "The Cape".
When Batman takes on Luthor's goons to SAVE MARTHA, he jumps off the Batplane and glides down, and in a very cool shot you see the cape fully extended as he smashes through the window, showcasing the cape's use without making a big deal out of it. Similarly, just moments later, as Batman is fighting the goons, there's a very quick scene where one of them actually grabs the cape and pulls Batman down, acknowledging the shortcomings of the cape without making a big deal out of it.
Damn, Snyder is good with that kind of stuff!

I'm going to post this in the other DCEU thead.

 

[Alatar]

Totally, that's a great one. I think maybe my favorite is... and imagine the full Arnie inflection in your mind's ear... "Chill out, Bird Boy..."

But there's so many to choose from lol.

 

[Khev]

It's not like B&R was trying to be TDK or TB but somehow failed spectacularly, lol. It's an unapologetically family friendly toy commercial and now that we do have more sophisticated offerings like the Nolan trilogy and TB is actually a lot of fun to revisit from time to time.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The camp crown went from '66 Batman to Batman & Robin. Schumacher for the win!

I'd like to see what unseats Batman & Robin as the worst of all time Batman movie.

 

[Khev]

The camp crown went from '66 Batman to Batman & Robin. Schumacher for the win!

I'd like to see what unseats Batman & Robin as the worst of all time Batman movie.

It's only the worst if you want it to be something else (and yes we all wanted it to be something else when it came out.) But now I find it to be hilariously fantastic entertainment. And not even in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. I think it's just genuinely goofy fun.

As far as where it'd fall in the rankings I'd probably be inclined to put it 5th or 6th overall. I'll say 6th for now:

1. The Batman
2. Batman Begins
3. ZSJL
4. The Dark Knight
5. TDKR
6. B&R
7. Batman Forever
8. Batman Returns
9. Batman

I find B&R to be much more rewatchable than the two Burton flicks.

 

[Wor-Gar]

1. The Batman
2. Batman Begins
3. ZSJL
4. The Dark Knight
5. TDKR
6. B&R
7. Batman Forever
8. Batman Returns
9. Batman

Wow... you're going to get some heat for that.

I'm going to do it: DiFabio... DiFabio... DiFabio! Uh-oh... here he comes...

Granted, the Burton films are fairly archaic now and were never very good narratives, I find them better than the two Schumacher offerings just in design/art direction alone.

I have no idea what I'd truly pit on the bottom, but Batman & Robin is the most likely contender for me, even over Snyder Bats... and you know how I feel about Snyder.

I have three favorite Batman films for three very different reasons: The Batman, TDK and Batman '89. The Batman is a great Batman movie, TDK is a great Joker movie, and the old '89 is just pure nostalgia as the first good Batman movie.

 

[Khev]

Wow... you're going to get some heat for that.

I'm going to do: DiFabio... DiFabio... DiFabio! Uh-oh... here he comes...

Granted, the Burton films are fairly archaic now and were never very good narratives, I find them better than the two Schumacher offerings just in design/art direction alone.

I have no idea what I'd truly pit on the bottom, but Batman & Robin is the most likely contender for me, even over Snyder Bats... and you know how I feel about Snyder.

I have three favorite Batman films for three very different reasons: The Batman, TDK and Batman '89. The Batman is a great Batman movie, TDK is a great Joker movie, and the old '89 is just pure nostalgia as the first good Batman movie.

I feel bad for putting Burton so low. I should probably at least swap Returns with Forever...but then I feel bad for ranking Forever so low, lol. I think it's just because I find something to like about each and every one of them so when I try to rank them there's inevitably going to be something I like that is not just dead last but last at the bottom of 8 or 9.

To me The Batman is pretty much perfect and is almost silly to even have on this list when its true brethren are the likes of ESB, FOTR, Raiders, and so on. Yes I think it's that good.

I revisited Batman Returns a couple nights ago since it's back on HBO Max and found it to be a bit hard to go back to until the part where Penguin and Catwoman capture the Ice Princess. From then on I really enjoyed it. I initially thought that Pfeiffer's Catwoman had lost a step after all these years but the range of emotions she displayed during the ball scene was truly first rate. It's such a weird movie how it constantly flip flops between gruesome macabre and Schumacher level silliness (Penguin in his little coin operated Batmobile, shaking the entire van that he's controlling it in, what the actual eff, lol.)

I do have a lasting nostalgia for Batman 89 too and like you said the score and production design are truly iconic.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I do have a lasting nostalgia for Batman 89 too and like you said the score and production design are truly iconic.

I agree with all you said -- I always hated that stupid slot-car thing in Penguin's van -- but I especially agree with this last bit which is why Batman '89 just cannot possibly be left at the bottom spot. Think of the Batwing, Gotham's design, Joker's intro, the Batmobile churning up the leaves, Joker's melted face, that music that single-handedly beat back the '66 musical cue that we all had associated with Batman for a generation. It was a sea change in many respects.

Perhaps you're just attracted to the loud lights and kooky acting of the Schumachers now because of the dead-serious tone of The Batman, so it seems more refreshing. But I implore you to rethink the original Keaton movie.

 

[Khev]

I agree with all you said -- I always hated that stupid slot-car thing in Penguin's van -- but I especially agree with this last bit which is why Batman '89 just cannot possibly be left at the bottom spot. Think of the Batwing, Gotham's design, Joker's intro, the Batmobile churning up the leaves, Joker's melted face, that music that single-handedly beat back the '66 musical cue that we all had associated with Batman for a generation. It was a sea change in many respects.

Perhaps you're just attracted to the loud lights and kooky acting of the Schumachers now because of the dead-serious tone of The Batman, so it seems more refreshing. But I implore you to rethink the original Keaton movie.

You make good points. The 89 Batman has forever struggled against a wave of disappointment going back to seeing it in the theater on opening night. I was so hyped for that movie because I believed from the trailers that that movie was going to be a TDK or The Batman. But then Jack kicking his legs in the air and making fart sounds...ugh.

Whereas the Schumacher films weren't remotely sophisticated but at least fulfilled the promise of "colors! cheesy one-liners! actors hamming it up!" etc. which like the Adam West show I am able to find as harmless and even endearing. And Uma in that one green bodysuit, dayum. Just ignore the dork behind her, lol.

Going back to 89 it really was Burton just being Burton and doing his thing which I suppose I shouldn't hold against the movie, especially now.

 

[Wor-Gar]

89 Batman has forever struggled against a wave of disappointment ... seeing it in the theater on opening night. Jack kicking his legs in the air and making fart sounds...ugh.

Going back to 89 it really was Burton just being Burton and doing his thing which I suppose I shouldn't hold against the movie, especially now.

I had the same reaction to seeing it my first time. One minute something cool, the next something stupid... I can block some things out of a good experience but Batman '89 had so many cringe moments (for me) that I couldn't get that junk out of my head -- the fart was one of them. But then I got the art book and a few MPC model kits and the Horizon vinyl 1/6th Joker and I was hooked on that world -- just didn't care for the director.

 

[Khev]

I had the same reaction to seeing it my first time. One minute something cool, the next something stupid... I can block some things out of a good experience but Batman '89 had so many cringe moments (for me) that I couldn't get that junk out of my head -- the fart was one of them. But then I got the art book and a few MPC model kits and the Horizon vinyl 1/6th Joker and I was hooked on that world -- just didn't care for the director.

This largely describes why I've never been able to truly forsake the PT. Pouring through the art books and merchandise always makes me say man I want more of that world! It just has to contend with so many of the goofy decisions of the director--much like Batman 89.

 

[Wor-Gar]

This largely describes why I've never been able to truly forsake the PT. Pouring through the art books and merchandise always makes me say man I want more of that world! It just has to contend with so many of the goofy decisions of the director--much like Batman 89.

I suppose. I was less attached to Batman, so it was easier for me to accept more 'junk'. But Star Wars... I held that so dearly that it was much more difficult to accept the junk. Two great movies out of three... and then the PT came along and gave us more junk than good. That will always be in my mind when I watch the PT, even though its better than the majority of Disney stuff.

It's always the first 'junk' -- or betrayal or break-up -- that hurts the most.

 

[matticus]

This largely describes why I've never been able to truly forsake the PT. Pouring through the art books and merchandise always makes me say man I want more of that world! It just has to contend with so many of the goofy decisions of the director--much like Batman 89.

Speaking of art books, some of what was in The Force Awakens art book with a Jedi swimming underwater, recovering a Sith artifact was an awesome idea. There was some special concepts in that and I don't know what happened. Abrams and Klown Kreator both failed on what could have been quite an adventurous movie.

As a kid, I just could not latch onto Batman 89 nor Returns. It was all just very dark and all looked fake. Slutty Selina and then sadistic and tragic Penguin just screamed this is some effed up stuff. At least I was able to enjoy the Batmobile as it still has a great look about it.

 

[Khev]

Speaking of art books, some of what was in The Force Awakens art book with a Jedi swimming underwater, recovering a Sith artifact was an awesome idea.

Both of those elements were utilized in TROS. Death Star wreckage in the water and hunting for the Sith Wayfinders.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The Masterpiece. TROS.

 

[matticus]

Both of those elements were utilized in TROS. Death Star wreckage in the water and hunting for the Sith Wayfinders.

The Masterpiece. TROS.

Guess who was so offended by TLJ that he didn't go see TROS?

I did happened to catch the clip of Lando arriving in Xenomorph planet. Nothing like having a thousand ships show up at once.

 

[matticus]

Don't know if this was posted. Reeves commentary on deleted Joker scene: