DARREN ARONOFSKY being looked at for next BATMAN? 3 words FUCK NO WB!

according to my buddy matt at www.cosmicbooknews.com wb is looking at the black swan hemer for the next batman and the lastes. according to the site is hes being lined up to direct the tentativley titled " the batman also according to the site they are waiting for darren to complete noah and for justice leauge to be released! and the site also mentions that david goyer is rumored to be either consulting on or Polishing will beals first draft! Wb havent we gone down this well before with aranofsky's year one script with frank miller wich was utter shit? if theres anyone whos a worse director for batman then nolan its darren! no one wanst to see and even darker batmovie than nolan thats weird and hallucigenic and rated r! Sorry Wb but aronofsky is a fucking HORRID choice for batman director coupled with the fact that darren much like Matthew vaugn always bails on projects either mid movie in production or bails aon the first movie and never returns this is the kind of shitt director you want for batman? WB get it together!

JLA MOVIE DEFINTLEY COMING FIRST! BATMAN REBOOT PUSHED BACK to 2017?

hey Broffers here with some new news from my source  Grayson Drake. and the  big news is  that Batman reboot will most likely be pushed backed to 2017 and that is a great thing imo because  Justice Leauge Movie is now most definitley going to be released first now in summer 2015. grayson also tells me that WB are still aiming to shoot JLA movie this year late 2013. i am told that this is being done as well (pushing reboot to 2017) to disassociate and have a big Gap between the Nolan films. and it makes perfect sense because WB has no plans for any other  movie after MAN OF STEEL but justic Leauge the Script is  basically a done deal folks. their are no fully formed scripts of batman reboot , FLASH. AQUAMAN. WONDERWOMAN  etc. so it aint happening folks JLA is going to be the first out the gate. and i emplore the folks at Warner bros to keep it that way! so  WB dont listen to that OTHER site guy on there is a Tool. the REAL BATMAN FANS( the ones who want to see a batman movie and JLA without the name  Nolan Associated to it) are HAPPY with  JLA Coming out before a BATMAN reboot or any other Solo films! P.S. WB in the next "SOLO" BATMOVIE  ironically no one wanst to see a "Solo" BATMAN again its played out and theres nothing new. wb heres how to go about said batman reboot!  no origin story needed.

1. Batman and company should already be established.
2. Have Dick as Robin. Have him be Robin for two or 3 movies, then have him move on as Nightwing. Bring Tim or Jason in.
3. Have Batman be more acrobatic in his fighting style, as in jumping, flips (not like Robin or Nightwing), just have him more like the comic book.
4.if Joker is in it,  have him with riddler or penguin or someone hes never been comboed with before
5. No scruffy voice.
6. PLEASE be apart of a shared universe

Thank you Batman Online for defending BATMAN forever and Shumacher & Setting nolanites straight

Batman online reposted and article they had put before called in defense of the  Neon Knight Where Shumacher succeded! and im putting in right back up on my site BATMANNROBINONFILM!  special shoutout to everyone at that site!  special thanx to California guy!

In Defense of the Neon Knight: Where Schumacher Succeeded 4927 Nothing golden can stay; nothing lasts forever. Or in this case, appreciation is fleeting these days. I remember that until the internet became what it is now, people seemed easier to please. Either that, or people’s opinions morphed toward hatred. Critics will be critics, but the average moviegoer just seemed less picky. Ghostbusters II was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone I knew. Nobody used to have a problem with any of the Back to the Future sequels, Return of the Jedi was very much beloved (comparisons to Empire be-damned), and the Batman movies (sans “that last one”) were all great. Oh, how times change. Now when you hit the net, if there aren’t complaints or hate thrown at Tim Burton’s Batman flicks, it seems not to be a Batman film discussion at all. One constant, however, is the hate of Joel Schumacher’s Batman films. Nolanites and Burtonites tend to agree with that one. “Nipples, Neon and Nincompoopery!” is what they cry. Going back to the previous train of thought, I want those of you who can to remember back to 1995. Uh-huh. Everyone loved Batman Forever. But the years haven’t been so kind to its legacy, and its sequel’s reception didn’t help things. Back in a time when a film’s entertainment value was what mattered most, Batman Forever rose to the top of the box office food-chain to dominate its year of release. Not to mention the merchandising, the McDonald’s tie-ins and the hit soundtrack album. Now, it’s a pop-culture footnote, quashed by the drabness of Christopher Nolan’s pseudo-thriller Batman films. While those films are to be lauded for their decision to be serious with the material, I remember when Batman wasn’t a tool for nerds to try to prove how sophisticated and deep they were for understanding the character. I remember a time when, much like the comic books that spawned him, he was a character of mystery and adventure. My personal preference is Tim Burton’s pair, but make no mistake: Joel Schumacher’s couple have a bum rap. And I’m going to unearth their hidden value. Batman Forever: The Best One? Let’s get the obvious out of the way. There are neon lights all over Gotham. Giant, improbable statues in every corner; and between Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones, there was no scenery left undigested. But if you’re wise enough to look beyond dismissible trappings, you may find the richest character study of Bruce Wayne yet put to film, in a very hip movie. How’s that for subtext? While Tim Burton explored Batman’s psyche through the villains and how they compare to him, Schumacher goes for the hat-trick on his first outing: he questions Wayne’s very identity and reason for being. And he does that by calling back to Burton’s efforts (this is a sequel, after all). Flashback: in the first film, Batman discovers the Joker murdered his parents, and suddenly he gets bloodthirsty (Check it; he doesn’t start killing until he makes this realization). He kills the bum, and everything’s right, right? Maybe not. In Batman Returns, he’s on a rampage, killing indiscriminately anyone who opposes him. When he sees himself reflected in the murderous vigilante Selina Kyle, he pulls back from the abyss, fighting with morality once more (instead of instant murder, he now warns Max Schrek “You’re going to jail”). Attempting to redeem Catwoman (and himself) from the darkness of their craft, Bruce is spurned by her and is left unfulfilled. Did Burton intend this character arc? Only he knows for sure. But what we do know is that Schumacher and his scriptwriters saw these elements and ran with them, because Batman’s conflict is at the heart of the film (even moreso fleshed-out in Forever’s deleted scenes). The previous two films’ arc for Bruce is made canon in his lecture about revenge to Dick Grayson in the film’s second act: BRUCE“Then, it will happen this way: you make the kill. But your pain doesn’t die with Harvey; it grows [Murdering the Joker in the first film]. So you run out into the night to find another face. And another, and another. Until one terrible morning, you wake up and realize that revenge has become your whole life [His rampage in Returns], and you won’t know why.” Bruce speaks from experience to Dick because he’s been there, done that. In the film’s conclusion, Batman is finally able to make peace with himself over his murdering history by steering Dick Grayson off the path he himself took. He takes the temptation away from Grayson by killing Harvey himself; his hands already aren’t clean, and if he can save Dick from running too close to the abyss, he’ll kill one last time. But that’s tying up the Burton arc. What does Schumacher bring new to the table in Forever? The central element of the film (which admittedly is lessened by portions being deleted) is Bruce’s inability to function properly as either Bruce Wayne or Batman. He doesn’t know who he really is, and his worries about Dick following in his footsteps worsen his psyche, along with his guilt over Harvey’s condition. The Riddler tests Bruce Wayne, while Two-Face tests Batman. To quote Batman Begins, he’s “lost inside that monster of [his].” Brilliantly and without being overbearing, the film enriches Batman’s origin without becoming contrived. Bruce feels responsible for his parents’ deaths. Unfortunately deleted from the film is a scene that finds Bruce rediscovering his father’s journal, and reading the final entry; Bruce’s movie choice was not the one accepted that fateful night out. They all went out to see a movie of the parents’ desire, absolving Bruce of his guilt; he is able to become one with his destiny as Batman. Hence in the finale, Bruce explains to a defeated Riddler that he “had to save [Chase Meridian and Robin] both. You see, I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now, because I choose to be.” This coming after the excellent cliffhanger wherein he is forced to choose whom to save; Bruce’s girlfriend Chase, or Batman’s partner Robin. A choice between either identity. Thus, he is now Batman “Forever.” Clever! “Okay,” you say, “they explored Bruce well. What else you got?” Plenty. Although on the surface, Carrey’s Riddler and Jones’ Two-Face are overactive, if you really think about the severity of their actions and notice the undertones of menace, they are rather top-notch. Which is not to claim every moment of theirs is brilliant, but hey; Pobody’s Nerfect. Of particular note is Carrey’s Nygma, pre-Riddler. He manages to be a truly terrifying fanatic; obsessed with Bruce Wayne. Subtly, in the later half of the film at the Nygmatech party, he is trying to be an exact copy of Bruce out of jealousy. A brilliant touch that I hadn’t noticed until much later. Let’s face it, if you encountered Jim Carrey’s Riddler in reality, you’d be terrified. The guy is downright psychotic. So too is Two-Face. Two-Face’s first scene is truly menacing. He’s a man of absolute unpredictability; his calm demeanor giving way to the frightening mania underneath. With Tommy Lee Jones, Harvey Dent and Two-Face are two souls in the same casket. His first lines in the film to his captive are the stuff the character is made out of: TWO-FACE“So you’re counting on the winged avenger to deliver you from evil, aren’t you my friend? Are you a gambling man? Well, what’s say we flip for it? One man is born a hero, his brother a coward. Babies starve, politicians grow fat, holy men are martyred and junkies grow legion. Why? LUCK! Blind, stupid, simple, clueless luck! A random toss: the only true justice. Let’s see what justice has in store for you!” Even though he becomes rather loud and overbearing later on, there’s a constant undercurrent of manic intensity. Again: in reality, this guy would have you scared stiff. Both performances are as true to the comic book as it gets. The Riddler’s mania has been a staple since Frank Gorshin, and Two-Face’s obsession with dichotomy is spot-on. So much else shines in the film. Val Kilmer is darkly mysterious and suitably fractured in his psyche. Next to Michael Keaton, he’s the best person for the Cape and Cowl. Nicole Kidman is great, aside from some dated pop-phychobabble. Michael Gough is solid as Alfred, as always. The film score is suitably dark when it needs to be. Elliot Goldenthal is no Danny Elfman, but who is? Goldenthal crafts a theme for Batman, that while not heroic or exciting, evokes a dark mood and an undercurrent of tragedy. Chris O’Donnell brings an excellent sorrow to Dick Grayson, being another of the film’s highlights. The logic in making Robin start off in his late teens was a stroke of brilliance; not only to appeal to the prime target audience at the time, but also because it skirts the questions of Batman’s child endangerment. The death of Grayson’s family is another highlight. It’s beautifully portrayed. And in the same way as the Joker murdering Bruce’s parents in the 1989 original, Two-Face brutally murdering Dick’s family just because his coin tells him to just makes the package more awful; to think that their lives were worth no more to him than a random coin toss. Deplorable! The gravity of the film’s challenge is also of note. The stakes are a good challenge, and are befitting of the Riddler. His plan to become the smartest man on the planet and ruin everyone’s minds in the interest of absolute knowledge is considerably twisted. And his discovery of Bruce’s identity and destruction of the Batcave is a shocker; never before has Batman been so completely vulnerable. The action is exciting; the initial fight between Batman and Two-Face’s goons at the beginning of the film is the closest that Batman film action has ever come to matching the recent smash-hit “Batman: Arkham” video games, with their intense, calculated fighting style. And the effects still hold up without a hitch. Even the much-lambasted production design is like nothing seen anywhere else. And it’s definitely a good thing. Owing to the Batman design staple, the city is gothic and overwhelming; a place of overburdened souls. Seal’s hit song “Kiss from a Rose” covers Chase Meridian’s salvation of Bruce’s psyche, comparing her love to a “kiss from a rose on the grave” of Bruce’s deadened soul. I could go on and on about how great Batman Forever truly is, but I have to leave great things for you to discover on your own. Let’s move on to… Batman & Robin: The Fun One Remember that I said “Pobody’s Nerfect.” But perfection isn’t necessary. Thankfully, recent years have been kinder to this film. Since the franchise got back-on-track, most people look back at Batman & Robin and laugh. And why shouldn’t we? Most of it was intended to be funny. That’s right. You didn’t think Arnold’s ice puns were meant to be serious, did you? Let’s be honest: there’s an inherent absurdity to Batman. I firmly believe that the more overtly serious or realistic you try to make Batman, the more you expose its silliness. Think about it. He’s a guy in a bat costume fighting crime and ridiculously themed villains, and this Bat-Man somehow scares criminals (no real crook would ever fear a guy in a bat costume, I’m sorry) and doesn’t get caught. And he seemingly can do anything. When we embrace that Batman may not be the most believeable concept, we thus can expand our mind not to shun a bold or fantastical idea. That’s what comic books are all about, folks. The emotional core of Batman & Robin is the importance of family. How’s that for a curve-ball, eh? Mr. Freeze is trying to save his wife. Bruce is trying to save his surrogate father Alfred, while Dick is trying to find the acceptance of his surrogate father, Bruce. Barbara is trying to save her Uncle Alfred’s dignity, and Poison Ivy’s loyalty is to no human but instead her “babies;” her plants. Not every aspect of the film is defendable, but there’s nothing that’s really that infuriating aside from the random butt-shots when the heroes suit-up (more comedy, I suppose). The plot with Alfred dying, and his scenes with Bruce in particular are some of the best scenes of any Batman film. Again, people who only notice that the film has “Nipples, Neon and Nincompoopery” were too busy hating to slow down and notice the film had more going on than its madcap antics. George Clooney is greatly underrated for what he brings to this film. As Batman, he can be a bit blasé, but Bruce Wayne is where he really shines. And even as Batman, his protective relationship over the headstrong Robin is excellently fleshed-out. He’s no-nonsense with his sidekick, but not to denigrate him; he worries for him; but as Alfred says to him: “You must learn to trust him, for that is the nature of family.” The film is fascinating in the fact that it actually evolves Batman further. As a result of his newfound inner-peace in Forever, Bruce is no longer morose. As in the Batman comics of the 1970s and early 1980s, Bruce continues his fight because it is his duty, but he has made peace with the loss of his parents and is able to function correctly as a human being. This is an excellent maturing of the character, and evolution of this sort should always be welcomed. The film even bravely points out the inherent futility of Batman’s agenda. During a moment in which Bruce feels uneasy due to his bickering with Robin, he converses with Alfred: BRUCE“Alfred, am I pig-headed? Is it always ‘my way or the highway?’” AFLRED“Yes, actually. Death and chance stole your parents. But rather than become a victim, you have done everything in your power to control the fates. For what is Batman if not an effort to master the chaos that sweeps our world? An attempt to control death itself.” Bruce looks away to the window and recalls putting flowers at his parents’ gravestone. BRUCE“But I can’t, can I?” ALFRED“None of us can.” That, my friends, is some heavy stuff. It’s not many comic book films that are bold enough to explore the character’s weaknesses, much less have the hero himself come to realize them. Recalling this chat, later on in the film as Alfred lay dying, Bruce visits him for what will be the last time, before he steps out to handle his dual responsibilities. At this point in the film, Alfred will surely be dead by the time he returns. BRUCE“I spent my entire life trying to beat back death. Everything I’ve done, everything I’m capable of doing… but I can’t save you.” ALFRED“There is no defeat in death, Master Bruce. Victory comes in defending what we know is right while we still live.” BRUCE“I love you, old man." Holding back tears, Bruce moves closer and gives Alfred a kiss goodbye. It’s a truly crushing scene, performed brilliantly by both Clooney and Michael Gough. This film best explores the relationship with Bruce and Alfred, even farther than many of the comic’s storylines have done. And when you keep this in mind, the film from then on has an additional layer: Bruce has to go out and fight to save the city from becoming an icy graveyard while his second father lies at home, dying. And Bruce can’t be at his side. Heavy stuff indeed. “All right, already!” You cry. “Family! This film’s deeper than I thought. Anything else?” Poison Ivy is spot-on, right down to her costume. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze is a delight. In his serious moments, he is actually rather good; but when he’s supposed to be funny, oh man, Arnold goes whole instead of going home. Ice puns are nothing new to the character. Even the beloved Animated Series episode “Heart of Ice” features cold puns. While the film may overdo them, the fact remains that they are a staple of the character. His make-up and costume, also, are to be revered. Arnold looks spectacular! Also, Dick’s quandaries with Bruce are lifted right out of the comic books. While Alicia Silverstone’s useless Batgirl is undefendable, Bane is craptacular! Don’t get me wrong; he’s poorly translated from the books (almost the polar opposite), but at least his moronic behavior is comedy gold. And he resembles the character, to-boot. Take that, Tom Hardy! There’s so much more to cover, but as I said, I have to leave you some things to discover. Concluding, it’s like this: should the films have been more overtly serious without any comedic overtones? Absolutely. But are they devoid of any merit, artistic or adaptation-wise? Not at all. Whereas the 1960s Batman television series was campy and without any depth, Schumacher’s films are not that. They contain humor, but they themselves are not comedies. People these days seem unable to distinguish humor from camp. Particularly in the wake of Christopher Nolan’s overbearingly drab Batman series, people have forgotten that the comic book character (even today) still deals with larger-than-life situations and fights against an array of colorful, unreal enemies. Ever since the Joker burst onto the scene in 1940, Batman has been a romanticized, adventurous crusader in outrageous situations. Outrageous, larger-than-life things are not inherently “silly,” like many Batman fans now perceive. And even if they were, would they be any sillier than the premise of Batman to begin with? Do yourself a favor. Sit down with Schumacher’s two movies and a bucket of popcorn. Leave your cynicism checked at the door, and really, truly watch them. Pay attention to the performances, the nuance, and the plot. A Batman film doesn’t have to be watered-down to be great, nor does it have to have lengthy exposition to actually be deep. If you can ignore your desire to obsess on the Nipples and the Neon, you’ll find two adventures worthy of the Batman title. They may not be perfect, but in a perfect world, Bruce Wayne would have been a happy, well-adjusted guy. And where would the fun be in that?

Anyone can comment on this story using this app...

HAPPY NEW YEAR AWESOME FACEMORP TECHNOLOGY COMBINES BATMAN ACTORS FACES TO MAKE THE TRUE BATMAN!

the awesome guys are at it AGAIN THROUGH THE MAGIC OF FACEMORPH TECHNOLOGY. REDDITOR MORPHINAPG! HAS DONE HIS AWESOME MAGIC AGAIN! Astoundingly  Merging the faces of all the actors who have Played Batman! Adam West , Micheal keaton. Val kilmer. George Clooney and christian bale merged with digital technology to make the Perfect Bruce wayne/ Batman!

Merry Christmas! my BURTON KEATON BATMAN MOVIE RETROSPECTIVE!

Retrospective on the Burton-Keaton BATMAN movies

Since I did previous posts on the Batman serials and TV show, I thought I'd conclude this trilogy of Bat-articles with the Tim Burton-Michael Keaton Batman movies.

It took almost a dozen years to get the original movie made. Ben Melniker and Michael Uslan bought the film rights in the late 1970s. By 1983, they had an ambitious script written by Tom Mankiewicz, using Superman The Movie as a template, and based upon the late 1970s Steve Englehart-Marshall Rogers stint in Detective Comics, featuring Batman, Robin, Joker, Penguin, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Boss Thorne, Silver St. Cloud, and Joe Chill.

This script has been widely available to read on the internet for many years, so I won't go into detail about it. I will say that as far as detailed origin movies go, the Mankiewicz script is much better than the slumber inducing Batman Begins (no jeers from the Nolan Kool-Aid drinkers, please).  All it needed was to be slightly revised to include some of the better Burton-Hickson ideas I will give in detail in a moment, so that Batman wasn't such a public figure (he would give televised press conferences), and perhaps a few other tweaks (the way Batman kills Thorne in the finale with a giant thumbtack is almost laughable... Burton's reworking of the finale is much better), but otherwise it was great. Faithful to the comics, good character development, great action scenes (perhaps the best is the Penguin scene where he and his goons are wearing jet pack umbrellas, going after the Batmobile, which during the course of the scene transforms into a speed boat and a jet), epic, and fun.  Fun, but also has moments being quite dark, such as the ending where Silver dies in Batman's arms.  (It could be argued the Mankiewicz script was also the basis for Lee and Janet Batchler's script for Batman Forever. Both scripts share many of the same plot points, and the Dick Grayson scenes are lifted almost verbatim from the Mankiewicz draft.)

Needless to say, pre-production stalled. Jon Peters and Peter Guber were brought in as new producers by the mid-1980s. Melniker and Uslan, while retaining an "Executive Producers" credit, had no input, creative or otherwise, on any Batman project from that point on. Guber and Peters brought in Tim Burton, who with Julie Hickson, wrote a treatment that attempted to "Burton-ize" the Mankeiwicz script, while adding the distinct flavor of the 1940s era Batman comics.  The basic narrative of the Mankiewicz draft remains, but Burton and Hickson add their own touches to it. Both drafts establish a political showdown between Thomas Wayne and Rupert Thorne. The Joker in Mankiewicz's script is Rupert Thorne's hired gun, and is portrayed as a murderous stand-up comedian, while Thorne is the script's dominant villain.  In the Burton-Hickson treatment, the Joker is much more insane, and answers to no one.  Although initially hired by Thorne, who is more of a minor character here, to kill the Waynes (in the Mankiewicz draft, the Joker has Joe Chill be the gunman and then kills him afterwards), Joker turns on Thorne and kills him at a mayoral debate.

Burton reworks the origin sequence to resemble Detective Comics #235, where the Wayne family attend a costume after-party following a performance of the opera Die Fledermaus. Thomas wears a "majestic bat costume," while Martha is a "delicately shimmering fairy queen" and young Bruce is a "small whirling harlequin." The Joker, described as a 17-year-old boy with "shock-white skin, radioactive-green hair, standing on end as if permanently electrified, and red, red, lips slashed into a chin so pointed it’s like a demented exaggeration of a clown face", kills Thomas and Martha from an ice cream truck as "insipid tinkling style music" plays. Alfred vows to Bruce that "as long as I live, you will never be alone."  Commissioner Gordon's role was more pivotal in this treatment, being a surrogate father figure to Bruce, and suspecting he is Batman, but doesn't confront him about it.  The Batcave also derives from the 1940s comics by having the entrance be a “nearby barn located several hundred yards from the mansion which has been connected to the Batcave by an underground tunnel.”

Where the Mankiewicz script dwells on Batman taking on various street criminals, Burton focuses on The Joker's reign of terror consisting of releasing animals from the zoo, preempting TV broadcasts (he holds Barbara Walters at gunpoint as he forces her to interview him, and he preempts himself into The Love Boat with guest stars Tom Bosley, Cloris Leachman, and Andy Warhol), painting all the windows of Gotham's skyscrapers black, making the subways run backwards, and painting the entire city candy-striped colors. Bruce saves Silver St. Cloud at one of the Joker's crime scenes and starts a romance with her.  The Joker then mock-elects himself mayor after killing Thorne and Bruce starts a campaign against him, giving a televised speech for people not to lose hope and to vote against the Joker.

The Joker strikes next at a charity circus where Bruce and Silver are in attendance. There, in disguises are the Penguin as the ringmaster, the Riddler as a clown, and Catwoman "sexily decked out as a trapeze artist".  Catwoman pours acid on the trapeze of the Flying Graysons ("the main attractions"), John and Mary fall to their deaths, while young Dick miraculously survives by falling into the bales of hay on the circus ground - “The effect is like a baby bird falling out of a tree into a nest.”  Running to the sobbing Grayson's side, Bruce scoops him up and carries him to his car, promising him that "As long as I live, you will never be alone." Burton describes Dick as “a charmer: a clever little wise-ass with a loving heart. He’s pale-skinned to the point of ghostly, defined by an alert little face and carrot-colored hair (sort of a new-wave Artful Dodger).”

Burton uses the parade sequence with balloons filled with his deadly laughing gas that would appear in the 1989 movie.  There is a confrontation between Batman and The Joker that results in both being carried off by the balloons. When they both crash through the skylight of the Gotham Museum, it's up to the new hero, Robin, “a flash of red and green” with a “devilish mask”, to save Batman's life. When Batman throttles the Joker and puts a gun to his head, Commissioner Gordon arrives, puts a hand on Batman’s shoulder and stops him from making a choice that would ruin his life (much better than the giant thumbtack scene).  The treatment ends on Christmas morning as Bruce, Dick, Silver and Alfred open up presents... the last one is wrapped in purple and green and has a clownish face on it.

Not happy with the treatment, still feeling it was too much like Superman The Movie in format if not style, Sam Hamm was brought in to write a new script based on a treatment by Steve Englehart. It was brilliant. By avoiding a chronological enactment of Batman's origin and instead starting the movie where Batman has existed for a few weeks, Hamm succeeds in not only breaking the Richard Donner mold, but presents Batman as a character shrouded in mystery. By not spelling out every little detail, the viewer gets to use their imagination to figure out how Bruce became an expert martial artist or how he came up with all the gadgets... or they could choose not to, and just enjoy the ride without being bogged down with such questions.  Hamm's first draft script (also widely available to read on the internet) was superior to the final shooting script. Bruce Wayne is the center of the script, and is clearly a troubled man, highlighted by several scenes where Vicki Vale and Knox separately confront Bruce about being Batman. You want to cheer him as Batman, yet you can't help but feel sorry for him. Joker is a bit more deadly than in the final film, and Hamm includes a brilliant version of Robin that not only makes the script seem more epic, but gives the story closure.

Unfortunately, Warner Brothers wanted rewrites done, being apprehensive about the dark and troubled portrayal of Bruce, and the writers' strike prevented Hamm from doing it himself, so Warren Skarren was brought in. His one addition that would have made Hamm's script absolutely perfect was the scene where Bruce lays the roses on the spot his parents were murdered.  Unfortunately, the changes didn't end there. Bruce's darkness was toned down a notch while the Joker's role was expanded and made a bit more outlandish, Vicki Vale's role was also expanded while Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Dent were both downplayed, and Robin was cut out completely, despite 13 year old Ricky Addison Reed being cast. Skarren also reintroduced the idea of the Joker killing Bruce's parents, from the Mankeiwicz and Burton-Hickson drafts.  Also Skarren added more action to the climax, but in the process, made it less logical. In Hamm's draft, Joker shot the Batwing down with a tank and Robin had to rescue Batman from the wreckage, with Batman suffering a broken leg and several broken ribs. In an apparent death wish, Batman sets a time bomb in his utility belt, and grabs hold of the Joker who begins to panic, screaming "It's not funny!"  Batman gets a big smile and asks, "No ... sense ...of ...humor?"

Despite the fact Hamm's draft was better than the final shooting script, the movie is still the best live action version of Batman to date, with Michael Keaton unquestionably the coolest screen Batman ever. Keaton's performance is simply magical. It's the little things that make him stand out head and shoulders above all the other actors who have played Batman. As Bruce Wayne, Keaton is brooding, reclusive, and a little scatter-brained. Watch his eyes, as Keaton is a master of silent acting.  You see in his eyes the pain he suffers from watching his parents murdered.  You see he is conflicted about Vicki Vale just as his crusade as Batman begins to grow.  Plus, Keaton adds a sense of humor to it all. As Batman, Keaton is silent and imposing. When he snarls, "I'm Batman!", you take notice.  At the right moments, he gives this little off-hinged smile that drives home the fact that Batman is dangerous. His voice as Batman is a harsh whisper that is perfect for the character, and not overdone like Christian Bale's frog voice that brings forth more giggles than intimidation.


Where as Uslan and Melniker wanted a living comic book action film, Tim Burton delivered something far more interesting and artistic and three-dimensional. By blending 1930s Warner Brothers gangster films with 1920s silent horror movies, he really brought Batman's world to life in a way no one thought possible.

The sequel went through almost as many scripts as the first film, despite it taking only three years to make. The original idea for Batman II: The Next Adventure was proposed by Sam Hamm and reportedly featured the transformation of Harvey Dent into Two Face after failing to convict the Joker, who survived the fall at the end of Batman. Warner Brothers felt Two Face was not a popular enough character to be the lead villain and rejected Hamm's proposal, demanding the more well known Penguin and/or Catwoman be used.

So, Hamm shelved Batman II (apparently, the plot was recycled by William Loebs for the Batman syndicated comic strip that was circulating after the first movie) and began work on a new script titled Batman Returns, and once again it was excellent. Set at Christmas time, the plot deals with an obese, aristocratic criminal named Mr. Boniface (alias the Penguin), who has spent the last thirteen years in jail for stealing 40 million dollars. He makes a deal to return the money for an early parole. Of course, he had it in the bank, and made millions of dollars in interest during his jail term. Penguin hires the erotic Eurasian cat burglar Selina Kyle to steal five raven statues from the founding five families of Gotham, and frame Batman for the murders.

Echoing the "Purrfect Crime" episode of the 1960s TV show, the ravens are a map that lead to a treasure. Unknown to Bruce, the map leads to where the treasure is buried--in the Batcave. Harvey Dent is no where to be found, but Gordon, Vicki, and Alfred are all back, as well as a group of wanna be teen vigilantes who hero worship Batman. At one point, Vicki is rescued by an orphaned homeless kid named Dick Grayson who seems to be quite an acrobat. Later, the kid helps Batman escape from the cops, and ultimately moves into Wayne Manor just before Penguin and Catwoman invade the place. Unfortunately, Tim Burton felt the script read too much like a sequel. Granted, the finale also seemed quite rushed and there never was any resolution with the storyline of the teen vigilantes. A second draft would be needed to correct these problems.

But Burton wanted to do "another Batman movie", not a sequel. With Denise DiNovi taking over as producer from Guber and Peters, Burton had much more creative control over the film. So the script was given to Daniel Waters to rewrite, and Sam Hamm unfortunately hasn't been involved in the franchise since.  Waters kept a lot of the details in Hamm's draft, but reworked the plot from the "Purrfect Crime" style treasure hunt, to the Pengy for Mayor plot from "Hizzoner the Penguin" (also possibly recycled from the similar "Joker for mayor" plot point from the Burton-Hickson treatment). He eliminated Vicki, the teen vigilantes, and the members of Gotham's Five Families, and reduced Gordon to little more than a cameo.

There are unconfirmed rumors the original plan was to have a now corrupted Harvey Dent, whose goal was to groom mob boss Penguin into a mayor Dent could control. Selina Kyle went from being an amorous cat burglar to Dent's mousy secretary. For the planned climax, as Batman, Catwoman, Penguin and Dent collide at Pengy's zoo hideout, Dent's fate was to be sealed as an exploding air conditioner burns and scars the left side of his face. A snag in planning the script happened when Warner Brothers, who were allegedly not happy with Billy Dee Williams' performance as Harvey Dent in the first film, bought him out of his contract for the sequels. Allegedly, Warners never wanted Williams cast as Dent in the first place. It's rumored the studio's top picks were Dale Midkiff (Pet Cemetery) and Don Johnson (Harvey Dent in Batman The Animated Series looks strikingly like Don Johnson), but Burton cast Williams. So Waters reworked Dent's planned role in the script for retail mogul Max Shreck, with Christopher Walken ultimately landing the role. While Max did not appear in Hamm's draft, Shreck's Department Store did.

Danny DeVito had been cast as Penguin, suggested to Burton that Oswald Cobblepot be a disgusting sewer dwelling mutant. Burton loved the concept, and Waters worked in DeVito's vision of the Penguin. Waters, under Burton's suggestions, also made a drastic change to Dick Grayson. Now an African American character known only as "The Kid", he was a teenage mechanic who helps Batman repair the Batmobile and escape from the cops, and later is recruited to help stop the army of penguins. Burton liked Waters' draft much more, but rewrites were needed.

Since Waters had moved on to other projects, Wesley Strick was in charge of the rewrites. He removed some of Waters' more bizarre sequences, such as a long scene where Batman and Penguin joke and laugh with each other, a weird scene where goons dressed in Batman costumes attack people, and deleted a pair of characters named Punch and Juliet, who worked for the Penguin. He altered some of the bizarre dialogue that Waters peppered the script with, and deleted the revelation that Oswald and Max were brothers, which in the Waters' draft read like an afterthought that had no impact on the plot. Burton also ordered Strick to once again circumcise Dick, or rather, The Kid, from the script.  The character, as written, was patronizing, reading like a middle aged white man's idea of what a "hip" black teen should be like, with lots of Chris Rock style outbursts.  Had this come to pass, hopefully Marlon Wayans, who was initially cast as The Kid, would have been given the opportunity to rewrite his own dialogue, perhaps making the role less embarrassing.

Batman Returns was a movie I did not like very much on a first viewing. But the more times I watched it, the more I liked it, finding details in the story I didn't notice the first time around. It is perhaps the most complex and layered Batman movie ever made. Anchoring the movie once again is Keaton's splendid performance building on what he established in the first film. The chemistry between Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the highlights of the movie (apparently they were romantically involved several years earlier). Also, Batman's costume has been perfected for this movie. It's not as primitive as the 1989 film, and takes on an armored design.  It is my favorite movie batsuit.  Even so, I have to say Hamm's draft may have made a better movie. However, Strick's final shooting script is far superior to Waters' draft.

It is a shame Burton and Keaton never had the chance to conclude their Bat-trilogy.  Perhaps there may still be an opportunity, as I think reuniting Burton, Keaton, Nicholson, Pfeiffer, and Sam Hamm to make a film adaptation of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns graphic novel would be a Batman fan's dream come true.


Credit: Batman Movie Online for the details of the Burton-Hickson treatment.

BATMAN FOREVER IS MORE ACCURATE THAN NOLANS FILMS!

Merry Christmas and Happy holidays to all of the Batmannrobinonfilm crew! been back from a long sabbatical, and figured id give u guys a gift. way back on august 14th did an in depth analysis on how joel shumacers Batman and robin was more accurate than nolans nonsense. now im back at again! this time showing you how shumacers BATMAN forever is more Accurate then nolan! Enjoy!

In an interview with Hollywood.com, producer Michael Uslan compared Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) to the comics, saying:

"Batman Forever, to me, clearly was the Batman from about the mid-1940s till the early 1960s. It was Bill Finger’s scripts of Batman and Robin punching their way through crime through a grotesque gallery of supervillains, jumping across giant typewriters as they battle them."

Screenwriters Lee and Janet Scott Batchler have stated they read the 1939-1940 comics by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the then contemporary Knightfall story arc, and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns (1986) for inspiration.

The influence of these stories is clearly evident in the finished film. The movie also has many additional parallels with other comics not cited by the filmmakers. Some of these are doubtless the product of coincidence, but in this feature we're noting as many parallels as possible in order to highlight the consistencies between Schumacher's movie and the source material it adapts.

BATMAN FOREVER AND THE COMICS

As in the comics, the Two-Face in the movie is governed by fate. He uses a coin flip to determine the outcome of important decisions. If the coin lands good side up, the old Harvey will spare his victim. But if it's scarred side up, then the murderous side of his personality gets to take over.

Two-Face's back story in the film is the same as in the comics. He was formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent, scarred in court when crime boss Sal Maroni hurled acid in his face. Batman tried to stop Maroni, but failed to do so in time to help Dent. The physical and psychological scarring resulted in him becoming Two-Face. The flashback in the movie where we see this happen is exactly the same as the original scene from 'The Crimes of Two-Face' (Detective Comics #66, August 1942).

The look of Boss Maroni in the film also matches his appearance in the comics. In this example from 'Free Faces' (Detective Comics #563, June 1986), note how Batman grabs Maroni's arm when he throws the acid, just like he does in the movie and Detective Comics #66.

In the Golden Age comics there were actually two Two-Faces. The first was Harvey Kent, who to all intents and purposes was the same as the modern version of Two-Face. Kent was eventually cured, underwent plastic surgery and resumed a happy normal life. He and his wife were even guests at Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle’s wedding, as were Clark and Lois Kent. This highlighted the flaw of having two major DC universe characters called Kent (the wedding story was even called ‘The Kill Kent Contract!’ and the plot revolved around confusion as to which ‘Kent’ was targeted by the villain).

So from the Silver Age onwards Two-Face was renamed Harvey Dent. The second Golden Age Two-Face was Paul Sloane, an actor who sustained a similar injury to Kent and adopted his predecessor’s modus operandi as his own.

The movie begins with Two-Face robbing the second bank of Gotham on the second anniversary of the day Batman captured him. The first crime Two-Face ever pulled in the comics was also a bank robbery. He traditionally commits crimes in accordance with a 2-motif. The robbery of the second bank on the second anniversary of his capture is consistent with that pattern.

In 'Eye of the Beholder' (Batman Annual #14, 1990), Two-Face refers to himself in the first person plural. He also does this throughout the movie.

Two-Face’s goons addressing him as "Face" is likely a nod to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (1986).

As is the scene of Batman dangling from Two-Face’s helicopter.

The scene of Batman hanging from the helicopter could also be a reference to Marv Wolfman’s Batman: Year Three (1989). This story took place in the wake of Jason Todd’s death and told, via flashbacks, the origin story of Dick Grayson’s Robin. The opening action sequence sees Batman hanging onto a rope attached to a helicopter in an endeavour to capture its occupants. The Helicopter pilot tries to shake him off, at one point attempting to swing him into a tower. The sequence ends with Batman plunging into the waters of Gotham harbour while the villains escape.

This scene is also visually similar to the cover of ‘Once Beaten, Twice Sly!’ (Batman #314, August 1979).In the film, Two-Face tries to kill Batman by crashing the helicopter into a statue bearing an uncanny resemblance to New York City’s Statue of Liberty. The Gotham City of the comics has been shown to have a similar landmark called ‘The Statue of Freedom’, as seen here in ‘Into the Den of the Death-Dealers!’ (Detective Comics #411, May 1971Two-Face's parachute is marked with a red and black yin-yang symbol. This is more or less identical to the emblem on the side of Two-Face's dirigible in Matt Wagner's Batman: Faces (1992).

The next day Bruce Wayne sees the Bat-Signal in the sky while he is at work. He quickly gets to the Batcave using a secret tunnel linked to his office. When Bruce Wayne moved into his penthouse in the seventies comics, he had a secret elevator linked to a subbasement of the Wayne Foundation Tower that served as a secondary Batcave. This may have been the inspiration for the tunnel in the movie.

Batman races to police headquarters, only to find that it is Chase who has summoned him. This scenario, where a woman misuses the signal to summon Batman for her own purposes, also happened in ‘Hot House’ (Legends of the Dark Knight #42, February 1993).

Elsewhere, Edward Nygma is embarking on his own criminal career. His origin story in this movie – revolving around his desire to get revenge against his former employer – is reminiscent of his origin in Batman: The Animated Series, as told in the episode ‘If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?’

Nygma ties up his supervisor, Fred Stickley, using green rope. In the Riddler’s debut story – ‘The Riddler’ (Detective Comics #140, October 1948) – he ties up one of his victims using special puzzle rope.We also hear him say "Riddle me this..." for the first time in this scene. The Riddler in the comics often says this before proposing his latest conundrum.

Nygma then proceeds to send Bruce Wayne a series of riddles pieced together from newspaper clippings.

Posts

Atom

All Comments

Atom

Posts

Atom

All Comments

Atom