KRAD's Inaccurate Guide to Life - begin the bat-guine

02:14 am June 21st, 2005




			KRAD's Inaccurate Guide to Life - begin the bat-guine ramblings from a mad fedora'd writer

kradical


	begin the bat-guine
	I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed with this movie, especially after hearing so much praise for it. Yes, it's better than either of Joel Schumacher's films, and it's more focused than either of Tim Burton's, and it's certainly better than the camp-fest William Dozier gave us in the late 1960s (though that version is excellent for what it is). But there's already been a movie that dealt with how Bruce Wayne became Batman and how he dealt with the early days of his career, and even had a love interest from his childhood. It was called Mask of the Phantasm, it was an animated feature released in 1993, and it's superior to Batman Begins in almost every sense. This is not to say that BB is a bad movie, but it's not a particularly great movie, either. It's about half an hour too long -- I was looking at my watch as we got into the home stretch -- the action! filled! climax! is way too over the top, and the fight scenes are abysmal because Christopher Nolan decided to follow the same bad example of his two predecessors and use incessant jump-cutting during fights so you can't fucking tell what's happening! Katie Holmes has come in for a lot of flak, and it's not entirely fair to her -- she does the best with the material she's given. The problem is, a) her storyline has little to do with the rest of the movie, b) her character feels tacked on in order to get The Love Interest, because all big Hollywood movies must have The Love Interest, even though Batman isn't a character that's at all suited to having one, c) if they had to give Bats a romance, why not have it be with Ra's al-Ghul's daughter, since they were already using Ra's anyhow, and that would give more meat to the romance, d) her part in Bats' life was taken in the comics by Harvey Dent, and if it had been Harvey Dent, it would've been almost exactly the same (okay, except for the kissing). Christian Bale is an excellent Bruce Wayne, but his Batman sneers and snarls too much. The scene where he interrogates a corrupt cop is just embarrassing. The rest of the acting is stellar, though, and a lot of why the movie does work at all is because of the truly magnificent performances by Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, and especially Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. the Scarecrow. Still, I can't help but think that Mask of the Phantasm did this all better. For starters, Kevin Conroy's voice remains head and shoulders above anyone else who has done Batman on the screen (he's still doing it on Justice League). In addition, the love story was far more compelling, the villain was stronger (Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker is the best comic-book villain ever realized on screen), the Batmobile looked better (honestly, that monstrosity in Batman Begins made me want to spew), the gangsters were more convincing (BB's weakest performance was probably from the dull-as-dishwater Tom Wilkinson as Falcone; Phantasm used the vocal talents of Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, and John P. Ryan to play Valestra, Sol, and Bronski), the climactic action sequence with the big splosions looked better, and the big reveal was an actual surprise. (Okay, this is something that will only apply to anyone who reads the comics. They gave Liam Neeson the exact same funky beard that Ra's al-Ghul has in the comics. So it wasn't even a little bit of a surprise that "Ducard" was really Ra's. For folks that don't know the comics, this is an irrelevant concern, but why blow your reveal like that to at least part of your audience?) Don't get me wrong, there's a decent movie in there. But it's not the best Batman movie. It's not even the best Batman movie with this plot. Current Mood: disappointed Current Music: "Sweet Fire of Love" by Robbie Robertson

23 comments or Please comment


	Comments

	From: yendi	Date: June 21st, 2005 10:17 am (UTC)		(Link)

I liked it more than you did (and I'm also one of the few who doesn't consider MotP to be the best thing since sliced bread, and still rank BB: Return of the Joker at the top of the list).

But I'm definitely with you on the Batmobile. It's supposed to be a stealthy vehicle, not a tank.

The Ducard thing fooled me because of the casting. I kept saying, "well, why get Ken Watanabe unless he's going to play a major role?" And since we all know about Ra's's (now that's an ugly possessive to write) abilitity to come back from the dead, I just assumed he'd pop back up.

My favorite small touch -- the fact that Murpy's Scarecrow is still running around loose at the end of the film. Batman can't have a Rogues Gallery if they all die after one appearance.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: neadods	Date: June 21st, 2005 12:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I'm also one of the few who doesn't consider MotP to be the best thing since sliced bread

Neither do I, I'm afraid - it has some fun moments, but I found the ending to be a disappointment. Because it was a cartoon they had to pull their punches - and what is WITH her just wandering off to brood forever at the end? That felt like a huge dangling thread to me.

Given the choice, I'll go with Batman Begins over MotP. You get a better sense of a Gotham gone wrong in BB, and that there are other people who are trying to save it.

I am, I think, the ONLY person who likes the new Batmobile. This is a useful vehicle; the sight of all other Batmobiles have always keyed my subconscious into playing Da Vinci Notebook's "I've Got a Big Enormous Penis" song.

still rank BB: Return of the Joker at the top of the list

Oh, tough choice. I adore the uncut Return of the Joker, but being inherently more frivolous I also get a huge kick ot of the boiling testosteronefest that was the Batman Superman crossover.

That Kevin Conroy, weedy though he be in person, kicks all kind of Batman booty over any other actor - THERE I'm solidly with you. But then, one of the attractions for the movie for me was that there were things that "felt" like I was watching the animated series or JL.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: vampry	Date: June 21st, 2005 01:38 pm (UTC)		(Link)

You are not the only one to like the new Batmobile. I think it's very cool and makes more sense as the first vehicle that this new hero would use. It could evolve into the Batmobile we know and love in some way, I think.

I also prefer BB to MotP. The latter is a great movie but for some reason I was more satisfied with this version of Batman's beginning.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: drewshi	Date: June 21st, 2005 02:29 pm (UTC)		(Link)

My wife liked the new batmobile, I didn't.

My comments below deal with the new incarnation of Batman and can apply to the movie series as well. It's just too soon to do a new incarnation and that is what this is as we see that the Batman is looking for the Joker at the end of the movie and Gordon is only a lieutenant.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: marinarusalka	Date: June 21st, 2005 07:40 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I liked the new Batmobile, too. It's the first one I've seen that actually *looks* as if it could do all the things it's supposed to do. The traditional Batmobile always looked like Mr. Jones' suburban midlife crisis-mobile to me.

And I loved MotP, but I don't think any other Batman movie should be faulted for not being MotP, and I loved BB quite a lot on its own terms.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: laughingvulcan	Date: June 21st, 2005 12:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

*damn* I'll still see it, and like it, I'm sure... But Mask of the Phantasm sets an almost impossibly high standard to beat. (And not just Kevin Conroy, but Dana Delany, Abe Vigoda, and Mark Hamill still defines the Joker for me.)

Why is it that the movies can't seem to break new ground where the animates series' haven't already gone?

And have you watched any of "The Batman" Animated Series - if so, does it stack up?

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: kradical	Date: June 21st, 2005 02:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I have yet to see any of The Batman, I'm afraid....

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: drewshi	Date: June 21st, 2005 02:26 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	<u>The Batman</u>

Had The Batman been the animated series that established a new direction for Batman, it would be all right, but The Animated Series did it so well that anything the new series does just comes across as showing a variation on The Animated Series. Like X-Men: Evolution, it was too soon for a reinvention of the cartoon. I will admit that I do like the theme song, as performed by The Edge of U2 fame.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: scavgraphics	Date: June 21st, 2005 08:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Re: <u>The Batman</u>

I agree on The Batman, but as for X-Men: Evo I disagree, as the Fox cartoon was really just bland retelling of the comics without anything special to it, and X-Men Evolution was a real different animal..shame they canceled it.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: vincam	Date: June 21st, 2005 02:29 pm (UTC)		(Link)

the fight scenes are abysmal because Christopher Nolan decided to follow the same bad example of his two predecessors and use incessant jump-cutting during fights so you can't fucking tell what's happening!

I hate this. I was hoping that particular directorial fad had gone away. It was used some in "Kingdom of Heaven," but not to excess and was mixed with some slow motion and so didn't destroy all the action. Eventually I hope it will become so outre that nobody will use it at all.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: hol_man	Date: June 21st, 2005 02:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Having seen a few minutes of the new "The Batman" cartoon, I honestly think it stinks. It tries too hard to make Batman "cool," not realizing that he's cool already. I get a real vibe from that show that they're trying to turn him into Wolverine-lite.

Mask of the Phantasm, while good, has nothing on Batman Begins, I think. First of all, I really hated the complete lack of explanation for the Phantasm's phantasmic powers. Second, because they weren't limited to a PG-rating, Batman Begins didn't need to shy away from showing a more true Batman: kinda insane, in a very focused way. While I love the animated series and it will always be how I first picture the character, Batman Begins does a better job.

Yes, I don't particularly like the idea of Batmobile-as-supertank. But I think it works well in terms of "this is a car that fits his needs that he was able to get already made." Should a sequel happen, I'd hope to see a Batmobile that more closely resembles any of the sleek models that have been shown before.

I liked that the obligatory love story *didn't* wind up with him getting the girl. As you say, Batman doesn't really work with a love story. (Except for Catwoman...) And I did like that Rachel was more than just the get-captured-and-scream love interest. To me, she did have an important role in helping save the day both on the large scale (getting the antidotes to Gordon) and the small scale (protecting that boy).

I agree with all assessments that the fight scenes could have been shot/edited better to be more coherent, but to me that was the most glaring flaw.

Well, that and no one beats Danny Elfman's 1989 Batman theme. Then again, I think this movie was deliverately avoiding a rousing superheroic theme in order to emphasize that Batman is, and should be, a very street-level hero.

Anyway, everyone's free to disagree. But I think we can all agree that, at the very least, this will put the awful Schumacher films out of people's minds. Which can only be a good thing.

(Reply) (Thread)

From: (Anonymous)	Date: June 21st, 2005 06:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Maybe I was surprised with the Ra's al-Ghul/Henri Ducard bit because I know the Batman mythos too well. Henri Ducard and Ra's al-Ghul have nothing to do with one another. If you knew that comic Ducard was a Frenchman, if you knew that he trained both Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake, then why expect Ducard to be anyone other than Ducard?

-- Allyn

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: scavgraphics	Date: June 21st, 2005 08:52 pm (UTC)		(Link)

yup..same with me...didn't even expect it until he actually spoke up...I assumed the asian guy in the manor was just a reborn to be younger Ra's when we first see him.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: mabfan	Date: June 21st, 2005 07:47 pm (UTC)		(Link)

You know where I stand on the new Batman movie, but I will note one thing that I have mixed feelings about.

Traditionally, the Waynes were murdered after going to see a Zorro film at a movie theatre. In the most recent reboot, they even made it clear that they were seeing it in a revival house. Having them leaving an opera -- even Die Fleidermaus -- is an annoying change.

On the other hand...they made it much more clear just why a super-rich family like the Waynes would be in a bad area...and they gave Bruce a guilt trip that works quite well, even if it didn't exist in the traditional origin.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: marinarusalka	Date: June 21st, 2005 08:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Minor nitpick: I think the opera the Waynes were seeing was Mephistopheles. Or maybe Faustus. Not Die Fliedermaus, in any case. Die Fliedermaus is a light comic operetta, with no actual bats making an appearance.

And I did like the additional guilt-tripping twist of Bruce making them leave early, so I was willing to go along with it.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: mabfan	Date: June 21st, 2005 08:27 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It looked like Die Fleidermaus, but I will admit that I'm not sure. Die Fleidermaus makes a certain amount of thematic sense, though. Would Mephistopheles do that too?

And I agree, the guilt-tripping was what made it work.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: scavgraphics	Date: June 21st, 2005 08:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

There's a Zorro poster outside the opera house. fyi

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: mabfan	Date: June 21st, 2005 09:29 pm (UTC)		(Link)

There is? I missed it.

I guess I'll have to go see the movie again. :-)

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: marinarusalka	Date: June 21st, 2005 07:55 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Christian Bale is an excellent Bruce Wayne, but his Batman sneers and snarls too much.

See, that worked for me because I thought it was all part and parcel of Bruce sort of inventing the Batman persona as he went along. He's doing it all for the first time here, and it makes sense that he'd err on the side of overdoing rather than underdoing it, especially when it came to things like disguising his voice. (If we get a sequel and Bale hasn't toned it down, I may have to eat my words, but until then, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

That's what I liked best about the movie -- that tense, improvisational feel of the Batman persona and legend taking shape right then and there. I loved the bit where he jumps off the roof for the first time after talking to Gordon, bangs himself up and limps back to Lucius, going "Uhm... I need a glider or something." Loved Gordon improvising the Bat Signal at the end, too.

Totaly with you on the horrible editing of the fight scenes, though. Why the hell do action directors keep doing that? Does anyone actually like it? One of the things I really appreciated about Mr. and Mrs. Smith was that they *didn't* do that.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: scavgraphics	Date: June 21st, 2005 09:06 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It's been many years since I've seen Mask of the Phantasm though I plan on rewatching it very soon, having just finished last night the first box set of Batman: The Animated Series, and while I agree, from my memory, it's a great movie, I also remember as it's narative drowning in flasbacks (I remember the joke my friends and I had of it "This flashback reminds me of the time I was having a flashback"). I remember not being as trilled as I wanted to be with it.

The Animated Films...all of them, Phantasm, Sub Zero, Batwoman, Worlds Finest, and Return of the Joker are all levels of good (and all availaile at Deep Discount DVD now for an extra 20% off for the next week with secret code). Kevin Conroy is the ultimate in Batman voices...same with Hamil as the Joker (and who's name is at least in concideration...though I doubt serious contention...for the part in Batman Begins Again..or whatever lame title they give it).

BB --couldn't be happier with it.

(Reply) (Thread)

From: (Anonymous)	Date: June 22nd, 2005 12:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

Sub Zero is magnificent. I'll go out on a limb and name it the best of the animated Batman films. It's an incredibly tragic story, and I found it emotionally moving.

I wasn't so taken with Mystery of the Batwoman, perhaps because it wasn't a very convincing mystery.

World's Finest is generally okay. It reminded me a lot of "Dark Knight Over Metropolis," a three-part Superman story from back in 1990, in its set-up. And I'm not sure that I like the revelation that Lois Lane knows who Batman is. No, wait. I am sure I don't like that.

My dream animated Batman movie would bring Andrea Beaumont back to Gotham in pursuit of Talia, and she would come into conflict with Batman once more, who finds himself torn between the two women he loves.

-- Allyn

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From: (Anonymous)	Date: June 22nd, 2005 12:14 am (UTC)		(Link)
Batman Begins

Dude, the movie was great. Christopher Nolan did a fine job with overall character development coupled with making a man dressed up as a bat believeable. Nolan is also a damn fine noir setting genius. Watch "Memento" if you still doubt.
---Judy
www.lostinnola.blogspot.com

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: rex_hondo	Date: June 25th, 2005 12:26 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Well, apparently I'm one of the few who thinks that this is one of the instances where that particular type of fight editing actually fits. It's freakin' Batman. He snatches a few guys without even showing himself, then drops down in the middle of the defensive huddle and everybody's down before you know what's happened. It was a great way of showing, through the editing, just how he works.

(Reply) (Thread)