# Am I the only one worried about the new Batman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207 "2012-07-04T12:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blackzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Blackzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/21 "2012-07-04T16:59:30Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > I’ve read reports that playing the Joker exacerbated Heath Ledger’s depression and contributed to his ultimately fatal tailspin. I can believe that. Ledger was a boring, typical Hollywood prettyboy drug addict. He was nowhere near interesting enough as a human being to warrant these sorts of apocryphal stories to make his death more glamorous. He wasn’t Klaus Kinski, for Chrissakes. I’m not at all a fan of Nolan’s Batman movies. I think that they fundamentally miss the entire tone of what Batman should be - they’re actually too “Dark” in a really hamfisted, obvious, overreaching way that takes its cues from “Law and Order”/Police Procedurals, and they’re aesthetically/stylistically boring as hell. Chicago as Gotham City, actually the most important character, is just **wrong** - it’s a clean, modern, decidedly un-gothic city that just feels, again, like a modern and slick police procedural. That they’re introducing Bane - one of Batman’s most comicky/absurd/“nineties” villains - into this otherwise realistic/slick/police procedural vibe is just _baffling_. I actually think that Burton’s first two Batman movies perfectly captured the mix of comic book noir and detective/procedural stuff, with near-perfect casting. I think that people misremember them as being campy or goofy, when they weren’t - _Batman Returns_ is pitch blacker than anything Nolan has done yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/22 "2012-07-04T20:21:36Z")
> [@Blackzilla](#): > > Ledger was a boring, typical Hollywood prettyboy drug addict. He was nowhere near interesting enough as a human being to warrant these sorts of apocryphal stories to make his death more glamorous. He wasn’t Klaus Kinski, for Chrissakes. > > I’m not at all a fan of Nolan’s Batman movies. I think that they fundamentally miss the entire tone of what Batman should be - they’re actually too “Dark” in a really hamfisted, obvious, overreaching way that takes its cues from “Law and Order”/Police Procedurals, and they’re aesthetically/stylistically boring as hell. Chicago as Gotham City, actually the most important character, is just **wrong** - it’s a clean, modern, decidedly un-gothic city that just feels, again, like a modern and slick police procedural. That they’re introducing Bane - one of Batman’s most comicky/absurd/“nineties” villains - into this otherwise realistic/slick/police procedural vibe is just _baffling_. > > I actually think that Burton’s first two Batman movies perfectly captured the mix of comic book noir and detective/procedural stuff, with near-perfect casting. I think that people misremember them as being campy or goofy, when they weren’t - _Batman Returns_ is pitch blacker than anything Nolan has done yet. This is largely my feeling. I’ll also add that Christian Bale’s Batman is the world’s most monotonous character. Through the entire first movie, every scene was just greater-or-lesser displays of “I’m angry!” In the second movie, he was just nothing. Ledger did a decent job as the Joker, but mostly because he played the part as it is in the comics, not because he did something new and interesting. That is a step above Nicholson’s version, but lacks the makeup and gizmos that Nicholson had which were in the comic. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/23 "2012-07-04T20:29:31Z")
Frankly, I think the best Batman was the TV show version. Adam West and Burt Ward–great as Batman and Robin. Cesar Romero, best Joker Ever. Burgess Meredith, best Penguin ever. Frank Gorshin, best Riddler. Julie Newmar, best Catwoman and hottest woman EVAH. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/24 "2012-07-04T20:33:51Z")
I want to see it to see Gordon-Levitt. Not a mancrush or anything, it’s just that I like his acting. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/25 "2012-07-04T21:26:08Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Julie Newmar, best Catwoman and hottest woman EVAH. Quoted for truth. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/26 "2012-07-04T21:30:43Z")
> [@Blackzilla](#): > > Ledger was a boring, typical Hollywood prettyboy drug addict. He was nowhere near interesting enough as a human being to warrant these sorts of apocryphal stories to make his death more glamorous. He wasn’t Klaus Kinski, for Chrissakes. > > I’m not at all a fan of Nolan’s Batman movies. I think that they fundamentally miss the entire tone of what Batman should be - they’re actually too “Dark” in a really hamfisted, obvious, overreaching way that takes its cues from “Law and Order”/Police Procedurals, and they’re aesthetically/stylistically boring as hell. Chicago as Gotham City, actually the most important character, is just **wrong** - it’s a clean, modern, decidedly un-gothic city that just feels, again, like a modern and slick police procedural. That they’re introducing Bane - one of Batman’s most comicky/absurd/“nineties” villains - into this otherwise realistic/slick/police procedural vibe is just _baffling_. > > I actually think that Burton’s first two Batman movies perfectly captured the mix of comic book noir and detective/procedural stuff, with near-perfect casting. I think that people misremember them as being campy or goofy, when they weren’t - _Batman Returns_ is pitch blacker than anything Nolan has done yet. This sums up how I feel about the Nolan Batman flicks. It just doesn’t do it for me the way Burton’s did. I’ll probably just wait until it comes out on DVD before I see it. I did like Ledger’s performance as the Joker, but the rest just left me kind of blah on it. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/27 "2012-07-04T22:38:17Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Frankly, I think the best Batman was the TV show version. Adam West and Burt Ward–great as Batman and Robin. Cesar Romero, best Joker Ever. Burgess Meredith, best Penguin ever. Frank Gorshin, best Riddler. > > Julie Newmar, best Catwoman and hottest woman EVAH. Completely correct. Damn shame they’re not on dvd at this time. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/28 "2012-07-04T23:01:47Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > “Ward, I’m worried about The Batman.” Outstanding! The FIRST reply is exactly what came to mind for me. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/29 "2012-07-05T01:36:50Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Don’t, **A - J** was stunning but I felt like **K - So** just retread the same ground and **Sp - Z** failed to resolve a lot of the major plot points and ended abruptly with no real attempt at resolution. The zebra did it. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/30 "2012-07-05T01:49:07Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I want to see it to see Gordon-Levitt. Not a mancrush or anything, it’s just that I like his acting. I’ve read a theory online that Bale’s Bruce Wayne dies, and Gordon-Levitt takes up the mantle of Batman. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/31 "2012-07-05T02:09:14Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Julie Newmar, best Catwoman and hottest woman EVAH. No disrespect to Julie, but my favorite actress from that show was Yvonne Craig (she looked good in green, too). ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/32 "2012-07-05T10:54:18Z")
I am unworried. Of all the things that worry me, this is not one of them. I simply look forward to watching this, and basking in the pleasure of a great movie. I hope I’m not wrong. I LIKED Burton’s first Batman movie, but it was a live-action cartoon, and I saw that at the time. Nicholson being Nicholson wasn’t what I wanted for the Joker, and the franchise really went off the deep end with Danny DiVito’s Penguin in the second Burton film. Batman Begins was enjoyable. While it was a bit longish, I really thought Ledger’s Joker was brilliant in The Dark Knight. OK, now that you mention it, I worry a bit about Bane and the mask over his mouth. I worry that I’ll need subtitles. Dammit, like I needed ANOTHER thing to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/33 "2012-07-05T11:57:35Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Completely correct. Damn shame they’re not on dvd at this time. I believe I read recently Fox and WB worked out the rights and a release was coming soon. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/34 "2012-07-05T12:17:49Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Don’t, **A - J** was stunning but I felt like **K - So** just retread the same ground and **Sp - Z** failed to resolve a lot of the major plot points and ended abruptly with no real attempt at resolution. Plus characters were introduced in the first part and completely dropped for the second. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/35 "2012-07-05T12:18:11Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I believe I read recently Fox and WB worked out the rights and a release was coming soon. Yippee! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/36 "2012-07-05T13:55:59Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Completely correct. Damn shame they’re not on dvd at this time. The movie’s out on Blu-ray. Amazon had it for under $10 this week. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/37 "2012-07-05T14:01:40Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Everything I have seen makes it look like an overly serious boring mess. Funny, that’s what I’ve thought about all the recent Batman movies. I am so ready for the dark knight era to be over. The gloomy emo Batman was an interesting twist at first, but its gotten really stale. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/38 "2012-07-05T14:11:17Z")
Maybe Nolan will give him Poochie as a sidekick. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/39 "2012-07-05T14:23:31Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > The movie’s out on Blu-ray. Amazon had it for under $10 this week. I bought the movie years ago, I still want the TV show. ---
**Author:** ![JMH125](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@JMH125](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JMH125)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207/40 "2012-07-05T15:37:33Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > I am also concerned. Although I liked the _The Dark Knight_, on re-watching it I realized that the Joker was the only thing I really liked about it. Take Heath Ledger out and what do you have? Nolan and Ekhardt managed to make Two Face boring, the Japanese business man guy was like a villain from early 90’s _Rising Sun_ by Michael Chrichton, it could have used some serious editing to keep its bloated run time in check, and the less said about the cell phone sonar the better. That movie would have been mediocre at best. > > That’s what I fear about the new one - that it will be _The Dark Knight_ without the Joker. I have to completely agree with this. Other than HL as the Joker, i simply did not like The Dark Knight very much at all, i thought Batman Begins was a far, far better film. I have no excitement to see DKR at all, i will wait for dvd. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-worried-about-the-new-batman/627207.md?page=3)