There are seven movies for our next DC superhero who really is not that super but he has a lot of wonderful toys. That’s right we are going to go over Batman.  Talk about a franchise that has been to the brink of death only to be revived at the last second.

I grew up watching the old Batman TV show in syndication and even saw the movie they did with Adam West.  In its time I am sure it was quality, good, decent, ok entertainment. As a kid around the age of 8 or nine it was fantastic. Bright colors and colorful characters that entertained me in spite of horrendous dialog and acting. Again I was like 8 years old, what the hell did I know. Not much that’s what.

So I hit my teen years and there was a new Batman movie staring Michael “Mr. Mom” Keaton. As a teenager I loved it. It had Kim Basinger (Schwing) and Jack as Joker.  I loved Jack as Joker. He was wonderfully insane but I always thought he was a little too goofy and not maniacal enough. It’s Jack Nicholson for crying out loud. Watch The Shining and then watch Batman right after and tell me there is not something missing.

Say what you will but I liked Keaton as Batman but he just wasn’t pretty enough to be Bruce Wayne. Really that is part of the duality of Batman. Tough gruff S.O.B. and pretty boy rich man playing the field.

I know there was this flick called Batman Returns but I have been trying hard to forget about it for years, so let’s move on.

Val Kilmer pulled off Bruce Wayne but just was not tough enough to be Batman. I felt Batman Forever was a throw back to the Adam West Batman. It was silly, too silly. You had over acting by everyone and I mean everyone, not just Jim Carrey.

“Holey rusted metal Batman”

“Huh?”

“The Metal it’s rusty and full of holes.”

WTF?

I never liked Robin and this film did not change that at all. However check out this fan made trailer below, I think you will agree this is the one time that Robin did not look like a douche bag.

I have but one thing to say about Batman and Robin. It gave me gonorrhea of the eye.

So along comes this guy named Christopher Nolan and he is giving us this flick called Batman Begins.  I remember I had just seen Equilibrium, starring Christian Bale. It was a couple weeks later that I heard he was going to be Batman and I thought to myself, “Self, I think this guy is going to be perfect.”

I was right.  I watched Batman Begins and thought to myself again,  “Self, I think Kevin Smith has the right idea. F*ck Tim Burton!”

Here is the Batman that we had all been waiting to see. Here is the Bruce Wayne we had all been waiting to see. How about Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow? That guy is a creepy dude all by himself and I loved him in this flick. How do you go wrong with Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and one Mr. Morgan Freeman. I never get tired of this flick.

That brings us to the flick I wrote a review for recently and again I have to say “F*ck Tim Burton!”

This what the Joker character was missing.

“How about a magic trick?”

“You know how I got these scars?”

Nearly every scene with the Joker is remarkably memorable. I never knew Heath Ledger had it in him and it makes my heart sad to know he is gone.

I could go back to the theater 10 times and pay full price and not feel as though I had wasted a cent. This is what a film should be. Funny but I think I said that before. Oh well.

I could go on and on about this flick again but why don’t you just click here to read my review.

There are already rumors flying about Johnny Depp as the Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin. My thoughts, in a word. F*cking Brilliant! With Nolan’s writing and Depp and Hoffman’s acting this franchise could get even better. Let’s see that would be Freeman, Bale, Caine, Depp, and Hoffman. Hell even if the script is not that good this cast could make it great.

Tomorrow I am going to turn my attention to a couple graphic novels whose film adaptations were nothing short of spectacular. Tune in tomorrow, same Bat time, same Bat channel. Like you didn’t see it coming from a mile away.

Rate this:

2.5