Tag: Robert Pattinson

Opinion: It’s Been Hard to Embrace Another Batman

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I’ll be the first to admit this, and it will come as zero surprise to my colleagues here: I’m not the biggest fan of the comic book movie craze. To put it as simply as possible, there just isn’t enough there for me. All I see are a bunch of explosions, some cringe-inducing attempts at witty dialogue, and these  “universes” featuring beings with “superpowers” that I can’t seem to care about. I also acknowledge as a Harry Potter fanatic that this comes off as highly contradictory. I get that. I guess that a.) I started my life as a “Potterhead” via the books a longgggggg time ago and b.) That world puts an emphasis on consisting of normal people with normal feelings who happen to have extraordinary abilities, as opposed to extraordinary beings…and a couple rich guys I guess? I don’t know, but you get it.

The line in the sand for my abstention from comic book movies ends at Batman, or should I say for the purposes of this blog, Batman-focused movies. Like most blue-blooded males, I’ve always been a big fan of Gotham’s brooding hero. There was just enough real world villainy mixed with a sort of pseudo-science-con-steam punk evil that in my formative years I couldn’t help but love the ::Cillian Murphy voice:: Bat Man.

It started with the cartoon obviously. To this day I’ll say the old Batman and Batman Beyond cartoon that aired on the WB andddd Cartoon Network(?) were always fire. Episode after episode they delivered just enough kid-appropriate action to have me wanting more.

Then came the late 80’s to mid-90’s run of Batman movies. Everyone has a different opinion of which were great, which were good, which sucked, etc. But unless you have a giant dump in your pants, they were all entertaining. Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney all did a great job in their own, odd way. Schumacher and Burton created a strange noir-dream land mix of a Gotham that fit the mood of all four films. They were jussst kid friendly enough so that my Dad could show them to me in full and either it wasn’t anything i hadn’t seen before or what I shouldn’t have seen went right over my head. They were great

Then 2005 came along. And it changed everything. I wouldn’t call Christian Bale “relatively unknown at the time”. They wouldn’t be true or fair. I think “often forgotten about” would be more accurate. It probably didn’t help his case that the highlights of his resume so far were playing a suave serial killer in “American Psycho” and starving himself almost to death to play an insomniac in “The Machinist”. So ya, while he had been insanely impressive to that point his performances weren’t widely talked about in unhushed tones. Think the quiet book clubs of soccer moms when 50 Shades came out. That type of thing.

But Bale was the perfect Batman. From beginning to end of “Batman Begins” we see every side of Bruce Wayne: conflicted, vengeful, lustful, brooding, violent, and sometimes a bit snarky. Bale looked the part, talked the part, and quite frankly acted the shit out of the part. He could have done a scene with a sink and we would have lauded the sink’s performance. It was that good.

We know the story after that. The legend that is “The Dark Knight”, which served as both Heath Leger’s coming out party as well as his tragic “what if?” swan song. But Bale was back as well, as a Bruce Wayne torn between the life he wanted and the life he knew he needed to live. How he could play the role so well that people could see themselves in a billionaire-playboy-recluse-super hero I don’t know. But he did.

“The Dark Knight Rises” ended the Bale trilogy in 2012 (I’m old). Like Leger before him Tom Hardy announced himself as a real one, playing the physically and intellectually dominant villain Bane. But it was still the Christian Bale show. At every turn in both his “professional” and personal life there was a trapdoor for Bruce Wayne to fall in. And he either did or almost did fall in it every time. But as Alfred Pennyworth once said, we only fall to get back up again. Christian Bale got back up again for three movies over seven years that grossed about $2.5b and resulted in numerous Academy Awards nominations (mahalo, Heath). It was an almost unparalleled three film run aside from the YA-based movie series that we’d seen/were seeing in that time. The super hero movies of course came later, but they are almost more of a genre unto themselves than a couple of different “series”.

Then 2016 came.  As I said and you know, the comic book movies were tearing up box offices. DC and Marvel were printing money. ADHD medication companies profits were probably at an all-time high. I guess it was decided it was time. Time to dust off the Dark Knight. Time to bring back one of the world’s most beloved characters. Time for that inner conflict, turmoil, and pain to bring some sort of catharsis the the masses all over again. They even brought in my guy Affleck, who was in the midst of a late-career resurgence with “The Town”, “Argo”, and “Gone Girl”. I couldn’t bear to go see it. It didn’t feel right. It was going to be a letdown (I’ve been told it kind of was). There just wasn’t enough there.

Now it’s Late Q3 of 2020 (and as I’ve discussed, Q2 of quarantine) and we have a new Batman trailer. A SUPER DARK Batman trailer. Think of “The Crow” but Batman. And this time we have Robert Pattinson dawning the cape. Now, it’d be easy to hate him for being in Twilight. I’d kind of respect you if you did. But he was also briefly in the HP movies (we stan) and has churned out some spectacular mature performances such as the lead role in “Good Times”, a Saffdie Brothers creation(watch it). Reading the name and watching the trailer I was…intrigued. There’s some other parts there too. Andy Serkis, a little weird British guy who played Smeagol, as Alfred. Paul Dano, who has had a 15+ year career of being excellent playing kind of a weird fuck, as the Riddler, who indeed is a weird fuck. Colin Farrell, one of my “if he’s in it I’ll see it” guys, will play the Penguin under a shit ton of prosthesis. I’ve already mentioned to Red I’m not hyped on seeing Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. It’s not that I’m not a Kravitz fan. I almost wrote a whole blog pissed about the fact that they cancelled High Fidelity. But this seems like the studio trying to sell a few more tickets by casting the current hotness. Overall however, a very solid supporting cast.

It all comes down to Pattinson though. And for the life of me I can’t find a reason to hate on this choice or to throw any of my usual pessimistic predictions for his portrayal out there. He can obviously brood with the best of them. Ask any Twilight memer, let alone fan. “Good Times” showed he can evoke desperation and frustration with the best of them. The action scenes or any scene he has to do anything physical will be interesting. So far the Triwizard Tournament is all I have to go on there. He did well I guess? So here I am, without a reason to hate on the Pattinson choice.

So I guess, for just 2.5 hours (probably something like that) maybe it’s time to let go. Maybe it’s time to move on from Christian Bale and the impossibly high bar he set. He played Batman perfectly. But maybe that doesn’t mean someone else can’t play him differently? Maybe the greatness of Bale’s Batman will allow us to see the subtleties in Pattinson’s. Maybe the bleak, eroded Gotham the trailer seems to imply is going to suit the new Dark Knight perfectly and allow him to thrive like a basketball player in a perfect offense. I think I can actually say “I hope so”.

 

-Joey B.

 

Michael Keaton May Return as Batman Alongside Ezra Miller’s Flash. Wait, What??

By on • ( 2 Comments )

The Wrap – After nearly 30 years, Michael Keaton is in talks to return to the role of Batman, to appear alongside Ezra Miller in Warner Bros.’ upcoming movie “The Flash,” TheWrap has learned exclusively. Talks with Keaton are in the very early stages, it is far from a sure thing, and can go either way. No details are currently available about how big or small Keaton’s role is.

That plot will introduce general audiences to the idea of the multiverse, one of the of core concepts underpinning DC Comics. For the non fanboy set, the multiverse refers to a shifting number of alternate universes that coexist within the larger reality depicted in DC comics. Originally created to explain various contradictory changes the company’s characters experienced over decades, it allows several different versions of the same characters to simultaneously exist and, occasionally, interact. Matt Reeves upcoming “The Batman” will not be affected and Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is still viewed as the future of the franchise.

In my head I imagine the head of the DC Comics movie studio as a high school kid just inhaling Adderall and Mountain Dew because these movies are ALL over the place. Ben Affleck is the Batfleck! Batfleck is writing and directing a standalone film! Batfleck retired! Robert Pattinson is now Batman! Hey what about bringing back 1989 Batman Michael Keaton to star alongside Ezra Miller, who literally just played the Flash next to Affleck’s Batman in two movies!

Before the fanboys jump down my throat, yes I understand the concept of the multiverse. I watched an episode of the Crisis on Infinite Earths episode just to see my dude Tom Welling reprise his role in Smallville one more time. It was a disappointingly short 90 seconds of screen time for the old WB’s Clark Kent, but that disappointment gave way to a crying fit of laughter when I saw who they had playing Lex Luthor.

What, was Michael Rosenbaum busy with a set at the Comedy Store that night? Ah, but I digress.

I think the entire concept of the multiverse (which not surprisingly was originally introduced to cover up inconsistencies over the years) opens up a world of possibilities. But its hard to feel good about anything DC does these days because they’ve already mucked up so many movies and planned universes. With that being said a multiverse allows DC to punt on the idea of a shared universe across multiple movies like Marvel and focus on self contained stories while plugging and playing our favorite characters and actors without the need to explain a ton of backstory. Whether that works with an audience outside of a hardcore comics fanbase is unclear, but I know I’d be pumped to see Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern pop into a movie with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn as it’s revealed that The Joker is actually Mark Hammil’s version. Thats basically a 10 year old’s dream, just mixing and matching whatever toys you have and mashing em all together.

Or really any reason at all to bring my girl and Smallville legend Kristen Kreuk out of the Disney Vault.

But if we wanna get nuts then lets get nuts and do the Batman Beyond movie with Keaton as the old Bat.

Now THAT is a movie that would put asses in seats. I’d like to say Pattinson’s movie and this multiverse news with Keaton are just a giant smokescreen to distract us from a Batman Beyond movie secretly in the works, but I think that is giving the DCEU far too much credit. I’ve already written thousands of words about this nerdgasm of a movie so I won’t go down that rabbit hole again.

Either way I am fully on board with DC just throwing shit against the wall and seeing what sticks. Oh people love Wonder Woman and Aquaman Jason Mamoa? They’re in! People hate Jared Leto and the Batfleck retired? Out! Give me the Flash and the guy that played Batman 31 years ago and maybe another out of place character to see if we can catch lightning in a bottle with the mutliverse. That or yet another DC movie bombs and Jon Taffer just shuts it down.

Granted it came out a month after I was born so I’ve only seen it once or twice and I know it was the first comic book movie to play it serious, but I was never overly fond of Batman 1989 or Jack Nicholson, as Big Jim Murray put it, playing Jack Nicholson with makeup. With that being said I’ll have to go back and give it a rewatch because it sure sounds like Keaton could be coming out of retirement to don the black cowl once again.

All Sorts of DC and Marvel Rumors Are Swirling and I’m Having a Nerdgasm

By on • ( 1 Comment )

I am a nerd when it comes to this stuff so take these casting and movie rumors and inject them into my damn veins.

“[Sources] have informed us that inspired by the success of Joker, WB is now looking to do more standalone, dark and mature DC movies. And one project they’d like to make happen is a live-action Batman Beyond with [Michael] Keaton in the lead role.“

There is a rumor floating around that Michael Keaton could be in line to star as Bruce Wayne in a live action Batman Beyond movie. Batman Beyond was one of the best takes on Batman without rehashing the same old origin story that everyone goes back to. It focused on an old Bruce Wayne who used to be Batman with the mantle of the Dark Knight going to a young Terry McGinnis in the not so distant future. If that doesn’t give you a pants tent, well the internet has already started designing fake posters for this non-existent movie.

Then there are people who are doing the mental gymnastics around how this project could already be in the works. Theres been a TON of mystery and secrecy around Robert Pattinson’s upcoming Batman movie and mostly because nobody knows what its about. Especially after Ben Affleck’s script got thrown in the trash. So some people are theorizing that Pattinson could actually be playing Terry McGinnis with Keaton sliding in to play the older Bruce Wayne.

Sign. Me. Up.

And if you really wanted to fuck with people you could bring back Mark Hammil, who voiced the Joker in Batman the Animated Series and in some of the video games, for the fourth iteration of the Joker in the pasts decade.

Also, unrelated yet hilarious, a picture of Henry Cavill’s mustachioed Superman has finally leaked and it is glorious. Honestly, for all the dark tones these DC movies tried to force down our throats, maybe a man of steel with a flavor savor wouldn’t have been the worst thing.

Now that we’ve gone through DC’s latest rumors, lets head on over to the big kid on the block in the MCU.

In his new role as Creative Czar of Marvel, Kevin Feige is reportedly rebooting all of the Marvel TV shows that had mixed results. This comes as no surprise after each of the Marvel Netflix shows was slowly and methodically cancelled. Some like Daredevil and the Punisher were legitimately great shows and others like Iron Fist I could not make it through the pilot. Now its a real shame that Marvel plans to reboot these shows because it just makes the whole Netflix Marvel era feel like a waste of time. (Ironically enough thats been DC’s fundamental flaw forever) HOWEVER, there are now rumors circulating that while Feige will indeed reboot these shows he wants to keep some of the key actors in these roles.

“Our sources – the same ones who recently brought us accurate scoops such as Wiccan will debut in WandaVision, General Ross will appear in She-Hulk and the Inhumans will show up in Ms. Marvel – say that the Man Without Fear is likely to be played by Charlie Cox again. From what we understand, Feige still wants Cox as Daredevil, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher and a few more actors to reprise their roles, but for the most part, the TV characters will all be recast and whether they’re brought to life by a new performer or not, they’ll all be rebooted, with the super producer basically wanting to wipe Marvel TV’s efforts from continuity/existence.”

That is nothing more than a whisper in the wind, but that would be incredible and not to mention entirely unprecedented. I can’t think of one instance of a show or movie getting rebooted with the same actor returning to the role. That would be like Jared Leto and his weird, hoodrich version of the Joker reprising his role in the Todd Philips’ dark, grounded, gritty standalone film.

Don’t mess with me, internet message boards. These rumors are too good to not be true.

 

Details Emerge on What Ben Affleck’s Standalone Batman Script Was About Andddd I Want That Movie Instead

By on • ( 3 Comments )

Indiewire – In a new interview on MTV’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, cinematographer Robert Richardson reconfirmed Affleck’s Batman script was finished and not exactly beloved by everyone involved in the film’s development. Richardson was hired by Affleck to film his Batman standalone film…

As for what Affleck’s script entailed, Richardson revealed the Batman franchise was going to Arkham Asylum to dig into Bruce Wayne’s own insanity. The cinematographer said Affleck’s film would have showed “the darker side of Batman,” which is quite the statement given how brooding Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of the superhero was in his “Dark Knight” trilogy.

“Well, [Affleck] was going more into the insanity aspects,” Richardson said. “So I think you would’ve seen something a little darker than what we’ve seen in the past and more into the individual, who was inside Batman — what element may be sane and what element may actually not be sane. So he was entering into a little more of the Arkham, as you know, he’s going into where you keep everyone who was bad, everyone that shifted and Batman. And so that whole aspect was sort of, it was very fascinating to go to the darker side of Batman.”

Give me *that* movie. What the hell Warner Bros? Its like these studios and DC Comics just cannot get out of their own way. Now I don’t want to shit on the yet to be released Robert Pattinson Batman movie because who knows it could be awesome, but this Affleck script sounds way more interesting than rebooting Batman for the third time in a decade.

It’ll be hard to ever top The Dark Knight, which for my money is arguably the greatest superhero movie ever made because it doesn’t rely on CGI and dozens of characters.

At its core The Dark Knight is a crime thriller with a heavy focus on psychology and mental health. As much as I loved Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale’s version, I really enjoyed Ben Affleck’s take on the character. He was a much angrier, morally ambiguous, jaded, and more violent version of the Batman than we’d ever seen before.

Now who knows the real story behind why the Batfleck is no more, but there was always drama around his standalone film. Maybe starring, writing, and directing was too much for Affleck or maybe he said to hell with it when he realized he didn’t actually have the creative freedom he thought he would. Either way this movie was on life support for a long time before he officially retired as the caped crusader in January. This movie sounds like it could have been incredible though. Similar to The Dark Knight‘s exploration of psychology and mental health, but taken to the next level with the physical embodiment of Arkham Asylum. Theres just so much meat on the bones and so many directions they could have went with that entire idea. I literally own The Psychology of Batman book so I may be a bit biased in my opinion, but I know for a fact that we could have seen something seriously compelling with Affleck’s script. Not even just with the criminals, but with Bruce Wayne himself. You obviously have to be pretty fucked up to lurk around city rooftops at night fighting bad guys while dressed like a BAT. The Batman movies have never really explored that too much other than the typical backstory of Bruce’s parents being murdered in front of him. Batman Begins delves into that a bit, but its more of how he became Batman whereas this could have been why.

After the flame out that was Justice League, it seems DC has decided to explore individual stories in standalone flicks that aren’t actually connected. We’ve got the upcoming Joker coming out later this year, which is already getting some early Oscar buzz, and that movie reportedly will not be connected to the larger DCEU at all.

I don’t expect this Pattison Batman role to be teaming up with the Justice League any time soon either.

The problem DC always had was they were continuously rushing projects along despite poor vision/execution. They seemingly thought they could just slap together a couple of movies and catch up to Marvel despite the MCU’s painstaking, carefully laid plans. People forget that Marvel released five movies over the course of 4+ years before teaming everyone up in The Avengers. And to be honest, 3-4 of those movies kind of stunk. If The Avengers didn’t completely nail it we could have seen the MCU shuttered a LOT quicker than originally anticipated, which is why Thanos isn’t even referenced until Thor.

Whereas DC released Man of Steel in 2013, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and then Wonder Woman in 2017, immediately followed up by Justice League five months later. World building this was not. It didn’t help that Man of Steel never even made hint of a larger world of heroes and then 3 years later it turns out Batman has been running shit for years right across a literal bay of water from Clark Kent so that always came off as a shoddy retcon. Oh and that movie made the unforgivable decision to cast Mark Zuckerberg as Lex Luther and had one of the most ridiculous convoluted plots with the dumbest turning point (which Snyder still defends) that I can remember seeing in a movie.

Batman vs Superman could have been so so good. The trailer and the visuals taken out of context from that movie are still gorgeous. Just the perception of Bruce Wayne that Superman is actually evil and he needs to destroy this god-like figure to protect the world is so intriguing.

Especially after 40 years of Superman being portrayed as this Eagle Scout who flies in to save the day. Buttt the movie itself was a microcosm of the DCEU’s overarching issues and ended up being kind of a mess.

Wonder Woman was actually pretty good and was probably the only reason Justice League faired as well as it did. Except Justice League was another disaster in terms of vision and execution. In a vacuum its fine, I watched it on a flight and it kept me entertained, but it jumps around, its dark then its humorous, the villain was terrible and forgettable, and it seemed more like a comic book artist’s wet dream than a major movie studio’s tentpole franchise. Obviously a lot of that is likely due to the film having to switch directors midway through production after the death of Zack Snyder’s daughter. Ironically enough The Avengers mastermind Joss Whedon took over, but this movie was an amalgam of bad ideas thrown together skating by on IP alone.

So I’m holding out hope that DC has seen the error of its ways (Guys, not everything has to have a connected universe) and the casting of Pattinson has potential because he’s actually been grinding away as an indie character actor for the last decade. Who knows what direction Reeves will go in, but its tough not to wonder what could have been with Affleck giving it one more go.