Was George Clooney under-rated as Bruce Wayne?

[The Laughing Fish]

If we can disregard his take as Batman for a moment, does anyone else think that George Clooney did an okay job as Bruce Wayne? I've only seen the film three times since it first came out, but nothing about Clooney's Bruce came across as off-putting to me. He had the charm that was needed to depict the playboy celebrity, and his chemistry with Michael Gough's Alfred was superb. That scene where he says his presumably final goodbyes to Alfred on his deathbed was probably the most touching moment out of all the Batman films to date. His acting out of costume while arguing with Dick Grayson was fine and appropriate; showing authority when he needed to.

I'm not saying he was spectacular as Bruce, but I think it's a little unfair to condemn Clooney's entire performance because of the ghastly costume he had to wear and the terribly goofy lines he had to recite as Batman.

[Catwoman]

His Bruce was good. A better Batman for him and he would be pretty well regarded I think!

[The Dark Knight]

He suited the billionaire playboy facet probably the best of the Bruce Wayne actors, I'll give him that.

[The Laughing Fish]

I thought I'd share this video of Clooney making a funny impression of Schumacher directing people on the B&R set during an interview with Graham Norton.

[Seantastic]

I have always liked Clooney's performance; its a different film after all!
Once you get around that, and go into it in the mindset of "your gonna watch a fun, over the top popcorn flick for two hours" your fine and can enjoy the film.

I thought he does a fine job as Wayne, hell as Batman too, he was playing that movies Batman - not the Batman from 89, not the Batman from Returns, not even the Batman from Forever.  This film is a totally different creature; give it a go and get on board for the fun ride that it really is.

[riddler]

Dare I say that Clooney may have been the best Bruce Wayne?

He plays the suave, charming Bruce Wayne better than the rest. Bale was decent as bruce wayne but he goes too far into the ditzy act and in the dark knight rises seems to be truly stupid. Keaton plays him as an intovert which kind of makes sense early in his career as Batman but isn't the quintesential Bruce Wayne. Kilmer I didn't like as Bruce Wayne, his acting was wooden although he did a decent job of capturing the progeression of Bruces character from constantly being tortured to the noble statesman he becomes in the comics.

[The Laughing Fish]

Dare I say that Clooney may have been the best Bruce Wayne?

He plays the suave, charming Bruce Wayne better than the rest. Bale was decent as bruce wayne but he goes too far into the ditzy act and in the dark knight rises seems to be truly stupid. Keaton plays him as an intovert which kind of makes sense early in his career as Batman but isn't the quintesential Bruce Wayne. Kilmer I didn't like as Bruce Wayne, his acting was wooden although he did a decent job of capturing the progeression of Bruces character from constantly being tortured to the noble statesman he becomes in the comics.

I guess one could say that the ideal live action interpretation would be blending Clooney's playboy Bruce Wayne together with Keaton's stoic Batman.

[Catwoman]

To me that is kind of why I think Val is the best Bruce.

[thecolorsblend]

I really can't picture anybody but Clooney in the role in B&R. Not even Kilmer would've brought the same sensibility. Bruce in B&R is a relatively happy, relatively well-adjusted guy. He's not the obsessive, brooding loner anymore. It's not that Keaton or Kilmer couldn't have done similar things. I'm sure they could've. But Clooney's casting reinforces the idea that Bruce is fundamentally different now after his experiences in BF. Replacing Kilmer with Clooney of all actors helps sell that reality.

By the by, this goes both ways. I don't especially care to see Clooney try playing the angry, driven Batman.

[Edd Grayson]

Yeah, even if I'm not a huge fan of  this version of Batman, I can't deny that Clooney did well with what he had, it's not so much his fault how the character was written for this film only.