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After 2001-02, for my own reasons, I had taken a hiatus from all things Batman. Didn't care much for Batman Beyond, the Mystery of the Batwoman animated movie was kid's fare next to Mask of the Phantasm, didn't care for the games either which frankly looked total crap compared to the glory 8/16-bit days of Ocean, Sunsoft and Konami, a new movie wasn't coming out anytime soon, and there weren't any news for Special Edition DVDs of Burton's originals. Think of the fanboy equivalent of the "Batman is no more" scene from Batman Forever...

Then, imagine my surprise when some time, in 2004 I think, I happened across THIS.


This was totally news to me. A new Batman movie? Then came the teaser poster, the first Batman movie poster since what seemed like ages. It remains as one of my fav bat posters.


I wanted my first viewing of this film to be in solitude, I attended a late showing a few days after its premiere, when it was just me and no more than a dozen people in the theater. I always had a rule, as much as I enjoy going to cinema with friends, there's a handful of films that I prefer to experience alone, without any distracting comments or laughs at inappropriate spots, and the first Batman movie in 7 years was one of them. I'm ashamed to admit that the opening sequence with Zimmer's all too familiar soundscape (from being a fan of his music ever since the Lion King) made me almost misty eyed.

The audience was apathetic, probably bored (the showing was at midnight). When the film reached its epilogue at the rooftop, I could never share in the applause and the excitement that I have heard the Joker card incited in almost every showing. But somehow I liked it this way.

Needless to say, I sat through the entire end credits...

Quote from: SilentEnigma on Tue, 15 Jan  2013, 22:26
After 2001-02, for my own reasons, I had taken a hiatus from all things Batman. Didn't care much for Batman Beyond, the Mystery of the Batwoman animated movie was kid's fare next to Mask of the Phantasm, didn't care for the games either which frankly looked total crap compared to the glory 8/16-bit days of Ocean, Sunsoft and Konami, a new movie wasn't coming out anytime soon, and there weren't any news for Special Edition DVDs of Burton's originals. Think of the fanboy equivalent of the "Batman is no more" scene from Batman Forever...

Then, imagine my surprise when some time, in 2004 I think, I happened across THIS.

(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F422220_478707752139319_358531289_n.jpg&hash=3d439c190b22fa6da4db714405453974226b9af0)

This was totally news to me. A new Batman movie? Then came the teaser poster, the first Batman movie poster since what seemed like ages. It remains as one of my fav bat posters.

(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-snc7%2F313150_478707552139339_1248524139_n.jpg&hash=5b4ca586adb23ca14cc64b384d25561be9231732)

I wanted my first viewing of this film to be in solitude, I attended a late showing a few days after its premiere, when it was just me and no more than a dozen people in the theater. I always had a rule, as much as I enjoy going to cinema with friends, there's a handful of films that I prefer to experience alone, without any distracting comments or laughs at inappropriate spots, and the first Batman movie in 7 years was one of them. I'm ashamed to admit that the opening sequence with Zimmer's all too familiar soundscape (from being a fan of his music ever since the Lion King) made me almost misty eyed.

The audience was apathetic, probably bored (the showing was at midnight). When the film reached its epilogue at the rooftop, I could never share in the applause and the excitement that I have heard the Joker card incited in almost every showing. But somehow I liked it this way.

Needless to say, I sat through the entire end credits...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0wk88rjYS8

Please don't remind me of what I call the "wilderness years" lol That was a terrible time. I certainly hope we're not about to re-enter a period like this now that Bale has given up the cape.

This photo was also one of the first images I saw. But I also remember them showing the new Batmobile too.

Crazily I read the comic adaptation before even seeing the movie! I'd waited so long I didn't care about spoilers and it didn't by no means ruin my enjoyment of the film. It was surreal seeing a brand new Batman movie after so long. I know fans like to call Begins the "first" or "original" movie nowadays and often pretend there are merely 3 Batman films. Not for me however. It was much more epic for me coming out of that lengthy hiatus to see the long awaited fifth installment. And I still view it as such. I liked how certain magazines in advertising the film on their covers actually employed a familar title to get it out into the public's psyche again as a returning series: "BATMAN...RETURNS!" some of them mightily stated.

I also remember British tv did a special programme on the film in which former Batman Val Kilmer attended a premiere of it. I can't find this show anywhere on youtube. It was done in the style of those old tv specials included on the 1990's movies dvd releases. There was also a MTV special which incorparated footage and a look back at previous Batman movies up to the new one.

Even though it was the tie-in merchandise that did the series in back in 1997 I confess I love the Batman movie merchandise (when it's handled properly of course). Collecting figures of the main and new characters was something of a tradition for my dad and I in the 1990's. Some wrote in 2005 the new film wouldn't be marketed with any of that nonsense and it all sounded rather snooty and boring at first. But then along came a new action figure line. Not the greatest figures in the world (wish Kenner had still made them) but that's when it felt that a new Batman movie had arrived for me. The greatest memory for me of Batman Begins is a movie that made you feel like stepping back in time.

I dunno i love Batman Beyond and enjoyed Mystery of the Batwoman, i knew one day they would do another Batman movie thanks to the internet and i was glad Nolan brought Batman back. I saw it 4 times in theaters.

^ Batwoman was more like a padded TNBA episode, and not one of the best too. The Batman Vs. Dracula was horrible (maybe because I love the graphic novel it took its name from). Kiddy fare. With a few exceptions, the only enjoyable things to come out of BB was the pilot and the Return of the Joker film, the rest was filler stuff (the music video maybe represents the show's audience) As far as I was concerned, Batman was fodder for second rate material, while Marvel already had some great films like X-Men and Spider-Man. Opinions... everyone has them. Over and out.

I remember going to see it.  The hype was nowhere near The Dark Knight.  Anyway, I remember leaving the cinema a bit disappointed.  The villains were lame and boring.  Christian Bale was just average as Batman.  I thought the beginning dragged on way too long.  Well, I just didn't care for it much.

Quote from: OutRiddled on Sun,  9 Jun  2013, 15:17
I remember going to see it.  The hype was nowhere near The Dark Knight.  Anyway, I remember leaving the cinema a bit disappointed.  The villains were lame and boring.  Christian Bale was just average as Batman.  I thought the beginning dragged on way too long.  Well, I just didn't care for it much.

I wasn't disappointed when I first saw 'Batman Begins' in view of the last live-action Batman movie, but I was relatively underwhelmed (by contrast, I was hugely impressed by both Burton Batman movies and 'TDK' and even 'TDKR' upon my first viewings of them).  However, having got over my initial issues with Nolan's prosaic 'real-world' take on Batman I have grown to appreciate 'Batman Begins' much more over the years and in some ways, having recently watched the trilogy back-to-back, I think 'Begins' may hold up better than either of its sequels.  It's a tighter, more focused movie partly because of its shorter running time.  Nevertheless, I still prefer 'TDK' and 'TDKR' overall partly because of my initial experiences with each of these respective films, partly because for all their flaws 'TDK' and 'TDKR' displays an ambition and scope arguably lacking from 'Begins'

I'm watching Batman Begins at the moment. I saw it at a preview screening a couple of days before release.

I had issues with it, but in contrast to the issues I have with TDKR and TDKR I actually appreciate to fair bit now.

Bale and Neeson are brilliant.

Unless they do The Dark Knight Returns in live action (won't happen, just saying), the Nolan franchise was maybe the last time us B'89 kids were younger than the actors playing Batman and the Joker. Isn't that saying something...??

Quote from: SilentEnigma on Wed, 19 Jun  2013, 22:20
Unless they do The Dark Knight Returns in live action (won't happen, just saying), the Nolan franchise was maybe the last time us B'89 kids were younger than the actors playing Batman and the Joker. Isn't that saying something...??

That's a disturbing thought (heck, even Heath Ledger was born only a few years earlier than me).  Perhaps they might go for an older Joker next time.  The Joker's age isn't given in the comic-books but I always figured he was probably around his forties anyway.  However, you're probably right about Batman unless as you say they do a 'Dark Knight Returns' type movie.  It's a pity because I'd love to see somebody like Jon Hamm (born 1970) play Batman.

I appreciate Batman Begins for re-booting the franchise but it's not one of my favorites. It feels too long and drawn out, the story is not all that exciting and the villains were sub-par. I much prefer Mask of the Phantasm for a Batman origin film.

Have to admit that the visual "realism" of Nolan isn't quite "my Batman" too. The dark romanticism of Tim Burton (and his team, like Anton Furst etc.) made me like the character. Compared to how it might have turned out, however, either judging by movie news from 1999-2003, or the wishes of some other fans, it was maybe the best one could hope for in that period. Also, its commercial success owes a lot to that visual (or illusionary, or whatever one likes to call it) "realism". If you're a sci-fi/fantasy/comics etc. "geek" you are quite used to embracing fantastical concepts and maybe lose touch with how the more mainstream, general public sees things, and its them that make a franchise worth billions.

The main thing I remember is how universally loved this film was. Everybody seemed to be in agreement that this was the best Batman film, and Christian Bale was the best Batman. It was torture hearing all these great things about it since I had to wait a week for my parents to take me to check it out.

I remember being pretty hyped about Batman Begins back around 2004 when I first got wind of the movie, and when, I think, official pictures were being released. I think the first time I saw Christian Bale as Batman was in a Wizard comics magazine, and I distinctly remember seeing the teaser for the 1st time with M Night Shyamalan's The Village. Funny enough, I also recall being the only one among my work buddies who had any real interest in the movie.  I took it as Batman & Robin's shadow still having some lingering effects since by 2004, superhero movies were definitely back in vogue with varying degrees of success. Another vivid memory was having to reiterate numerous times that the movie was a reboot and not a prequel. Course the Star Wars prequels were in full effect at this point in time, and evidently people just assumed that the upcoming Batman movie was going to lead directly into Batman 1989.

Similar to Lex Luthor's (Ral) experience, I believe I saw Begins on a early preview screening as well. Like on a Tuesday if I am not mistaken. And the reason I believe it might have been on a Tues, is because I remember going to the store early that morning to purchase the Batman Begins PS2 video game that was being released that day (yeah, I was hyped) that also included a free movie ticket. But when I went to the electronics section to buy the game, I wasn't expecting to see that the Adam West/Burt Ward/Julie Newmar/Frank Gorshin/Lee Meriwether tv reunion movie Back to the Batcave was in the new releases in the DVD section, and ended up picking that up as well. I'm pretty sure I had taken off work that day, and probably took a nap at some point, but got up later and went and watched Batman Begins later than evening if memory serves.

So yeah, bought the PS2 game, along with the Adam West reunion movie, and then went and watched Begins later that evening. Definitely a all around Batman day. To me, Batman Begins was a sleeper hit more than anything else. Obviously alot of people liked it, but it wasn't hyped up nor highly anticipated/promoted like other Marvel films just a year or two prior. Which most assuredly wasn't the case when 2008 rolled around and The Dark Knight was released.

I have very little in the way of nostalgia for Batman Begins. It's not that I don't like the movie. On the contrary, I rather enjoy it.

But around the time BB came out, I was reconnecting with my fandom in general and my Batman fandom in particular. I was especially rediscovering Batman Returns and how amazing that movie actually is. So oddly enough, my fan attention in the latter part of 2004 and the great majority of 2005 was on Burton's work in general and Batman Returns in particular.

Having said all that, I think BB has aged amazingly well. It remains probably the most accessible of Nolan's trilogy. It shined a light on a lot of stuff that had never been shown before in live action. It brought a different kind of visual aesthetic from Batman comics which, again, had never been shown in live action before.

I won't say it's the best of Nolan's trilogy. But it's the movie that just about anybody can watch for the first time and be expected to enjoy.

Quote from: The Joker on Mon, 18 Feb  2019, 14:11

I remember being pretty hyped about Batman Begins back around 2004 when I first got wind of the movie, and when, I think, official pictures were being released. I think the first time I saw Christian Bale as Batman was in a Wizard comics magazine, and I distinctly remember seeing the teaser for the 1st time with M Night Shyamalan's The Village. Funny enough, I also recall being the only one among my work buddies who had any real interest in the movie.  I took it as Batman & Robin's shadow still having some lingering effects since by 2004, superhero movies were definitely back in vogue with varying degrees of success. Another vivid memory was having to reiterate numerous times that the movie was a reboot and not a prequel. Course the Star Wars prequels were in full effect at this point in time, and evidently people just assumed that the upcoming Batman movie was going to lead directly into Batman 1989.

Similar to Lex Luthor's (Ral) experience, I believe I saw Begins on a early preview screening as well. Like on a Tuesday if I am not mistaken. And the reason I believe it might have been on a Tues, is because I remember going to the store early that morning to purchase the Batman Begins PS2 video game that was being released that day (yeah, I was hyped) that also included a free movie ticket. But when I went to the electronics section to buy the game, I wasn't expecting to see that the Adam West/Burt Ward/Julie Newmar/Frank Gorshin/Lee Meriwether tv reunion movie Back to the Batcave was in the new releases in the DVD section, and ended up picking that up as well. I'm pretty sure I had taken off work that day, and probably took a nap at some point, but got up later and went and watched Batman Begins later than evening if memory serves.

So yeah, bought the PS2 game, along with the Adam West reunion movie, and then went and watched Begins later that evening. Definitely a all around Batman day. To me, Batman Begins was a sleeper hit more than anything else. Obviously alot of people liked it, but it wasn't hyped up nor highly anticipated/promoted like other Marvel films just a year or two prior. Which most assuredly wasn't the case when 2008 rolled around and The Dark Knight was released.

It was essentially pitched to me as a prequel by my Uncle. He said that the ending led directly into the 89 film. When I eventually saw the film I was confused by the ending. I was just thinking how could the Joker be leaving behind a calling card when he doesn't actually become the Joker until the 89 film?

I was 19 when Batman Begins came out. I remember seeing the trailer debut on a TV show. And I remember visiting the IMDb boards to see what people were saying about it. Two things stand out in my memory from the IMDb discussions. One was a supposedly leaked picture of Scarecrow's mask which turned out to be completely fake. I can't find it online now, but if memory serves me right it looked like a gas mask with a hat perched on top.

The other thing I remember was a short-lived rumour that Bruce wouldn't wear the Batsuit. I think at the time Warner Bros had released a photo of Bale in a tuxedo, but not in the Batsuit. Nolan had also given a recent interview in which he'd said he wanted to bring a James Bond sensibility to the picture, and some fans took this to mean Bruce would spend the whole film wearing a tux. They genuinely feared Batman wasn't going to wear his mask.

As for the theatrical experience, I went to see it with my brother and my dad on a bright summer afternoon. It must have been the opening Saturday. My main memory about that screening is that I had terrible toothache at the time. But I remember thinking the film was good and a big step up after Batman & Robin (which I still hated back then).

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Mon, 18 Feb  2019, 15:45Having said all that, I think BB has aged amazingly well. It remains probably the most accessible of Nolan's trilogy. It shined a light on a lot of stuff that had never been shown before in live action. It brought a different kind of visual aesthetic from Batman comics which, again, had never been shown in live action before.

It has aged well. Some of the dialogue's mannered, the action scenes are badly overedited, and I'm not mad on the way Batman leaves Ra's to die at the end. But other than that, it's a very solid Batman movie. I'd rank it amongst the top 5 live action entries in the series.

For all the talk of realism in Nolan's films, Batman Begins contains some great fantasy imagery.


I've always thought it struck a fair balance between realism and fantasy. Nowadays when people discuss the Nolanverse they usually think of the more grounded style displayed in TDK and TDKR. But I remember back before TDK came out, when the Nolanverse consisted of Batman Begins and Gotham Knight. The level of realism in those two films really wasn't that far removed from Batman '89.

Another thing I like about Batman Begins is that it presents a Gotham in which you can believe there are numerous comic book villains on the loose at any given time. The previous films generally adhered to the formula of one or two villains per movie. But while Batman Begins presents Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul as the main antagonist, it also features Joe Chill, the League of Shadows/Assassin, Victor Zsasz, Carmine Falcone and Scarecrow as secondary villains, as well as a reference to the Joker being at large.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Thu, 21 Feb  2019, 22:43
I was 19 when Batman Begins came out. I remember seeing the trailer debut on a TV show. And I remember visiting the IMDb boards to see what people were saying about it. Two things stand out in my memory from the IMDb discussions. One was a supposedly leaked picture of Scarecrow's mask which turned out to be completely fake. I can't find it online now, but if memory serves me right it looked like a gas mask with a hat perched on top.

The other thing I remember was a short-lived rumour that Bruce wouldn't wear the Batsuit. I think at the time Warner Bros had released a photo of Bale in a tuxedo, but not in the Batsuit. Nolan had also given a recent interview in which he'd said he wanted to bring a James Bond sensibility to the picture, and some fans took this to mean Bruce would spend the whole film wearing a tux. They genuinely feared Batman wasn't going to wear his mask.

As for the theatrical experience, I went to see it with my brother and my dad on a bright summer afternoon. It must have been the opening Saturday. My main memory about that screening is that I had terrible toothache at the time. But I remember thinking the film was good and a big step up after Batman & Robin (which I still hated back then).

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Mon, 18 Feb  2019, 15:45Having said all that, I think BB has aged amazingly well. It remains probably the most accessible of Nolan's trilogy. It shined a light on a lot of stuff that had never been shown before in live action. It brought a different kind of visual aesthetic from Batman comics which, again, had never been shown in live action before.

It has aged well. Some of the dialogue's mannered, the action scenes are badly overedited, and I'm not mad on the way Batman leaves Ra's to die at the end. But other than that, it's a very solid Batman movie. I'd rank it amongst the top 5 live action entries in the series.

For all the talk of realism in Nolan's films, Batman Begins contains some great fantasy imagery.

(https://i0.wp.com/caps.pictures/200/5-batman-begins/full/batman-begins-movie-screencaps.com-10555.jpg)

(https://i1.wp.com/caps.pictures/200/5-batman-begins/full/batman-begins-movie-screencaps.com-13868.jpg?strip=all)

(https://i1.wp.com/caps.pictures/200/5-batman-begins/full/batman-begins-movie-screencaps.com-14088.jpg?strip=all)

I've always thought it struck a fair balance between realism and fantasy. Nowadays when people discuss the Nolanverse they usually think of the more grounded style displayed in TDK and TDKR. But I remember back before TDK came out, when the Nolanverse consisted of Batman Begins and Gotham Knight. The level of realism in those two films really wasn't that far removed from Batman '89.

Another thing I like about Batman Begins is that it presents a Gotham in which you can believe there are numerous comic book villains on the loose at any given time. The previous films generally adhered to the formula of one or two villains per movie. But while Batman Begins presents Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul as the main antagonist, it also features Joe Chill, the League of Shadows/Assassin, Victor Zsasz, Carmine Falcone and Scarecrow as secondary villains, as well as a reference to the Joker being at large.

The fight scenes are easily the worst thing about this movie.

The choreography's good, but they're poorly shot and edited. Back then Nolan had no experience filming action scenes. He should have let a second unit director film the fights, but he insisted on doing it all himself. He ended up shooting most of the choreography in extreme close-up and then chopped it all to pieces in the editing suite. It's a textbook example of the shaky cam trend popularised by the Bourne movies. Thankfully Nolan's ability to shoot and edit action scenes improved from one film to the next, and the shaky cam fad finally wore off around the time the first Raid movie came out.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Thu, 21 Feb  2019, 23:57
The choreography's good, but they're poorly shot and edited. Back then Nolan had no experience filming action scenes. He should have let a second unit director film the fights, but he insisted on doing it all himself. He ended up shooting most of the choreography in extreme close-up and then chopped it all to pieces in the editing suite. It's a textbook example of the shaky cam trend popularised by the Bourne movies. Thankfully Nolan's ability to shoot and edit action scenes improved from one film to the next, and the shaky cam fad finally wore off around the time the first Raid movie came out.

I read somewhere that the Batman suit used in the movie wasn't really "fixed" until near the end of the shoot. Before that, the suit was said to literally fly apart if Bale (or the stuntmen) had to do anything besides stand still.

But those fight scenes had to be shot anyway so, apparently, Nolan had to be rather clever about shooting that type of footage. By the time the outfit's various problems were fixed, the Batman footage was something like 80% in the can. So there are some Batman scenes where he's shown moving around smoothly but those aren't the norm, obviously. And the fight scenes were hit hardest by these limitations, of course.

No idea if that's true but that's what I read somewhere. Wish I'd bookmarked it now.

This was one of the first images I saw from the early days of Begins anticipation.

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZG1sg9fmf_yc0H-S3TQ5cw69wKcEJXcafjp7o-fnkGdXdAV6a)

After 1997's B&R my fandom was in serious decline. But I was intrigued by this.

It resembled something more like B89, and that was very promising.

As time went on we saw more. Batman dangling from the ceiling and taking down a goon really sold me this was going to be worth my time. The tone was darker, Batman was depicted as a predatory creature of the night and perhaps it was time to proudly embrace the character again.

I took the day off school to see the movie. It was that important to me. I recall sitting down and having a conversation with a guy beside me, about 30 minutes before the film started. We had the same story.

Our fandoms were dead up until that point, but Begins was something to be excited about.

The film was on the talky side, but nonetheless, I was a born again fan.

I hadn't heard that about the Batman Begins Batsuits. I know the Schumacher Batsuits tore very easily, so they had to mass produce them. With the Burton films they made fewer suits, but they were tougher and less prone to tearing. The downside was that they were constrictive and difficult to move in, while Schumacher's Batsuits – despite being more fragile – were lighter and more flexible. I got the impression the Batman Begins costume was closer to the design of the Burton suits, but maybe it wasn't.

Another memory I have of Batman Begins is the disappointment I felt when I learned what the title was. I'd initially heard it was going to be called 'Batman Intimidation', which I thought was much cooler. I believe 'The Intimidation Game' was also a working title/codename used when the film was in production. But then they announced it was called Batman Begins. Looking back on it now, Batman Begins has an iconic ring to it and is much better than Batman Intimidation. But at the time I liked the other title better.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Sat, 23 Feb  2019, 23:22
I hadn't heard that about the Batman Begins Batsuits. I know the Schumacher Batsuits tore very easily, so they had to mass produce them. With the Burton films they made fewer suits, but they were tougher and less prone to tearing. The downside was that they were constrictive and difficult to move in, while Schumacher's Batsuits – despite being more fragile – were lighter and more flexible. I got the impression the Batman Begins costume was closer to the design of the Burton suits, but maybe it wasn't.

Another memory I have of Batman Begins is the disappointment I felt when I learned what the title was. I'd initially heard it was going to be called 'Batman Intimidation', which I thought was much cooler. I believe 'The Intimidation Game' was also a working title/codename used when the film was in production. But then they announced it was called Batman Begins. Looking back on it now, Batman Begins has an iconic ring to it and is much better than Batman Intimidation. But at the time I liked the other title better.

I didn't like Batman Begins as a title, then or now. It was good for marketing purposes to sell the concept of the reboot to mass audiences. Such a thing was a fairly new idea at the time, strangely enough. But I still despise that name. I can't even completely explain why.

I think I'd prefer anything at all to Batman Begins. Call it "Batman- Fear Fear Terror Dread Fear" or anything but Batman Begins.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Fri, 20 Mar  2020, 04:24
It was good for marketing purposes to sell the concept of the reboot to mass audiences.

I was at work last week and Boulevard of Broken Dreams came on the radio. I'm not a Green Day fan, but I quite like this song and it took me back to 2004/5. I'm okay with Batman films being 'dark and gritty', but I have to say I think a mainstream song supercharges promotion and makes it feel even more like a cultural event. I think Boulevard of Broken Dreams would've done that in a way reminiscent of the Seal and U2 songs for Forever. I think those days are over now, though.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Sat, 11 Dec  2021, 11:51I was at work last week and Boulevard of Broken Dreams came on the radio. I'm not a Green Day fan, but I quite like this song and it took me back to 2004/5. I'm okay with Batman films being 'dark and gritty', but I have to say I think a mainstream song supercharges promotion and makes it feel even more like a cultural event. I think Boulevard of Broken Dreams would've done that in a way reminiscent of the Seal and U2 songs for Forever. I think those days are over now, though.

You know, after thinking about it a bit, the only films I know of that ever managed to pull off the pop song tie-in thing are B89, BF and somewhat B&R. Off the top of my head, I can't think of too many other comic book movies that even attempted it, much less pulled it off. Maybe Dick Tracy? Otherwise, I'm at a loss.

But yeah, those days probably are gone at this point. Marvel probably could've pulled it off... but considering bland and interchangeable most of their film scores are, they clearly never had any ambition to try for pop song tie-ins.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Sat, 11 Dec  2021, 18:10
You know, after thinking about it a bit, the only films I know of that ever managed to pull off the pop song tie-in thing are B89, BF and somewhat B&R. Off the top of my head, I can't think of too many other comic book movies that even attempted it, much less pulled it off. Maybe Dick Tracy? Otherwise, I'm at a loss.

I would say that Nickelback's "Hero" for Spider-Man in 2002 fits the bill. Also, in 2003, I distinctly remember Daredevil using two prominently featured Evanescence songs (My Immortal and Bring me to Life) during the movie. I think even before the bands first studio album release? So I would say that counts too, as both songs initially got mainstream exposure from the Daredevil movie. 2003's HULK had Velvet Revolver's "Set me Free", and I also remember Staind's "So far Away" being used in adverts for the 2004 The Punisher movie, but I don't believe it was ever actually used in the movie itself.

Course all of these examples had varying degrees of success, but at least the studios were giving a attempt, or even half heartedly with some.

But, sure, the pop tie-in song deal kinda limped along during the early-mid 2000's, but was noticeably dropped  towards the end of that decade, and well beyond.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Sat, 11 Dec  2021, 18:10

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Sat, 11 Dec  2021, 11:51I was at work last week and Boulevard of Broken Dreams came on the radio. I'm not a Green Day fan, but I quite like this song and it took me back to 2004/5. I'm okay with Batman films being 'dark and gritty', but I have to say I think a mainstream song supercharges promotion and makes it feel even more like a cultural event. I think Boulevard of Broken Dreams would've done that in a way reminiscent of the Seal and U2 songs for Forever. I think those days are over now, though.

You know, after thinking about it a bit, the only films I know of that ever managed to pull off the pop song tie-in thing are B89, BF and somewhat B&R. Off the top of my head, I can't think of too many other comic book movies that even attempted it, much less pulled it off. Maybe Dick Tracy? Otherwise, I'm at a loss.

But yeah, those days probably are gone at this point. Marvel probably could've pulled it off... but considering bland and interchangeable most of their film scores are, they clearly never had any ambition to try for pop song tie-ins.

Face To Face fits Returns like a glove. Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional works so well as the end credits song for Spider-Man 2. I think It's On Again for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suits the atmosphere of that film. The Nirvana song for The Batman trailers is great even if it's not by current day artists, and I'd be fine with them featuring it in the film itself somehow. I'm guessing the sheer volume of comic book films is a factor now. In the 90s/2000s CBMs were a lot more spread out in their release schedules and thus more anticipated as an event. The CBM concept has become a mass produced occurrence now.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Thu, 21 Feb  2019, 22:43
Another thing I like about Batman Begins is that it presents a Gotham in which you can believe there are numerous comic book villains on the loose at any given time. The previous films generally adhered to the formula of one or two villains per movie. But while Batman Begins presents Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul as the main antagonist, it also features Joe Chill, the League of Shadows/Assassin, Victor Zsasz, Carmine Falcone and Scarecrow as secondary villains, as well as a reference to the Joker being at large.

One thing about Begins that was debated for like a year or so after the movie came out was the possibility of a sequel going in a more comic booky/science-fantasy direction. The big theory went that Nolan would gradually alter the tone of the movies so that by the third one, it would look almost exactly like the comics. Meaning, that a character like Man-Bat or something wouldn't seem out of place at all.

Obviously, that's not how things worked out.

Still, I do find it interesting that people even debated that at all. Because, honestly, Batman Begins had that kind of flexibility. You could've gone in a more fantasy-oriented direction for subsequent films and it would've fit well enough with BB.

Indeed. The fear gas being dumped all over Gotham could've been the perfect explanation as to why the city's psychosis and theatrically went into overdrive. The Narrows could've remained, along with the rain and Arkham Asylum. But at the end of the day a director should follow their sensibilities and what they're comfortable with. TDK and TDK Rises are the types of Batman films Nolan wanted to make. Like Gotham Knight, I enjoy Nolan's films for what they are now.

I'm interested to see where Matt Reeves goes next. The depiction of Gotham is sure to stay, which is the bedrock of everything. But does he go all in with another genre now he's already used The Riddler? What villains he uses next will factor in. Something even more horror themed rather than predominantly investigative would be good, while maintaining the close relationship with Gordon. Lots of possibilities, while maintaining a generally consistent atmosphere.

(https://i.imgur.com/ZHmkFk4.png)

Saw this a while ago.

"League of assassins"? Pretty sure a fan wrote that Netflix blurb.

I'm pretty sure Nolan would have called the film just Batman (or maybe The Batman) if he could, The Dark Knight sounds much more like a sequel/follow-up to/progression of Batman than Batman Begins. But Batman Begins is still a fine, even still grand title the movie lives up to.

Rewatching the film a few weeks ago, it's great how it (like Superman) manages to be both grounded and pretty grand/epic.

Quote from: Andrew on Sun, 27 Mar  2022, 17:25
I'm pretty sure Nolan would have called the film just Batman (or maybe The Batman) if he could, The Dark Knight sounds much more like a sequel/follow-up to/progression of Batman than Batman Begins. But Batman Begins is still a fine, even still grand title the movie lives up to.

Rewatching the film a few weeks ago, it's great how it (like Superman) manages to be both grounded and pretty grand/epic.

To piggyback off of that, I've always thought that Batman Returns would've been a better title than Dark Knight Rises. Too bad it was taken at the time.