Dude I felt the same way when I first saw the tumbler… then when I saw it on screen I was saying to myself “they really pulled this off!!”
The Batman
- Thread starter Vivek
- Start date
This is some B-roll footage including some really cool shots of the Batmobile in action. I'm really liking what I'm seeing. As much as I'm not really keen on this design of the Batsuit, I do appreciate that it's not just another rubber suit and that the cowl is made of leather. I love the Keaton suits and everything but it's nice to see materials other than rubber or carbon fiber plates being used.
HeartBlade
Sr Member
I do hope this movie turns out good. Getting a lot of hype and it is Batman.
I do think DC is doing the right thing by not really bothering with a DCU and making one of films. More chance to experiment.
I do think DC is doing the right thing by not really bothering with a DCU and making one of films. More chance to experiment.
I guess it makes sense if it looks like a hot-rod muscle car that anyone could build so's to avoid being found out, but I still want a level of fantasy to Batman. He is a "super-hero," there should still be some of the fantastic element to it.
I've said it before in other threads but the more severe inclinations to being "realistic" with these characters really bore me. It's not enough that individuals are and do fantastic things, the whole world has to reflect that too. I think that's why I gradually lost interest in this despite it looking fairly decent.
I've said it before in other threads but the more severe inclinations to being "realistic" with these characters really bore me. It's not enough that individuals are and do fantastic things, the whole world has to reflect that too. I think that's why I gradually lost interest in this despite it looking fairly decent.
Car sounds wicked!
The original Tim Burton movie used a fantasy world but it leaned towards realism at the character writing level. Sometimes it felt like the script and the production design were from different movies. It could have been a disaster but it worked in that case. IMO they should try leaning in that direction again.
The Nolan stuff was a step too far into the real world. He made it work because he's enormously talented and it was a fresh approach. But it still barely held up for 3 movies even in his hands. I don't think it's a sustainable Batman formula for other filmmakers now.
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I'm cool with both styles for Batman. Batman Returns really pushed the limits in terms of the fantasy elements with Penguin and his army, and Selina being able to come back from the dead more than once. I recently watched it again after many years and it still holds up quite well. It's quirky and silly in a lot of ways but I still enjoy it. I get where you're coming from though in terms of the "realism" and grounded take on things. I think Batman is a story that can play in either world of ultra grounded or fantasy and it can also tread the line deftly between those two extremes. I personally always adored the Clayface two part story in the Animated Series and would LOVE to see that translated into live action.
What I'd like to see more of is to move away from rubber Batsuits, overdesigned military amalgamations, overdetailing, and dye sublimations. I just feel there are so many superhero costumes now and often times they are more ornately detailed than they really need to be. They're great costumes, but it would be refreshing to see traditional textiles used in new ways. If they set it in the past (WWII era) and approached it from a grounded story/ world, I always thought it would be super cool to see a 1940's style film noir type suit where he's using pre and post war military surplus gear. The boots could be modified paratrooper boots, the cowl a modified helmet with aviation goggles. Either leather ammo pouches or canvas web belts/ ammo pouches for the utility belt. The cape could be a modified parachute. Design wise it could borrow from real elements to set it in the era of the 1930's 40's but they could be changed to suit his needs for crime fighting as a bat.
What I'd like to see more of is to move away from rubber Batsuits, overdesigned military amalgamations, overdetailing, and dye sublimations. I just feel there are so many superhero costumes now and often times they are more ornately detailed than they really need to be. They're great costumes, but it would be refreshing to see traditional textiles used in new ways. If they set it in the past (WWII era) and approached it from a grounded story/ world, I always thought it would be super cool to see a 1940's style film noir type suit where he's using pre and post war military surplus gear. The boots could be modified paratrooper boots, the cowl a modified helmet with aviation goggles. Either leather ammo pouches or canvas web belts/ ammo pouches for the utility belt. The cape could be a modified parachute. Design wise it could borrow from real elements to set it in the era of the 1930's 40's but they could be changed to suit his needs for crime fighting as a bat.
HMSwolfe
Master Member
I just rewatched both Batman Returns and Batman Begins this week—while both have weak moments, they’re both entertaining films. The world is absolutely big enough to allow both, and it’s one of the things I love most about Batman films over pretty much any other established franchise—more than one way of doing things, more than one style has not only been allowed but has also worked to great result.
I also totally agree about superhero costumes. I do like the look of this one, but for me personally, not the direction I would have taken.
Wolfsburg
Master Member
To me, it almost looks like they took the Adam West cowl and reworked it to look cooler. I don't necessarily have a problem with the costume but that was my initial impression!
I would love to see a Batman movie embrace the gothic retro-futurism you see in the animated series. A world with police blimps looming in the skyline, elegant cars and art deco galore... but also computers, televisions and even robots. Lol! The animated series (and Tim Burton's two movies) was the Batman of my childhood and in many respects was the sweetspot of what Batman is for me.
I would love to see a Batman movie embrace the gothic retro-futurism you see in the animated series. A world with police blimps looming in the skyline, elegant cars and art deco galore... but also computers, televisions and even robots. Lol! The animated series (and Tim Burton's two movies) was the Batman of my childhood and in many respects was the sweetspot of what Batman is for me.
I agree with you. I'm not crazy about this Batsuit but after seeing it in action I think it will work great with this story. As a costume designer myself I would like to see some scaled back designs in general. I know the norm now, especially with superheroes is to go heavy on texture and layers and using lots of rubber or space age looking materials. That's cool and all and as I said before the intricacies are stunning, but what makes something like the Dr. Strange costume so beautiful to me is that while there is ornate detail, at the least it's using traditional textiles in new and interesting ways. To my knowledge there's very little 3D printed stuff, or latex. It's just beautiful fabrics with gorgeous color. I really, really appreciate that.
The Animated Series IS the benchmark of Batman for me. I watched it every day after school growing up and it's still the pinnacle of adaptations for my tastes. I too love the fusion of art deco/ futuristic look. It walked that line perfectly! Plus there's something so cool seeing the average person dressing in nice clothing like suits or dresses. It hearkens back to a time when people had more class. Plus I want to see BLUE AND GRAY again in the Batsuit. I'm kind of sick of seeing him in Black. You can tone down the shades of them to be more subtle but it still would be nice see just some hints of color in his costume again.
The Animated Series IS the benchmark of Batman for me. I watched it every day after school growing up and it's still the pinnacle of adaptations for my tastes. I too love the fusion of art deco/ futuristic look. It walked that line perfectly! Plus there's something so cool seeing the average person dressing in nice clothing like suits or dresses. It hearkens back to a time when people had more class. Plus I want to see BLUE AND GRAY again in the Batsuit. I'm kind of sick of seeing him in Black. You can tone down the shades of them to be more subtle but it still would be nice see just some hints of color in his costume again.
While I'm thinking of it, one of the downsides to having him wear all black is that with all the work that goes into these intricate designs, all that detail gets lost because the suit is monochramatic. At the very least if they're going to such lengths to put in these details at least the blue and gray would give those delicate notes a chance to be exposed. On an interesting sidebar I remember reading somewhere years ago that historical ninjas often wore dark or navy blue to better blend in when attacking at night. For some reason it blended them into the darkness better than black, ironically.
HeartBlade
Sr Member
Well there could be a reason for the suit but it still seems more like Bat-armor than a Bat-suit to me lol. Something only a crazy billionaire could afford.
I think when Grayson took the mantle, he altered the suit to have less armor to be lighter to fit with his more acrobatic style and since this is early years Batman who is likely still scared of bullets, he may be more armored up than usual, slowly getting rid of the heavy weight once he gets more experience.
I do agree Keaton Batman and Bale Batman both hold up as enjoyable movies since they try to do their own thing (although I think from a purist perspective Keaton Batman is a poor representation of Batman since he kills people). Not sure its a realism vs fantasy and where you toe the line but I do think some core concepts need to be maintained like Batman being incredibly smart, driven, like Black, have a fear of bats, and be rich.
I do think ultimately what makes Batman interesting though is his many psychological issues and ideals with his villains gallery providing interesting thought experiments for when Batman confronts them. Like choosing not to kill Joker when it could be argued his death is for the “greater good,” that not all villains are driven to be “evil (Mr. Freeze), and what if Batman became happy? (phantasm). Animated probably explored this the best which is why it has the best Batman.
I think when Grayson took the mantle, he altered the suit to have less armor to be lighter to fit with his more acrobatic style and since this is early years Batman who is likely still scared of bullets, he may be more armored up than usual, slowly getting rid of the heavy weight once he gets more experience.
I do agree Keaton Batman and Bale Batman both hold up as enjoyable movies since they try to do their own thing (although I think from a purist perspective Keaton Batman is a poor representation of Batman since he kills people). Not sure its a realism vs fantasy and where you toe the line but I do think some core concepts need to be maintained like Batman being incredibly smart, driven, like Black, have a fear of bats, and be rich.
I do think ultimately what makes Batman interesting though is his many psychological issues and ideals with his villains gallery providing interesting thought experiments for when Batman confronts them. Like choosing not to kill Joker when it could be argued his death is for the “greater good,” that not all villains are driven to be “evil (Mr. Freeze), and what if Batman became happy? (phantasm). Animated probably explored this the best which is why it has the best Batman.
TAS and the '66 show are perfection in my eyes. '66 show was just pure fun and camp--I don't think I've heard a bad thing come from the cast about the experience beyond that accidental boob-grab. TAS is sometimes uneven in animation quality and writing but that's expected with so many hands invovled, but the writing and emotional depth of it all is what made it stand head and shoulders above anything else that had come up at the time (and still does). As uneven and idiosyncratic as they are, I love the Burton Batman films lots for those reasons.
I still stand by wanting my comic stuff fantastic more than "real." TAS is the epitome of what I'm talking about: keep the characters real but he world around it fantastic. As popular as it was and is, I had problems with the The Dark Knight but I loved BB and TDKR despite them being called "less realistic" (and increasingly clunkier). The problem is consistency. If you're doing it completely straight, as soon as an element of the fantastic is introduced that pushes against the real, it's questioned and when that happens the suspension of disbelief weakens. When it's the other way, it's surprising and adds depth to the fantastic. You cannot be a great, dramatic, serious character study and a great, fun blockbuster at the same time. One has to lean more to the other and the other has to suffer. There's a real difference in tone when it's just an elusive serial killer and his impact on the community. It's another if it's the same serial killer being chased by a man swinging across rooftops in a cape and pointy-eared cowl with a toy deal at stake.
I still stand by wanting my comic stuff fantastic more than "real." TAS is the epitome of what I'm talking about: keep the characters real but he world around it fantastic. As popular as it was and is, I had problems with the The Dark Knight but I loved BB and TDKR despite them being called "less realistic" (and increasingly clunkier). The problem is consistency. If you're doing it completely straight, as soon as an element of the fantastic is introduced that pushes against the real, it's questioned and when that happens the suspension of disbelief weakens. When it's the other way, it's surprising and adds depth to the fantastic. You cannot be a great, dramatic, serious character study and a great, fun blockbuster at the same time. One has to lean more to the other and the other has to suffer. There's a real difference in tone when it's just an elusive serial killer and his impact on the community. It's another if it's the same serial killer being chased by a man swinging across rooftops in a cape and pointy-eared cowl with a toy deal at stake.
I'm telling ya...Segmented armor plates and separation lines have been the bane of design for the last 20 years. It. All. Looks. The same.
Wow—so it appears that the Batmobile’s secret identity is as a Traveling Texas BBQ Grille, complete with a smoker in the hood…
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I have never been able to forgive Tim Burton for 'Returns.' That movie was self-indulgent instead of serving the audience and it sent the franchise down the toilet for a long time. When it came out there was one good Batman movie on the planet. After 'Returns' there was no reason to assume there would ever be another good one.
The 1980s-90s was before the modern superhero movie era. When a franchise had 1 or 2 bad movies in a row then it was over. It wasn't just temporarily benched for a few years like today. 'Batman Returns' could have ended it like 'Jaws the Revenge'.
Even with the 2000s superhero boom, it was still 16 years between the first good Batman movie and the second.
(As for the Adam West era - that's a different franchise in my mind.)
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The movie actually looks OK to me, but I will probably miss it. Not because of anything about what we've seen, but because I just can't get excited about ANOTHER Batman. I get that he's some people's favorite (although I tend to think that has more to do with the fact that they've seen him in movies more than others). For me, there's only so much Batman I can handle. At this point he has what, 20 movies? And probably more different actors than Dr. Who. It's like "Batman" is morphing into its own genre of movie.
matty matt
Sr Member
I'm a huge Batman fan and I think this looks great.
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