*SPOILERS* The Dark Knight *SPOILERS*

[GoGo Yubari]

Well, to be fair, comparing any of the other Batmans to Clooney isn't particularly fair because he was by far the worst one, even if the blame can be partly given to the director and tone of the film. Well, except for maybe Adam West but there's no point in comparing Adam West to any one of the movie Batmans from the past twenty years as they're practically entirely different characters beyond the origin and concept.

[zero]

As for the "creepy Bale metal voice," he's Bruce Wayne, a public figure, he needs to disguise his identity. I really thought that was a nice touch to the movie that is consistently ignored in super-hero movies.

Onto the previous Batmans, I know I'm gonna get heat for this, but I think everyone who played the part did or could have done an excellent job. I loved Val Kilmer as Batman and Clooney really could have pulled the role off well had there been an actual script to go along with Batman & Robin. In fact, I'll go one better and say all the movies were well-casted (aside from Alicia Silverstone), it was just the script and director that killed Batman & Robin... admittedly, I enjoy Batman Forever.

That said, Batman Begins is my favorite. In my opinion, it is the greatest comic book movie to date (although X2 and Spider-Man are close contenders) and one of the best action films of my lifetime.

[GoGo Yubari]

As far as the other Batman actors go, I think Val Kilmer could have been the best Batman if he didn't have such an awful script to work with. He really, really looked and acted the part but he just didn't have anything to work with. As it stands, I consider the order to be this as far as the film series in the past twenty years goes;

As Batman: Keaton > Kilmer > Bale > Clooney

As Bruce Wayne: Bale > Kilmer > Keaton > Clooney

And I understand the point of the SCARY METAL VOICE, but I just felt it was too over-the-top. It's possible to modify your voice and not sound as ridiculous as I felt he sounded in Begins. But who knows, maybe it'll be better in The Dark Knight.

[Captain Eo]

The voice could be a lot worse, imagine.

Sean Connery as The Bat.

[Hewey]

I agree with GoGo Yubari's comments about the rankings of who played Batman/Bruce Wayne best, except I thought Bale played the Batman character better than Kilmer. For some reason, Kilmer came off really unconvincing as Batman.

As for the movies Batman Return, Batman and Batman Begins are my favorites. I think Forever is decent, but Batman & Robin just sucked.

Who did you guys think were the best villains in the movies? I liked Joker, Penguin and Catwoman, and while he was a little too over the top for my taste, I did like Jim Carrey as Riddler, especially when he was playing Edward Nigma.

[Captain Eo]

I agree with GoGo Yubari's comments about the rankings of who played Batman/Bruce Wayne best, except I thought Bale played the Batman character better than Kilmer. For some reason, Kilmer came off really unconvincing as Batman.

As for the movies Batman Return, Batman and Batman Begins are my favorites. I think Forever is decent, but Batman & Robin just sucked.

Who did you guys think were the best villains in the movies? I liked Joker, Penguin and Catwoman, and while he was a little too over the top for my taste, I did like Jim Carrey as Riddler, especially when he was playing Edward Nigma.

[GoGo Yubari]

My order as far as villain quality goes something like this...

Joker > Scarecrow > Ra's al Ghul (except they fucking pronounced his name wrong which drove me nuts as a comic geek) > Catwoman > Riddler (I'll give Carrey this; if he had toned down the flamboyance he probably would have been good, and he was a good Edward Nygma) > Penguin > Two-Face > Mr. Freeze > Poison Ivy > Bane.

We'll see where Two-Face and Ledger!Joker appear after The Dark Knight comes out.

And admittedly, I really, really did not like Danny DeVito's Penguin. The whole circus freak thing felt entirely wrong and just sort of like Burgess Meredith's portrayal taken to a ridiculous extreme, but that's just me. Also, he had penguins armed with rocket launchers. Fucking penguins armed with rocket launchers.

[Captain Eo]

My order as far as villain quality goes something like this...

Joker > Scarecrow > Ra's al Ghul (except they fucking pronounced his name wrong which drove me nuts as a comic geek) > Catwoman > Riddler (I'll give Carrey this; if he had toned down the flamboyance he probably would have been good, and he was a good Edward Nygma) > Penguin > Two-Face > Mr. Freeze > Poison Ivy > Bane.

We'll see where Two-Face and Ledger!Joker appear after The Dark Knight comes out.

And admittedly, I really, really did not like Danny DeVito's Penguin. The whole circus freak thing felt entirely wrong and just sort of like Burgess Meredith's portrayal taken to a ridiculous extreme, but that's just me. Also, he had penguins armed with rocket launchers. Fucking penguins armed with rocket launchers.

[Hewey]

I thought Devito was a awesome Penguin. I did think the Penguins with the rocket launcher was a bit weird, but the scene where he dies and is dragged to the water by the Penguins is a favorite of mine.

Speaking of Batman Returns, I loved the creepy dude with the monkey. Does he end up dying in the movie? It's been awhile since I've seen it.

[ClaRK! Kent]

I dunno if I've liked a asingle villain, other than maybe Scarecrow. I did like Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone, but I suppose he doesn't count.

Jack as The Joker... meh. On a stick. Meh. Too over-the-top, too scene-steal-y. Jack is amazing, but he wasn't a good Joker.

[GoGo Yubari]

Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone was great, I just felt he was a bit too small of a role to really count (but then, I did include Bane just to take a shot at him).

And I understand and can see the criticisms of Nicholson's Joker, as they're not uncommon, and certain bits don't work for me at ALL (that shit with the Prince music in the art gallery), but there were still a lot of bits where I thought he was fantastically menacing and far more intriguing than any other Batman villain aside from possibly Scarecrow, but I need to rewatch Begins to make a proper decision on that front.

[Captain Eo]

Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone was great, I just felt he was a bit too small of a role to really count (but then, I did include Bane just to take a shot at him).

And I understand and can see the criticisms of Nicholson's Joker, as they're not uncommon, and certain bits don't work for me at ALL (that shit with the Prince music in the art gallery), but there were still a lot of bits where I thought he was fantastically menacing and far more intriguing than any other Batman villain aside from possibly Scarecrow, but I need to rewatch Begins to make a proper decision on that front.

[Maxx]

Love me, for I bring you many a new pictures. Note, these can be considered spoilerish, and Warner Bros is not happy about them being leaked, but if you want to see good pictures of Ledger as the Joker, click away...

Spoiler: Click here to view

My thoughts: His wardrobe is absolutely perfect. I've got mixed feeling about his skin not being white and it being facepaint instead, but he looks far too awesome for me to really complain. This is going to be amazing.

Edited August 17, 2007 by Maxx

[MalaCloudy Black]

Shit, that does look awesome.

[GoGo Yubari]

Spoiler: Click here to view

Man, I can already tell Ledger's Joker is just going to win at evil. Can't wait for a real trailer to be officially released.

[CKN]

This movie is probably the movie I want to see the most right now. I will also go as far and say it could be my favorite movie of 2008.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Scarecrow has by far been the best villain so far in all the Batman movies but Heath Ledger's Joker is shaping up nicely.

I do love a bit of Ledger though (never seen Brokeback Mountain, don't particularly want to but not gonna join the "omg! Ledger gay movie¬!¬!!!!11¬!") he's a good actor. Very entertaining in A Knights Tale - a movie that was far far far better and more entertaining than it should have been. He also looks better with his receeding hairline - kinda gives his face more character and less "teen girl heartthrob".

[Fanku Kaibutsu]

The picture doesn't currently seem to be functioning.

I never really liked Jack Nicholson's depiction of the Joker. It just never sat right with me. I think he would've made a better Riddler. I'd really like to see The Ventriloquist in the movies, not as a major role, but something brief.

[wozzi]

Anyone know what's going on here?

Spoiler: Click here to view

[Maxx]

Spoiler: Click here to view

looks like stuntmen just hanging around, but I just read there's allegedly a part in the script where a number of people dress up like batman for nefarious purposes