Thank you DC Comics for finally making Batman Begins. For the dark avenger, the latest Batman movies have not looked very frightening, and that is what Batman was always supposed to be. Even the cartoon Batman had a sinister element. You go the dark route and not the red-and-blue-underwear-outside-the-pants way of Superman for a reason.
Back in the day when Michael Keaton and Tim Burton were making the Batman movies, there was hope for Gotham City. Burton kept things dark and even though it was a little cheesy at times with the one-liners and wacky villains, the real dark side of Batman was there. The gimmick factor was very low.
Fatefully, somewhere in the middle of Batman Forever—despite Val Kilmer being a more believable Batman than the oldish looking 80s glasses-wearing Keaton–the whole dark factor was lost behind that big breastplate with rubber nipples. Don’t those get caught all the time? The last thing you want is Two-Face being able to shoot you a perfectly targeted titty-twister.
Although things were rough in Batman Forever, Batman & Robin really nailed the coffin shut on the Batman movies altogether. First, you have George Clooney in the suit. No offense to the great ER doc, but you cannot be Batman if Robin is taller than you—or seems taller than you because you have a little too much of a belly to be Batman. Clooney just doesn’t look good in a scowl, and the smirk-smile he tried to pull off through the whole movie just made him look more like a birthday Batman come to entertain the kiddies before they open presents. Second of all, we got the rubber nipples back with a vengeance, and the suits were just out of line. Finally, to seal the deal, you throw in Batgirl. We just spent the last movie getting used to Robin being whiney, and now you throw in a Batgirl who, without any history, seems to be good enough to fight alongside Batman and Robin. Here we are two movies away from Batman Returns, and we are already running out of room in the Batcave. If you have to introduce a new character besides the villain in each installment, you are doing something wrong.
For once, in Batman Begins, all those gadgets pulled out of the utility belt get a back story and explanation rather than just an ah-ha moment. Batman finally gets trained, and, for once, the over-the-top villains actually seem like people that could exist in society today. It’s dark, and it’s gritty. Batman wears a scowl and keeps it going through the whole movie, and the fights seem like they could not have had WOW! or BAM! shooting up in the middle of them–although you have to give Adam West credit for pulling off those fight scenes.
The Batman fans finally have someone to stand behind without worrying about his exposed rubber nipples or any homosexual innuendo between him and his sidekick. Maybe for the first time, a superhero finally got put down on a level that is almost human, and the combat was more like an action movie than a ballet.
Congratulations Batman for finally reproving your masculinity, and let’s hope that it takes a long while before any gimmicks have to start popping into the movie and Batgirl comes to the rescue.
Technorati tag: batman, movies.
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No words. I am so glad to have a Batman back that doesn’t have rubber nipples, and I can’t wait for the next installment of the series. (Heath as Joker PLUS no Katie Holmes to scientologize this movie)
