The Batman (2022)

[Chaplin]

Didn’t see this earlier. Interesting. I actually don’t think these movies look very much in the same universe or style at all. Joker was an obvious rip off of late 70’s era filmmaking, going for a gritty Taxi Driver feel and look. There were no hero shots (or anti-hero shots as it were) and it felt as grounded as possible, going even further than a Nolan movie to make it as non-comic book-y as possible. I think The Batman looks pretty stylized, and chock full of the type of explosions and sweeping comic book scenes that didn’t exist in Joker. It doesn’t look like a moving painting like a Snyder movie, or the gothic comic book come to life like Burton’s Batman, but it doesn’t seem to fit Joker’s universe either. It’s one of the reasons my curiosity is piqued because it looks like Reeves is bringing his own vision into it.

I thought the ending of Joker really lends itself to the style of The Batman. I could be totally wrong and it's obviously in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Covert Rain]

Didn’t see this earlier. Interesting. I actually don’t think these movies look very much in the same universe or style at all. Joker was an obvious rip off of late 70’s era filmmaking, going for a gritty Taxi Driver feel and look. There were no hero shots (or anti-hero shots as it were) and it felt as grounded as possible, going even further than a Nolan movie to make it as non-comic book-y as possible. I think The Batman looks pretty stylized, and chock full of the type of explosions and sweeping comic book scenes that didn’t exist in Joker. It doesn’t look like a moving painting like a Snyder movie, or the gothic comic book come to life like Burton’s Batman, but it doesn’t seem to fit Joker’s universe either. It’s one of the reasons my curiosity is piqued because it looks like Reeves is bringing his own vision into it.

I agree until towards the end when they introduced his stepbrother, his scene with the mob and at the very end possibly escaping. It felt very comic book at the end. The last I heard was that Phillip struck a deal to write Joker 2. If that's the case I would expect it to drift further in that direction to connect to the comic books which is inevitable if they continue. I know some fans are hoping it's connected to this film but as you stated they feel like very different worlds.

 

[cheesebeef]

I agree until towards the end when they introduced his stepbrother, his scene with the mob and at the very end possibly escaping. It felt very comic book at the end. The last I heard was that Phillip struck a deal to write Joker 2. If that's the case I would expect it to drift further in that direction to connect to the comic books which is inevitable if they continue. I know some fans are hoping it's connected to this film but as you stated they feel like very different worlds.

I don’t see it. Mostly because I don’t see Phoenix ever actually putting himself in something like a big comic book movie. He could delude himself Joker wasn’t really a comic book movie but I don’t see him ever standing opposite a guy in a Bat costume.

 

[Covert Rain]

I don’t see it. Mostly because I don’t see Phoenix ever actually putting himself in something like a big comic book movie. He could delude himself Joker wasn’t really a comic book movie but I don’t see him ever standing opposite a guy in a Bat costume.

Which is why I hope it never happens. I don't think he could keep it from drifting further into comic book territory in any believably organic way. Especially, now that they linked Bruce Wayne and him together at the end. I mean they basically completed a Joker origin story. Does anybody really care what happens to the Joker before Batman comes to be? I know I don't. What could there possibly be? He does more bad stuff? He cracks some more? Meh...OK.

 

[GatorAZ]

Some people did. I loved him in the role. I thought he was badass which is why I am struggling with Robert Patterson. He has moved on from the Twilight Series and done some pretty damn good roles. I just get Edward image in my head anyway. Part of that is because I am surrounded by my girls in the house who watch those movies from time to time which doesn't help.

Affleck was the perfect Bruce Wayne but as Batman they made him too cartoony (thx Snyder). Also, sorry if it’s blasphemy but Irons >> Caine... They at least did a few things rights during that whole debacle.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Casual fans didn't have to worry about multiple iterations of Aquaman or even follow any of the other properties for that matter. I think the standalones for DC is the best way to go because it is such a mess to follow. That ship has sailed. Batman is one of the most beloved characters in the entire universe so I expect those films to have some success with the casual crowd no matter what. My point wasn't that the mess would prevent people from going to see a popular character only that even casual fans can see what mess the verse is.

In terms of Justice League which version? The original lost the studio around 60 million (750 million break even, grossed only $657 million with foreign box office). The new version of Just League excited the fan boys but didn't turn into a massive number of permanent subscriptions that HBO thought it would.

I mean the DCEU was supposed to start with Superman and was going to really take off with Justice League. Then the Snyder stuff happened, and no one is really talking about why Warner canned Snyders vision. My personal view is most of the haters of Justice League are just Marvel's fan boys.

I grew up a Marvel fan boy who has started to like DC properties more as I grow older. It seems more adult to Marvel's PG-13 take.

The DC universe is a mess now though. Warner Brothers should be firing multiple executives over it and the handling of Justice League and the way that major Actors were treated.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Which is why I hope it never happens. I don't think he could keep it from drifting further into comic book territory in any believably organic way. Especially, now that they linked Bruce Wayne and him together at the end. I mean they basically completed a Joker origin story. Does anybody really care what happens to the Joker before Batman comes to be? I know I don't. What could there possibly be? He does more bad stuff? He cracks some more? Meh...OK.

I did. The Joker in my opinion was a top three comic book movie. It wasn't like the Michael Bay-ish Marvel movies. It was an actual good movie even if it wasn't associated with comic book properties.

 

[Chaplin]

I mean the DCEU was supposed to start with Superman and was going to really take off with Justice League. Then the Snyder stuff happened, and no one is really talking about why Warner canned Snyders vision. My personal view is most of the haters of Justice League are just Marvel's fan boys.

I grew up a Marvel fan boy who has started to like DC properties more as I grow older. It seems more adult to Marvel's PG-13 take.

The DC universe is a mess now though. Warner Brothers should be firing multiple executives over it and the handling of Justice League and the way that major Actors were treated.

Well, that and Justice League isn't a good movie (and Zach Snyder a poor director), regardless of the version.

 

[Covert Rain]

I mean the DCEU was supposed to start with Superman and was going to really take off with Justice League. Then the Snyder stuff happened, and no one is really talking about why Warner canned Snyders vision. My personal view is most of the haters of Justice League are just Marvel's fan boys.

I grew up a Marvel fan boy who has started to like DC properties more as I grow older. It seems more adult to Marvel's PG-13 take.

The DC universe is a mess now though. Warner Brothers should be firing multiple executives over it and the handling of Justice League and the way that major Actors were treated.

What do you mean nobody is sure why the studio canned Snyder's vision? Batman vs Superman wasn't the mega hit they wanted, the studio wasn't happy with Snyder's cut of Justice League and then the original version lost 60 million. I know people want to dump on Joss but after watching the Snyder cut most of that movie was still Snyder. The new cut wasn't that good either. Better but far from great. Had some really bad moments. It wasn't great.

For the record I was a DC fan boy my entire life. Outside of Spiderman and some X-men I didn't really care about Marvel. Marvel has hit is so far out of the park while DC has had pockets of success but lacked any kind of cohesive vision. It's not just a mess now. It has been a consistent mess with all the disjointed properties.

 

[cheesebeef]

I mean the DCEU was supposed to start with Superman and was going to really take off with Justice League. Then the Snyder stuff happened, and no one is really talking about why Warner canned Snyders vision. My personal view is most of the haters of Justice League are just Marvel's fan boys.

I grew up a Marvel fan boy who has started to like DC properties more as I grow older. It seems more adult to Marvel's PG-13 take.

The DC universe is a mess now though. Warner Brothers should be firing multiple executives over it and the handling of Justice League and the way that major Actors were treated.

I never read either comics so I wasn’t a fanboy. Bat v. Superman and the Whedon Justice League were just flat out terrible movies.

 

[Krangodnzr]

What do you mean nobody is sure why the studio canned Snyder's vision? Batman vs Superman wasn't the mega hit they wanted, the studio wasn't happy with Snyder's cut of Justice League and then the original version lost 60 million. I know people want to dump on Joss but after watching the Snyder cut most of that movie was still Snyder. The new cut wasn't that good either. Better but far from great. Had some really bad moments. It wasn't great.

For the record I was a DC fan boy my entire life. Outside of Spiderman and some X-men I didn't really care about Marvel. Marvel has hit is so far out of the park while DC has had pockets of success but lacked any kind of cohesive vision. It's not just a mess now. It has been a consistent mess with all the disjointed properties.

Right most of it was Snyder and Whedon inexplicably took out most of the best scenes.

 

[cheesebeef]

Right most of it was Snyder and Whedon inexplicably took out most of the best scenes.

Snyder's first stab at Batman was reviled in Bats v. Supes. And yes, the Snyder cut was better, but there is no way in hell that any studio is going to drop a 4 hour freaking movie, which means Snyder would have had to cut the hell out of whatever was going to end up on screen anyway.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Snyder's first stab at Batman was reviled in Bats v. Supes. And yes, the Snyder cut was better, but there is no way in hell that any studio is going to drop a 4 hour freaking movie, which means Snyder would have had to cut the hell out of whatever was going to end up on screen anyway.

I think it was way too ambitious, thats for sure.

 

[cheesebeef]

I think it was way too ambitious, thats for sure.

Yeah. I'm curious what his final cut would have been like. Apparently the Snyder cut for Bats v. Supes is supposedly a solid improvement over the theatrical cut, but even that cut was 2.5 hours.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Yeah. I'm curious what his final cut would have been like. Apparently the Snyder cut for Bats v. Supes is supposedly a solid improvement over the theatrical cut, but even that cut was 2.5 hours.

I've seen both.

It's actually a lot better. The scenes showing all the little dirty things Lex did to pin Batman vs Superman were removed. The animosity made less sense in the theatrical than it did in the full cut.