Christopher Nolan's INCEPTION

[rmoxon]

I don't think there was any problem with casting. I think I would have become bored more quickly if it hadn't been for Leonardo Dicaprio's on screen charisma.

It wouldn't really make a difference who most of the other male leads were though, they all end up looking the same. I don't understand his obsession of dressing all of the characters like bankers/businessmen.

Obsession?

They are white collar criminal types, thats how they dress, it would make less sense if they all looked like they were bin men.

I really dont think all the other males in the movie felt the same, I thought all the cast was great, particuarly Tom Hardy and Ken Wanatabe. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is always great to have about in a film too no matter what kind of role hes in, the film is packed full of actors that just bring that extra somthing to roles, its a really special cast.

[Decider-VT]

Bale is a perfect Batman and if you say the characterisation in those films is bad then you dont know anything about the Batman Character Id say.

Um... no. Ridiculous voice aside, I hated Bale's Bruce Wayne. I always liked the animated series' interpretation of him as a concerned philanthropist, while Bale's version plays up his vacuous public persona too much. It doesn't help that Bale himself is rarely convincing as anybody other than Christian Bale in a costume.

Characterisation in the Batman films is also largely informed by familiarity with the Batman character anyway. Additions like Rachel just seem to fall flat by comparison.

[Baseley09]

Michael Keaton was Batman and now no one else can be.

[rmoxon]

Um... no. Ridiculous voice aside, I hated Bale's Bruce Wayne. I always liked the animated series' interpretation of him as a concerned philanthropist, while Bale's version plays up his vacuous public persona too much. It doesn't help that Bale himself is rarely convincing as anybody other than Christian Bale in a costume.

Characterisation in the Batman films is also largely informed by familiarity with the Batman character anyway. Additions like Rachel just seem to fall flat by comparison.

I think Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is very much like the Bruce Wayne in the Graphic Novel the film is based upon, so if you hate him in it you also hate the source material.

Personally I think they nailed it, and I liked it, Always thought the Micheal Keaton Bruce Wayne/Batman was ok but he was hardly in those movies anyway as they seemed to be about the villians so it didnt really matter

[Matt]

Um... no. Ridiculous voice aside, I hated Bale's Bruce Wayne.

I never understand why people dislike his Bat voice. It's perfect - a deep, roaring voice. A voice to strike fear into the hearts of criminals.

[Decider-VT]

I think Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is very much like the Bruce Wayne in the Graphic Novel the film is based upon, so if you hate him in it you also hate the source material.

If the graphic novel you're referring to is Year One then no, he's not like that version really. It's true that he uses a skiing trip to cover getting shot in the leg and pretends to be drunk in the morning when the police visit but he's not buying restaurants and cavorting with models in the pool, nor is he making impressive helicopter entrances with a model on each arm. Bale's Wayne makes something of a spectacle of himself by comparison.

Personally I think they nailed it, and I liked it, Always thought the Micheal Keaton Bruce Wayne/Batman was ok but he was hardly in those movies anyway as they seemed to be about the villians so it didnt really matter

I liked Keaton's Batman (and Burton's Gotham) a lot, even if the '89 film suffers somewhat from being a product of the times it was made in. Those shots of Keaton's Wayne brooding in the gloom of the Batcave were absolutely perfect.

[Matt]

However, Keaton never looked like he could pack a punch. At least Bale has the brawler in him.

['Press Start']

Clooney played the best batman, you know it's true!

[rmoxon]

If the graphic novel you're referring to is Year One then no, he's not like that version really. It's true that he uses a skiing trip to cover getting shot in the leg and pretends to be drunk in the morning when the police visit but he's not buying restaurants and cavorting with models in the pool, nor is he making impressive helicopter entrances with a model on each arm. Bale's Wayne makes something of a spectacle of himself by comparison.



I liked Keaton's Batman (and Burton's Gotham) a lot, even if the '89 film suffers somewhat from being a product of the times it was made in. Those shots of Keaton's Wayne brooding in the gloom of the Batcave were absolutely perfect.

Well you obviously got a different impression from the book than I did becuase I thought he was very simular, I think the film really shows his two contrasting sides really well, afterall "Bruce Wayne" might be his real name but its also somewhat of a persona he puts on to hide who he really is, it makes perfect sense how he is in the film. Its perfect.

Its why I think Nolan is fantastic with characterisation, makes films that get under the main characters skin.

I also agree with Matt about the voice, people have complained about it alot but I dont know why, its what Batman would probabaly actualy sound like were he a real person trying to mask his indentity, adding a hint of realism to films like these goes a long way to making them slightly more grounded and involving.

[Neon Ignition]

As far as Batman's concerned I agree that I don't fnd Bale's growling a problem, it certainly makes sense for the character too. Clooney would have been a great Wayne/Batman had he not had the misfortune of being in that particular Batman film too. I think Shutter Island didn't help with some people's view on Inception as DiCaprio's characters in both follow very similar background story's but with SI's being handled far more convincingly with more emotion without resorting to overplaying those scenes. With Nolan, his films often contain emotional scenes like Rachel's death in Dark Knight but they never emotionally engage when they should do. The realism angle suited Inception incredibly well and worked well for Batman Begins but it also still stands as one of the biggest weaknesses of Dark Knight for me where it felt at times he was forgetting he was making a Batman film and not just a crime caper movie.

[bash]

The realism angle suited Inception incredibly well and worked well for Batman Begins but it also still stands as one of the biggest weaknesses of Dark Knight for me where it felt at times he was forgetting he was making a Batman film and not just a crime caper movie.

You know, I thought so as well, right until near the end when Batman takes out the hostages who are actually jokers men and vice versa. the odds seemed impossible but Batman just overcame it in massive comicbook style. until then (and 2faces appearance) it was definetly more crimer thriller territory. For me, Nolan didnt let me down in regards to that. Besides, some of the best Batman books are the ones that are less fantastical and he reverts to his detective skills to crack cases.

[Neon Ignition]

I think that's why I preferred Batman Begins, it had the tone and the grounded reality whilst being focused on the characterisation and story of Batman whereas the Batman universe characters in Dark Knight could be swapped with anyone without affecting the story as such.

[rmoxon]

I disagree that the Dark Knight would work with a different main character as well, the film is in large part about the main character's moral Dilema over what exactly Batman stands for, which makes it first and foremost a Batman film, it also takes even more from the comics than Begins did.

I think they are both great films but I think the Dark Knight is both the better film and the better Batman Story.

As for the veiwer not being emotionaly attached enough to the characters to be upset over Racheals death, while I agree it was more shocking than emotionaly effecting this is exactly what I mean by Nolan putting us in the main characters mindset.

Batman would never dwel or cry on it, his first thought would be to go out and seek justice, and as the veiwer of a film about the Batman character that should be our first thoughts too. Its a great turn of events in the film becuase as Harvey Dent loses it over her death it shows us that Batman has the kind of spirit that cannot be replaced. Its actualy a very upliffting end to the film if you think about it.

I think its supurb storytelling and its also one of the many reasons Nolans films work so much better than previous Batman movies, they are actualy about Batman.

[InvisibleKid]

I disagree that the Dark Knight would work with a different main character as well, the film is in large part about the main character's moral Dilema over what exactly Batman stands for, which makes it first and foremost a Batman film, it also takes even more from the comics than Begins did.

I think they are both great films but I think the Dark Knight is both the better film and the better Batman Story.

As for the veiwer not being emotionaly attached enough to the characters to be upset over Racheals death, while I agree it was more shocking than emotionaly effecting this is exactly what I mean by Nolan putting us in the main characters mindset.

Batman would never dwel or cry on it, his first thought would be to go out and seek justice, and as the veiwer of a film about the Batman character that should be our first thoughts too. Its a great turn of events in the film becuase as Harvey Dent loses it over her death it shows us that Batman has the kind of spirit that cannot be replaced. Its actualy a very upliffting end to the film if you think about it.

I think its supurb storytelling and its also one of the many reasons Nolans films work so much better than previous Batman movies, they are actualy about Batman.

I honestly couldn't agree with you more. Personally, I'm hoping for more of the same - I loved it and saw it six times at the cinema. This is probably my all-time favourite film.

The Joker's sheer level of threat and the consequent 'How is Batman going to deal with this?!' question is just genius. Can't wait for the new Batman movie.

[Neon Ignition]

It's a good yarn about how a masked vigilante could easily go over the edge which does fit well with Batman being one of the more darker toned hero's, though I personally wasn't knocked for six as that part of the character had already been covered by Begins with him showing the limits of what he was willing to do in the name of justice. What I did like about Dark Knight though was sequence like the 2 ships sequence which put a real moral dilemma into the film which wasn't as straight forward as the one Batman faced with saving Rachel. The news that Dark Knight Rises is set to follow DK's example rather than BB's is a little bit meh for me just because I felt Inception was very close to DK anyway so it feels a little samey if it ends up too similar. Never the less I'm looking forward to it, I'm just looking forward to the reboot afterwards just as much