BATMAN BEGINS teaser!

[Bram]

OK, so as some of you may know I'm this huge Batman fan. Not 'everything Batman', mind you, just the dark stuff. Batman: Year One is the best comic I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Dark, grim, no outlandish supervillains....just a slightly psychotic young Bruce Wayne battling a city of filth not out of some ideal but for his own personal revenge in the hope of dealing with the murder of his mother and father.

Initially, the project would have gone to Darren Aronofsky (of 'Pi' and 'Requiem for a Dream' fame) which would have basically ensured an arthouse-like quality and a grim storyline. Sadly, this fell through. It now went to Christopher Nolan (of 'Memento') and looks to be a more high-profile, blockbuster-type movie which slightly worried me. But apparently, mr. Nolan, being the terrific director that he is, opted to keep the dark atmosphere. I saw the teaser yesterday and I'm PSYCHED!

check it out at: http://www.batmanbegins.com

It looks to be a Bruce Wayne story true to the original (though not a one-on-one translation of the Year One chronicles). It seems to focus on Bruce Wayne's travels as a youth and the training he recieved from ninja master Ra's al Gul, and Wayne's conflict with a drugdealer called the Scarecrow. The cast list is amazing:

Christian Bale ....  Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine ....  Alfred Pennyworth
Liam Neeson ....  Ducard
Morgan Freeman ....  Lucius Fox
Gary Oldman ....  Lt. James Gordon
Ken Watanabe ....  Ra's Al Ghul
Katie Holmes ....  Rachel Dawes

All-star cast, dude. Even the Duchie Rutger Hauer gets a role as Richard Earle. Some pics:



Lt. Gordon:



Alfred:



Bruce:



All in all, this looks to be so savage, it can really only disappoint me. I haven't been this psyched about a movie since the first LOTR teaser.

[Klep]

Yeah, I saw the teaser a while ago and it looks great.

[DavidHernandez]

Batman: Year One

That one and Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" were my favorite Batman comics ever.

This film looks terrific. Batman is my favorite DC character (see avatar).

My brother did the storyboards for "Batman: Dead End", a 7-minute short film by Sandy Colora(sp?). There were cheering crowds and standing ovations at the comic con a couple of years ago.  After this was aired/shown at the con, Time Warner made the decision to go back to the basics. I have NO doubt that this short was the catalyst for the new movie.

Bram: if you are the Batman fan you seem to be, you will LOVE this:

http://www.iearnit.com/yule2002/Batman Dead End.mov

45 megs. Totally worth it.

dave.

[Bram]

My brother did the storyboards for "Batman: Dead End",

In a surpsise move, Bram is once again ahead of his fellow TMD'ers!

This is just too weird. That Dead End thing has been around since somewhere in 2003 according to www.imdb.com, and I've missed out on it all along (though the moment I saw it, I realised I had heard rumors about it). Someone (Prism) linked me to that movie yesterday evening when I was on the IRC channel! What a coincidence.

And yeah, I loved it. 'Scum like you MADE ME!'

Also: 'the Dark Knight Returns' is indeed a superb piece of storytelling and has sublime artwork. True comicbook literature. I find it hard to choose a favorite between that and Year One but eventually opted for the latter because the style of drawing and the relative simplicity of the storyline appealed to me slightly more. Great to have another fan on the boards! Obviously, I had see your avatar but it's good to know that it isn't you being sarcastic or possibly a 'Fathers 4 Justice' member

Also: how cool that your brother was involved in the storyboards! It must bve great to have artistic talents. It's such a small world, too...

[Ric_Flair]

I too am a huge Batman fan.  The first Batman movie is one of my favorite flicks of all time...great EVERYTHING.  This looks equally good.  Rash Al-Gul is one of my favorite villians, probably the best Batman villian.  I cannot wait.  Plus I heard that Memento's director is at the helm.  Christopher Nolan...yipee.    Any would on the release date.

[Bram]

Yes.

June 17th, 2005 for Canandia and the US and July 7th for Holland. Poland gets it on the 1st of Januari 2006

[DavidHernandez]

I really hope they do something like Batman Year One, because honestly, all of the movies [except the first] one SuCkEd.

By the way Bram, I agree that the artwork in Year One was better than Dark Knight. They really captured the feel of the 1940's style while making it look spectacular.  

Miller's Dark Knight was an original perspective on Batman and really re-created the character. The art was secondary to the story, so it's the writing that shone. Miller also did this type of thing with Daredevil (where inker Klaus Jansen made Miller's stuff look awesome).

Batman vs. Daredevil would be cool.  Or vs. Captain America. I like the heros that are basically normal dudes.

Slightly off topic, the "novel" MARVELS was incredible (Alex Ross art) and would make a great movie. DC's KINGDOM COME was not as good, but had some excellent Batman sections.

If you haven't read it, I suggest "Arkham Asylum". It's old but amazing. A 'must read' for Batman fans.

Dave.

[Bram]

I did. I picked it up at the old comic store that has long since burnt down where learned M:TG (or rather: where I watched people play after having recently learned it from a friend and where I used to rummage through endless boxes of commons and uncommons back in the day when I wasn't rich enough to simply buy the stuff I needed online

That comic was probably the one that got me into the whole batman thing in the first place.

[BurningIce]

Wow, cool... the opening date's my birthday.  Nice 26th present.  =)

[Bram]

Oldman looks JUST like Gordon in year one. The glasses, the hairdo, the crooked tie...it's just perfect, man. And I for one think Caine looks the part of a young Wayne, too.

[DavidHernandez]

Oldman looks JUST like Gordon in year one.

Yeah, I noticed that too! If they can get the character development going, this could be the best Batman story ever done.

[Magi]

if you are the Batman fan you seem to be, you will LOVE this:

http://www.iearnit.com/yule2002/Batman Dead End.mov

45 megs. Totally worth it.

dave.

That movie was dope.