TALE OF THE TAPE
Title: Batman Title: Batman Begins
Tomato Meter: 71% Tomato Meter: 84%
IMDB Rating: 7.6 IMDB Rating: 8.3
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman
Director: Tim Burton Director: Christopher Nolan
Box Office: $251.1 million Box Office: $205.3 million
Academy: 1 nomination, 1 win Academy: 1 nomination
Year: 1989 Year: 2005
This is an epic showdown worthy of its own graphic novel. Batman released in 1989, at a time when superhero films were not churned out 4-5 times a year. Tim Burton gave fans a dark, gothic Batman, which stood in stark contrast to the old cornball Adam West's Batman of the 60's. It also gave notice to Warner Bros. that Superman wasn't their only bankable title. Batman Begins, released in 2005, was to reboot the Batman franchise which fizzled out in the 90's. Nolan's Batman was even darker, making Burton's Batman seem as cornball as West's Batman by comparison. Nolan's treatment of Batman gave fans what they've always wanted; for a beloved superhero to be treated in a serious and dramatic manor.
Batman Begins was embraced more by both critics and fans, but Batman snagged an Academy Award, and was more successful at the box office. Batman was also a cultural and merchandise juggernaut. Everywhere you went in 1989-1990 was Batman. T-shirts, toys, bumper stickers, posters adorned the landscape. There was literally a sense of Batman Fever. Batman Begins was similar, on a much smaller scale. Where Batman Begins shines is its impact on future superhero films. Producers and Directors took notice of Nolan's no nonsense approach, and future films such as V for Vendetta, The Watchmen, and others were green-lit.
Batman vs Batman Begins is also a showdown between Hollywood Stars vs A-List Actors. While Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Kim Basinger certainly have great chemistry on set and have drawing power, Batman Begins boasts a cast of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine who offer a more subtle approach to the craft of acting, resulting in very real, believable characters.
This is a fight that goes the distance. After 15 rounds of Zap, Boom, Pow, we have to go to the scorecard on this one. The judges determine the winner to be the film that, including all other factors, is the one that made Batman fans of us all. So good was this fight, these two will have a rematch in the sequels.
Winner: Batman
I must respectfully disagree with your determination. Batman Begins (and the sequels) are by far the more gritty and substantial of the two. I have ever been a fan of the 'My technology and grim determination are what makes me more than most' attitude that was captured so well by the Frank Miller series. I appreciate what the Keaton boot gave us, but the current dark-hero franchise have a great deal more potential and have delivered a more real Batman than previous iterations. I'm all-in for the Bale Batman.
ReplyDeleteThis was a hard call for me. Like you, Batman Begins is by far the superior film. And I judge these two alone, not factoring in their respective sequels. What pushed Batman over for me, was its cultural impact. Batman Begins certainly changed how superhero films are approached, but Tim Burton's Batman created a pop-culture explosion. You couldn't escape Batman in 1989-1990. It gave a huge boost to the comic book industry. At the end of the day, as a fan, I'll pick Batman Begins. But Batman clearly had more impact on general movie audiences.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, this fight was so close I see a Batman Returns vs The Dark Knight in the near future.
I agree with Skurge. You blew it on this one. Start the petition now - RECOUNT! RECOUNT!
ReplyDelete