The Age Old Question

[Greyroofoo]

Who was the best live action Batman?

I MUST KNOW!!!!!!!!!!

[DanGarion]

Was? Isn't Christian Bale still a live action Batman? :)

[Mustang]

I forgot that Clooney played Batman which isn't a bad thing to forget.

[wade moore]

Bale?!

Serious recentcy effect going on here.

[Neon_Chaos]

FWIW, Keaton was the best Bruce Wayne.

[Alan T]

Bale?!

Serious recentcy effect going on here.

FWIW, Keaton was the best Bruce Wayne.


Replying to the last two posts in one comment...

I think it depends on what type of batman you want. If you want the cartoony lighter-hearted batman, Adam West probably is the best of the bunch. If you want the dark-side batman then the only real option is probably Bale.

I do agree that keaton was excellent as Wayne, but I just had a problem with him as Batman and not sure what that was. I haven't voted yet, not sure if I even will, but if I do it would likely be either for West or Bale.

[BYU 14]

I will also say Keaton was the best Bruce Wayne, but he didn't do it for me as Batman either. I liked the darkness of Bale's character and he was/is definitely the best Batman IMO.

[TargetPractice6]

I can still never take Bale's "Batman voice" seriously. He sounds like a little kid trying to sound older.

[Sun Tzu]

Whoever voted for Val Kilmer should be drawn and quartered.

[Kodos]

I enjoyed the Keaton movies the most (and voted for him because of it), but when I think of Batman, Adam West comes to mind first.

[Groundhog]

http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/files/2008/06/adam-west-as-batman.jpg

[SteveMax58]

I do agree that keaton was excellent as Wayne, but I just had a problem with him as Batman and not sure what that was. I haven't voted yet, not sure if I even will, but if I do it would likely be either for West or Bale.
This...even in spite of


I can still never take Bale's "Batman voice" seriously. He sounds like a little kid trying to sound older.
This

[sterlingice]

I can still never take Bale's "Batman voice" seriously. He sounds like a little kid trying to sound older.

"Hi, I'm trying to growl. Please take me seriously."

SI

[Tigercat]

Voted Keaton because he was the best Bruce Wayne by far. Don't think anyone has been a very good "Batman" thus far. Bale leads the group in that category, but yea the voice is over the top.

[MJ4H]

Bale AINEC. I've never enjoyed a single batman anything until these movies. The voice thing doesn't bother me, but I also understand the angst over it.

[sterlingice]

Is "Kevin Conway" too esoteric?

SI

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Is "Kevin Conway" too esoteric?

SI

+1 on Conway. The animated series is still the best imagining of Batman imho.

[sterlingice]

I think the Animated series had the best portrayals of both Superman and Batman. This doesn't necessarily apply to Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne- I think better versions of them exist. But it's so hard to capture some of the superhero "mystique" in real life but you can do it easily in animation.

SI

[GrantDawg]

Bale. Keaton did (surprisingly at the time) well, but not even close to as well as Bale. Just like the second best villian was played by Jack, who was first by far until Heath Ledger blew him out of the water. It is not "recent perspective" (I actually remember the Keatin Batman more fondly, went to see them at the theater on opening day, etc. Whereas I didn't even see the first Bale movie untill it hit DVD, and didn't see the second on opening day). It is they were better actors and their movies were light-years better.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

hard to say. burton's batman was pretty cartoonish and over the top. keaton brought a vulnerability that held those movies together imo.

nolan's batman is more of an archetype. it's not so much about bale as it is a summer blockbuster with esoteric undertones. the human condition with pyrotechnics.

[Sgran]

It's Bale, largely by default. Have you guys watched Burton's Batman lately? That thing has dated as gracefully as roadkill. "You want to get crazy. Come on, let's get crazy!" Ugghh. And every scene with Corliss is brutal. The whole movie just clunks along like stop-and-go traffic. I understand that it was supposed to be cartoonish/comic-bookish, but it just isn't a good film. There's some fun social commentary, like when the news anchors haven't showered in a week, but Keaton's role doesn't get to join in the farce. The second one is actually a better film, but still not close to the role that Nolan gave Bale. Batman begins has the best transformation into a superhero that I can think of. Spiderman's is probably more fun, but we'll need to check back in another decade to see if that holds up. The scene where Spidey jumps around on the balloons looks like it will last.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Kilmer and Clooney were awful. I can see an argument for either of the other three, but I'm giving the nod to Bale. As others have stated, Keaton played Bruce Wayne perfectly, but his Batman was only so-so. West was iconic, but not really because he was amazing, I don't think. Bale was pretty phenomenal at everything but the voice. The voice seems to bother me less than most, so he's my choice.

[Autumn]

Keaton and Bale clearly are the top contenders, and they're two different takes on the character. Bale's Bruce Wayne is clearly the mask he wears so that he can be Batman. Keaton's Bruce Wayne feels like the one that is real and you kind of wonder why he dresses up like a bat.

But I agree that going back and watching the Burton films they don't hold up as well outside of some great parts.

I also wonder what Michael Keaton is doing now. I forgot that he was, well, good.

[Autumn]

dola

I definitely hope that they tone down the Batman voice in the third Nolan film though. I was surprised they didn't do something about it when putting out the DVD. I thought it was fine in the first movie, but they did something horrible in post-production in the second I think.

[Easy Mac]

I can't say for sure, but the best dead comedy batman is Lewis Wilson

[Glengoyne]

FWIW, Keaton was the best Bruce Wayne.

+1

[Sgran]

Just to be clear on this: Nolan told Bale to do the raspy voice thing.

[QuikSand]

Post #11 is probably the only picture on the whole interwebz where Batman looks like the one packing the big unit.

[QuikSand]

And I basically agree with the above... nobody that I have seen has really done a "good" Batman, though I enjoy the Bale character arc and setting the best of the lot, myself.

[Autumn]

And I basically agree with the above... nobody that I have seen has really done a "good" Batman, though I enjoy the Bale character arc and setting the best of the lot, myself.

I wouldn't say Bale hits it consistently through both films, but overall does better than anyone else. That scene on the rooftop at the end of Batman Begins always gives me chills, when he tells Gordon, "And you'll never have to," then jumps off.