giotto said:

Well, I've only seen the pics of Oldman as Gordon, but he LOOKS like his comic counterpart. He's a fantastic actor, and the script actually has Gordon depicted properly (for the VERY first time in live-action).

As for Ra's, I see what you're saying. There is a really cool twist about his character that I liked, if only because it resolves an issue I had with the casting. I think you'll be okay with it when its all said and done. The one thing I am certain of is that there won't be ANY of the scene-chewing bullshit of Tommy Lee Jones or Arnie. As I said before, this time the villians are not the stars of the film. Batman actually takes center stage (what a concept!)

Interesting to know that The Joker/Jack Napier didn't actually kill his parents. Though in such a hollywood movie it makes sense, don't you think?

Could someone make a quick summary of his training, this terrorist and whatever else happened in the comics for me?

Looks okay. I think Bale is a great choice for Batman, but I'm no huge fan of Christopher Nolan. And I can't help but thinking of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn when I see him in the trailer. It seems to be the same sort of role. It also seems - just from the trailer - that they're trying to make it in the same vein as the first two Superman films. That's not a bad thing, really; I love those two, but I don't want to be thinking of Qui-Gon Jinn and Superman when I'm seeing a Batman film.

That said, I rarely put a whole lot of faith in trailers. Many of my favorite films in recent years looked crap in the trailer: Frequency, The Iron Giant, The Polar Express, Frailty and others. When I see this movie (and I will see it), I'll see it with no preconceived notions of how it should be. I've been no big fan of any of the films in the series thus far, so it can only go uphill for me.

calldapplwondery83 said:[quote]Interesting to know that The Joker/Jack Napier didn't actually kill his parents. Though in such a hollywood movie it makes sense, don't you think?

Hmmm, well, here ya go:

(taken from The Oracle Files)



Batman
Alter Ego: Bruce Wayne
Occupation: Multimillionaire Socialite
Known Relatives: Thomas and Martha Wayne (parents, deceased), Philip (uncle)

Two terrible moments forever changed the life of Bruce Wayne. The first came at age six, when he roamed the far grounds of Gotham City's Wayne Manor and fell into a deep cavern swarming with bats. Though his father soon rescued him, Bruce never again felt completely secure in his world.

The second came two years later, in an alleyway behind a movie theater in which the Waynes had just seen The Mark of Zorro. There a mugger named Joe Chill shot Thomas and Martha Wayne in cold blood before fleeing into the night.

Though the police eventually showed, they were far too late to help the Waynes; but physician and social worker Leslie Thompkins arrived in time to bring loving comfort to Bruce before his young heart was forever hardened by his trauma. Together with Philip Wayne, Bruce's uncle and legal guardian, and Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler, Thompkins gave guidance to Bruce as he passed through his teens. But none of them could erase from Bruce the burning passion to punish all criminals, an oath he avowed on his parents' gravestite. To that end, Bruce grew up training himself to the peak of physical and intellectual perfection and, at age eighteen, began using his vast fortune to travel the world in search of those who could teach him to fight crime effectively.

Years later, Bruce returned to Gotham City, and began his war on crime. Before long, he came to realize that his skills were not enough, that he would need an edge over his opponent--a guise that would strike terror into their hearts. Inspired by the bats that had so horrified him as a boy, Bruce donned a costume complete with cape and cowl and renewed his mission. The results were immediate: soon, the criminals of Gotham began speaking in fearful whispers about the creature known only as The Batman.

Though The Batman's fight against corruption was a lonely one, he soon found others who shared his passion for justice, chief among them police lieutenant James Gordon, one of Gotham's few honest cops. Their friendship deepened over the years, and today, in his role as Police Commissioner, Gordon frequently uses the Bat-Signal to summon the Dark Knight whenever his policemen are confronted with threats too great for them to overcome.

Soon after, the Batman's life was changed once more, when he adopted Dick Grayson, a young acrobat whose parents, like Bruce's, had been killed by criminals. Under Bruce's tutelage, Dick adopted the guise of Robin and became Batman's partner, staying with his mentor until reaching adulthood. Eventually, the Robin mantle was passed along to Jason Todd--who died tragically at the hands of the Joker--and finally to Tim Drake, the current Robin.

Batman is unique among those crimefighters who hide their true identity behind a mask and costume in that his Batman guise is the "real" one; his daytime role of bored socialite and philanthropist is actually the disguise. This persona is carefully crafted to divert any suspicion that Bruce Wayne, principal stockholder in Wayne Foundation, an extensive world-wide empire of successful businesses, is, by night, Batman.


---
[Edited 12/16/04 6:37am]

Here is the Oracle Files entry on Ra's Al Ghul:



Ra's al Ghul

Alias: "The Demon"
Occupation: International Terrorist
Known Relatives: Talia al Ghul
(daugther), Melisande (wife, deceased),
child (unnamed)

Ra's al Ghul is a megalomaniac who places himself above society's laws and conventions in pursuit of his private vision of a "better world." To that end, he commands a small army of fanatical followers who are adept with both ancient and futuristic weaponry. Despite his great power and lofty goals, however, he will never be successful in taking control of the world...not so long as the Batman has anything to say about it.


Very little is known of Ra's al Ghul's background. Ra's al Ghul ("the demon's head" in Arabic) is assumed to be an alias, his real name lost to the mists of time. No one is entirely certain of his age, save that he has lived far beyond a normal human lifespan thanks to the regenerative powers of the Lazarus Pit, a bath of unknown chemicals able to restore al Ghul to health and life. What is known is that, during World War II, al Ghul commanded an organization of his own which he often used to combat Axis powers. Two of his most trusted agents perished at Hiroshima, leaving al Gul to care for their teen-aged son as if the youth were his own. From the moment of his parents' death, the boy became fatalistic and moody and adopted the name Qayin, after a variation on Cain, the Biblical murderer. Sadly, it was Qayin who was then responsible for the death of al Ghul's beautiful wife, Melisande, whom he accidentally pushed into the Lazarus Pit; she met her gruesome end in front of Talia, the al Ghul's only child.

Many years later, Batman met Talia when he rescued her from a former employee of Ra's al Ghul's who intended to create a criminal cartel to rival his former master's. Shortly thereafter, al Ghul proceeded to test the Batman's fabled skills by arranging for a "mysterious party" -- secretly himself-- to kidnap both Dick Grayson (the first Robin) and Talia, but the Dark Knight was on to Al Ghul almost from the start. Once Robin was freed and safe, Batman was appalled to learn that he was being tested for his worthiness as a husband for Talia and an heir to al Ghul's international cartel. Despite his attraction to Talia, the Batman declined the offer.


Since then, the Batman has tirelessly opposed al Ghul's acts of worldwide terrorism. The job has not been easy; not only is al Ghul's personal fortune far in excess of even the Batman's, but Ra's is his foe's equal in brilliance and long ago deduced the secret of Batman's double identity of Bruce Wayne. On rare occasions, al Ghul has even fought at Batman's side, such as the time the two men worked together to apprehend the adult Qayin, who had become a formidable Mideastern terrorist.

Thanks!

RipHer2Shreds said:

Actually, the whole Qui-Gonn thing is probably the reason they cast Neeson. The roles appear similar on the surface, but there is a definite twist to it that would take anyone with that idea in mind off guard.

As for Superman, not really. There are a few plot points that you could find comparable, but they're minor. I doubt you'll be thinking too much about Supes.



That is really the best way to go with it. Even if they completely fuck up a great script, it will still be better than Batman & Robin

I'd love me a new bats flick, but this looks more like the new Highlander.

Novabreaker said:

Ummm, no.

I can't wait!

aight..im slowly waiting for this trailer to start...so, ill share my thoughts on the new batman flick...


im not that jazzed about it yet...sure, Christian Bale is the perfect actor for the role but to say that Christopher Nolan is a skilled director is a bit of a stretch.....Momento was a one trick pony of a film that did not live up to the hype.....Remove the novelty factor and you have a rather average film..And lets not forget Insomnia....Oh wait, everybody has already....


so, i hope its a good film....but i could care less either way...

sosgemini said:

You hit the nail on the head there. I came out of Memento thinking, "That's what everyone's raving about?" It was an okay film that did well because of its ending and the admittedly fine performances of the cast. Otherwise, it was forgettable for me. On the other hand, I really did like Insomnia a great deal. I thought it was a really good thriller.

RipHer2Shreds said:

have you seen Irreversible? I much better use of reverse storytelling if you ask me..

JediMaster said:

C'mon... sword fights in Gotham?

Novabreaker said:

None of those scenes with the swordfighting were in Gotham. That is all during Bruce's martial arts training in Asia.

Damn. You're the master!

Novabreaker said:

Better recognize!

the only thing I can add to this conversation


Morgan Freeman was Easy Reader on the Electric Company...not Spider-man.

Rhondab said:

Very good! http://www.spiderfan.org/...ectric_co/