The Big Picture: Batfleck

[Robot-Jesus]

Also, I don't understand the Man of Steel hate train. I enjoyed it.

so did I, but all the talk of supes being inspirational fell very flat when the only example he set was the proper form for punching while flying. Making a superman movie is a very tall order, you need to have a lot of action while demonstrating the nobility of the character. Superman Returns erred on the noble side, Man of Steel erred on the action side. Superman vs. the Elite did things very well, but they didn't have the baggage of a major release to live up to. Honestly I think DC should stick to making direct to dvd releases, seems to work a lot better for the characters then the big screen.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

As soon as I heard Bob say 'Moah', I knew that there was some Boston pride coming up.

 

[BlueHighwind]

Batman inherited his wealth....

And Superman just had to work for his superpowers, right? He did ten gazillion situps and could leap tall buildings in a single bound? Get real.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

Also: Mitt Romney with a Doomsday Bunker and a Leather fettish? WHAT!?

I know, right? As if the actual Mitt Romney doesn't have a doomsday bunker and a leather fetish.

 

[Talvrae]

I god damn hope he won't write anything for the DCU movies..
I mean Argo is a piece of shit of revisionism of history who did everything wrong compared on how the thing really happened
http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/argo-iran-hostage-crisis-film-fiddles-with-the-facts-1.1167994

 

[Aardvaarkman]

The times are changing; the world has become more dark and painful as even with all the advances in science, our humanity has become more chaotic in war, politics, and isolation.

Has it, though? Things seem pretty good to me. Our grandparents had things like WWII and the Great Depression to deal with. Our parents had Vietnam and some really rough economic times. Even in my own generation, many people faces brutal discrimination for being gay, a nerd, or just "different" in any way.

Things are pretty great these days. The internet allows previously isolated people to reach out and talk to people around the world. Our wars are mostly minor skirmishes which are easily avoided - not generation-destroying events where you risk being conscripted into service against your will. Sub-cultures of all kinds are increasingly accepted as normal, and your sexuality is not much of an issue any more. Multiculturalism is growing, as more and more people of different ethnic backgrounds live, work, and communicate together.

We live in pretty happy, inclusive times.

I think your statement might reflect more whatever personal issues you are dealing with than the reality of modern life for most people in developed nations, at least. And especially for some countries, like China and India for example, where increasing numbers of people are finding prosperity and comfort where there was previously so much poverty and misery.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

Whoa, batman as a rich guy who wins by spending money isn't something I would have thought of. That's quite an interesting way to look at it.

It's one of the central traits of the character. It's hard for me to imagine anyone not noticing that, since it is always featured so prominently.

 

[awesomeness0407]

Agree with Bob. Not bothered so much with Batfleck as I am with the entire premise of this movie. ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING BATMAN!!

 

[Necris Omega]

...

Batman, Superman, Afleck, whatever.

After this accent laden episode, I want to hear Movie Bob do an episode on Cartoon Network's Chowder.

And yes, I am a terrible, terrible human being.

 

[awesomeness0407]

Batman inherited his wealth....

And Superman just had to work for his superpowers, right? He did ten gazillion situps and could leap tall buildings in a single bound? Get real.

I think you missed the point entirely. The idea that Batman represents some kind of everyman, regular guy is completely ludicrous when you consider the points Bob brought up. He never had to work so he could devote all his time to honing his skills and whatever he finds he needs he can just buy it.

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

So, can we please move on from Batman and go to another character that can be more interesting? How about we see a Larfleeze movie.

 

[ImSkeletor]

Batfleck

MovieBob gives us the ins and outs of the new Batman and his alter ego Ben Affleck.

Watch Video

You have good points and Ben Affleck is a great talent but let me comment on this whole batman as vengeance against hope things.

The times are changing; the world has become more dark and painful as even with all the advances in science, our humanity has become more chaotic in war, politics, and isolation. If I was to make a superhero movie, it would be a deconstruction with brutality in both visuals and tone of Eva. Many things that people like have so much tied to many things that we hate and there are no true paragons; a movie that rips into the beloved heroes such as superman could work but only if you are willing to destroy all of the tropes and rebuild him.

Yes, Batman as vengeance and ideological enemy has ruined comics but at the same time, I would rather have a story that rips and tears into what we love than a story of hope, optimism and triumph

This is the funniest thing i have seen in weeks man. You made my day. The mock pretention mixed with a pretend complete missunderstanding of the world put together in one comment is just genious. The last lets say 15 years being worse than the fifteen years, where world war 2, the holocaust, internment camps, the dust bowl and great depression were happening. Hysterical. You sir are truely a master of dry satire and wit. I may have missed it if you hadn't made sure to tip your hand a little bit with the Eva reference. Dude i am almost crying right now I can't believe you don't have a show yet.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I say give Afleck a chance. He couldn't do any worse a job than George Clooney, and really I don't think it was Clooney's performance that ruined Batman & Robyn. Just everything else.

And incidentally why exactly are we so fixated by a dark brooding individual with enough money to buy his way out of any given situation?

 

[Rylingo]

I'd still like to here a single example of Ben Affleck putting in a 'great' performance. Anyone care to name a film that might change my mind about his acting skills?
His direction/writing is fine but I've never seen him act better than mediocre in anything.

 

[LordMonty]

Its a good choice to make me feel very neutral about bat vs super rather than a bit negative. I didn't mind the last man of super film it was nothing special but nothing fantastic, hopefully they'll pll it together for the next installment.

 

[Towels]

Disclaimer: I <3 Batman

...But Who can really use the trite "Batman can win any fight if he had a week to prepare" bullshit and expect to be taken seriously at this point? This argument does NOT help Batman's case. So Batman really needs a week's worth of intel and preparation just to be on par with his opponent, despite already having an apparently endless fortune with access to the best tech available? Batman's intellect is fearsome, but in no way invincible. I agree that Batman's Psychological gambits are superior (and this is why fans love him) with a possible exception of Professor X (who lacks Batman's attitude), but the Fantastic Four out science Batman on a daily basis. Hell, even Iron Man can do that if he'd just put the Vodka down. Batman's intensity rivals Wolverine's but does not surpass it, and I dare say it is inferior to Superman's. (Seriously, how many times have we've seen Superman pissed off?) So what is so special about Batman that he gets an impossibly advantageous handicap while his opponents are supposed to just go in blind? People don't SERIOUSLY STILL use this argument by now, do they?

I think the problem here is people lack a sense of scope in these Comic Book Duels.

 

[TAdamson]

Funnily enough, Bob's Boston accent is particularly present in this video.


Where'd you park the car Bob?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

And incidentally why exactly are we so fixated by a dark brooding individual with enough money to buy his way out of any given situation?

because thats the kind of person everyone wants to be

I find that rather sad really. Batman certainly isn't the (anti)Hero I'd like to be like.

 

[Saltyk]

I can't say that I was excited by the prospect of Afflek as Batman. But hearing he could direct one of them is a fair bit more promising.

In the end, I'm really neutral on the news. People keep comparing him (and the reaction to him) to Heath Ledger as the Joker. Personally, I think it's closer to Chris Evans. Ledger had no previous role as a well known superhero or villain. Chris Evans however, was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. How many people forgot that? But they cast him as Captain America and he owned that role. And I could see someone complaining about that casting (I know Blockbuster Buster has gone on record as both hating the idea and admitted he was wrong). Affleck was cast as Daredevil and one could certainly understand why that doesn't inspire confidence.

I suppose time will tell. Will he excel and be remembered fondly for defining the role? Or hated for not getting the character?

Though, I'd rather he not ham it up too much. A big part of Batman is his grief and personal issues. Keeping it along the lines of the Animated series from the 90's and Justice League cartoon would probably be for the best. Keep him serious, but let him have some humanity.

 

[Itchi_da_killa]

I'm pretty sure Afleck would make a great Batman. The guy is a good actor with a big presence. I haven't liked anyone who has played Batman since Michael Keaton... but at the same time I didn't like those movies either. One of the problems with the Batman movies is the people making them try to squeeze "epic saga" into a short run time. It just comes out cheesy in the end. Too many characters and so on.