> I beg to differ. Burton's Batman universe was far less comic-book influnced > than Chris Nolan's is. All of Burton's characters and even the universe were > significantly different from the comic book.
They weren't, really. If you dig into the early Batman comics, you'll find that both Bruce Wayne and the Joker are pretty much written down for Burton's characters. The 'darkness' factor did not come about until the Miller/O'Neill stories, so if Burton's Batman was flat, then he was designed to be so. The Joker, particularly, was written as a psychopathic *bon vivant *, and I think Jack played him just like that. The only downside was Vicki Vale, who's a non-character anyway. Of course, Chris Nolan draws on very specific comic book interpretations of > the Batman, specifically the Frank Miller and Dennis O'Neil version which > emerged in the mid-80s. He even uses Carmine Falcone and the Maroni family. Yup. He uses Miller's *Batman:Year One* (Miller's best Batman, IMO) and *The Killing Joke* to create his characters. If he was going to be that true to his characters, where, I ask you, was Vesper Fairchild? The insipid Rachel Dawes does not count. Neither does Jim Gordon, an extremely strong character who might as well not have a face in these movies. I agree Jack Nicholson performed adequately. However, IMO, this is only > because he played (a) Jack Nicholson's standard neurotic psycho villain. > With face paint. (b) Tim Burton's vision of the Joker, which was Jack > Nicholson in his avatar as neurotic psycho villain, with face paint. Call it great casting, then, because Jack's standard neurotic psycho villain with facepaint is known as The Joker. Look up the old comics. Jim Carrey playing the Riddler... Gah. I thought he was adequate. The movie was bloody awful, though. Traumatic. I love Oldman - I just think he does exceptionally well playing bad guys. > He's too old to play any of the standard villains in Nolan's Batman, though. > The Preston Payne avatar of Clayface, maybe. That would be awesome. I don't like the Clayfaces. I hated them in the comics, and I hope I will never have to see them on screen. The character I want to see more of is Jonathan Crane. Cilian Murphy has been lurking long enough. And Poison Ivy, whoever she will be. -- Sumant Srivathsan sumants.blogspot.com
