The Adam West Batman is More Realistic Than the Nolan/Bale Batman

My son’s continued study of 1966’s “Batman The Movie” has forced my analytical eye to study and dissect every line, beat and angle around 50 times. It’s also forced me to like the movie more than I did two months ago, which therefore forces me to justify why I like the movie as much as I do. And the key to my current justification comes from the fact (or “fact”) that Adam West’s Batman is actually more realistic than the Nolan/Bale version.

Controversial, I know, but it works if you accept certain facts as, well, fact.

1.) Batman is a fictional character.

2.) Batman, in principle and however he is portrayed, is a ridiculous character when compared to actual real life. This means that no matter how much you explain or justify the character’s actions and technology, the core conceit — that a man would dress as a bat to fight crime — is ridiculous. That is to say, nobody would ever do this in real life, even if they could get the cape to work.

I often think about this quandary when considering the success the Nolan/Bale series has had. Many want to credit their attention to detail and their dedication to taking matters seriously. And within the movies themselves, they absolutely do. This is why I still enjoy “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” as movies despite not liking those portrayals of Batman; within the movie world they’ve established, everything works. But when you compare it to the outside world, with all the rules of physics and society, it’s no more realistic than any other incarnation of Batman there’s ever* been.

What’s more, the campy tone of “Batman the Movie” undercuts its unparalleled realistic elements. Actually, it’s far more realistic and real world applicable than anyone should legally believe, but here I am.

Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some elements, and compare them to the “realistic” take of “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.”

Me Dream

I watched clips of Mick Jagger hosting SNL last night, and had the following incredible dream as a result:

I was at the taping of the show, so naturally I was given full back stage access and the ability to hang around the right places at the right times. I kept bumping into Jagger and offering my very well thought-out opinion (“I thought one bit didn’t go over well, but the time travel scene was great” and “If the meeting scene had referenced the time travel scene, it would have been better”). He nodded and gave me the kind of look that says, “This guy knows what he’s talking about” and “I never thought of it that way.”

Batman Translations

Henry has had a couple days of Batman-fueled energy. He can’t stop talking about it, or like it, or quoting it. It’s like he’s reading my mind.

It’s never easy understanding a toddler. Here now are his translations for Batman-related phrases.

“Bat-nand” = Batman.

“Wah-din” = Robin.

“Bat Cabe” = Batmobile. It sounds like “Bat Cave,” but I think he’s associating the words “Bat Cave” (as in “To the Bat Cave!”) with the car. Because most times, Batman and Robin are talking about where they’re going, and they’re often racing to the Bat Cave VIA the Batmobile. He also sometimes calls it “Batnand and Wahdin’s car.” Both are acceptable.

“Bat Boad” = Bat Boat.

“Hey-copper” = Helicopter, which is the Bat-copter. Sometimes referred to as the “Bat hey-copter.”

“Pen-gen” = Penguin.

“Redder” = Riddler.

 “Joker” = Joker. He nails this one.

“Cak-wodden” = This is Catwoman, not a comment on Meriwether’s performance (thank you).

He can also quote the Admiral Fangschliester scene with his reading of “Hawo, Bat-nand. Ahoy. What I do for you?”

10 Random Thoughts About “The Avengers”

I saw it and assembled (thank you) some feelings. We all have feelings, right?

1.) I liked it. But…

10 Superhero Movies Better Than “The Avengers” (as of 5/29/2012)

First, some qualifiers.

For comparison purposes, I only included “proper” superhero movies. ones that felt like they were playing the same sport as The Avengers. This disqualified the artfully deconstructionist Unbreakable as well as Indiana Jones, James Bond and the Bride from Kill Bill. Even though they filled most of the superhero qualifications, they’re not the same.

This is also not a list of best COMIC BOOK movies, because that would eliminate any and all original-for-the-screen stories all for the sake of getting Sin City in there.

And, note the date. It’s entirely possible that this list may grow by one or even two by July.

Anyway, here’s the list with a few explanations:

Priority: Superman

I went to the comic book store on Comic Book Day (aka Cinco de Mayo), and grabbed a couple books, both for money and for non-money. As always, I did the stroll down the line, checking out what’s new and what might possibly catch my eye. I flipped through a couple books, but didn’t vary from my initial strategy. But I wanted to. The only thing missing was the pull from the books themselves, and that’s where I came up with the following fool-proof strategy:

DC Comics should concentrate on making one Superman book, and making it fantastic.