Which is your favorite Batman
By emeraldisle
@emeraldisle (13139)
United States
February 8, 2007 11:47am CST
Several actors have played Batman over the years in the movies. We've had Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and lately Christian Bale. Which one is your favorite and why?
For me it's a toss up between Christian Bale and Val Kilmer. I thought both of them played the roles of playboy millionaire Bruce Wayne and superhero Batman very well. It's not easy portraying both characters. Michael Keaton and George Clooney weren't bad but I don't think they did a good job at playing both, the were able to pull off one of the characters but not both Bruce Wayne and Batman.
So now tell us who you liked and why.
11 people like this
44 responses
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
8 Feb 07
See, I think that Michael Keaton was the best Batman...any actor after him paled in comparison. Val Kilmer was pretty good, too...but nothing like Michael Keaton. I thought he was the perfect batman and Bruce Wayne. George Clooney, I thought was a bad Batman.
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Yeah I didn't care for George Clooney either. He's not a great actor in my opinion. I know some love his work but I'm not one of them. I think his cousin Miquel Ferrer is a far better actor.
I liked Michael Keaton bit I think what it was with him as Batman he didn't seem like he had the body build for all that batman was supposed to do. He wasn't in bad shape or anything just he didn't have the physique I would expect from a man who is going to go out and fight like he did.
2 people like this
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I prefer Christian Bale the most. It's so much darker - the way the comics are. Micheal Keaton is 2nd favorite. Val Kilmar is good too. George Clooney's batman is a joke. That director butchered the story line.
1 person likes this
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
9 Feb 07
That scene with the glow paint where Chris O'Donnel steals the batmobile made me cringe. And the whole thing with Jim Carey and Tommy Lee Jones.... I wanted to cry.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Yeah I couldn't figure out why that glowing paint and makeup. It didn't make sense to me and they had it in a few places in that movie and the next one. It was strange.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
The original Dark Knight comic books were much darker then most realize. I think the Batman Begins really showed that more then the others. I agree on clooney. I did not like it that much. The other actors did their best to make it a good movie but there is only so much you can do.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I ended up watching Batman Begins last night :) It was great. It is so different from the others.
@deadraven999 (1386)
• Saudi Arabia
10 Feb 07
Val Kilmer is the best. I guess there are factors which played a role like:
1-Val Kilmer is talented in that sense (See the 'The Doors')
2-His face looks like Batman especially behind the mask
3-The actors played vallian in the movie were terrific i guess the best was Tommy Lee Jones in HarveyTwoFace
Cloony was so disappointing and in my point of view the worst one. He got on my nerves while i watched the movie damn man he is never and never will be a guy who could perfom Batman
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
10 Feb 07
I agree about Clooney. I thought he was a poor choice to play Batman and watching him in it I was very disappointed. If it wasn't for the rest of the cast I would not watch it at all but the rest of the cast do their best to salvage the movie.
@awonderfullife (2893)
• United States
10 Feb 07
I like Michael Keaton's Batman, although when they first made the movie I didn't think he could pull it off (all I could think of was he was the guy from Mr. Mom). Still, NO Batman can replace the original TV Batman, Adam West.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
10 Feb 07
I know what you mean. I couldn't picture Michael Keaton in the role either but he did do a decent job. I just not sure he was the best one for it. Adam West's batman was in a league all it's own. It was very different from the others.
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I really liked Michael Keaton. He captured both the calm and the manic energy of Batman/Bruce Wayne really well. I love the scene in Vicki Vale's apartment where he says to The Joker "Let's get nuts!"
I thought Christian Bale was also great as a younger Bruce Wayne. I enjoyed "Batman Begins" much more than I thought I was going too. Gary Oldman was great as Comish. Gordon. I'm really looking forward to the next movie. At first I was a little worried about Heath Leger as the Joker, but I think he might be really good.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Gary Oldman is always good. He's been in so many movies as so many different types of characters. It always amazes me what's he done. From Sirius Black in Harry Potter to Dr. Smith in Lost and Space and now Gordon. The man has a lot of ability to him.
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I know! In Batman begins, he blended so well I barely realized it was him! He is a great actor.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Oh I agree the villian in that one was unique. I did like how they retold the Batman beginning. It was well thought out. Bale did an excellent job in the role as well which really added to it all.
1 person likes this
@akotalagato (1334)
• Philippines
9 Feb 07
my favorite batman is val kilmer. although he is a tad smaller than the other batman actors i think that he plays the part the best. the only i dont like about christian bale is his voice whenever he turns into batman. its sort of squeaky and its really distracting for me. but other than that i like him better than michael keaton and george clooney.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I found it to be graveling but I can see why some might find it annoying.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
It's a hard choice I agree with you there. The Begins movie was different then the other three. I think that's one of the reasons I liked it. It also showed where he got all those fabulous toys from :)
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Feb 07
For the Movie version I think I'd go with Val Kilmer too. I think he did a good job in both characters. Keaton and Clooney just didn't seem to cut it... Keaton is too much of a "whimpy" kind of guy (Sorry Mike! LOL) and Clooney too much of a pretty boy.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
10 Feb 07
Heheh well I never saw Clooney as a pretty boy but I know many who do. He just never had much apeal for me. I do agree that he wasn't right for the role though.
@nishanity (1650)
• India
9 Feb 07
i prefer val kilmer... somehow he has that look and seriousnes of a batman and bruce wayne!
i liked michael keaton once he was in the batman costume,,, it really suited him,.... but as bruce wayne he didnt look tht perfect.
george clooney was just ok
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I agree Val Kilmer did an excellent job as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. It's not easy playing that duality and he managed to pull it off.
@Mathurin (491)
• Philippines
9 Feb 07
Michael Keaton!!!
he is the best to portray batman
although i love george clooney when he's bruce wayne
he isn't just good enough wearing the batsuit
he seems to always smile
michael keaton though really transform when he dons the suit
as for christian bale
he doesn't need the suit really
his character is dark already
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Heheh good point on Bale. He does seem to carry off that dark personality.
@byfelisa (45)
• United States
8 Feb 07
How I love batman! I would say Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer. I think the role helped Michael Keaton a lot as you never really saw a confident and complex side to him before then. It paved the way for "desperate measures".
It seems to me that he showed the human side of batman too.
Val Kilmer gave the role just the right measure of playboy, mystery and superhero wrapped into one. He seemed more serious like the last batman with Christian Bale.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I love the Batman movies. They were all good although I like some better then others. I agree with the comment about Val Kilmer he did have that right combination to make it all work.
1 person likes this
@tamyhmc (11)
• Italy
8 Feb 07
My favourite Batman would be George Clooney, because I consider him as a very good actor, attractive and professional. Think that he would perform the Batman role perfectly, even if taken he masks it, his beaty could not be appreciated. What do you think about that?
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Fair enough. I know many who like his ability and his batman. I'm just not one of them.
1 person likes this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I really liked George Clooney the best. I didn't care for Kilmer at all. And I don't think Keaton pulled it off well either. I'm not sure why I liked Clooney in the role the best (and I'm probably one of the few who like him better) but I just do. I don't like Bale personally cause I think he's a pyscho (plays the part too well) BUT I did like him as Batman. I thought he did a really good job. I think he's escentric enough to play both parts I guess.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Fair enough on the Clooney. I guess some did from what I understand. I don't see it but we are all allowed to be different. I agree that Bale can play the psycho well and yes he was able to play both parts which I admit is tough. I wouldn't want to try it.
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I agree he was really good at the Bruce Wayne part and the Batman side he was able to pull off. He had the body for it which helped. Yeah I am one too. I've liked him in most of the things I've seen him in.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
8 Feb 07
My first choice is Adam West. But of the movie Batmans, I pick Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer.I agree that Val did play Bruce and Batman very well, but I liked Keaton's Batman more.And Adam was equally suave as Bruce and powerful as Batman.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Adam West was in a class all his own when it came to Batmans.
1 person likes this
@MrCoolantSpray (1005)
• United States
8 Feb 07
George Clooney absolutely sucked as batman. Val Kilmer wasn't too hot either. Micheal Keaton was great, but paled in comparison to Christian Bale. Batman Begins was the best Batman movie, and Bale had the look for the Dark Knight.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I agree about Bale. His voice even changed when he did the Dark Knight parts. He also had the youth and physique to play both parts and play them where it was believable. That to me was important, playing both roles where they seemed real.
1 person likes this
@pranaydharmale (138)
• India
17 Feb 07
my favourite batman was christian bale in the latest batman movie "The Batman Begins " . He was simply brilliant..
@GypsysTear (75)
• United States
16 Feb 07
I'd have to say Christian Bale all the way... although I didn't like the voice he used for Batman... it sounded as though he had smoked his entire life. Too scratchy... not scary enough.
For me... Michael Keaton had the BEST Batman voice!
1 person likes this
