The Bruce Wayne thread

[Jaws63]

Using Adam West to model after(After all he's the epitome of the perfect Bruce Wayne). Adam had the physique, the square jaw, the right voice tone. Which Version of Bruce Wayne that came after Adam comes closest to being what the artist in the comics had in mind(drawing and personality wise)?

Michael Keaton was better than I thought he would be, He played off the other characters quite well. If you lean towards the thought that Batman's alter ego has to be someone that you would least expect to be Batman, Keaton wins hands down. The problem was he was a little too short, not to mention every other film I've seen him in he plays this "Not the sharpest tool in the shed" type of character.

Val Kilmer Made a great Batman, but a weak Bruce Wayne. Val's version of Bruce would have been fine had they not introduced "Chris O'Donnell" Robin. I sorta thought Val was too boyish to give Dick his pearls of hero wisdom. Bruce in this outing needed to be a bit older or Dick needed to be a bit younger in my opinion.

Now George Clooney I thought was spot on for Bruce Wayne, however I think we got all of 10 minutes of George as Bruce in the whole movie. One might think Lack of Bruce is a good thing, when I rewatch these 90's films "Batman and Robin" is the worst one to date. It makes me wonder Had Clooney been available for the previous films...how would he have faired? To answer a question asked on a different thread...the Demise of the 90's films was due to too much emphasis on a weak Bruce Wayne.

Christian Bayle had a very very dark version of Bruce, but like Kilmer... Bayle's too came across as kinda boyish as well...not to mention that when Bayle was in outfit his voice was quite annoying (I realize this a different interpretation, and in this case because of that I'll make an exception) his Bruce character WAS believable.

Your turn, who made the best or worst Bruce Wayne and Why?

[Yellow Oval]

Without a doubt, and not being biased because of this site, but Adam West played the quintessential Bruce Wayne and Batman! He had the right voice, look, stances, mannerisms, and delivery of both characters.

I didn't mind Michael Keaton's version. His Bruce Wayne was a good but touched too much on the comedic for me. I did like his Batman a lot.

Val Kilmer just seemed too wooden in both roles - like he seemed uncomfortable being in the film.

George Clooney wasn't bad, but he came across to me as George Clooney playing Bruce Wayne and Batman. I saw only George Clooney and really neither of the characters. I believe the same will happen with Batfleck!

I first thought Christian Bale would be good in either role, but as the franchise wore on he became a sulky Bruce Wayne who seemed more interested in this Rachel Dawes character and arguing with a whining, complaining Alfred. His Batman started out with potential, but devolved into some sort of caricature with the ridiculous growl, the clumsy armor and the sparrow mask instead of the Bat cowl.

There hasn't been a proper Bruce Wayne/Batman since 1968!

[Lord Death Man]

I think it depends on your interpretation of Bruce Wayne, as both Batman and Bruce Wayne have been depicted different ways over the many decades. Adam West's Bruce Wayne is easily the most affable and charming one, and fits the universe the Batman TV show takes place in perfectly.

But I think Lewis Wilson in the 1943 serial comes closer to the generally accepted depiction of Bruce Wayne. His Bruce is a self-indulgent, worthless idiot rich boy (at least that is what he shows to the outside world) who no one would ever suspect of being Batman (even when they have an excellent reason to do so). I believe at one point main villain Tito-sama abrutly rejects the idea that Bruce Wayne might be Batman when one of his henchmen mentions the possibility.

[Batfanman]

To add a twist to this thread, the one actor I can see playing a really good Batman and BW is this guy:

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/jim-cavieze ... ezel-photo

He's the star of the CBS drama "Person Of Interest" and if you watch the show, it's written and played a bit like a contemporary Batman comic and he's the Batman figure in the show with Finch acting like a cross between Alfred and Oracle with just a dash of Robin thrown in.

[SprangFan]

Well Adam was certainly closest to "my Bruce Wayne," but in fairness I should say that as a kid I thought even he was "off." His hair was too light in color -- somewhere between brown and blond -- and I wasn't sure he was "square-jawed" enough. Compared to what would follow I realized those were minor quibbles indeed, and in terms of his approach to the role (which is what matters, really) he's untouchable.

Keaton was better than expected in the costume (he'd almost have to be better than what I expected!!) but I didn't like that his Bruce Wayne was essentially Clark Kent: bespectacled, clumsy, addle-brained.

Kilmer had at least more of a Batman "build" but I agree he was too "boyish" in looks, something that was especially awkward given that Chris O'Donnel's Robin looked at most only 5 years younger. Also given that the only part of Bruce Wayne's face we can see when he's in the cowl is his mouth and jaw, I couldn't believe they picked two actors in a row with such distinctive --even WEIRD -- looking mouths. I kept expecting someone to say, "wait a minute...those lips...you're Bruce Wayne, aren't you?"

When Clooney was announced I thought he was the closest ever to the comic book "look" of Bruce Wayne, but in the film he's underwhelming to say the least. As noted above he had that signature Clooney swagger in the mask and out of it, and made no effort to disguise anything. Clooney wiggles his head when he talks, which looked especially ridiculous with those long ears. Plus with only his mouth showing I noticed his crooked teeth, which is all I can see now. But maybe if the movie happens in a world where there is no George Clooney (which would be about the only appealing aspect of a Schumacher-verse), I could still see him as Bruce Wayne...sort of.

Bale I agree also had that "boy Batman" feel and never really grew out of it. One of the things about modern "trilogy" movie-making is that you have to cast younger-than-normal leads to allow them to mature over the six or more years it will take to finish your story, so it's always a gamble whether the guy will end up where he should. In Bales case even when he got visibly older I never thought he was any more mature, also he was let down by scripts that took away everything that makes Bruce Wayne who he is and gave it to other characters. Lucius Fox got the scientific genius, Alfred got the moral center and Gordon got the heroic heart. It takes all four of them to make "Team Batman" and ultimately I'm not sure what Bruce offers, other than money and a body he's willing to train, use and ultimately wreck in the cause.

[Riddlersgurl]

I never liked Christian Bale's portrayal of either Bruce Wayne OR Batman. To me, he just didn't fit the look of either character.

Michael Keaton was okay in the role of Bruce Wayne, but wasn't intense enough as Batman.

Val Kilmer was a complete twit in both roles. He didn't have the look, the intensity, or the passion for being either character. He had more passion as Madmartigan in the movie 'Willow'!

George Clooney was a bit too stiff for me. I got the sense that he truly cared for Michael Gough's Alfred, but the fact that Chris O'Donnell wasn't all that much younger than him ruined the teamup. Had Dick Grayson actually been portrayed by someone in his early teens, it might have worked better.

And don't get me started on the sequel with Arnold and Uma!

Had he not been dead for a while at that point, Werner Klemperer might have made a better villain!