A personal look at Batman
http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt1.php

A personal look at the production and spoilers from Batman Begins
http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt3.php

A personal box office analysis on the different factors effecting Batman Begins
http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt3.php

A look at Batman Begins: Article 1 of 3(?)


Over the course of the next few days or weeks, I will be introducing you all to one of my most anticipated movies of all times, Batman Begins. Due to the amount I wish to say on the subject, this opinion piece will be broken down into multiple articles. I have not decided it there will be 2 or 3 articles but I’ll wait till I start writing the 2nd one to make that decision.



This article will primarily deal with how I discovered Batman and my long history with the character. Plans for article 2 include my reactions and opinions on the production of the current movie as it happened with the 3rd article currently poised to focus on its box office potential, centering on the different positive and negative factors that will determine the opening and final gross. With that, I Begin ..



Prologue



Introductions



There is no denying that I’m a huge Batman fan. I love DC. I’m actually biased towards them. Never got into Marvel and sometimes, will make random negative comments about Spiderman just because I don’t care for the character or the makers of the comic in general.



While I was growing up, I was exposed to only a few comic book characters. At the top of the list was Superman. Who hasn’t heard of him? Superman as far as I knew, was the uber-superhero that all other heroes aspired to become. There was no one stronger than him, no one braver than him and no one who could stand up against him. Of course, there was Batman, a character I do not recall ever getting introduced to, I just somehow knew about him. Finally, there was Aquaman (I owned his action figure), Spiderman (through the old 60s series) and Hulk (through animation and the 70s TV series).



I do not remember how old I was but my first ever experience with a superhero movie came when I watched Superman 4. I fell in love with it (just goes to show how young and ignorant I WAS. I’m always meaning to watch it again just to see if my love for it was justified or are people actually right about how horrendous it is) and decided to get my hands on Superman 3. But as time passed by, something inside me became anti-Superman. Maybe it was because in my little world, Superman was the champion, undefeatable and the mightiest of the mighty. And I never did like those type of people. I’ve always been a lover of the underdog, hoping that he/she will crush the dominant and/or expose a weakness in them. It is not shocking hence, that my attention rested upon one that called himself, the Batman.



Na na na na na na na na na .. Batman!!!



What made me notice him in the first place was the gothic costume he wore. I have an affinity for darkness and more so, for characters that have a dark trait. During the early 90s, I investigated the character with the limited resources I had. A few random trips to the library informed me about a character named Robin and Alfred the butler. In speaking with the few comic lovers that existed around me, I duly noted that Batman really has no powers at all but does drive an awesome car. I woke up one morning to find my brother watching the first 2 movies in the franchise back to back. Sadly, I missed most of the first one, catching no more than a few glimpses of the parade at the end of the movie. I was busy when my brother put on the second one. I remember only Catwoman from it though and that infamous kiss she gives Superman. I always thought it was kind of gross back then. Then I had my Nintendo where I played this Batman game over and over again.



The introduction of satellite dish TV (which was only capable of transmitting 10 channels) helped me get ready for the build up to Batman Forever, which was round about when my interest in the character himself was developing which was now become an unhealthy obsession. I would purposely hang out with people I did not care much about just because they were the only people I knew who knew anything about Batman. I was introduced to his real name, his city, some of his villains and a bit about his background. I was finally shown his ride (outside of the movies) and the artillery of bat gadgets that existed. Bruce Wayne became one of the more intriguing fictional characters I had known and it disturbed me quite a bit when I learnt about the Bane arch and how Bruce Wayne had been broken. It was a happy moment when I heard the news that Wayne takes over his mantle again after recuperating, that Robin had gone on to become Nightwing and there was another Robin in his place. What I never understood was why Robin wore green though.



Around the time of Batman Forever …



I still don’t. MTV started playing US and Seal’s promotional songs for Batman Forever, I caught my first real glimpse of Batman and it was round about this moment that I knew I was hooked. The darkness, the loneliness of the character and his entire world played on my senses. This is the character I related to and his abilities are what I wished to aspire to. Sure, it would be great to be Superman but Superman could never be real. This bat freak was, nothing about him (till this moment) was fake, yet he felt like the loneliest creature in the world, living in torment, fighting the forces of evil not because he has a gift and feels he has a responsibility to use it for good, but because he just chooses to. I felt an anger inside him, a sense of a person hanging to only a shred of hope and knowingly so and a person who chooses to never give up. I hadn’t even seen the movie, never read the comic nor seen the television live action and animated series’ yet I just knew.



Batman Forever was released. I must have been in my mid teens. I did not know the riddler character but I loved him. I thought Carrey was a God in that movie, and to this day, I see Val Kilmer the real personification of Batman. Most will always disagree with me, calling Keaton the “it” Batman or Christian Bale. The movie also served to pretty much cement my perception of the character that I described a paragraph ago, which was a good thing. At this point, I was an ignorant fanboy, having explored only a miniscule amount of his universe, yet willing to dismiss any other hero out there, only on the account that they compete with the dark knight.





Batman’s campy nature: Batman, the television series and ‘Batman and Robin’



Flipping through channels one day and lo and behold, there was actually a Batman TV series, all the way from the 60s!! It challenged pretty much everything I thought about the character before but I refused to give in. I blamed it on the fact that in the 60s, people did not know how to make anything. Nevertheless, this was the perfect opportunity for me to get completely acquainted with the Batman’s rogue gallery and certain traits about his universe. I heard the phrase “dynamic duo” for the first time, and understood who Gordon was. I saw the Joker again, Penguin, Riddler, Clock King, Egghead and Catwoman. The more I watched, the more I started enjoying the show for the amusement it provided (I had never heard of the term “camp”). There came a time when I had seen just about all the episodes the show had to offer and my eyes turned to Batman and Robin, which as far as I was concerned, could only be better. Smashing Pumpkins arrived just in time to confirm this for me. Then the movie came along and I was shattered.



I never understood how I’ve been able to watch the movie 4 times. But I have but from the first moment, I knew there was something wrong. There had to be. My obsession with his universe somewhat died but my fascination with the character itself and his gadgets continued. I still knew he would be my favorite superhero but as far as researching the character went, I did little of it now. The only time I would even touch Batman was when people would talk about the 4 movies (of which I only saw 2 properly) or if I felt the need to emphasize in discussions how great he was because he had no powers at all.



My reintroduction to the character



Through most of the late nineties and the first couple of years of 2000, I only caught glimpses of Batman. I learnt of a show called Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series. But that’s it really. About 3 to 4 years ago, my interest in movies grew ten folds, and my research on current, previous and upcoming projects started. Box office numbers, trends, analysis and factors became a primary interest as well and during this time, I chanced across the achievements of the first 3 movies. It shocked me to know what an icon he really was. The number game began in my head, numbers were inflated to compare with other superhero and top opening movies, the archive was kept in my head for all future superhero projects (till Spidey came along and well, we all know I did not even have to do a comparison. I knew who won), and I started looking for articles that might make a mention of another upcoming Batman movie. This is when I realized what a rumor-filled place the Internet is. I shrieked when I read that Leo DeCaprio was in the running for the lead by a certain random website. Finally I started finding some more credible news but for a long time, no real development on the movie itself was done.



I started acquainting myself with the character again. The Internet allowed me to avoid having to make friends with people I did not care about anymore to gather the required information. I learnt more and more about his history, his stories and his place in something called DC. Immediately, DC was in my good books because of Batman and Batman only.



I loved Batman because he was so real. And even though he is, the comic universe today has created him into something that’s almost unbelievable. The man has become virtually undefeatable, the most feared, able to perform feats with his measly human strengths that even Supes cannot compare to, yet at the end of the day, he is just a man. A bit of his realism was lost to me now but years of brainwashing that I had subjected myself to has turned a blind eye to these things. It is now taken for granted that the Bat cannot be beaten. He can solve any puzzle, hold his own against any DC character, can outthink anyone in any situation, take on any meta-human (Superheroes with real powers) if required and became a believer in the famous DC fan boy phrase “Batman can take anyone out, with prep time : ). Indeed, there is not a single mystery that Batman cannot solve anymore, at least according to the fans. I almost considered picking up a comic at this point, something I still hadn’t done.



My main awareness for Batman came through animation though. I’ve spent the past 2 years finding all the animation that exists on the character, starting first with the latest series on the air, the Justice League. I made my way to Batman: The Animated Series, and Batman beyond. Hell, I even watch ‘The Batman’ show and I admit it! I enjoy it. I picked up my first comics last year and am now subscribed to anything Batman related and even other DC stuff. I also finally saw the original Batman and even Batman Returns and was left largely unimpressed. I made a conscious decision to watch Batman Forever again and even though I still think it’s the best out of the 3, its quite obvious the movie itself was a crap fest at best. I only enjoyed it because it focused on elements about the Batman that I really did care for, something the other movies did not.

Batman Begins: Article 2



I will now take a look at the different things that the normal public has gotten a chance to see and make my comments on them.



The people involved



One of the most promising aspects of Batman Begins is the people involved with the project. A lot of big names are involved in its production. While some are great while others in my opinion are quite unnecessary, let’s proceed to take a look at them individually.



(Note: Not all the people involved will be looked upon)



Christopher Nolan


What an interesting choice! In a million years, I would have never imagined someone like Nolan to helm a movie such as this. I would have expected either an unknown, or a very well established director, or someone like Paul Anderson who specializes in making popcorn flicks (as I see them). I think this choice is what made me feel at ease about this production. True, Nolan has little experience with big budgets or action flicks such as this but the fact that they picked up someone who one would not possibly think of the first time says a lot. Nolan’s films so far have been dark and character driven. So is the Batman universe. Nolan’s movies explore unusual story lines but play these themes out in the real world and with real world conditions. Batman is a fictional superhero who can perform unimaginable feats in the DC universe, yet is a real man operating in real surroundings (well, somewhat). While Nolan’s films are not big budget, Memento’s little action scene involving chases filled enough adrenaline to keep me happy. This part of Batman Begins will be his real test. And from what we’ve been able to see so far, things are looking mighty good in that area too.



One of the best things that have come out of hiring Nolan is his hatred for excessive CGI. Batman Begins will be making a return to traditional stunt work, resorting to CGI only if and when necessarily required.



David Goyer



He has been involved with light hearted comic book adaptations before, which is good. The one franchise in particular, is Blade. That is worrisome. While I enjoyed all 3 Blade movies, the way the Blade character is portrayed in the movies as well as the stories themselves sound very different from the approach one would take with Batman. Then again, I was never planning on dwelling on Goyer too much. As I’ve read the script, let’s wait and see what I have to say about that.



Christian Bale



Bale Dammit! Christian Bale was voted over the Internet as the number 1 person to see portrayed as the Bat. It was no surprise that WB went with that and crowned Bale to play the part of the caped crusader.



I personally don’t care. While in all the previews, it looks like Bale is playing the part exactly how Bruce is suppose to be, I’ve never come across a Batman that feels Batmanish. Most people consider Keaton as the definitive Batman, most now consider Bale as the “it” Batman and myself consider Val Kilmer the best out of the popular 5 (including the 1966) series. I am indifferent to Bale. Things according to the previews are looking good and as long as he plays his part good, I’ll be happy. No one has looked very Waynish to me, hell, even in animation and sometimes, even in the comics.



I was recently pointed to a picture of Ray Liotta. At first, before I saw the picture, I laughed at the possibility of him ever being the dark knight but upon viewing it, I was blown away. This is the Wayne I had been looking for, though I would think that Liotta is too old to play the part now.



Gary Oldman



This is probably the second most important casting in the movie and Oldman IS Gordon. Everything I’ve seen in the comics and the animations makes Oldman’s looks close to how Gordon was suppose to look like. And Oldman has enough talent to play the part very very well. This is the one casting choice I’m most happy with.



Michael Caine



I can see Caine as a Wayne butler but it will take time to accept him as Alfred Pennyworth. Not that I think there is anything wrong with him. He fits the sophistication of the character, has the fatherly feel to him and I’m sure can pass great one liners like we expect Alfred to. Yet, Caine is another person who does not completely look like how Alfred has ever been portrayed, whether in movies, comics or animation. But my opinion here is of little importance. I’m sure once I see him onscreen, it’ll be great



Morgan Freeman



Unless I haven’t read enough Batman (and truthfully, I haven’t), the character of Lucius Fox has never been developed greatly. There are only 2 aspects of the character I’m aware of. He’s black ad loyal to Wayne. Freeman meets the criteria.



Katie Holmes



No no and no!! I do not have a problem with Katie Holmes but the character she plays. I’d rather not have a character named Rachel Dawes, an old friend of Bruce Wayne in the movie at all. Though she does play a part in the story, I’d rather they found a different way to move the story on instead of using her at all. And having read the script, I can tell you that certain things involving her and her interactions with other characters pissed me off.



Cillian Murphy



Analyzing his impact to Scarecrow is not simple at all. Having never read the Scarecrow origins (yet being aware of them), I have little knowledge on how the Dr Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow) needs to be played. This is because just like Batman, the movie concentrates on the origins of Scarecrow and hence, spends much of its time on Crane and not the Scarecrow itself. This will be very interesting to watch when the movie comes out.



Tom Wilkinson



Falcone is not the biggest character in Batman but it certainly is in this movie (and in the modern interpretation of Batman’s origins). All I’ll say is that I cannot recall a single movie where I’ve seen Wilkinson act so I really have no opinion on his casting at all.



Ken Watanabe



After reading the script, Ken Watanabe is destined to play his part as Ra’s Al Ghul to perfection. Though it must be noted that by perfection, I mean as great as the role the script offers him. That is all one can say for now.



Liam Neeson


People will disagree with me. The one shining star of Episode 1 was Liam Neeson. I like him when he plays the role of a mentor. He is probably one of my most anticipated characters to see on the big screen and I have a feeling that all scenes involving him will be amazing.





The script



Ah. I have read what was forbidden for my eyes. I will not go on and on about it. The script is great. It is everything I would love to see in Batman’s origin story. Goyer did a great job with it but it has some Goyer elements in it. There are pot holes and there are certain fantastical feats that will be performed. There is also the twist but frankly, the fact that people call it a twist makes me mad. If someone does not guess this twist halfway through the movie, they’re stupid. Just plain stupid.



And as I promised, there will be nothing more I will say regarding it. I will mention the script a whole lot more when I do my box office analysis though. So be wary of that.





The costume



When the first picture of Batman was released, with him crouching, it was a low resolution image and alarms went off everywhere. Will this be another Catwoman? WB did a great job by releasing 3 Batman images with the suit on their official website less than a day later and many concerns were laid to rest. The cape of the costume is amazing though a bit unrealistic as its too long. But having said that, news has it that there will be alternate capes used in the movie to overcome the fighting element. Yes, it’s still unrealistic but meh, who cares. That cape rocks and I love it.



The gauntlets look great too as well as the cowl though I will admit that I would have preferred the cowl to cover less of the bottom part of Wayne’s face. I’m glad they gave the utility belt a rusty gold look instead of the traditional yellow and I’m also fond of the complete black look, though one day, I would love to see a real live action Batman movie where they actually pull off his bluish-gray look.





The Batmobile


In terms of looks, this car will probably never win the award for the best looking batmobile. Burton has this one secured. But in terms of the script, the Batmobile design sounds extremely logical, and as an origin story, it sounds very plausible. And the more I look at it, the more I start liking its actual look. Sure, sometimes it looks like it was made by a 9 year old putting different pieces of metal together but other times, I’m blown away by how bad ass and sleek (yes, I called it sleek, sue me) it can look on a good day. Also, through unauthorized footage, we’ve seen this baby in action and it brought a quick smile on my face.



Seeing it in action + 200 mph top speed + power to crush anything + 40 feet horizontal jump + 10 feet vertical jump = a very happy bABA (AKA me)



The movie stills and posters




I will comment little on the movie stills except to say that I like them a lot. I’ll spend most of my time talking about the 2 teaser posters we’ve all seen. The first time I saw each of them, I couldn’t get my eyes of them. And then watching them together, it felt even better.



The domestic poster depicts the Batman during sunset, an unhappy soul, almost looking at his feet, setting out on a mission for the first time that he knows will change his life forever. The international poster shows him in what I believe has to be the batcave. This pictures sends out a picture of his loneliness, standing there all alone in his one man fight. It also shows (to me at least) his acceptance of his life as the Batman, shows his convictions and finally, shows him in the light of a comic hero, those we love to read about.



The most fascinating thing about the posters are the environment. The domestic picture is set during sunset and the international poster leads me to believe it’s the early hours of the morning. This is the time during which Batman is meant to operate in. I do not know if I’m reading too much into it but I loved this very aspect of the posters the most.





The 2 teasers



The most important part of marketing to me, are the teasers and trailers.



The first trailer, as great as it was, left me under whelmed. I understand its point was to hit home the point that this movie will concentrate on Bruce Wayne, and thus Batman, not the other way round, but still, a second long glimpse of the Bat is not enough for me.



But then the 2nd teaser came along and I recall having seen it about 30 times now. With the first half concentrating on the first half of the movie, and the second half of the trailer concentrating on the 2nd part of the movie, it helped me put more faith into Christopher Nolan and his capabilities of helming a blockbuster such as this.


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And this concludes my analysis of the Begins movie itself and the glimpse I’ve had into its world so far. If there is something about it’s production or some marketing material I have forgotten to comment on (or you would like to see me comment on), do let me know and I will make it a point to revise this article and add it in.

Harry Knowles 2.0

aww come on!!!

atleast i'm passing everything off as my opinion only : ). And atleast i admit to being a fanboy ..

btw, did you actually read through the whole thing?

No I prefer to listen to it in audio format just like I did for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the Gunslinger series. I cant sit still and read all that

Well ... well ... screw YOU!

My first introduction to Batman was the campy TV show, actually. I tried some of the comics, but they were just poorly done in comparison to the greatness that was Marvel. Marvel rules, DC sucks. When you come to realize this,bABA, the healing can begin. It wasn't until Frank Miller wrote and drew his legendary Dark Knight Returns series, which was about Bruce Wayne/ Batman in his elderly years, that the character became interesting, and his Batman :Year One story was excellent as well. Miller was Marvel trained, so it only stands to reason that a Marvel guy would have to show those DC boys how to do their own characters in a good way. Miller is making his long awaited return to Batman, along with superstar artist Jim Lee, and as a big Miller fan (and Lee), I'll be all over reading that. That's his next project after he gets done co-directing Sin City.

When Batman came out in 1989, I couldn't get enough of it. It was and is the best Batman movie ever made, and I don't really expect Batman Begins to compare. Warner bros. is horrible at handling these franchises. True, they do own DC, and it would be nice to see them actually make something happen with their characters, no matter how limited the appeal is for all but 2 of them, but their track records for Batman, Superman, the Matrix, and some would even say, Harry Potter, which should have been Spider-Man level success, doesn't speak highly of the studio knowing how to handle bigger than life movies like these.

If you really want to see a good superhero movie, Marvel will provide it before DC will, and the Fantastic Four is looking to be everything that a Batman movie could only hope to be. =D>

I actully look forward to Batman Begins quite a bit, but I think the best that I can hope for is a decent movie. The best Batman movie was already made in 1989, so we'll probably be getting a movie on the quality level of Batman Returns. Some will like it, some will wonder why it was made, and some will skip it entirely due to the last efforts, and focus on the Fantastic Four, for they know that Marvel is where it's at, and DC is nothing but a series of letdowns, in which you may or may not find a gem once every 6 or 7 movies. ](*,)

Mav, atleast try to read some of DC's recent offerings ....

I just said I planned on reading Miller's new batman stuff, but YOU should move up in the world, and read Marvel, and do it without harboring those resentments about it being more popular than your favorite company. :razz:

Yes, I am bias but I did make the effort.

I bought ultimate spiderman. i also purchased a bestseller called Secret Wars which deals with many marvel characters. I also got a few xmen. I tried my best to read them. I'm having issues with it.

What I really need is something that i can easily follow. with dc it was always simple. i knew the characters through the cartoons over which, DC has a virtual monopoly but picking up marvel just like that is posing to be much more difficult. Spidey is the only real character i know from its origin but as i've always mentionec, i just don't like spidey at all!

Actually, other than the hulk and xmen, i really don't like marvel characters .. thats the problem.

From the director of taxi, and starring the short guy from the Shield, a pacific islander with bleached blond hair, that guy from Nip Tuck, and introducing that english guy who was one of the knights in King Arthur... it has a nice ring to it for Fantastic Four. I also didnt know granite rocks look like reptile skin from that trailer alone :Grins:

now now .. can't we feel excited about both movies? Hell, I'm watching both.

Yeah we can. I can watch one action pop corn flick and then I can watch the greatest comedy ever since Spaceballs thats based into a comic book :Grins:

See, that's Bendis' stuff you tried to read. He's good, but he doesn't exactly write in a style that you can just try one and love it. You have to read many issues to appreciate his writing on the whole.

Here, do what I do when you don't want to spend money on a hobby that prices are too ridiculous to justify, and read for free. Some of these scans can get fuzzy, but it's free. Captain America is particularly well done. You'll never see DC comics do such a thing for you.

http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/marvel/

I'm glad I had some reading material for the last few days, although it kinda hurts to sit up for long periods, and I would have preferred to read them on my couch like I used to do when I was sick and home from school.

See it bothers me that you got to read the script.

How in the hell did you manage that?

All 3 articles are up now, including box office:

http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt1.php
http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt2.php
http://www.worldofkj.com/bABA-bbArt3.php

Countown to Batman Begins
Article 3 of 3

By Arsalan Ahmed

B.O. Analysis



I've never had a harder time trying to figure out how well or badly a movie will do. There are so many factors to take into consideration (or maybe I'm being too much of a fanboy and reading too much into every potential issue that could play a part in determining the opening and final gross).

Before we continue, I'll make it very clear. I will not end this article with providing you with an opening weekend figure, nor am I going to provide a final tally. My analysis are focused only on the domestic gross and do not factor any effects or trends that are taking place internationally.

So let's take a look at all the things that I feel are relevant to the box office analysis and my opinion of them.

Summer

The summer months work for and against a movie. I've often stated that in the last few years, the trend for the highest grossing movies has been opening up in May. Most people are starved for the popcorn or big budget flicks and because the May movies are the first on the scene, things always look good for them. The first week of May is always a great date and has produced great results (save last year when Van helsing opened). But for the last few years, May has shown the highest grossing movie of the summer along with at least 1 or 2 more movies that make tremendous amount of money.

So where does this leave June and July? June and July solidify the fact that a potential blockbuster movie will make a lot of money, or at least, increases its chances. But the chances of grossing as much as the best May movies go down significantly for multiple reasons. People have spent some cash already in May; more movies are out and hence more competition. There is also competition for the number of screens available. While Batman Begins may be able to capture 4000 theatres, it will have a much harder time controlling the number of screens at the theatre, against let's say, a May movie or a sure winner (like Harry Potter or Spiderman 2).

Batman Begins on the other hand has a bit of luck on its side. Looking at the release schedule, there seems to be no direct competition lined up, nor any major blockbuster lined up for 2 weeks prior to its release. There is no movie so far opening up during Batman's weekend so it has a chance of completely dominating during that time. The same might apply to the weekend after its opening where once again, there is no major blockbuster opening. While it may dominate this weekend though, how well its received and its entire fanbase will decide how well its able to hold up that weekend.

But beware, 2 weeks after that, the movie comes under major and very direct competition. Fantastic four will be released exactly 2 weeks later and War of the Worlds 2 days before. It will come as little surprise that this weekend will result in Batman Begins seeing some major drop offs as well as a loss of screens. While the rest of July will not be filled with direct competition, there are enough movies that will fight for screen and theatre space all through the month.

Box office effect: Positive

Batman and its history with frontloadedness

Lets take a look at the last 4 movies based on batman shall we? The first 3 Batman movies set opening week records every year they came out and even held them for a certain period of time. Yet none of them had a great multiplier as compared to the movies that used to come out during that time. Clearly, Batman movies have always been frontloaded and there is no question that this trend will continue, especially for 2 reasons; its marketing so far has catered to its fan base while at the same time, the casual viewer still associates it to the previous installment (which is not good) and movies that come out today have much low multipliers than they did before.

Yes, even with good WOM, this one isn't going to pull a Lord of the Rings on us. I expect the multiplier to go to a maximum of 3.5 and I'm being extremely generous here. A more realistic multiplier for this movie would be in the 2.5 to 2.9 range.

This movie will continue Batman's trend of big openings (upwards of 50 millions) according to me but I do not expect it to break any opening records. Spiderman's opening according to me is near impossible for Batman to break right now for multiple reasons, which I hope will become clearer as you read on. To be quite honest, I do not expect it to clear the 90 million mark either.

Box office effect: Positive and negative. More negative

The Batman history

This is probably one of the most important and most difficult part of the equation to factor in. Many consider Tim Burton's vision of Batman as the best. Whether Batman Forever was good, bad, or mediocre makes no difference anymore. With Batman and Robin, the last 2 installments now will forever be labeled as horrendous and have left a bad taste in the mouth of the casual viewer. Batman's era was dead and at this point, Marvel stepped up. The Bat was forgotten, except in nostalgia and much thought was given to how this series could possibly start back up without people associating it to the last installment.

The average moviegoers that I have personally had a chance to interact with still clearly associate this movie with the previous installments. WB is trying its hardest to dissociate that relationship. With 4 months to go, I still believe that this will play as the biggest negative for Batman and if I'm correct, I won't be surprised if the movie grosses no more than 150 million at the box office, as some people at WoKJ have already predicted. WB has 4 months to work on this and we can all pray that they can now fully focus on the casual viewer (Nolan, the fans are already sold on this, now think about the general audience so we get a chance to see the sequel someday).

Box office effect: Very Negative

Internet Buzz

There is little argument here. There is only one movie out there right now that rivals (or beats) that has a bigger buzz on the Internet than Batman Begins. That movie is Episode III and because its Star Wars, I am quick to dismiss it : ). Comparing a buzz for a movie with the likes of Star Wars is like comparing the taste of a dessert with a chocolate mousse cake. There is little competition.

Batman begins has the buzz. This movie has a whole lot of buzz, more than expected and thankfully, a very positive one. There are few movies I can think of that have consistently delivered a positive reaction amongst the internet crowd from the day it took its inception to today. Every new site on the net reports anything Batman related, the forums on various websites are littered with Batman threads and various movie websites have rated its trailer has one of the best from 2004. As far as the people who browse the net, it's awareness is probably higher than any other movie out there right now, its production and now, its post production is being followed by everyone and the early word is that everything is A ok.

Box office effect: Positive

Marketing outside of the Internet

When Begins released its first teaser, I was very disappointed. There was ambiguity over when it would release and finally, when it did, barely any movie had the trailer attached to it. While the second teaser got much more coverage, I would think that they could have done better.

But now, Batman onesheets (posters) are popping up all over the cinemas everywhere, from the biggest to the smallest (I've now had confirmation from various cities by either visiting them or asking people around), it has hit the covers of various magazines and once or twice (though I would have preferred more), news about it has hit the airwaves. There is a whole lot I think WB can do to market the movie but its presence is now being felt and it has 4 more months to win the hearts of people over.

But I've had a problem with its marketing, something I mentioned before as well. While the magazine articles are great, with every one who is interviewed stating repeatedly that it has nothing to do with any previous installment, the main marketing has been catered around the fan base. According to me, trailers are the most effective marketing tools and while teaser number 2 was mind blowing, they do not seem catered at all to the general audience. Why I say that is explained in the next section. The same can be said about the posters and quite a few pictures released. Plus it doesn't help when the people behind this movie take every opportunity to remind you that this is a restart to the series and some journalist comes and calls it a prequel. Not only does this associate the movie with the others in the series but also makes it look like every movie is out there to copy Spiderman and start off with the origins.

Box office effect: From the awareness point of view: Positive. From average audience interest point of view: Indeterminable.

The general audience's view of Batman

Can I speak for the general audience? Probably not but I'll give it a shot in any case. Lets take a look at the audience's knowledge of Batman. Remember that the general audience does not read comics. Also remember that other than the small population of people who watch animation are very small in comparison to the total general audience.

Batman is most well known for this 1960s series self titled, Batman. We all know how this show portrayed the Bat, his sidekick and his villains. While a great show in terms of its campiness, this is, in no way how the modern interpretation of Batman is (and lets pray that it will never again be!). Batman was goofy, funny, actually smiled, his world was quirky, campy ridiculously bizarre and unbelievably retarded. At least that is how the show is remembered in my head and I'll be risking little if I make the assumption that that's how others remember it too. Nevertheless, it did a great job of introducing people to some of the most important Batman elements; his gadgets, car, Gordon, Gotham and the villains.

Next came the 2 Batman movies made by Burton . Due to its popularity, most people consider this the definitive Batman movie and they probably have good reason to say so (even if I beg to differ). The point is, even though its darker and more serious, it continues the campish trend in some ways from the 1966 series. There is also the fact that this movie led many people to believe that Joker was the real killer of Batman's parents, a fact that will be difficult for people to give up on.

Next came Batman Returns, a much more darker and sinister movie, yet it added more over the top elements to itself. There is a sign already that Batman's unbelievable world much like the 1966 series was being recreated again even though in a different way.

Along came Batman Forever and Joel Schumacher. I have said it before that this is my favorite Batman movie but even I am forced to admit that this movie became even campier and actually started resembling the 1966 version. Hell, even the Riddler's character seemed based on the 1966 version.



And finally, there was Batman and Robin, a ridiculous, stupid, unfunny, non serious piece of crap. To say anymore about it would be an insult to the people reading it.

But what is my point? Batman has in one way or the other been portrayed in a rather unserious and naïve manner. His world is full of crazy and loony things … yes that's the word I've been looking for. Batman and his world to the eyes of the audience have been somewhat loony. Though most people may say that's not entirely true (and they're right to say that), this imprint will play a big part in the acceptance of Batman Begins.

Begins completely departs from any interpretation of Batman seen before on TV or cinema. It's a completely different characters in some way, his world is much more believable and logical. The villains are no longer over the top, Gotham is no longer extremely gothic and the movie has an extremely serious undertone. How much is the audience willing to accept out of that? I think a better question is, how much is the audience willing to absorb and modify this character in their minds based upon this movie? I think this will play as a negative factor. I do not think people are ready to accept the Batman as such a dark character as this movie portrays him to be and finally, when I start discussing my next box office factor, I will discuss in light of this argument even more. Actually, let us get to it right now.

Box office effect: Negative

The ‘Hulk' factor

After reading the entire script, and after watching some of the marketing, this movie seems to be taking the route of the Hulk. This is indeed freaky!

I loved The Hulk but my opinion was not shared by many people. The Hulk has a few things about that when taken into account, make a lot of sense why the movie did not perform. These same aspects I clearly see in Batman as well.

A The Hulk is a serious and proper movie. While that is true for Spiderman as well, Sam Raimi understood that comic relief and a bit of fun never hurt anyone. The Hulk on the other hand never even indulged in humor. In some ways, one can say that it took itself a little too seriously, which was its downfall.

B We expect comic book movies to cater to the popcorn crowd, especially if they're to be released in the summer. The Hulk was not such a movie. It dwelled on the origins of Bruce Banner for the longest time before finally becoming the Hulk. Even at that point, the movie never felt popcornish at all.

C Hulk lacked a proper villain. Most popcorn and superhero movies are only accepted if the forces of evil are commandeered by a tangible villain. Absorbing Man (or whatever he is called) was never really introduced properly nor did the Hulk ever have a proper showdown with him.

Batman suffers from all 3. Batman is 100% serious with extremely little comic relief ever being provided, mostly by the character of Alfred. Batman also indulges in exploring Bruce Wayne for more than half the movie, but thank God that this part of the movie is not devoid of any action sequences. Popcorn movies require action or humor to keep people from getting distracted. And finally, while the scarecrow is pretty well known as a Batman villain and Ra's Al Ghul is known amongst the comic readers really well, both have never been introduced to the average audience member. At the same time, both characters have been made extremely realistic, much like The Kingpin from Daredevil, average ordinary men. While that is true for at least Scarecrow, there is still something fantastical about batman's villains, and while I'm able to still see them, I doubt the audience will.

Nevertheless, I still think its different enough and intriguing in it's own way for it not to get the similar response as The Hulk. The Hulk's issues were more extreme and it had a few more things that were playing a negative role in its box office.

Box office effect: Slightly negative

DC Animation

If there is one thing DC has excelled in, it's in the animation department. And if there is one medium Batman has excelled in, it's in animation as well. Batman has consistently been on TV as an animated character for a long time now, starting with the highly acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. This was followed by Gotham Knights, Batman Beyond, Justice League and finally The Batman. Most of these series' have been met with favorable comments (except The Batman which has received mixed responses). The awareness of Batman amongst the younger audience is high and thankfully, a positive one. Batman toys are second only to Spiderman at local toy shops, once again, thanks to the animation. I'm sure the audience reaction amongst the younger crowd will be good and they will also be more receptive to the character portrayal considering they are more exposed to how Batman is portrayed today.

Box office effect: Positive

Script reaction

While I cannot say right now how well the general audience will react to the script, the script itself has been met with high praises. This has had a wonderful effect all over. While people who have loved it have been very open about how much they enjoyed it and how great the movie is going to be, while professional writers who have read it who cannot openly come out and say it have dropped hints here and there in their written pieces. This is great because their articles seem to me as leaning favorably towards the movie. More so, I believe that a general feeling towards a movie before its opening also plays a huge part in how people wish to review it (whether they admit it or not). My feeling right now is that with all the praise the script is getting, coupled with the favorable advertising campaign, the reviewers out there will try to make their reviews positive (even if they did not completely feel that way), thus working in favor of the movie.

Box office effect: Positive

So where is all the CGI?

I love Nolan for returning to traditional CGI. I hate it when movies are well made yet people who feel the need to nitpick at things start on about how fake CGI was. Sometimes it is and sometimes it is unbelievable though.

Batman Begins is almost all real, with real stunts and real explosions. I think that's great because the audience is most definitely going to believe what is going on in front of them.

Box office effect: Positive

The Cast

This will once again play positively for the movie. Though A-list comic book movies have almost always had a great cast (all the Batman movies, the first Superman movie, X-men), a good cast certainly does not work against a movie's favor. What I like the most is how little they have blatantly promoted this movie based upon the people acting in it. I think it is great. I hate it when movies advertise a few actors and ask people to come and see the actors and not necessarily the movie.

Box office effect: Positive

I will probably add more to this article with time, depending on the events over the next 4 months or any box office factor that I completely forgot to look at.

bABA's conclusion

As I mentioned before, I'm so indecisive about how much this movie will gross. While I personally think everything about this movie has been great, its difficult to assess how the average moviegoer will feel about this project. On the one hand, in my opinion, I know the script is as great as it can get, even though Goyer puts in his usual loop holes in the story. I'm sure even the mass audience will agree but will they be prepared for this? At the same time, how many would actually even bother to come see it based upon their earlier views of it?

I tend to focus on the negatives but the movie has a lot going for it as well. It has actors and a director I have complete faith in. This movie will satisfy its core audience in ways they have never been satisfied before and its release date is almost perfect in terms of the movies surrounding it.

Hence, I will make a conservative prediction on this, without any specific numbers. While my range for this movie that will not surprise me is anywhere between a 40 million to a 110 million opening weekend, I will say that this movie will open to reasonable numbers, and say that it will lie somewhere in between 55 to 80 million.

The movie will end up with X-Men 2 type numbers, ranging anywhere from 180 to 230 million dollars. This is not a bad thing in my opinion and people should not be disappointed if it doesn't deliver more. An important thing for Batman begins is to re-establish the faith for the movie going public back into the franchise. A 220 million gross coupled with DVD sales, merchandising and the international market should be enough to return a reasonable market, and a commitment to make sequels and explore more of the bat universe. With faith re-established, WB and the Batman team can then aim for something higher.

It is important to remember though that Batman Begins still has a good 4 months to go and a lot can happen, especially on the positive side of it.

And this concludes my preview for Batman Begins. As mentioned above, this article will be updated with more information with time, if necessary.

A lot of it, most of it. I skipped around.

You can find it online easily enough.

Nice (and loooooooooooooooong ) analysis!

And yeah, i agree with you, Batman is definitely the coolest and most interesting of all the superheroes. That teenie loser Spiderman just cannot compare:

This article just got picked up by Batman-on-film.com

Congrats Baba.

It is a great article baba, kudos to you.

I have already got some fan/hate mail for you finding its way into my inbox... ill be sure to send it your way.

Yeah, that teenie loser Spiderman can't compare to the tune of 403 Million for the 1st film and 370 Million for the 2nd film, something the BATMAN movies have never been able to gross domestically like Spiderman did..