Here is my rankings of the actors who have played Batman:
1. Christian Bale: he has given the best performance of the Dark Knight. In all aspects he nails the role perfectly, and he has set the standard for any future actors. He is Batman.
2. Val Kilmer: I liked "Batman Forever", and Kilmer was the best Batman until Bale did it. Unlike Keaton, he could take his shirt off in the movie. The physical part of the role is just as important as the mental part; Val was perfect for the role.
3. Michael Keaton: he wasn't great as Batman, but he was good. The main reason to see "Batman" was Jack Nicholson. Keaton is a good actor, but he was not the best choice for the role. At the time, Alec Baldwin would have been perfect.
4. Adam West: yes, from the campy 60's TV show, he is the first Batman for me. I grew up watching Batman reruns. My favorite was the one when he fought the Green Horton (with Bruce Lee as Kato). Actually, he prefectly represents the character...but from the 1950's comic books. Let me add that he should have been given a cameo role in 1989's Batman. Shame on you Tim Burton!
5. The Onstar commercial Batman: I only saw him in two, 30 second commercials, but I liked what I saw. He was Ok...better than my last choice...
6. George Clooney: the man who also killed the Batman franchise. He was beyond bad. He did NOTHING with the role. He looked bored throughout most of the HORRIBLE movie "Batman and Robin". If I saw him walking down the street, I would spit at his feet. Shame on you Clooney....
I say Christian Bale and Michael Keaton are in a tie.Bale represents the younger,less caustious Batman.Keaton,imo,represents a more quiet and able Batman.I thought Kilmer and Clooney both where a little bleak.
I can't remember the Onstar Batman so I won't rate him.
Bale is perfect.
Conroy, tell me when you're watching TAS you don't think the voice is awesome.
Keaton should've buffed up, didn't look the part as much as some others but he did a great job. He's not a dark guy but he pulled off Batman very well I think.
Kilmer wasn't convincing enough for me as Bruce Wayne, but he did good. Its a shame that Joel S. had to screw everything up.
Clooney and West I think are trash and they're tied with just being the worst. West I don't even consider Batman because of that terrible TV show, and Clooney I consider one of the many reasons the franchise failed. He was TOO Bruce Wayne and not nearly enough Batman.
Bale has a great accomplishment on his hands, he has successfully pulled both off to the best degree anyone has.
As Batman (in uniform and ability to scare the sh*t out of criminals, fight, etc). Kevin Conroy wins easily but if we're talking about more than just voice,
1. Keaton--I still he think he was the epitome of badass. Just the way he glided down and his scowl, his gritty cutting-glass voice. The way he grabbed the muggers in 1989 Batman and said "I'm Batman." His hardcore presence during the Axis Chemicals scene was phenomenal. Set the precedent for all "dark" Batman voices to come (even Conroy's).
2. Bale -- Very scary as well...just a notch below Keaton. He's more of a spook than a badass though. Couldn't really tell the way he was fighting due to bad camera angles. And when he was snarling at Flass hanging upside down, that was kinda forced. So was him shouting "Rachael!!!"
3. Kilmer -- I think he tried to copy Keaton so he wasn't that bad either. Might be tied with Bale just a notch below Keaton. His Batman can fight and has no problems jumping off a ledge and landing smoothy. Voice wan'st as "hardcore" as Keaton's but less "forced" than Bale's.
4. West -- Not a bad Batman for the campy 60s but horrible physique and corny delivery lines were just too "un-modern Batman-like" His boxing and kicking skills were ok if you're dealing with clowns.
5. Clooney -- "Hi Freeze, I'm Batman." ugh. He seemed like a very bored Batman with his crimefighting dedication. Crappy fighting skills too.
As Bruce Wayne, I think Bale and Kilmer had both the looks and tortured persona so they come out on top. Keaton was kind of short...doens't really seem to capture that rich boy image but he seemed most incisive....he's always in deep thought. Clooney was blah as Wayne and as Batman. West acted his Wayne like the way he acted his Batman.
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Kevin Conroy IS Batman.........bar none. His voice is so awesome it's scary. And Christian Bale is great, too. He has a great physique, and after watching American Psycho he proves that he can act troubles and mental.
Leafar,you are the man.you are too cool.I have almost the exact same agreements as you do.Yeah Bale is by far the best Batman to have played the role so far.And you are so right,before Batman Begins,Val Kilmer was the best person to have played the role of Batman easily.Hands down,no contest.I also liked Batman Forever the best of the films because Kilmer made a much better Batman than Keaton since he at least came close to fitting the role and had the right physical build for Bruce Wayne.He also was a great Bruce Wayne.He did not get to do much as Batman because he had a corny script to work with with really corny lines.
my rankings would go
1.Bale.
2.Kilmer
3.Onstar Batman
4.West because of the nostalgia memorys he brings back.
5..Keaton.He was the worst casting choice in comicbook history right along with Halle Berry as catwoman because he didnt even come close to looking the part which is an extremely important thing in casting.
6..Clooney.I only say Keaton was the worst casting choice in comicbook history because he was in the first film,otherwise if Clooney was in the first film,then he would easily earn the reward.I mean Keaton could at least act where Clooney could not and the guy is an ugly looking dude.He looks like Eddie Musnter for god sakes!!!.But since he was in such a horrible sequel of a film,I put him behind Keaton.
3: Val Kilmer. I wasnt any impressed by his acting, but at least , he was a good bruce wayne and a decent batman.
4: Michael Keaton/ George Clooney.a drawn. I posted keaton before because he is a better actor, his voice was good and his movies werent so bad as batman and robin was. But both actors were terrible casting choices for the role.
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I know it's off topic, but Mr. Parker..just curious since you did say "come close to looking the part which is an extremely important thing in casting," what did you think of Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Michael Clark Duncan as KingPin, and Ben Affleck as Daredevil? Because I know you ENJOYED Daredevil and Elektra and rank them higher than a lot of other comic book movies (such as Spider-man and 1989 Batman). How do these actors physically fit the role of their characters?
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Well, im not mr parker but i would love to awnser that. Agree with you that afleck and garner were bad casting choices, but not duncan. He looks the role except because he is black. But its very hard to find an white actor who looks the kingping. Who? I can only think in michael clarke duncan.
__________________ The beatles, best group ever.
John Lennon, Musical genius of all time
Helen Mirren and Julie Christie , most lovely british actresses of all time.
1. Bale - The definitive Bruce Wayne/Batman combo so far.
2. Conroy - A brilliant Batman and Bruce Wayne voice.
3. Keaton - A fantasic Batman but a weaker Bruce Wayne.
4. West - Gets a mention because he portrayed the characters well for the time. And he was comedy gold.
4. Kilmer - A decent Bruce Wayne but a limp Batman.
5. Clooney - Batman is not some sweater wearring cuddly dad.
hehehe... ,...well, i never said in my post that I thought they were bad casting choices, but since you implied it, then YES, i thought Jennifer Garner totally did not look the part. I actually thought Ben Afflect could've done ok as Daredevil if he didn't act so......Ben Affleck. And I didn't really mind Michael Clark Duncan at all...I thought it was a nice use of artistic license. Daredevil was a mediocre movie in my opinion. Elektra was just disgraceful.
Well I personally had no problem with Ben in the role like a lot of people seem to and at least unlike keaton,was tall and muscular like Matt Murdock is suppose to be so why would I have a problem with him in that role? Yeah the reason Bakerboy mentioned for why I liked Clark in his role as Kingpin was because of the reason Bakerboy listed.As far as Garner goes,I always thought they could have gotten someone who looks more like Elektra then she does but Garner was at least a brunette like elektra is and she was sexy as hell in her outfit so I loved her in that role. Now whats her name as Sue Storm is a different story.That was a horrible casting choice,she looks nothing like the part.None of the actors they cast for the roles in that film look like their counter parts from the comicbook so Im not to thrilled about that movie.
Are you joking? He was just as horrible a choice for Bruce wayne as Keaton was.As I mentioned before,Clooney is an ugly looking dude who looks like Eddie Munster for god sakes!!! and yet he is cast for handsome dude Bruce Wayne? what a total joke.