Current Events > James Gunn's thoughts on Batman 89

(+) Yeah! (+)

Bubbagump posted...

I think you have to put the film in its proper context. In 1989, when most people thought of Batman, they thought of the 1960s campy Adam West version. This Batman was the first one to bring a darker (comparatively) tone to the series and did it quite successfully. It was also one of the first big summer blockbusters that had huge merchandise tie-ins (games, books, toys, etc), and made a big splash within the culture. Everyone was wearing batman shirts, consuming batman media, the stuff was everywhere! There had never been anything like it except for maybe Star Wars.

Quality post.

vycebrand2 posted...

89 Gotham looks like a fake city. It's why I like the Bale Gotham. 89 Gotham borrows alot from the 40's and 50's being set then might work better.

It looks like a fake city because it IS a fake city. There is no real Gotham. These are just sets.

What they got right about it, though, was the architecture, dirtiness and overall tone.

It's actually one of my criticisms of the Nolan films. Though I much preferred them overall to every other Batman films, in 2 and 3 Gotham was just Chicago.

You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts!

Critiquing old things that havent aged so well is such low hanging fruit. It was exactly what a superhero movie needed to be at the time.

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

It looks like a fake city because it IS a fake city. There is no real Gotham. These are just sets.

What they got right about it, though, was the architecture, dirtiness and overall tone.

It's actually one of my criticisms of the Nolan films. Though I much preferred them overall to every other Batman films, in 2 and 3 Gotham was just Chicago.

Well the 89 film being sets, feels retro even when it shouldn't. The Nolan films feel like they could be happening right now on our streets. The politicians and police in the nolan films would not feel out of place in any american city. I guess thats why I perfer the Nolan films. Theres a feel of realism and not feeling like a comic book.

HudGard posted...

Critiquing old things that havent aged so well is such low hanging fruit. It was exactly what a superhero movie needed to be at the time.

While you're right, there is legitimate context.

His post is literally from over 11 years ago, which was right when superhero movies were first truly starting to make a comeback, so he wasn't critiquing something like, super old... He was basically critiquing one of the last relevant superhero movies, prior to the true Marvel boon. When he made these comments, I believe the first Avengers had basically barely been out.

People just love to dig up random old shit when they're trying to bury somebody, for some reason. And while it's extremely useful when somebody, say, has posted bigoted stuff, for example... Digging up somebody criticizing a popular DC movie obviously comes in with much, much less weight.

The only thing I'd really agree with him on is Joker being the killer of Batman's parents. I disagree on everything else.

Im excited about his DCEU reboot, but Gunn has always come across as a petulant, middle aged edgelord to me whenever hes interviewed about anything.

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

It's actually one of my criticisms of the Nolan films. Though I much preferred them overall to every other Batman films, in 2 and 3 Gotham was just Chicago.

Only the 1st and 2nd Nolan films were primarily in Chicago. 3 was primarily filmed in Pittsburgh.

YellowSUV posted...

Only the 1st and 2nd Nolan films were primarily in Chicago. 3 was primarily filmed in Pittsburgh.

Well, I wasn't talking about physical filming location so much as they just didn't really do anything to make it feel like a classic Gotham City. 1 definitely did this the best, especially when it comes to the Narrows or the undercity where Falcone hangs out. But 2 and 3 both just feel like "Anywhere, USA, 2008/2012."

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

Well, I wasn't talking about physical filming location so much as they just didn't really do anything to make it feel like a classic Gotham City. 1 definitely did this the best, especially when it comes to the Narrows or the undercity where Falcone hangs out. But 2 and 3 both just feel like "Anywhere, USA, 2008/2012."

Gotcha, I've been to Chicago many times so I could tell the city in 3 felt like a totally different city from 2.

MTRodaba2468 posted...

The only thing I'd really agree with him on is Joker being the killer of Batman's parents. I disagree on everything else.

why do you think people disliked that?