The Villains of Batman In Film (A Superhero-Sunday Prelude)
Never has fictional-lore created a single most amount of comicbook villains being amassed and adapted unto the silver-screens than the BATMAN movies, and frankly if you want to get unto the Hollywood-infamous fast-track, go get yourselves into a Hollywood-Batman movie! (You might wanna be in the comicbook first, but hell, that'll take quite a while now, won't it?).
There have been absolute duds, and there have been subtle triumphs - what is it about these comicbook villains and them gracing the cinemas without making a mockery of themselves - even to salivating genre-fans? Simple reason - they have been adapted by folks who do not live the comicbook. They might read it, but hell they do not breathe it, and it comes across the screens. But then again, Chris Nolan has turned that theory unto it's head and gave us the ultimate hero-movies for the decade! Love them or hate them, here is a run-down of Batman's villains on the silver-screen!
Undoubtably the vilest villain ever to grace the silver-screens in Batman movies, was THE PENGUIN. Played by Danny DeVitto, dude gushed black-ooze out of his orfrice and had nasty latex-gloves for his flipper-fingers. The immaculateness of his victorian-goth dapper-do is paralleled by the sewer-stylings of muck and grime. And while his villainess-action was lame, he sure looked awesome as a villain!
And you get toy-figurines made of you too! Toy Haven shows you a run-down of Penguin toy-figurines made - from MEGO dolls to action figures from the Animated Series, this is one heck of a Penguin-lineup!
And when I mention CATWOMAN, I definitely DO NOT refer to the Halle Berry movie-mockery, but the Michelle Pfeiffer-turn as the latex-clad villainess of the silver-screen in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns". Although the acting for the "real world" Selina Kyle was a tad OTT, as the villainess post-building-fall - Catwoman was played to a Meow, and may well be a role all actresses dien to play celluloid-villainess should aspire to. Sexy and dangerous is a potent combination.
The appearance of Catwoman in the film basically turned the comicbook concept over to the leather-side, with the subsequent comicbook-Catwomen donning skin-tight leathers and workman's googles - and they do keep the whip. I never could understand the whip tho - a too thinly veiled S&M-vibe, no? I Like It! LOL
And while there have been a variety of toys based on black glossy-latex and white-thick sewing-lines (awesome design on screen, awful design on toys), this version is best suited in 1/6th-scale, methinks! Well, even if it's a non-official version. Purrr.
TWO-FACE is yet another villain that turned up twice in Batman movies (like the Joker). The Tommy-Lee Jones version in "Batman Forever" were only memorable for his skimpily-clad lackies Sugar and Spices (I will not lie), and Aaron Eckhart's "Harvey Dent" as the White Knight in The Dark Knight was chilling when his burnt-out face was revealed (funnily enough, this was the one time I was emailed by the studios to remove a leak pic way-back-when). He did not really turn "villain" in the traditional sense, but basically lost his mind when his gal was blown up Now that's pretty lame, even as much as you loved her (and your face, don't forget the face lol)
Hot Toys scored a swell toy in 1/6 (not too sure about the Medicom Toy version tho), but I will always remember the design leak in NYCC 2008 when an action figure sorta revealed the figure-design when the studios took pain to muffle leaks mwahahaha
I Like the name "Edward E.Nigma". So cheesy-cool it works wonders on the comicbook page! Then Jim Carrey played him in "Batman Forever", and we had a MASK without the gimmick-mask (and the charm of Cameron Diaz, I will not lie), and essentially had Carrey buffoon his way thru and basically took over the film, and sent it careening down the cliff, with an echo of a Carrey-chortle. And for that, is the worst of the whole lot. 'Nuff said.
The only toy I would ever remotely desire, is the POP Vinyl Heroes version from Funko - featuring a design based on the classic tv look. (Great comicbook-character designs in the series too!). ANd yes, somehow he needs his bowler-hat, as he would look ridiculous without it (better than having a red crew-cut top, innit?)
MR FREEZE was such a blast, he was pretty chilled to look at in "Batman & Robin". Tis not Clooney's (or even Silverstone's) fault for loosing screen-lustre to Arnold, because he was simply a bigger character to be portrayed, and had the best lines! Cheesy? Dude, he was the entire cheese-cake, while the rest were but crumbs left on a frozen cold-platter LOL … Ironically, Mr Freeze had the most obvious character arch in the movie - right place right time wrong movie, is all aim saying'… and oh yes, Best Villain Suit EVAH!
I could not decide on which to feature, so I thought to show both instead! Check out the above LEGO-Mr Freeze (based on the videogame - ironically cute and petite versus the larger-than-life-character), and the below custom Fatcap by Sid Customs = Coooool!
As a comicbook villainess, POISON IVY's powers are a real tangible threat, balanced unfortunately by her lack of mental stability - which makes for great melodrama, but instead the villainess went absolutely backstreets-of-wannabe-broadway in middle-school, when Uma Thurma played her to the hilt in "Batman Forever". Hell, I even liked Bane over her tenure on the movie!
Unfortunately her role basically killed any other female actress' chances of having a good solid female-villain-role in movies (alongside Halle Berry's Catwoman, of course). But she sure showed folks what "self-monologue" spoken out loud meant!
I have absolutely no desire for a Poison Ivy-toy (the top-right Barbie Poison Ivy being the faintly plausible exception), except for the AME-COMI: Poison Ivy PVC Figure (more collector pics here) = now that's a sexy siren of Sister Earth with a plant-fetish worth looking out for!
BANE broke Batman's back. That was quite a little event back in the comicbook days, but as a parody of a venom-toxin juiced-up criminal in a luchadore-mask, the Bane in "Batman Forever" had forever etched him out as a mindless buffed-buffoon who only knew how to smash thru things, wear a fedora while driving, and repeat the last words of Ivy's and Freeze's sentences.
A lot is riding on his new incarnation in the 3rd-installment of Christopher Nolan's epic movie trilogy, as played by Tom Hardy though. If he doesn't spew cheesy-lines (I have faith in Nolan), at the very least he could keep his mouth as shut as the face-mask seem to be doing!
As a toy, the comicbook Bane is but a over-sized muscle-bound dude in wrestling-gear, and the only worthwhile toys looking at are customs from James Fuller - both a Munny-custom and a custom-Tequila to gawk at.
I've never been a huge fan of RA's AL GHUL. His multiple-resurrection pool-baths known as "Lazarus Pit" is a lazy escape-clause of an excuse to have him come back for more, and more, and more. His turn in "Batman Begins" was decent at best, but perhaps an unfulfilled character who basically yakked too much - a back-alley Yoda, he trains Bruce, to become the Batman? If that is not blind mule-headed-arrogance, I don't know what is! The League of Shadows held so much promise, but they were but kungfu-goons waiting to have their asses kicked sideways by Bats. Boo.
In Arabic, seems his name is translated to "Demon's Head" - but he seems hardly so, leaning towards bad-guy-with-good-intentions in the movies, this type of murkiness will only prevail given time at the cinemas - but will there be time enough? Ah but his daughter Tahlia fathering Wayne's love-child Daimen in the comicbooks? Daytime drama in the making!
Honestly, best Ra's I spotted while rooting thru google-images, was this plush by Channel Changers - with the design based on the Batman Animated Series. And there are much more Batman-villain plushies to be had too!
SCARECROW in essence was a throw-away in "Batman Begins", and descended into a mockery in "The Dark Knight". He had a cloth-sack for a head and a fear-toxin sprayed out of a can, and he wore a suit. Pass.
But to be fair, that is as much a version that could be seen on the big-screen, I reckon. Don't think he would've made such an impact with wearing a straw-hat anyways …
Hot Toys did come out with a 1/6-version (as part of a 2-Figure set, with the other figure being a "Batman Demon" -seen at the underground sewers of Arkham Asylum in "Batman Begins"). Pass.
JOKER. Batman's ultimate nemesis. The movie versions never could capture the insanity of the comicbook-Joker, who had a acid-spewing flower, wore purple suits and had green hair - but of course the movie-makers did them, and fell flat on their faces-in-the-pies.
The Nicholson-version from the first ever Batman film might jumpstart some fond memories, but Heath Ledger's turn made Jack look like a giggle compared to the silent tour de force of The Joker in "The Dark Knight". While I am hesitant to admit it as an epic as a legion of others have, it is nevertheless an epic legacy left behind by the late actor, that will be etched in the minds of geek-fan worldwide, for all time.
What other worthwhile toys need be mentioned beside Hot Toys' 1/6th-versions? While there's the more sedate Bank Robber edition, the ultimate still has to be the DX Edition. And HT is coming out with the Nicholson-version too, so old-skool fans have something to giggle-maniacally over too.
And what else besides mortal-Villains Batman has to contend with in the movies? TOYSREVIL offers two things never to be repeated in a Batman movie again ...
THINGS TO AVOID IN BATMAN MOVIES:
"Nipples on Batsuits" and "Vicki Vale" ties for worse incidents ever to perpetrate the Batman-movies. One is too unnecessarily sexist = Why suit-nipples on Bats and Robin's suits, but not Batgirl's, huh? HUH??? … and the other, Kim Basinger as "Vicki Vale" in Tim Burton's first Batman-movie - whose job was to scream like a freakedout banshee at any given moment - was outright irritating and hardly worth Bruce's attention … ah but those were the silly 80s… I wonder what surprises "The Dark Knight Rises" will bring us (besides it's lame name). Heh.
NOTE: This post is a prelude to next weekend, when Super Villains attempt to take over the TOYSREVIL-blog! Yes, it's another fanatic-installment of Superhero-Sunday but this time with the focus on … wait for it … Super-Villains! So send in your Villains, if you so please - and do stay tuned to us on the weekend for some geekery-fun and surprises :)
There have been absolute duds, and there have been subtle triumphs - what is it about these comicbook villains and them gracing the cinemas without making a mockery of themselves - even to salivating genre-fans? Simple reason - they have been adapted by folks who do not live the comicbook. They might read it, but hell they do not breathe it, and it comes across the screens. But then again, Chris Nolan has turned that theory unto it's head and gave us the ultimate hero-movies for the decade! Love them or hate them, here is a run-down of Batman's villains on the silver-screen!
Undoubtably the vilest villain ever to grace the silver-screens in Batman movies, was THE PENGUIN. Played by Danny DeVitto, dude gushed black-ooze out of his orfrice and had nasty latex-gloves for his flipper-fingers. The immaculateness of his victorian-goth dapper-do is paralleled by the sewer-stylings of muck and grime. And while his villainess-action was lame, he sure looked awesome as a villain!
And you get toy-figurines made of you too! Toy Haven shows you a run-down of Penguin toy-figurines made - from MEGO dolls to action figures from the Animated Series, this is one heck of a Penguin-lineup!
And when I mention CATWOMAN, I definitely DO NOT refer to the Halle Berry movie-mockery, but the Michelle Pfeiffer-turn as the latex-clad villainess of the silver-screen in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns". Although the acting for the "real world" Selina Kyle was a tad OTT, as the villainess post-building-fall - Catwoman was played to a Meow, and may well be a role all actresses dien to play celluloid-villainess should aspire to. Sexy and dangerous is a potent combination.
The appearance of Catwoman in the film basically turned the comicbook concept over to the leather-side, with the subsequent comicbook-Catwomen donning skin-tight leathers and workman's googles - and they do keep the whip. I never could understand the whip tho - a too thinly veiled S&M-vibe, no? I Like It! LOL
And while there have been a variety of toys based on black glossy-latex and white-thick sewing-lines (awesome design on screen, awful design on toys), this version is best suited in 1/6th-scale, methinks! Well, even if it's a non-official version. Purrr.
TWO-FACE is yet another villain that turned up twice in Batman movies (like the Joker). The Tommy-Lee Jones version in "Batman Forever" were only memorable for his skimpily-clad lackies Sugar and Spices (I will not lie), and Aaron Eckhart's "Harvey Dent" as the White Knight in The Dark Knight was chilling when his burnt-out face was revealed (funnily enough, this was the one time I was emailed by the studios to remove a leak pic way-back-when). He did not really turn "villain" in the traditional sense, but basically lost his mind when his gal was blown up Now that's pretty lame, even as much as you loved her (and your face, don't forget the face lol)
Hot Toys scored a swell toy in 1/6 (not too sure about the Medicom Toy version tho), but I will always remember the design leak in NYCC 2008 when an action figure sorta revealed the figure-design when the studios took pain to muffle leaks mwahahaha
I Like the name "Edward E.Nigma". So cheesy-cool it works wonders on the comicbook page! Then Jim Carrey played him in "Batman Forever", and we had a MASK without the gimmick-mask (and the charm of Cameron Diaz, I will not lie), and essentially had Carrey buffoon his way thru and basically took over the film, and sent it careening down the cliff, with an echo of a Carrey-chortle. And for that, is the worst of the whole lot. 'Nuff said.
The only toy I would ever remotely desire, is the POP Vinyl Heroes version from Funko - featuring a design based on the classic tv look. (Great comicbook-character designs in the series too!). ANd yes, somehow he needs his bowler-hat, as he would look ridiculous without it (better than having a red crew-cut top, innit?)
MR FREEZE was such a blast, he was pretty chilled to look at in "Batman & Robin". Tis not Clooney's (or even Silverstone's) fault for loosing screen-lustre to Arnold, because he was simply a bigger character to be portrayed, and had the best lines! Cheesy? Dude, he was the entire cheese-cake, while the rest were but crumbs left on a frozen cold-platter LOL … Ironically, Mr Freeze had the most obvious character arch in the movie - right place right time wrong movie, is all aim saying'… and oh yes, Best Villain Suit EVAH!
I could not decide on which to feature, so I thought to show both instead! Check out the above LEGO-Mr Freeze (based on the videogame - ironically cute and petite versus the larger-than-life-character), and the below custom Fatcap by Sid Customs = Coooool!
As a comicbook villainess, POISON IVY's powers are a real tangible threat, balanced unfortunately by her lack of mental stability - which makes for great melodrama, but instead the villainess went absolutely backstreets-of-wannabe-broadway in middle-school, when Uma Thurma played her to the hilt in "Batman Forever". Hell, I even liked Bane over her tenure on the movie!
Unfortunately her role basically killed any other female actress' chances of having a good solid female-villain-role in movies (alongside Halle Berry's Catwoman, of course). But she sure showed folks what "self-monologue" spoken out loud meant!
I have absolutely no desire for a Poison Ivy-toy (the top-right Barbie Poison Ivy being the faintly plausible exception), except for the AME-COMI: Poison Ivy PVC Figure (more collector pics here) = now that's a sexy siren of Sister Earth with a plant-fetish worth looking out for!
BANE broke Batman's back. That was quite a little event back in the comicbook days, but as a parody of a venom-toxin juiced-up criminal in a luchadore-mask, the Bane in "Batman Forever" had forever etched him out as a mindless buffed-buffoon who only knew how to smash thru things, wear a fedora while driving, and repeat the last words of Ivy's and Freeze's sentences.
A lot is riding on his new incarnation in the 3rd-installment of Christopher Nolan's epic movie trilogy, as played by Tom Hardy though. If he doesn't spew cheesy-lines (I have faith in Nolan), at the very least he could keep his mouth as shut as the face-mask seem to be doing!
As a toy, the comicbook Bane is but a over-sized muscle-bound dude in wrestling-gear, and the only worthwhile toys looking at are customs from James Fuller - both a Munny-custom and a custom-Tequila to gawk at.
I've never been a huge fan of RA's AL GHUL. His multiple-resurrection pool-baths known as "Lazarus Pit" is a lazy escape-clause of an excuse to have him come back for more, and more, and more. His turn in "Batman Begins" was decent at best, but perhaps an unfulfilled character who basically yakked too much - a back-alley Yoda, he trains Bruce, to become the Batman? If that is not blind mule-headed-arrogance, I don't know what is! The League of Shadows held so much promise, but they were but kungfu-goons waiting to have their asses kicked sideways by Bats. Boo.
In Arabic, seems his name is translated to "Demon's Head" - but he seems hardly so, leaning towards bad-guy-with-good-intentions in the movies, this type of murkiness will only prevail given time at the cinemas - but will there be time enough? Ah but his daughter Tahlia fathering Wayne's love-child Daimen in the comicbooks? Daytime drama in the making!
Honestly, best Ra's I spotted while rooting thru google-images, was this plush by Channel Changers - with the design based on the Batman Animated Series. And there are much more Batman-villain plushies to be had too!
SCARECROW in essence was a throw-away in "Batman Begins", and descended into a mockery in "The Dark Knight". He had a cloth-sack for a head and a fear-toxin sprayed out of a can, and he wore a suit. Pass.
But to be fair, that is as much a version that could be seen on the big-screen, I reckon. Don't think he would've made such an impact with wearing a straw-hat anyways …
Hot Toys did come out with a 1/6-version (as part of a 2-Figure set, with the other figure being a "Batman Demon" -seen at the underground sewers of Arkham Asylum in "Batman Begins"). Pass.
JOKER. Batman's ultimate nemesis. The movie versions never could capture the insanity of the comicbook-Joker, who had a acid-spewing flower, wore purple suits and had green hair - but of course the movie-makers did them, and fell flat on their faces-in-the-pies.
The Nicholson-version from the first ever Batman film might jumpstart some fond memories, but Heath Ledger's turn made Jack look like a giggle compared to the silent tour de force of The Joker in "The Dark Knight". While I am hesitant to admit it as an epic as a legion of others have, it is nevertheless an epic legacy left behind by the late actor, that will be etched in the minds of geek-fan worldwide, for all time.
What other worthwhile toys need be mentioned beside Hot Toys' 1/6th-versions? While there's the more sedate Bank Robber edition, the ultimate still has to be the DX Edition. And HT is coming out with the Nicholson-version too, so old-skool fans have something to giggle-maniacally over too.
And what else besides mortal-Villains Batman has to contend with in the movies? TOYSREVIL offers two things never to be repeated in a Batman movie again ...
THINGS TO AVOID IN BATMAN MOVIES:
"Nipples on Batsuits" and "Vicki Vale" ties for worse incidents ever to perpetrate the Batman-movies. One is too unnecessarily sexist = Why suit-nipples on Bats and Robin's suits, but not Batgirl's, huh? HUH??? … and the other, Kim Basinger as "Vicki Vale" in Tim Burton's first Batman-movie - whose job was to scream like a freakedout banshee at any given moment - was outright irritating and hardly worth Bruce's attention … ah but those were the silly 80s… I wonder what surprises "The Dark Knight Rises" will bring us (besides it's lame name). Heh.
NOTE: This post is a prelude to next weekend, when Super Villains attempt to take over the TOYSREVIL-blog! Yes, it's another fanatic-installment of Superhero-Sunday but this time with the focus on … wait for it … Super-Villains! So send in your Villains, if you so please - and do stay tuned to us on the weekend for some geekery-fun and surprises :)
