"...The Joker's Wild", or "Where's Wink Martindale?" My thoughts on America's latest obsession with the "Caped Crusader". See the "Bat Signal" in the sky? It's a desperate last attempt to revive this dying franchise. Don't worry though, long before the movie hits theaters in the next few hours, this movie has already been granted immunity because the entire saga is counting on a villain to rake in the bucks: The late Heath Ledger, who goes in the books as "Joker #3" in movie history. That's the irony here. Actors have come and gone with their own takes on characters in Gotham City, and many of these people have also found that their life afterwards wasn't all too "Super". Adam West was the original 1960's Batman. The first motion picture happened after the tv series ended, and didn't do so good either. West was typecast and forced to do bit roles in film and television where he remains a regular "voice" on Fox's, "Family Guy" cartoon. In the early 1980's when talk started about making a different kind of Batman remake, actor Michael Keaton got the role as Batman and much of the other cast agreed to be in it to jot down as work on their resume'. That was the only time in cinema history that you will ever see Keaton and Jack Nicholson together...EVER! "Mr. Mom", "Gung Ho", and the success of "Batman" made Keaton go crazy. He turned down the second film a few years later and went on to such forgettable flicks as "Jack Frost". Too bad! For some reason or another, Val Kilmer was called upon to play the role for another film. This role was not too long after his portrayal of Jim Morrison in "The Doors". Where have you seen him after that? Bit roles and cameos in independent films where he continues today. ...And then there was George Clooney. Ahh yes, while mulling his future in the middle of a successful "E.R.", George decided it was time to up and leave the ABC drame to play Batman. The plot thickened everywhere except the silver screen where the watered down storylines gave the franchise a last gasp until a few years ago. Note how many long gone, and forgotten films of Clooney's were made between "Batman" and "Ocean's 11". Finally, there's the current Batman... what's his name? Exactly. That's the point. "Gotham City Nights" was supposed to be a big flick but turned out to become only a "critically acclaimed" movie that failed at the box office. Well, "what's his name" is back again. Ironically, the latest movie which continues from where we left off a few years back, was made to be an "artsy" film. Thanks to Heath Ledger's death earlier this year, the film has become a "Summer Blockbuster" before it even opens. There's already all kinds of rumbles about Oscars here... which makes me wonder. Is it a good movie or is it Heath Ledger that makes this a must see? That' why I'm doing today's post in two parts. Okay, I'm not actually going to camp out tonight to see the movie, but tomorrow I'll be critical to what the critic's say and why I think this should be the final film for the "Caped Crusader".
Continued Tomorrow
