Michael Keaton and Adam West give Dark Knight newcomer Christian Bale advice on Batman and show him the ropes during new interviews with the actors.
Although separated by two decades, Adam West and Michael Keaton were the first two actors to portray the mysterious Dark Knight, more commonly referred to as Batman. Now, with Christian Bale descending into the Batcave in this month's "Batman Begins," the two comic-adaptation icons welcome him to the brotherhood with open arms and a healthy dose of time-tested advice.
"He's smart," insisted the star of 1989's "Batman" and '91's "Batman Returns." "[Bale is] really talented, and he knows what to do," said Keaton.
"Good advice," Bale laughed upon hearing the comments from his predecessors. "That cape isn't the handiest thing to have around you, especially in the Batmobile or whatever. But Batman needs it, because he can't fly without it."
"You can't ever go too dark for me," said Keaton, who stars in "Herbie: Fully Loaded" this month. "There is a way into that guy, a trick to it. [Being dark] was the one way to get into him; that is the only way I could get into him, and that's the way I went."
"This is not 'Batman 5,' " Bale responded, saying that his portrayal takes Keaton's darkness even further. "I would not be interested in making a fifth Batman movie. This, to me, is the first Batman movie, like the title suggests."
"It's the backstory," West said. "He's somebody who's an ordinary human being; who, because his parents were murdered in his presence as a child, becomes someone who wants to pay back and get rid of anyone who might try to do the same thing."
"He's such a potentially fascinating character," Keaton asserted, admitting that he'll be in line to see the new movie. "I'm curious."
"I want the Batman persona not just to be Bruce Wayne in a Batsuit," Bale said of how he'll tell the story, "but to become a creature ... that can channel his rage and his grief and his anger, so that as Bruce Wayne, he is able to function in life without being absolutely psychotic."
When the legendary Bat symbol lights up the night sky once again on June 15, one thing is certain: every Batman will be watching.
Click here to read more of the interview.
Stay tuned to CBM for the latest....
BetaRayBill
6/10/2005
MTV