Batman. DARLING.

[filkertom]

Heath Ledger cast as the Joker in the next Batman flick. Thoughts? And, try to keep the Brokeback jokes to a minimum.

Comments

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Ledger is a fine actor, but can he be funny? Can he do crazed? I'm not convinced, but willing to give him a chance.

[youngcurmudgeon.livejournal.com]

Ever see Brothers Grimm, Knight's Tale, or 10 Things I Hate About You? Yes, those last are teen movies, but he's fairly hilarious in them. I'm excited. (Then again, I'm also a straight girl, although I was never as into him as some.)

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

The only crazed I've seen from him was intense/driven crazed (i.e. the Spear of Destiny ep of Roar). OTOH, he's mapped a pretty wide range for his age at this point, and has yet to monumentally screw up any of it. So I'm all for assuming he can extend to it the wacky until proven otherwise.

I'm not convinced, but willing to give him a chance.

A lesson I first learned, appropriately enough, from Michael Keaton.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I really do think the Joker wishes he could quit Batman.

YAY!

[wormquartet.livejournal.com]

Looking up photo on imdb...

Saving photo to hard drive...

Whitening skin and greenifying hair in Photoshop...

Hmm. Could work!

Gawd, I'm happy they're doing this. Batman Begins was possibly the best comic-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen.

-=ShoEboX=-

Re: YAY!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I'd put it in the top three, for sure. I think the best was Hellboy, although Men In Black and the first Reeve Superman rock me pretty hard. Not to mention The Mask. [sigh] Someday, someone will do a good version of Watchmen.

[mannoftalent.livejournal.com]

I'm willing to wait and see on Ledger. It all depends on what story they tell and how. Personally, I was gunning for Tim Roth.

[wormquartet.livejournal.com]

Roth would make a kickass Batman villain - but I see him more as the Riddler.

-=ShoEboX=-

[sdelmonte]

I haven't seen any of Ledger's films, so no opinion of him as an actor, but I can see him making a good Joker in terms of his facial structure.

I'm not sure I want to see the Joker so soon in this series, since he's been done to death and was the only Bat-willain done well (if not quite right) in the old set of films. I'd rather see Harvey Dent first, since he's a more interesting tragic figure to me, and since he was so badly done in the films. I trust Nolan and Goyer to do a good job, though.

And as for Brokeback Batman jokes, I actuially now expect to see the comic book Joker, never one to pass up a pop culture reference, saying The Line to one of his victims, then shooting him, and then saying "ah, that's how" or somwthing like that. Obvious? Yes. but quite in character.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

OK, so maybe it breaks the fourth wall a little but it wouldn't be the first time that worked. They got the McGyver reference out of the way in the first episode of "Stargate SG-1" after all... [smirk]

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

And, try to keep the Brokeback jokes to a minimum.

...
(twitch)
(deep-voiced preview announcer) Two men. Opposite sides of the coin. Driven by their passions. Yet in this gritty town... even they can find... themselves.
Coming next summer: BrokeBat Mountain.(/voice)

Sorry, Tom. Could NOT resist.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Hey. That's a minimum. :)

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

(re-posted from my own journal, because it's locked):

I... just can't see it.

Nicholson's Joker actually made a big impression on me. I thought he got it right. I always thought the Joker was Batman's deadliest enemy because not only was he completely insane, he was fu©king brilliant. It's incredibly difficult to outthink someone who just doesn't think along any lines even possibly considered rational.

I'm really not sure about Ledger. Granted, I haven't seen most of the movies he's been in, so the majority of my experience with his acting style is "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale." (No, I didn't see Brokeback Mountain. No, I didn't see The Patriot.) Even what I've heard of his more "meatier" roles, though, I don't think he has what it takes to pull off a good crazy, and a good crazy is essential to the Joker character.

(Nicholson's Joker, to step onto a completely different soapbox for a moment, was everything that a good Clan Malkavian vampire should be. Carrey's Riddler, on the other hand, was everything wrong with how most people play Malkavians. Insanity is not comic relief, folks, it's fu©king scary. OK, done now. </soapbox>)

Will I see it? Sure. Not only am I a comics geek, but I'm a fan of the Batman franchise, both the comics and the movies. I loved the Burton era, tolerated the Schumacher era, and appreciate what Nolan has done with it so far. I'm still waiting for someone to bring the "Death in the Family" storyline to the big screen, but since the movies are doing backstory plots at this point, I think I'll be waiting a long time. But Ledger had better do this role justice.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I thought Nicholson did a fine job as the joker, in much the same way that Tom Cruise did a fine job as Lestat. No, I am not being sarcastic. I thought they both did great. I also never got away from the fact that they were, respectively, Nicholson and Cruise.

I wish I could say my joker was Cesar Romero, but he's not. My Batman villain of that era was Frank Gorshin as The Riddler. Everything the Joker should've been.

No, my Joker is Mark Hamill. Hamill perfectly, perfectly nails the homicidal comedian with a less tenuous grasp on reallity than he affects.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, through the first film and now the upcoming second, the majority of the main players are Commenwealth actors, mostly playing American characters.

Nothing wrong with that, just a curious observation.

[tabby676.livejournal.com]

I think he is too young and not skinny/tall and looming enough, the joker should be at least 10 years older then batman, (as seen in most of the comics over the years these are some of the few traits joker has that do not change)...

honestly since this batman movie universe is over writing the other recent batmant universe I wouldn't mind if they just plucked Jim Carrey up again for this one if he had a good script he'd do well as joker and he is certainly able to do physical comedy and could look the part, he also has demonstrated in recent years that he has a large range which is very important with joker given his constantly shifting paradigm of thought and emotion... hell I'd cast Steve Martin in the role before I'd put some heartthrob boi there, would that this was 10 years ago I'd say Bill Murray...

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

A few years back, about the time of "Pricilla" Hugo Weaving would have made a manic wicked Joker.

thats so wrong

[tinkerbell1980.livejournal.com]

not only he doesnt fit the part but isnt he way too yuong?

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Wha, not even one teeny comment about Brokebat Mountin' ?

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Batman/Joker 4eva ;) Seriously, Christian Bale and Heath Ledger seething at each other?? UST!!

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

C'mon, I've heard lots of people are looking forward to Brokeback Gotham.

[gpeefalt.livejournal.com]

Have you ever danced with another man in the pale moonlight?

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

OK, that made me giggle...

[chaosdancer.livejournal.com]

I had heard a rumor that they were considering Christopher Eccleston for the part, though also that it wasn't a true rumor. Dang. He would have had the right facial structure and probably could have done one sort of insane, but I don't know if he could do the Joker sort of insane. Plus I find I don't want to see him in a villain role now. Couldn't let Kieran see it - the DOCTOR being so mean? No, never. So I'm glad it wasn't him.

[sdelmonte]

He'd make a good choice, facially. But as he's following the Doctor with the Prisoner, it's jsut as well. How many icons can you be in one career?

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Aw, man! I was hoping they'd go with Jude Law.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

That would've worked. That would've worked very well.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

Just got an email from a friend who lunched into a string of criticisms about Heath Ledger as Joker, most of them repeated here. I shot back a reply pointing out that he said nearly the same things about Michael Keaton, and how it took him months before he could admit publicly that he was wrong ;-)

And I heartily agree with the comments here that Mark Hamill has the _best_ Joker voice ever!

[cheatrulesfoamy.livejournal.com]

Anyone ever seen Ledger's body? He's gonna have to lose a ton of muscle or we'll have some very pissed fanboys on our hands...

Otherwise, he seems talented enough where I'm not sitting here with my jaw-dropped cursing the powers-that-be. This'll be a wait and see.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

If he does lose a ton of muscle, you will have some very pissed beefcake-lovin' fans on your hands too. [leer]

[gryphons.livejournal.com]

to quote our darling spouse " I could see it.. " and when I asked how .. hubby replied "ACTING!!!!!!!!!"

should we mention hubby is a joker FANATIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (not enough exclamation points)
After this he went off on a rather weird discourse on it.. ending with "we're putting the laughter back in manslaughter" so um yeah.. that was his two pence..

I personally.. don't see it.. but considering the patriot, the order. brothers grimm.. and a few other parts I've seen him in.. eh maybe.. superman returns hasn't left me with much hope for ANY comic based movies.. (so help me if they mess up Ghost Rider, I'm going to swear off movies for like a year or something*growls*)
ok.. that's our opinions

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

He can't be as disapointing as Nicholson.

Okay, I've been wanting to know for a LONG time...

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

What IS that thing in your avatar?

[bardicwench.livejournal.com]

yum yum yum yum.... Heath Ledger...

On a not-purely-visual aspect, I think he is a wonderful actor and has played a wide range of roles for his age. And the scary thing is that I know exactly how old he is... because he was born on the same day & year that I was.

But I can't ignore the fact that he is good eye candy.