Face-Off: Batman – Michael Keaton vs. Christian Bale

Whereas Keaton made a better superhero than billionaire, Christian Bale proves a better enterpriser than Caped Crusader. Bale, unlike Keaton, has the sexiness that goes along with stacks of million-dollar bills, and we believe that he is worthy of Gotham’s prettiest women. But his take on Batman left a lot to be desired. First, there is the stiffness and inflexibility in how he presents himself, which was such a burden that the costume had to be adjusted as the series continued. But the biggest problem with Bale’s Batman is the voice, which sounds like he’s swallowed a fistful of gravel and makes it nearly impossible to understand a thing he says. Neither actor could find a perfect balance, but because Keaton was a better Batman (and the movies aren’t called BRUCE WAYNE), I’m giving him the slight edge.

While Bale’s Batman also witnessed his parents’ murders, his revenge was squashed when one of Carmine Falcone’s men had the killer offed early on. In Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, Batman is more about the greater good and genuinely bent on saving the city he loves from the likes of Scarecrow, The Joker and Bane.

This Batman has greater challenges, as he not only had to battle seemingly indestructible terrorists like Bane, but also had to engage in head games with The Joker. While there were numerous fisticuffs (with a touch of martial arts), Bale’s Batman had to race against the clock at nearly every turn while trying to outsmart that demented future Arkham Asylum patient, which is far more compelling than tossing Catwoman into a truck of kitty litter.

On Bale’s get-up, the symbol is so dark it’s hard to even notice. This goes with the “Dark Knight” scheme, but quickly removes it from tradition (as the trilogy progressed, the cape felt less like wings). This costume is also military-grade and high-tech, serving more like armor than disguise, and giving Batman a degree of invincibility through electric current and sonar capabilities (something first seen in, of all movies, BATMAN FOREVER). All of this adds up to making him seem less skilled than geeky and rich.

As was the case with this Batman’s suit, his toys rely heavily on being invincibility machines, here resembling armored vehicles. The Batmobile itself is never mentioned and is essentially replaced by the tank-like Tumbler and the Batpod, which it’s hard to deny is fun to watch weave in and out of Gotham streets and tunnels. Other gadgets in his arsenal include some of the aforementioned devices, although each has been upgraded for the 21st-century (the communicator has been updated into a cell phone, complete with Snake). All of these high-tech gizmos are “cool” in design, but they point out the masked man is a billionaire, a trait that should narrow down his identity quite a bit for the people of Gotham.