Choose a Jim; Jeffery Wright vs Gary Oldman

[InCali]

Oldman. Not to disparage anyone, but saying Gary Oldman is just a flat out better actor than (fill in the blank) is true for 99.9999% of any actor who has walked the face of the earth. The 3 movie thing has some validity, but Oldman was one of the best things about each BM movie he was in.

 

[shauner111]

I’m a Oldman fan but I do think he over acts a lot. But he does it in a entertaining way like Pacino. He DOES fit the trilogy he’s in. I wouldn’t change him in those movies for anyone. But his style of acting is not exactly how I hear the character when I read comics. Gordon to me is closer to how Wright portrayed him in that “ughh I’m getting too old for this ****” way that we see from Freeman in Seven. Or even Cranston in later seasons of Breaking Bad when he’s at his most tired and certainly the most experienced version of himself. It’s why i wanted Sam Elliott for Gordon in the DCEU. The gravitas, the voice. Wright has that. Oldman is kinda different.

Oldman’s Gordon is at his best in TDK. For some reason Gary was doing some old Hollywood acting thing in Begins and returned to it in Rises.

And I know I’m not the only one who cant understand Oldman in some scenes because we used to poke fun at him for this 10 years ago.

 

[Lautox]

I haven't noticed that on Oldman because I always watch the movies in my native language which is spanish lol. But I agree with you, Gordon is a more calm detective in the comics and in The Batman while in the Nolan trilogy he was portrayed more like a street cop who is in a lot of stress.

And yeah, Cranston should've been Gordon in the DCEU insted of Simmons which I thought was terribly casted. That casting felt like it was done by a fan campaign.

 

[WatchProtect]

I prefer the more cool guy take Wright did by a very wide margin, Oldman is great and always will be but if by some random chance we were getting a Gordon comic or TV Show I'd 100% want to see more of Jeffrey's Gordon than Oldman.

Again Gary was always my favorite part of those films but he always seemed kinda like he was putting on a facade of sorts. I think I buy Jeff as Batmans right hand cop more than Gary as Batmans.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Really don't understand this obsession with choosing this over that, or something vs. another thing.

I'll take them both, thank you.

It can start some interesting conversations.

 

[Captain Tired]

And it's just a bit of fun.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Comparisons are inevitable at this point. Even if I'd prefer there wasn't any, pretty much all of us are gonna compare in some form.

 

[C Prometheus]

It's a tough call. Oldman's Gordon felt like a more fleshed out character that you had an emotional connection to, particularly in TDK and TDKR, but Wright's Gordon has better chemistry with his Batman to the point where you feel like they're actually partners.

I agree completely with this. Oldman's Gordon has the benefit of having that full arc over the course of three films, with more narrative focus provided as time went on. Hell, I've said for a few years now that I firmly believe the reveal scene in TDK where Gordon arrests Joker was the collective moment where general audiences collectively really fell in love with Gordon as a character. I still remember my midnight premiere theater breaking into applause when that happened.

But Wright's Gordon definitely has a more palpable chemistry with Pattinson's Batman all throughout this first film. They feel like partners working a case together and Wright's calmer take feels a bit truer to the character in the comics. Ideally Gordon might get more focus in future films, which would help further flesh Wright's iteration out as a character.

Also, as an aside, can I just say how much I love how

Spoiler: 3rd Act Spoilers

Gordon got the same slow-mo dramatic "Over the Railings" shot as Selina after Batman cut the loose electrical wire and fell into the water?

That's a hilarious and charming little touch to highlight that Gordon is just as much an important figure in Bruce's life as Selina or Alfred.

 

[Elayis]

While I thought Wright was good in the role, he's doesn't do much in the film other than provide support for Batman. At least with Oldman we got to see why he decided to team up with "just some nut," and over the course of the trilogy he even got his own arc.

I'm interested in seeing what Reeves' does with Gordon going forward, but I wonder what can be done with the character that doesn't retread TDKT and isn't already being handled in Batgirl.

 

[Frodo]

Really don't understand this obsession with choosing this over that, or something vs. another thing.

I'll take them both, thank you.

It's basically alot of fans trying to determine where The Batman's place is in relation to TDK trilogy, and to other CBMs in all honesty.

TDK trilogy is pretty much one of the goal standards of great CBM's , and alot of fans want to determine whether The Batman is better than them.

Or, they've already determined The Batman is superior to TDK trilogy and they want to argue how and why it's superior in their view.

As I've said here before, it tends to happen with each new iteration of a character, and the younger generation tends to prefer what's new to what's older.
Not always, but alot of the times that's what happens when these characters are rebooted.

So, the this vs that thing happens in fandom.

 

[InCali]

It's basically alot of fans trying to determine where The Batman's place is in relation to TDK trilogy, and to other CBMs in all honesty.

TDK trilogy is pretty much one of the goal standards of great CBM's , and alot of fans want to determine whether The Batman is better than them.

Or, they've already determined The Batman is superior to TDK trilogy and they want to argue how and why it's superior in their view.

As I've said here before, it tends to happen with each new iteration of a character, and the younger generation tends to prefer what's new to what's older.
Not always, but alot of the times that's what happens when these characters are rebooted.

So, the this vs that thing happens in fandom.

You just called me OLD!!!

 

[Gothamsknight]

It's basically alot of fans trying to determine where The Batman's place is in relation to TDK trilogy, and to other CBMs in all honesty.

TDK trilogy is pretty much one of the goal standards of great CBM's , and alot of fans want to determine whether The Batman is better than them.

Or, they've already determined The Batman is superior to TDK trilogy and they want to argue how and why it's superior in their view.

As I've said here before, it tends to happen with each new iteration of a character, and the younger generation tends to prefer what's new to what's older.
Not always, but alot of the times that's what happens when these characters are rebooted.

So, the this vs that thing happens in fandom.

Yep. Twitter is the perfect place to see this type of thing. Not saying it's a bad thing, but it's something I've very much noticed.

 

[Frodo]

You just called me OLD!!!

I was 10 in 1989 so, I'm no spring kitchen. Lol.

 

[Frodo]

Yep. Twitter is the perfect place to see this type of thing. Not saying it's a bad thing, but it's something I've very much noticed.

It's inevitable .

My generation was very dismissive of the 66 Batman series post Batman 89, even though that series went a long way into making Batman, his myths, and rogues gallery into pop culture. That was also despite the fact that the series was beloved and remembered fondly.

The same thing will happen with the Reeves films, and the next generation will want to compare or will bash them as not being the " Definitive Batman".

 

[DeadlyWest]

I was 10 in 1989 so, I'm no spring kitchen. Lol.

I've seen accounts on here that essentially joined this website when I was 2 years old

 

[OnLeatherWings]

Just basing it off their first films = Gary Oldman.

 

[Frodo]

I've seen accounts on here that essentially joined this website when I was 2 years old

I joined in 2004, at age 25, so I'm nearly 20 years on these boards. .

 

[DeadlyWest]

I joined in 2004, at age 25, so I'm nearly 20 years on these boards. .

I was 4

 

[BatLobster]

I was 4

Jesus Christ, I was in college, I hate you LOL.

I'd like to retroactively apologize for any debates I may have had with you about The Batman... context like this really matters to me. Of course this one is going to be your Batman in a way that probably just can't quite happen for me no matter how good it is. You're about the same age I was when TDK came out. Internet is funny like that.

Just bonkers.

 

[Frodo]

Speaking of generations comparing and contrasting, this is the OG 1966 Batman cast talking about the upcoming Batman 1989.
They start commenting on it at 3:53

 

[shauner111]

Jesus Christ, I was in college, I hate you LOL.

I'd like to retroactively apologize for any debates I may have had with you about The Batman... context like this really matters to me. Of course this one is going to be your Batman in a way that probably just can't quite happen for me no matter how good it is. You're about the same age I was when TDK came out. Internet is funny like that.

Just bonkers.

It’s never too late bruh lol. I’m turning 34 in August and Pattinson is my Batman! Rob was my age when he played Bruce. So it feels even more personal hah.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I was 4

I was in college, I hate you LOL.

On the plus side he will age like we did, but then we'll be in our early 50s.
Hopefully well, and alive.

 

[C. Lee]

I joined in 2004, at age 25, so I'm nearly 20 years on these boards. .

I joined in 2002 at age 45. I happily watched West's BATMAN on it's first run and loved it then and now.

 

[DeadlyWest]

Jesus Christ, I was in college, I hate you LOL.

I'd like to retroactively apologize for any debates I may have had with you about The Batman... context like this really matters to me. Of course this one is going to be your Batman in a way that probably just can't quite happen for me no matter how good it is. You're about the same age I was when TDK came out. Internet is funny like that.

Just bonkers.

Hey man, don't apologise. I've always loved our debates. It's rare that I ever discussed something as in depth as we've gotten, with somebody with a differing opinion, and still have positive thoughts of that person (usually because it's over something more important than Batman, admittedly). But I always have with you, my dude. You're good

And yeah, I'm sure my age is an aspect of it although maybe not necessarily in the sense you're talking about. I grew up with BTAS. DCAU Batman will always be my Batman, even despite how much I adore Reeves' interpretation. Also despite the fairly obvious fact that BTAS came out 8 years before I was actually born.

It just so happens that a lot of what I love about that incarnation of the character and the character overall is something Reeves translated in a way that spoke to me personally. As I said in my rereview of the movie, The Batman to me is like a backscratcher.

I've had this itch right in the middle of my back for 21 years of existence. I've tried backscratchers from Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Joel Schumacher, Zack Snyder and none of them have been able to get to it. But then here comes Matt Reeves with a backscratcher personally tailored to the structure of my back and I can finally reach it. So naturally, using that backscratcher feels damn good. Even if TDK is imo the better movie objectively, it sure as **** doesn't scratch my back like The Batman does

 

[JackWhite]

It's kinda too early to draw comparisons. With Oldman, we actually saw that he had a family from the get go in BB. Of course they doubled down on showing his personal life in TDK, but even in Begins his Gordon felt more three dimensional, IMO. I really liked Wright in the role in the Batman, but he kinda felt like Batman's buddy/sidekick for most it. Which is fine, because I'm pretty certain he will have juicer material to work with in the sequel.