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View Full Version : Batman Year One Screenplay Review! (spoilers!)



Gpoliceman
08-10-2001, 12:52 PM
Hey Gpoliceman here. I check out movie sites everyday and I was excited when I came across this. As far as the article sounds and the source this information is probably legit.

Here's the article and screenplay review of Batman: Year One.

I'll post my comments on the screenplay review below.

BEWARE

MAJOR SPOILERS about the upcoming Batman film coming out like 2002 or 2003!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Spooky reviews 1st draft of Aronofsky & Frank Miller's BATMAN YEAR ONE screenplay!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Well it looks like Frank Miller and Darren Aronofsky have completely reconceived and made BATMAN YEAR ONE a period film. Now the problem is that a lot of people are expecting a straight adaptation of BATMAN YEAR ONE, Miller's groundbreaking series, HOWEVER, with Aronofsky and nearly 18 years passing with Miller... Well when they stepped up to adapt, they had some... well, radical ideas. Some that work, and probably some that really really don't. According to our scooper Spooky, Aronofsky and Miller are at Draft 3 now, and what he was able to lay hands on was the 1st Draft. And this... well I'm dying to read it myself. I'm a huge fan of Seventies Crime films... I loved reading the Neal Adams era Batman with those long long horns... He was mean and beat the hell out of people. Bringing real world crime into the universe and lingo from the era... this BATMAN script is not for purists, but rather... those of us that love those Elseworld non-canon stories like THE KILLING JOKE or DARK KNIGHT RETURNS... Obviously Warners has given notes on this, but well Warners' notes on BATMAN films in the past have never particularly helped. However, I place faith in Aronofsky and Miller, but have hesitation at some of this... This is very spoiler filled so read only at your own choice...
Ok so I sat down again and read this BATMAN YEAR ONE script that is dated

6/22/01

Darren Aronofsky ,Frank Miller..

My source tells me (and he has yet to fail me) that this is the real deal.I explained how I know him and all that source stuff in an eariler email. Now onto the story..It seems all the hints Aronofsky has given over the past 6 months are true.What we thought was just talk ends up being taken to the extreme. A 1970's style french Connection thriller..Well that and the fact that Aronofsky always seems to find a spot for drug addicts in his films. Well lets just start from the begining....

The films opens in 1953..Again (because film fans just can't seem to remember why batman came to be) We witness the horrible Murders of the wayne family..This is explained in about 5 pages.So do the plot holes start in the script yet? yes they do..Infact This story is full of pop culture references.. The details of whats going on around the story overwelm what is happening. Do we really have to know that the newest elvis single is playing in the streets on the night of the murder?..(YES THE KING HAS MADE IT INTO ANOTHER FILM,Does miller have a thing for elvis? Robocop 2 anyone?) The plot whole is the fact that Elvis did'nt have a national radio single until 1956..Anyways the mom and dad are gunned down..We had to see this because we have'nt figured out why Bruce wayne is batman (basicly the point of year one's concept..Yet is goes crazy from here)

(Here I'm sure is where Clint Mansell's Techno,disco Trip inspired score blasts over flashing images of Shag carpet and Bat logos.Somehow I think of a shaft like WAHH chicki chicki WAHH with a techno beat)

20 years later

Like I said Aronofsky seems to make sure DRUGS have a major role in each of his films.The opening lets us into this Herion-Under world smuggling on gothams harbor..A huge warehouse..Were The Penguin (Roman replacement) is made into a drug smuggling Mob boss..That talks bird jive. And yep we get to see some Herion pumping action..As the penguin shows Some of his goons what will happen if they turn on him.He attaches a thug to a table and injects tons of herion into him...dadada sceen plays out way to long..And then BAM! COPS BURST IN..Jim gordon and all..Smack smack.. Machine guns..Car chase..You keep expecting batman to show up but he never does.

GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE

Bruce wayne Takes an old school Girlfriend (yet he has been gone from gotham for sometime) Out on a night to some Gay disco club.. Then we sit through 30 pages of Bruce Wayne doing this and that.Suddenly relizing he is a BAT!..In this film he is driving with some blonde Bimbo in his Corvette and a bat slams into the windsheild causing an accident.He has some Flash backs (that play more like drug trips) and he looks at the girl after he saves her from the exploding car..He says "I've got a job to do"

GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE

Then BAM! We flash onto a sceen where Bruce wayne is dressed in a Black outfit..Fighting some thugs..Then he does the whole they are not afraid of me..I must be a Bat thing and makes an outfit..And converts his Stingray Corvette into a Batmobile. The black Alfred..hmmm..Well When Aronofsky said "Year One will be something Cool and Differnt" Is this what he meant?..A jive talken brotha..Well I'm no racest..But SPAWN is BLACK and ALFRED is WHITE! Batman walks out in the outfit and asks alfred "How do I look?" Alfred " Slammen!" (WHAT THE HELL?)

GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE

Inbetween this whole Bruce wayne becomes Batman alfed jive section.We see Jim gordon grow more and more concerned with the city.Bruce Wayne in support throws an Anti drug rally at wayne manor.Thus the penguin shows up and Starts some ****..Yep and Wayne Manor is burnt down.Harvey dent has a small sceen where he talks about the evil's of drugs..Oh wait! Dent is white (just so you guys know).Suddenly the next day (after all the main characters escape the blaze..Com'on !) Wayne has this huge high rise Studio 54 disco Apartment high above gotham.Ontop on the wayne corp building (now it's just me but..Wayne just returned to gotham city at the start of this film after 10 years of schooling in england..He is 23..When did he start wayne corp? possibly his dad did?..But this goes unexplained) Yep and suddenly A niffty Batcave is made in the "Depths of the Dirty town" as the script says..

GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE

Well here is where I guess the film hits the 1hr 20 min mark..With a good 50 minuits left..We kick in right?..Yeah it moves fast..But there is so much **** going on ...First off the penguin somehow just dissipers because ITS TIME FOR THE RED HOOD SAGA!..dada! On batmans first night out he brings some of the penguin's thugs tied up to Gordon (who is not yet a commishner)..This kinda begins the Gordon/Batman thing.We learn that A man in a RED hood has been robbing banks and bussiness's over the past few weeks..For some reason the Penguin and his few followers decide to take over the chemical factory.When The red hood shows up ..And we get to see just how the joker was made again!...BANG! ZAP! ZANG!...Big fight..Penguin goes to jail and the guy in the red hood bites it (or so we thought)..Gorden thanks batman for saving the day..Dadada!.. Did I mention GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE! God I guess this story is about him..But all we see him do is Drink,Screw,,and talk to batman...

But wait..The Bat-Signal..Batman is in the Batcave and get this THE RED PHONE RINGS!!! (WHAT THE ****!) Gordon" Batman a crazy fool calling himself Da joka is terrorizing the city!" Batman' I'm on it!"

Yeah we get this cool 20 page fight with the joker and Batman..You see he kipnaps GORDON"S DAUGHTER and takes her to an old amusment park where she is stripped nakked..And although we don't see it ,,It's implied she was raped..Yeah you guessed it The joker is pissed because" Gordon and Batman let his Red Hooded ass fall into some chemicals".So he shoots barbra in the back.(surprised?)..I guess it's also not a surprise when we see her alive in a hospital bed in the end?.. The thing is...Even though The joker talks more jive than Dolmite..And Batman is walking around like he knows whats up (This is like he first few weeks as batman,,And there are no screw up?..Com'on I wanna see Batman fall..I want to see the mistakes he learns from) Batman and the Joker do this Talking this (ala The killing joke) and they act like they have always known each other.. Joker " Wow A life full of pain..Frowning on the outside..Laughing on the inside..But now Bats..I smile FOR YOU!" (what the hell does that mean) Batman "I'm not one to smile" (you go BOY!) lalala...Big fight ontop of some Amusment park ride..Where Batman Discovers a plan to POSIN THE CITYS WATER SUPPLY! THIS MUST BE STOPPED

THIS IS A JOB FOR ...NANANANANA BATMAN!

So some **** goes down and it looks like the joker is dead (ofcourse he is'nt)..Gordon and batman have some coffe (No really they do)..Gordon visits Barbra in the hospital and kisses his wife for the first time in the film..(I can't belive they did'nt manage to fit one more GORDON HAS A BEER AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE sceen)

Bruce wayne visits the hospital and leaves..With Black JIve Talken Alfred picking him up in a taxie.Explaining to bruce that "That he needs to get laid" Then the bat signal goes off high above..Bruce and alfred see it.. Alfred says " IT"S ON NOW!"...Bruce "Your damn right it is"

(Here I'm sure is where some more of Clint Mansell's Techno,disco Trip inspired score blasts ) Then we have some fun when we see (MAJOIR SPOLIER!) The joker is'nt dead..He is sitting on top of a building and flips a joker's card.He is starring at the bat signal!.. END!

Yes that is the incredible 70's ,French-connection-esqe,New and Cool Miller/Aronofsky EPIC..I tried to talk about the story (wait there was one of those?) But I did'nt even get into all the Hokey 70's pop culture Bull****..Since then I have heard that the WB had a 2nd draft ordered..Then they read that And had a 3rd draft written (which I belive is being written now)..If this is what Year One is...Batman Beyond,Dark knight returns, Hell even TRIUMPHANT has a good chance of making it over this PILE OF ****!

Spooky! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



Hey guys, Gpoliceman here again. After reading this screenplay review I first have to say that I'm POSITIVE something goes on besides GORDON DRINKS A BEER AND CHEATS ON HIS WIFE. There must be some kind of inner conflict presented in the film in Gordon's character. I doubt that plot point of the story is as bland as the reviewer makes it out to be.


Okay, Here's what I see as BIG PROBLEMS FOR THIS MOVIE:


Everybody tell me if you agree with me:

1. First and foremost, Batman: Year One makes the same mistake as the last three Batman films. THERE ARE TOO MANY FREAKING VILLAINS. Aronofsky and Miller have fallen into the trap just like all the other Batman screenwriters. There's just far too many villains for a two hour movie and with that we can expect more focus on the villains than on our hero Batman. That's ashame. I was really expecting Aronofsky and Miller to not be stupid and create a film with so many villains.

2. Here's something that doesn't bother me but will bother other people. This movie has NO CONNECTIONS to the other Batman films and obviously after reading the screenplay review you know it DOES NOT FOLLOW A CONTINUIM. Now, as a hardcore Batman fan, this does not bother me. They could recreate the Batman film franchise 50 times and I would always understand what's going on. As for non-fans, but casual moviegoers, Batman: year One is going to be an EXTREMELY CONFUSING BATMAN FILM. They will not understand why the Joker and Penguin and Two Face (ALL DEAD CHARACTERS) are alive and even though this takes place in the past, the timeline NO LONGER makes any sense. The casual movie goer is going to think this is a remake of Batman (1989).

3. Alfred is black. I'm not a racist person. I have friends of all kinds, but if Aronofsky and Miller don't make Alfred Pennyworth a white old man in their next drafts of the screenplay I'm going to scream and think Aronofsky and Miller are idiots. Why don't we make Bruce Wayne a girl? Brianna Wayne. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO THE FANS WHEN YOU TOTALLY CHANGE A CHARACTER you stupid bozos! If you're going to make Bruce Wayne's butler and father figure a whole different man in physical looks and dialogue DONT CALL HIM ALFRED PENNYWORTH. When I read Alfred was a totally different character in the screenplay the only thoughts going through my head were "That's it! Batman Year One sucks! Batman fans will NEVER get a good Batman film!" And the dialogue of Alfred sounds like something Joel Cheesemaker would laugh at.

4. Some of the things that were redone, like Bruce finding the bat as he drives along with his girlfriend SUCKS. The way Miller originally wrote it with the Bat crashing through his window as he lay bleeding to death on the ground of his home was 1902831902 times better. Why fix it if it aint broke? DOES MILLER REALIZE THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO READ BATMAN YEAR ONE WERE BATMAN FANS???????????? THE CASUAL MOVIE GOER KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT BATMAN YEAR ONE THE COMIC! WHY CHANGE THE BEST SCENES OF THE COMIC WHEN THE AUDIENCE WILL NEVER KNOW IT WAS CHANGED!?!!!!!?!!!!?!!!

5. Barbara is in the movie. It seems pretty pointless and once again the casual moviegoer will be LOST in this film.



All in all, I think Batman Year One by Aronofsky and Miller will FEEL RIGHT. I believe Aronofsky will make a dark, moody, crime packed Gotham City. I think Batman's costume will LOOK RIGHT. I think James Gordon will LOOK RIGHT.

I think Alfred will LOOK ALL WRONG!!!!!

But all in all, I think there are SERIOUS, and I mean SERIOUS flaws in this story. I was hoping Aronofsky would create a very realistic Batman, but instead he threw in the Penguin, the Joker, and a cameo from Harvey Dent, and he threw in Barbara, and basically he just threw in WAY TOO MUCH.

I still think this could be a good Batman film, but it sounds like it could be WAY WAY WAY BETTER.


And yet again....................


.............nobody................

..............on this planet....................

.........knows how................


...........to write..............


..............an amazing...........

.............Batman..............


................film..................


That's ashame.

Gpoliceman out.

optimal321
08-10-2001, 03:40 PM
Any truth to this? It sounds a lot like the same kinds of rumors we've been getting all along. But, hey, what do i know?

Robin2099
08-11-2001, 01:44 AM
Well, I'm hoping that since this is just a first draft that improvments will be made. Cause I really want this to be a good Batman movie.

Bud 'n Lou
08-11-2001, 02:17 AM
Not to state the obvious or anything, but...*vomits*
How completely wrong is this script? I never read Year One, but I've still managed to pick up that Alfred is neither black, nor does he say the word "Slammin'!" I don't really object to Alfred being black, but it's weird that they plan on making him a whole new character. I do think it's a little passe, to say the least, to have your token black character to be such a stereotype. I mean..why does he say "Slammin'!"?!?
I also don't object to Barbara being in the movie. Her getting paralyzed before ever becoming Batgirl DOES ruffle me, though. I think it would've been smart just to introduce her character, and feature her in later sequels. Then, at one point, she can beome Batgirl. This way, the audience will already be familiar with the character, and it won't have B&R's "thrown together" feel.
Also, it seems like Gordon's got a big role. Not that it's necessarily bad, but the movie seems like it'll be a little crowded already, with Penguin, Two-Face and Joker.
And that drug thing...maybe it's just that the reviewer made it seems that way, but it sounds pretty dumb to me. Then again, the reviewer spells the word "cheat" wrong, which there's just no excuse for...unless you're Mxy. (j/k. You know we all love ya, Mxy.) :O)
Anyway, it's too late to think, so that's all I have to say about that for now.

Russkafin
08-11-2001, 02:13 PM
First the new Star Wars movie is titled "Attack of the Clones," and now they want to make a black Alfred? I'm never going to the movies again.

Maxie Zeus
08-11-2001, 02:31 PM
Originally posted by Russkafin
and now they want to make a black Alfred?


I could easily see Alfred as black if he were played by Roscoe Lee Browne, but to give him J.J. Walker dialogue. . . ?

Actually, this sounds so radically different that I'm reluctant to judge it without seeing it. (May be one of those things that you won't know if it will work until you see it.) I mean, who woulda thunk the star and director of "Beetlejuice" would be spot on for the '89 "Batman"?

BWDK
08-11-2001, 06:42 PM
hey I think that entire sricpt is a BIG LIE!

If it was the real srcipt WB would make sure that the public gets it until the film has been released.

Gpoliceman
08-11-2001, 07:42 PM
BWDK said: "If it was the real srcipt WB would make sure that the public gets it until the film has been released."


Gpoliceman responds with: That's untrue BWDK. People get their hands on screenplays LONG before a movie is ever released. It happens ALL THE TIME and some websites (many in fact) specialize in reviewing a movie's screenplay many weeks or many months or many years before a movie is released. Some screenplays even get reviewed, and then the movie ends up never seeing the light of day, not because of a poor review though. In other words, screenplays are always accessable before a film's release.


After reading screenplay reviews for a few years now, and having followed every bit of Batman Year one news, it feels like the "right time" for this screenplay review to be found and made public. I'm actually waiting to see a Matrix 2 screenplay surface somewhere but I think that film is being kept secret from the public. Some films' screenplays are kept secret (for example: Scream 3) and some are not. I'm pretty confident (80%) this screenplay review is the REAL DEAL. The only thing that makes me unconfident is the reviewer was TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL in his critique.


Gpoliceman

Maxie Zeus
08-11-2001, 11:10 PM
Originally posted by Gpoliceman
The only thing that makes me unconfident is the reviewer was TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL in his critique.

An unprofessional review on AICN? Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.:rolleyes:

Anyway, we should all keep in mind that most films go thru many many drafts and undergo radical revisions as they do so. It is entirely probable that (if this is the genuine article) Miller and Aronofsky are deliberately cramming an enormous number of ideas into the first draft, preparatory to whittling them down. Upon reflection, I'd take this report with an enormous grain of salt, whose only interesting revelation is that M&A are seriously considering jettisoning the entire Burton continuity.

Vin
08-11-2001, 11:50 PM
I think the review is a bunch of B.S., but then again, I could be wrong. I'd rather see a movie from Paul Dini & Team, like the proposed Batman Beyond live-action movie. I'd rather they'd set the BB in continuity from the last four films just so that we have a real ending to that franchise. Then again, I could see BB being spun-off as a whole new franchise after being a sequel to the monstrosity that is Batman & Robin.