11. Questionable Casting
I like Christian Bale as an actor. I think hes absolutely incredible in certain roles; American Psycho, The Fighter, The Machinist, the list goes on. But I just dont buy him as Bruce Wayne/ Batman. For a start, he doesnt really look like I imagine Bruce Wayne to look (it's the jawline, it's too narrow), but I suppose thats a directorial choice that I could stomach if the performance was on fire. As it is though, Bale looks more and more exhausted as the franchise wears on. Combine that with the awful Batvoice and the restrictiveness of the suit (all Nolans decisions, so can I blame Bale? Maybe not) and youve got a recipe for one pretty unimpressive version of the Batman, especially when compared back to the source, or even to Tim Burtons old-school take. Dont get me wrong, I didnt perceive it as all bad; for every Christian Bale theres a Heath Ledger. In fact I even dug Tom Hardys performance as Bane; although I thought it escalated from menacing to Carry On camp at times, it was still sufficiently chilling when it needed to be. But at the centre of it all is Christian Bale. A great actor in his own right, but the best choice to play Batman? Im not entirely sold.