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Shrouded in secrecy, Batman Begins has been the subject of much discussion and speculation. The fifth instalment in the Batman series, fans and critics alike are hoping it will be a greater success than the previous two. Batman Begins marks a new genre for Katie to add to her repertoire, but will Batman bring Katie further success and recognition or is there a danger she'll be overlooked? A blockbuster hit is guaranteed to get Katie noticed by a wider audience, especially one that has been lapping up the comic book adaptations in recent years. The Hulk, Spiderman, X-Men, Blade...the list goes on. High quality CGI and special effects have made these movies public successes but in a movie focusing on Bruce Wayne's childhood and early adulthood, special effects aren't going to be the centre attraction; instead focus will be on the cast, director and script. The only female in a male dominated cast could place Katie as centre of attention but alternatively she could be lost among the many famous faces and cameo performances. The Batman films have always been relied upon to deliver a grand mixture of stars and this one does not disappoint. Past films have combined the talents of established Hollywood names such as Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney, Nicole Kidman and Drew Barrymore. In comparison, Christian Bale is a much lesser known actor to take the lead role; but joined by Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and upcoming talents Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy, the star list has already been established and the interested audience widened and diversified. It's unlikely the series has been permanently damaged by Joel Schumacher's efforts. Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were tacky Hollywood flops but with new talent, fresh faces and the correct marketing campaign, the public could forgive and forget. In 2005 it will have been eight years since the previous Batman release and we'll find out once and for all if time has healed the wounds or made them deeper. To conclude: the mixed standards of the previous Batman movies does not guarantee Batman Begins' success nor does it make failure inevitable. The film will attract the interest of critics and fans looking at Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman's work and those wondering if Christopher Nolan can redeem the Batman series and continue his streak of quality films. Attention of any sort will be good for Katie and her career, and hopefully her role will be pivotal and noticeable so that she doesn't fade into the background.
From Jay: Getting lost in a crowd of famous faces shouldn't be too much of a concern. What might hurt most is the actual role performed by Miss Holmes...one which is not part of the traditional Batman storyline. And being the only female lead in a male dominated comic book movie, the part of 'Rachel' may very well look and feel like a token female role, depite Miss Holmes' talent. However, in recent years, one cannot overlook the success of superhero movies and the actors who perform in them. And, of course, the directors who directed have been quite stellar: Brian Singer (X-Men), Sam Raimi (Spidey), Ang Lee (Hulk). In fact, these men have upped the ante on comic book fare by making comic book movies that have meat, and in Ang Lee's case, a sense of art. Chris Nolan, though new to the genre, is no less equipped than the aforementioned with the exceptional 'Memento' and 'Insomnia' to put a little 'POW!', 'ZAP!', and 'WHAM!' (sorry for the 60's flashback) into Batman. Should the buzz be true of this movie, being part of 'Batman Begins' won't hurt Miss Holmes by any stretch of the imagination. The exposure will be nice. My only hope is that she continues to make smart choices regardless of the movie's success. Final Note: How sad is it that it may very well take a satellite role in a Batman movie to sling shot a career, rather than an amazingly performed leading role as seen in a low-budgeted, fantastically-acted small independent movie? From Oshram: Frankly I was disappointed when I read that Katie is involved with the new Batman film. I've found her choice of roles so far to be interesting and engaging, and it's possible on Batman she'll be nothing more than set dressing. Certainly it was time for Katie to step up into a higher profile film -- as good as Pieces of April was (and as excellent as she was in it), very few people even heard of it, much less saw it. I'm all for Katie going for bigger roles that will boost her career (and I still feel First Daughter would do just that, if they would just *release* it already), but I'm not sure Batman will do all that much for her. While you rightly point out the presence of Freeman, Caine, etc. will guarantee exposure, Katie's likely-to-be small part may also be overshadowed with all the other themes going on in what is obviously an attempt to re-launch a franchise. I'd love to see Katie get more leading roles and I hope Batman can help her achieve that, and I'd guess that's at least part of her thinking in taking a role that more than likely won't challenge her as an actress (the way many of her other choices, in her own words, have). I'm just skeptical because if it is a bomb -- more like Daredevil or the Hulk instead of, say, Spider-man -- then that won't help Katie at all, to be associated with a stinker. But here's hoping for her sake it all works out. From Marika: When I first heard that Katie had signed on to do a Batman movie I wasn't very excited. I remember what happened to Alicia Silverstone back in 1995. But then I read more about the movie and came to realise that maybe this movie would be something fresh; after all, I've never been interested in comics or superheroes but I still loved Spider-Man. I think regardless of how popular this movie eventually becomes it is still going to get Katie noticed and lead to studios offering her more roles. I think it's basically a win-win situation. If the movie becomes a huge hit Katie has every chance to really break out in Hollywood but even if it flops she will still get a lot of attention and since she's not the lead, it won't be too bad for her. She already has First Daughter waiting for release so she still has a successful career no matter what happens with Batman Begins. I'm also sure she enjoys being part of a big action movie for the first time and working with actors such as Christian Bale, so it's going to be a learning experience for her nonetheless. From Tim: Katie has kind of gone this route before with "Disturbing Behavior," which was a bit of a sci-fi/action flick (Katie got to kick some butt), but this is a little different. Number one, the director will be a heck of a lot better. Number two, I'm sure the writing will be better (it can't get much worse than DB's writing). Number 3, the cast is dynamite. Katie can act in any role, and I'm not just saying that because I think she's beautiful, I'm saying it because her talent is incredible. As long as she gets a good part in this movie (as stated above), I see this movie being a springboard into bigger and better things for Katie. From Shauna: As a huge Batman and Katie Holmes fan I was excited when I heard that they were making a new film, and one with Katie involved. It's obvious to see that Katie picks projects that show the talent and range that she has. Plus I am betting her chemistry with Christian Bale will be electric. It's been said that the movie doesn't even enter into a caped crusader storyline until halfway through the film, allowing for more character development. Something I feel all the other Batman movies, other then the orginal, fell flat on. If nothing else it will be a different twist on the same old story of Batman, but with the cast that has signed on I can't imagine it being anything other then a hit to add to Katie's resume. It's got the making of action and drama with a hint of romance and humour. And I can't wait to line up for my ticket. From JC: This should be an interesting career marker for Katie. I think it's safe to say that "Batman Begins" will be the highest grossing movie of her career (sorry "First Daughter" fans), which can be a blessing and a curse. The huge built-in audience this movie will have means that scores of fans who have never seen Katie on TV or film will have the pleasure of seeing Miss Holmes and (hopefully) be as enchanted as we have been over the past six plus years. But a franchise like Batman brings with it fans that are very fervent and they will 'voice" their displeasure if they are not happy with Katie's performance (see Alicia Silverstone). Plus, with all the "name" actresses who have taken roles in the Batman films (Barrymore, Kidman, Basinger, Pfeiffer), has any of them been "career changing?" So in conclusion, I think Katie having a part in "Batman Begins" is a good thing, but don't expect it to be a star-making role. From Thomas: I think Batman will be another vehicle for Katie to show the range of her acting abilities. Hopefully her part will be wide enough to show a range of emotions that she has displayed in other films, such as "The Gift" and "Abandon" to name just two. It will also be another learning experience for her with a great ensemble cast around her. I think she will do another execellent job in the film as she has in all her other roles, large or small! From Joey: It's my opinion that if the movie is a success our lovely Katie Holmes will recieve far more attention that ever before. In the Batman series, the woman that Batman is attracted to is suddenly seen as a "Hollywood Vixen," in real life, Katie Holmes can surely carry this role. I would just like to know how large her role in this movie will be. I was slightly disappointed in her role as Nurse Mills in The Singing Detective and also in Phone Booth. If the movie is a flop, I believe she will still recieve good recognition if she plays her character well. She was never said to be blamed for Abandon - in fact, I heard several times that Katie was the only decent aspect of the movie. In conclusion, if Batman Begins is a blockbuster or a flop, Katie Holmes extension of success depends soley on Katie Holmes. Thank you to all that contributed! We apologise for not being able to share all responses.
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