In any case, what I did say is that other actors outshined Bale and wound up taking scenes from him. But that is subjective. I also should point out that I didn’t hate the film at all.

I think we saw different versions of this movie.
IMO Bale stole the movie from others and Depp especially.

Bale was absolutely brilliant and gave Oscar-worthy perfomance.

Christian Bale was the first and the only choice for Purvis, so I think, Michael Mann knows better than you why he cast him. And it seems to me that Mann is absolutely happy with Bale and his portrayal of Purvis. Just make a research in google.

And moreover, Purvis’ son said that Bale was brilliant as his father.

While I didn’t hate it as much as anyone else apparently did, I do agree the plot holes stick out like a Polar Bear on a sand dune. I think Proyas is wrong in thinking his ending is “gutsy”, I’ve seen many sci-fi films with downbeat endings that also have a slight hope for a future. It also raises more questions than it answers.

*SPOILERAGE*
*************

- If there are more than two children, were there other “clues” that were given within a scope of fifty years?

- So aside from x amount of children on the planet, two bunny rabbits were also spared. No other animals? Pet dogs or cats?

- Why wait until the last minute to evacuate all the children? Did all of the ships just happen to pick up the “cargo” at the exact same time?

- Are the aliens also ‘angels’?

- If the kids were dropped off in Eden (?) where did God (?) have life begin? Is there a God (?) Much is made about The End Of Days…if there is no hope for those believers, why bother?

- Why can’t the aliens (?) evacuate anyone who wants to come? What harm could it possibly do?

- Why can’t the aliens (?) just say who they are, why do they need a car?

- Why bother predicting other tragic events when the world is going to go bust in a week’s time of those other occurrences? Yes, it is said to help John “be convinced” but how about the other parents who may have to drop off the young’uns at the nearest Angel Bus? And what if John becomes one of the dead?

- So John saves a woman and her baby. How noble. Then it really does not matter anyway.

- Ma’s run down old shack still remains. Nothing is missing, no cobwebs, nothing messy. Not even a squatter. Guess she really was the dark horse of the family. And hey, if she was so gifted, why not take her on the Angel Alien Bus before her passing?

- The kids who are transported…Mom and dad, brothers and sisters burned to toast. The kids have no water. no pizza. no change of clothes. All of them dyslexic.

****END SPOILERAGE****

All that said, I liked Nic Cage in the film, despite the sillyness of it all, I wondered where the film was going, and it held my interest.