i know it’s not what most would call sci-fi, but i kinda view all comic book/superhero films to be a part of the larger sci-fi genre.
anyway, i just watched all 5 previous films today with some friends (i realize 4 of them don’t matter plot-wise, but what the hell) to get ready for next week and i’m really pumped up now, probably my most anticipated movie of the summer.
so this thread is for any discussions leading up to the release and then non-spoiler reviews afterward.
one thing i love about the Christopher Nolan reboots is that the world seems to be grounded in realism, much unlike the other films before Batman Begins.
I’m all about Batman, but I don’t have a single good thing to say about any of the 1990s Batman flicks, and I generally try to end my commentary there.
Nolan, however, is good.
Bale was the first guy that looked like he could really be Batman. Nothing against Michael Keaton, but he clearly didn’t spend his life conditioning to be what – as Matt Wagner points out in his Batman graphic novels – is effectively an Olympic-level athlete/badass.
I’m a total spoilerphobe, so I hardly know anything about the upcoming flick. I try not to think about it too much, but I’m totally excited for it.
Do yourself a favor and check out Nolan’s other work. His story telling technique is compelling. IMO, he is one of the best new directors out there. Memento and The Prestige are amazing films.
I can only recommend Memento. As for the Dark Knight, what do you mean, “next week”? I’ll have to wait till the middle of August! At least Indy 4 had a synchronous international release.
I completely see what you’re saying. Ever see The Machinist? If not, he looked like this in it:
He lost over 60 pounds for that movie and gained it all back for Batman Begins over the course of less than year. If that’s not Olympic-class discipline, I don’t know what is.
i agree, both Bale and Nolan are world class at their respective roles, and pretty much anything either one does will be a quality product.
the Machinist was amazing, as was American Psycho.
the Prestige and Memento are both total mindfraks, and in the best of ways. i love when a movie makes me think about it for days after viewing.
oh and sorry to hear that you have to wait so long over in Germany, GR. that is totally lame. i think i might have seen it 2 or 3 times by then!
and personally, when it comes down to it, i’m a Superman guy, but i have to be honest, Batman Begins (and most likely TDK) is better than any Superman movie made so far.
we kinda watched the older ones to put the Nolan films in perspective, and also to make fun of what Joel Shumacher made of the series, but i have to say, Jack Nicholson made the first Burton flick a great film.
Ok I guess this is a general Batman thread no specifically The Dark Knight.
I saw the first 6 min of The Dark Knight in beautiful HD and I have to say… if the other 84+ min of this movie is as good it will be spectacular. Tight and suspenseful and certainly qualifies for the title of ‘naturalistic’ comic-book movie. RDM would be proud. The sweeping pans and long takes are undeniably immersive. The Joker is truly diabolical in it.
Nolan really captures the human struggle of his protagonist and follows them as ride the knife edge between villain and hero. Can you really call any of Nolan’s main characters heroes… or villains? Likewise are the antagonists really villains themselves or can you see some good in them? I hope to see some more of these stunning character studies in The Dark Knight… especially to see if anything good or justifiable will come from the Joker. Or will he be a departure, a character off the cruelest and most macabre deep end. Either way, can’t wait to see this one.
The original Batman movie (the Tim Burton one not the TV version hehe) changed the landscape for comic book movies. They were no longer just kid’s fair but dark and brooding tales with enough angst and drama for the adults to chew on and enough action and humor to keep the ‘less mature’ entertained. Definitely can’t forget it’s contribution to movies… only to have the effort completely negated with Schumacher at the helm.
Just don’t ever read the book “American Psycho” because you’re gonna get psycho too!
Yes and no, there’s a Batman thread over here that I treasure very much, but as of now, it’s focused more on the comics, we don’t really seem to have a thread for the movies yet.
Absolutely. He went from Vulcanesque blank slate to feverish lunacy, and everything in between. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor so fully immersed into a role. At no point, in pretty much anything I’ve ever seen him, does he ever give even the slightest appearance that he’s not genuinely a serial killer, an insomniac, a dragonslayer, or even a bat.
Not to cause too much thread-drift, but what did you think of Superman Returns?
Even the others had their moments. Personally, I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman; she was sexy and twisted and just the right kind of crazy for someone dressed in a leather catsuit. The otherwise execrable Schumacher films at least made Robin’s origin story a worthy parallel to Batman’s own. Having a somewhat older Robin also helped to mitigate some of the creepy pederastic quality inherent in the characters’ interactions. That said, yeah, they were largely craaaap.
Couldn’t agree more. Having never read the Batman comics when I was a kid, the only thing I ever knew of the character was the tongue-in-cheek nature of the old TV show. The first Burton movie re-energized the genre, showing that more complex storylines, remaining truer to real spirit of the comics, could not only make a good movie but be lucrative as well. That didn’t really pay off in the '90s, but I think it really set the stage for X-Men and Spider-Man to prove the profitability of comic book movies while not dumbing them down for the general public.
I, too, am wicked excited for The Dark Knight. I’ve even been enjoying the faux-viral marketing attempts, actually. The new Batmobile is so awesome-- it fits really well with how Bale plays Batman.
I’m really excited for the Joker and Harvey Dent’s role (as if you do already know where that’s going). It’s cool to see batman’s villains updated realistically. The Scarecrow and Raz Al Ghul were well done but neither felt like they were that memorable.
i actually liked it qute a bit. i’ll admit, the story wasn’t the strongest they could’ve come up with, but i liked Brandon Routh, and it was awesome to see the Man of Steel with some new CGI effects (Superman breaking the sound barrier + a bullet bouncing off his eyeball? Awesome). plus, i really dug Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. He really has a knack for playing an evil super-genius.
i read on AICN the other day that Mark Millar, who did Wanted, wants to reboot the Superman series kinda like the Hulk was done. not quite sure how i feel about that, but i wouldn’t mind him taking a stab at the series.
I understand the Superman/Batman divide… Have you ever read Dark Knight Returns? Push comes to shove, I like to believe Batman can take Superman in a fight.
Superman’s a good guy and everything, but he wakes up in the morning, and he has his super powers. Batman, he has to work at it.
i never like this argument b/c i think it comes down to a matter of preference, which is completely subjective. i can totally see why others like Batman over Superman, but i just prefer Kal-El.
and i just recently “acquired” digital copies of most of the Frank Miller Batman comics, but haven’t had a chance to read them yet.
Oh, yeah, didn’t mean to sounds like I was starting the argument. I meant that, though I’m a Batman guy, some people prefer Superman. Like Tarantino’s Beatles/Elvis divide from the bonus version of Pulp Fiction: You may like both, but nobody with a strong opinion likes them equally.
