Batman Begins

Post by **eddievalient** » July 17th, 2008, 5:48 am

I'm kinda the same way, Whippet, so don't feel bad. If I'm in a theater audience it's okay 'cause everyone's quiet (usually), but anyplace with lots of people hustling and bustling makes me jittery. So of course I work at a supermarket (the busiest store in the chain, no less)

.

Post by **Meg** » July 17th, 2008, 10:04 am

I'm planning on going tonight...Haven't preordered any tickets though, which might have been a good idea now that I think of it...Shoot!

Post by **Dacey** » July 17th, 2008, 10:18 am

If they're sold out, you could always go to the midnight showing of "Space Chimps" instead.

Post by **Meg** » July 17th, 2008, 10:31 am

Oh yeah, super excited about that one!

Post by **Meg** » July 18th, 2008, 8:59 am

Saw it last night, and thought it was great! It's a really intense movie.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » July 19th, 2008, 1:07 pm

Did not care for it.

It's the absolute last time Hollywood will get money out of me for a new live-action Batman film.

Not my cup of tea, and definitely not the direction art-wise that the character should have been going in.

Yes, The Joker was appropriately menacing, and, yes, he's supposed to be a homicidal engine of chaos... BUT, if I can't like the title character and DON'T care for the film's overall design, it's a waste of time for me.

A bit too real with too much of the Bat-designs thrown out in favor "the REAL" approach.

Bruce Timm & Co. have nothing to worry from the live-action crowd. THAT animation crew crafted the definitive cinematic and TV versions of Batman. The live-action guys just can't leave the comic book designs without tearing them to shreds and producing mediocre James Bond-wannabe derived films.

It's also a damn shame that I recognized bits and pieces of Chicago all over the place. (Sure, I lived there for 3 years, but still!) Gotham, as well as Metropolis, are supposed to be unique fictional cities, not exact duplicates of real places. Hollywood cost-cutting at its worst!

Again, you all can have this, but it's definitely not for me.

I'll say this in favor of the Tim Burton films even though I don't care for the acting and stories anymore than this Bat Begins/TDK stuff... At least those films had a visual flair to them. The Nolan films have little visual personality to them to speak of. I'm surprised artists and comic book fans are enjoying this so much. The Nolan films are incredibly visually bland.

Post by **Meg** » July 19th, 2008, 9:37 pm

Anyone else seen it yet?

Post by **Randall** » July 19th, 2008, 11:28 pm

What a movie. What a film. A genre-redefining picture. I was emotionally exhausted afterwards. What an achievement. Just wow. Complex, morally challenging, and very smart. Loaded with symbolism and allusions, but not necessarily overtly. Looks like it's going to have monster box office, too.

Yes, I liked it.

Post by **Josh** » July 20th, 2008, 3:25 am

What Randall said.

I've just returned home after seeing The Dark Knight in IMAX. It is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was blown away.

Post by **Ben** » July 20th, 2008, 6:11 am

I'll likely catch this in the States since it doesn't come out here until July 24!

That being the case I may try and get to WALL-E today or tomorrow so that at least it's only one film I need to try and pack in to an already exhaustive schedule. Hey, I'm gonna need a vacation to get over this one!

I didn't like the look of Batman Begins...well, I didn't like much of BB actually, but from what I heard from the stunt crew on TDK, it's a pretty awesome direction they've gone in. I must say one of the biggest things with BB that kept ripping me out of the picture was that some shots of the city had this great CG monorail thing and then they'd cut to a straight helicopter stock shot of Chicago that looked pretty boring compared to the other visuals.

What I loved about the Burton films was the fact that his Gotham really didn't exist. I know Nolan is going for the realism and that, but you can't ever really bring the idea of Batman down to earth for much more than a second anyway. I'm really stoked to see TDK, but really hope the <I>look</I> is not more of the same "trying too hard to be real" approach that let BB down.

That all said, TDK is enjoying a heck of an opening weekend: the biggest first day ever with an estimated $66.2 million in Friday grosses (beating $59.8 million for Spidey 3 and leading many to predict that it will beat that film's $151.1 million with more than $154 million through Sunday). This will well more than double and likely triple the $48.7 million opening of Batman Begins, so if it wasn't expected already, we can certainly expect to see third (and fourth?)
Bale Batmans...

Poor old Space Chimps...not exactly in the same league with a $2.5 million Friday...

Post by **Meg** » July 20th, 2008, 10:02 am

I'm really stoked to see TDK, but really hope the look is not more of the same "trying too hard to be real" approach that let BB down.

Unfortunately you're going to be pretty disappointed in this area, Ben. This was one of my biggest problems with TDK, which otherwise was an excellent film.

Post by **Josh** » July 20th, 2008, 1:08 pm

I really hope The Dark Knight gets an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. The speeches in the film are outstanding and thought-provoking. From Joker's backstories to his 'It's all part of the plan' monologue, the film's lines are very well written.

As for Ledger, I am amazed by his performance. I really believe he should win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I just can't imagine anyone else giving a better performance this year.

Post by **eddievalient** » July 21st, 2008, 12:01 pm

I just got back from Indiana, so I'm gonna try to catch it this week. I'll have to hurry though, cause X-Files comes out friday.

Post by **JOHN•E** » July 21st, 2008, 4:34 pm

I thought the movie was great!

~~ JOHN•E

Post by **spaz** » July 22nd, 2008, 1:53 am

what an awful film. poor old Heath , God rest his soul, was quite obviously stoned out of his mind for most shots. also, when did Batman's voice start to sound like Ella Fitzgerald during her Memorex Cassette Tape commercial days ?. bloody film was too long as well. i suppose i was off to a bad start prior to the film rolling. the Clone Lego Wars trailer played. i remember back in the 80's animating on Care Bears and wanting to kill myself. it was the same feeling. won't someone please save Star Wars from becoming an endless stream of Happy Days spin off's ?. Warner's needs that Jon Favreau guy who did Iron Man to straighten out the Batman franchise. .

Batman Begins

long knight