I am not going to see the latest Batman atrocity because...

[TreasonousBastard]

I saw "Batman Begins" and it sucked ass.

It's a movie about fuggin BATMAN fercrissakes but takes itself so seriously you'da thought Shakespeare hisself had written about a Danish prince with wings. (But even the Bard knew not to take himself that seriously.)

OH! the Angst as poor little Brucie works out his problem with being a Wayne kid. The incredible character development as he suddenly decides to be Hero to All and Saviour of Gotham. Whole movies have been done about this sort of thing, but here we have to squeeze it into a couple of scenes so we can get to the real point-- good Batmobile chases. (BTW, just how many movies did it take to get Luke Skywalker's head together?)

But, there was Alfred-- here's a simple old Cockney bastid who first bowled me over while breaking Lynne Redgrave's heart in "Georgie Girl" and then just got better and better. No artsy bullshit about Caine-- just give him the job and watch him do it beautifully, and beautifully did he play Alfred. Morgan Freeman's another one-- the picture just brightens up when he's there. The rest were average or not given enough to do.

I have no idea whether or not this Joker is any "better" than Cesar Romero or Jack Nicholson were, but they had an charm, even if evil, to them that you don't see in, say, "Saw." Inventive methods of destruction and chaos are not necessarily "jokes."

So, somehow we're getting pretty far from the old Justice League of America Batman and into some new angst-ridden Marvel version of Batman in a post-apocalytic world that either can't or shouldn't be saved.

I can't wait to see what they do to Catwoman.

(And does anyone know where Robin is?)

[Writer]

1. Car 44 Alpha Bravo... there is a drunk sighted in the DU Lounge, repeat, a drunk in the DU Lounge.

Send backup.

;)

[chiffon]

2. Back-up is enroute.. Car 44 Alpha Bravo..Suspect is in sight. Over

Tasers are on the ready. Over.

[datasuspect]

7. 44, 44, you're 328 on 5-5 and maple. shots fired.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Drunk or sober...

stoned or fast asleep I can still tell pretentious pap when I see it.

Whenever it comes up on my Netflix queue I'll decide whether I'm right or wrong about the new one and they learned from their first mistake, but "Batman Begins" will always suck big fat ass.


;-)

[sasquatch]

3. I see somebody needs to be admitted against their will for their own safety

:D

[TreasonousBastard]

9. The truth will out! Sound and fury signifying nothing. n/t

[Lethe]

4. i watched Batman Begins last night for the first time...

It is a bit pretentious.

The story was a bit ludacris, and it was a bit preachy at times. The villian was too existential.

[Lasher]

5. I found it delightfully complex, with a balanced finish.

Alfred has a nutty nose.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. I hope we are not entirely alone...

I heard one reviewer give this thing lousy marks and then they threw him into a woodchipper.

(Watch your back)

[MedleyMisty]

6. I'll give you points

because based on the subject line I thought it was going to be ego-stroking about not liking stuff just because it's popular.

I've never read the comics, although I've got The Killing Joke and The Longest Halloween and the one about Arkham on hold at the library now.

Personally, I love The Dark Knight. I went for the third time last night, and the theater was pretty full for a weeknight. And I think that it was the first time for most of the audience, gauging by their reactions. When the credits rolled, I heard someone behind me say, "Wow, that really was good." and then the applause started.

But then I've always liked dark and angsty stuff. We should get the 1989 Batman from Netflix in a day or so, but just looking at the pictures - Nicholson looks like a cartoon character, not an archetype from humanity's oldest myths.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. I like dark and angsty stuff, too...

and want my Fritz Lang collection back. It's just that it's so damn difficult to do dark and angsty about a guy in a mask and cape-- 'specially when you're going OTT trying for realism.

[MilesColtrane]

12. Just a note...

This 'new' interpretation of the Batman character is twenty years old.

And Alan Moore did it better than Frank Miller.

[WinkyDink]

13. I hate whispery voices. Christian Bale annoys the crap out of me.

[JMackT]

14. You have lost your mind

Batman Begins was badass

[TreasonousBastard]

15. You mean suckass. Take out the effects and you got...

an even more boring story.

sucky plot + sucky characters = ?

[MedleyMisty]

16. I was thinking some more

It seems like your objections are based mostly on Batman Begins.

We went to see it once in theaters and I can't remember it at all. I'm sure it was decent, but it didn't make much of an impression on me.

Whereas I have been obsessed with TDK since last Friday (seriously, to the point where I spend my net time watching interviews and trailers and researching the trickster archetype and it's all I think and talk about at the moment), and hopefully will be going to see it a fourth time tomorrow night.

I'm not trying to preach - it's just that I think that people who don't see TDK on the big screen are missing out on something really special. I'd link you to a video I found of 11 Joker scenes, but obviously it's sort of illegal as well as full of spoilers.

Batman Begins was mostly about Batman, I think? And yeah - even in TDK Bale is just kind of there. He has one good scene, but the rest of the time he's just the catalyst. Ledger and Eckhart make the movie the wonder that it is.

Ledger's Joker does have a charm - hell, I'm half in love with him.

Here are some links that say what I'm trying to say about his character pretty well.

http://presstheactionbutton.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/on-heath-ledger-anarchy-and-the-dark-knight/

http://scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2008/07/the_dark_knight.php

http://seeker65.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/the-dark-knights-joker-is-a-mystical-trickster-not-mad-super-villain/

It is truly a wonderful performance and definitely deserves an Oscar. I think the reception and reaction to the character would have been the same if Ledger were alive, and it's so sad that he isn't here to see his life's work rewarded.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Did you read my review?

Because you really called it on the new Joker.

Save your money.

[TreasonousBastard]

18. Don't think so, but those of us not impressed...

with this thing do seem to be in a very small minority.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. I plan to give this a miss, too, o Treasonous One

:thumbsup: