The Dark Knight Trilogy (Christopher Nolan, 2005-2012)

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Once he returns to Gotham and dons the suit the whole thing just collapsed under its own weight. Very dull, with terribly uninspired art-direction for a franchise that really needs a great look. Batman Begins always felt it was straining too hard to be 'dark' and the plot didn't move me at all.

I disagree. For me, when Bruce returns to Gotham is when the film got interesting. The whole look and feel of these scenes reminded me a lot of Batman: Year One, esp. with the way Gary Oldman portrayed Gordon. I really enjoyed the grittiness of the film and how the sequences with the Scarecrow where like something out of a disturbing horror film. With the exception of Katie Holmes, the cast was excellent and their performances are what really rooted the film and gave it a strong foundation.

[Cde.]

I think The Dark Knight looks infinitely more disturbing than Begins could ever be, perhaps because it seems more real and less...yellow and brown. It's been a few years since I saw it (twice) but I remember the palette being wearying, and as has been said and said again, Katie Holmes was irritating and her character irrelevant.

So the Dark Knight...I love Heat, so hearing that it is an influence has me interested. I'm still not entirely sold though.

[Murdoch]

I also found the Scarecrow to be pretty terrifying and wished the movie had done more with his character. I would have actually preferred him as the central villain of the first one, Ra's Al Ghul has a far more intricate connection with Batman in the comics and I didn't find him very interesting in the films, however it being Begins I suppose he was necessary. But Murphy was amazing in it and his character offered a psychological contrast to Batman similar to the Joker and it would have been interesting to see it further developed, I mean a madman running an asylum, that's crazy!

[Antoine Doinel]

Scarecrow will be making an appearance in The Dark Knight as well. It will be interesting to see what his role will be in this film.

[Darth Lavender]

I assume Scarecrow's appearance will be pretty much just setting up his role in the third movie. As a character, for some reason it's one of those cases were I can't find anything actually wrong with the depiction, but it just didn't amaze me as it should He looked great, with the burlap sack and business suit. Can't say I fully enjoyed Murphy's performance; he seemed sort of annoying and unintimidating, but I suppose that was the point.

Thematically, I suppose he had his strengths and weaknesses. This being Batman's "origin story," I suppose the Scarecrow made some sense as representing another use of 'fear.' But, it did kind of go against the whole 'escalation' theme. Perhaps the film would have worked better with just Falcone and Ra's as the villians, saving someone as 'colorful' as Scarecrow for later. Possibly the reason Scarecrow didn't impress me, is he never really got a proper 'set piece,' he only gets brief moments here and there. Anyway, my reaction seems unique. Possibly because Scarecrow was the part of the movie I was most looking forward to.

Anyway, Dark Knight does look excellent. Not sure what the prices are these days, but I might actually venture to the movie theatre to see this one.

[rs98762001]

Once he returns to Gotham and dons the suit the whole thing just collapsed under its own weight. Very dull, with terribly uninspired art-direction for a franchise that really needs a great look. Batman Begins always felt it was straining too hard to be 'dark' and the plot didn't move me at all.

I disagree. For me, when Bruce returns to Gotham is when the film got interesting. The whole look and feel of these scenes reminded me a lot of Batman: Year One, esp. with the way Gary Oldman portrayed Gordon. I really enjoyed the grittiness of the film and how the sequences with the Scarecrow where like something out of a disturbing horror film. With the exception of Katie Holmes, the cast was excellent and their performances are what really rooted the film and gave it a strong foundation.

I agree for the most part. But the last half hour was terrible. Long, boring, inconsequential action, shoddily staged and directed. As long as Nolan can stay away from that kind of conventional climax this time, then TDK might really be something special.

[hearthesilence]

The Joker is a much more effective, interesting, and frightening villain than the Scarecrow; Maggie Gyllenhaal is a much more engaging and talented actress than Katie Holmes; and we get to skip the whole boring pre-Batman plot that clogged up the first act of Batman Begins.

I'd say those are reasons enough to be excited.

Yeah, I'm getting a bit optimistic about Dark Knight for those same reasons.

In retrospect, I wasn't that crazy about Begins. The second time I saw it on DVD, it left me cold. To be fair, it was the first one I didn't hate since the the series launch in 1989 (didn't even like Returns, it may have been more personal but I thought it was messier, dumber and irritating as hell).

Since the first one did all right, I'm hoping Nolan got to be more adventurous this time out. Also, this could be the first one where Batman AND the villain are on equal footing. Jack stole the show in the first one, and I felt like WB was essentially marketing the villains in the next three (in both advertising and the actual movie itself), but with Begins, the antagonists made a fairly small impression.

[Antoine Doinel]

So I bit the bullet and bought tickets for an IMAX screening the Monday after the film opens.

Congratulations Warner's marketing, you win.

[oldsheperd]

The thing I hate about all these comic book films is that they kill off most of the villains expecially the Batman movies. I so hated it when the Joker got killed in the first Batman. Of the movies I've seen adapted from comics, I think XMen is the only one that doesn't fit the pattern with Magneto.

[Antoine Doinel]

Well in Nolan's reboot, Scarecrow didn't get killed off and the Joker was orginally set to appear in the planned third film as well. I guess we'll have to see how they handle it.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Now, THIS sounds interesting.

An excerpt:

There's also an interesting interview at The Los Angeles Times with composers James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer which briefly reviews the theme Zimmer wrote for the Joker - "It's an intense eight-minute piece that comes off like an orchestral interpretation of a something created by Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails. Zimmer says the work is only two notes, but the two notes are twisted and manipulated into mimicking the sounds of thunder, razors and all sorts of clatter heard in alleyways probably better left unexplored."

[Jeff]

First legit review is up. Well, Peter Travers anyway.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

I agree for the most part. But the last half hour was terrible. Long, boring, inconsequential action, shoddily staged and directed. As long as Nolan can stay away from that kind of conventional climax this time, then TDK might really be something special.

I wouldn't say it was shoddily staged and directed, not at all, but it was very predictable and conventional but then he is making a big budget, Hollywood film so he does have to stay within certain parameters. Now, I'm hoping with the massive success of Begins, the studio has loosened the leash somewhat and let Nolan do what he wants. The long running time makes me think that he's been given some room to run with it.

[Antoine Doinel]

Not suprisingly, the film is dedicated to Heath Ledger (and Conway Wickliffe).

[New Groundhog]

Twelve clips from the movie.

This movie is looking great. Maggie Gyllenhaal is really impressing me.

[Antoine Doinel]

Dark Knight Selling Out Three Weeks Early

[flyonthewall2983]

IGN Review. Color me psyched.

[Cde.]

You're talking about the guy who gave 300 5/5 and called it "the closest thing to 'pure cinema' that audiences have come to in quite some time".

[domino harvey]

[Murdoch]

That's definitely my favorite Dark Knight poster, but all this hype is starting to get to me.

[chaddoli]

Well, I just stared at that for about five minutes...

[Tom Hagen]

Dark Knight Selling Out Three Weeks Early

If there's one thing that we positively know about the Dark Knight, its that it excels at selling out:



According to Brandweek, "It was thought that tie-in partners might shy away from the film but Domino's (in its first ever movie tie-in), General Mills, Nokia, Hershey, Comcast, Microsoft's Xbox and the California Milk Processor Board all stayed on board to co-promote the film."

[Antoine Doinel]

Yeah, I saw the Comcast Dark Knight ad on TV tonight. Let's just hope Bruce Wayne doesn't have Alfred order in some Domino's for him.

[domino harvey]

You guys are going to screw up my vanity searches

[sidehacker]

A superhero movie selling out? Pretty shocking.