Please don’t spoil the plot in this thread!!
I’m not a big fan of comic book movies, but this one looks really good. Anyone planning on seeing it tomorrow? I’ve got tickets, but if there’s a line of school kids a mile long at the theater, I’ll most likely just dump them and go see it some other time.
Please, please, please keep your comments and reviews generic enough so that folks who haven’t seen the movie can read this thread without fear of spoilers!!
Haven’t seen the movie, but comic-book and NYTimes bestseller author Peter David described it as “cherry-picking the 10% of all things Batman that are pure gold” (my paraphrase).
I usually trust PAD’s advice on good/bad movies, so it sounds like this is a winner.
I’m a fan of Christian Bale, and think he’d make a good Batman.
I really love the director CHristopher Nolan, who made “memento” and “insomnia”, two fo my favorite movies from the last 10 years.
Ebert loved it, and it’s got a big scored at Rotten Tomatoes.
I think it’s going to be excellent.
The only thing that worries me is Katie Holmes. The romance angle bothered me BEFORE the Tom Cruise thing started.
Now she just annoys me.
Why must there be a romance angle in EVERY movie? Batman is asexual…
Not really. He often has temporary love affairs. It’s just that none of them ever manage to last. There just plain aren’t many women who can accept the Bat that goes with the Man.
But I could be mistaken.
I’m going tomorrow night, and I just can’t wait. I’ve always preferred Superman, but I never turn my nose up at the Bat.
I’ve been dying to see it ever since I found out that on their first day at work, Christopher Nolan sat the cast and crew down, and made them watch Blade Runner. When it was over, he said “That’s what I want to do.” It gives me the chills just thinking about it.
Kenneth Turan of the L.A. Times just gave it a very positive review. The Times is not known for pandering or being anything related to Earl Dittman. The critics there once got into a letter-writing war with James Cameron over whether Titanic was a wonderful example of American cinema that critics won’t like because it’s popular, or half-drivel that appealed mostly to 12-year old girls who thought the romance carried the story and length.
He did say that one of his problems with the movie was Katie Holmes, though.
My husband and I have tickets for tonight’s midnight show. We’re both enormous comic book fans/geeks and we have very high hopes for the movie. We heard from a few people who saw it early and it got glowing reviews. I’ll try to pop in tomorrow and say what I thought about it.
I’m seeing it for sure.
During lunch today, I read a very poor review of it in the Globe and Mail. (Rated: **[sup]1/2[/sup].)
It was a poor review in more than one sense though, so I’m still jazzed. The things that Liam Lacey criticizes about the film are hardly concerning. He calls it “humourless.” Good.
This bit makes me howl:
WTF?
Anyway, everything I have read and seen about this movie makes me extremely excited to see it – including that lame review. The elaboration of the events surrounding Bruce Wayne’s parents’ murder sounds brilliant-- Young Brucie’s pre-existing phobia about bats forces them to leave a performance of Die Fledermaus early, which leads to them crossing paths with the mugger. Have a psyche-twisting helping of guilt to fuel that life-long obsession, kid! – and I expect a ton of stuff like that from Christopher Nolan.
Woot!
It’s getting really high ratings on IMDB, too. Seems like all the reviews are very, very postive (although I didn’t see the Globe interview referenced above).
I’m excited. I thought *Memento *was fantastic.
I just wanted to
a) subscribe to this thread and
b) say: I can’t wait!
Oh, I wouldn’t give that one a second thought.
Seriously, every criticism there is ridiculous, and betrays a fundamental ignorance about the entire concept of Batman that is obvious even to a non-fan like me. Like complaining about Gotham having a dark, seemy atmosphere. You want a shiny, attractive alternate New York? Wait for next year. Gotham City is not Metropolis.
I dunno – probably in the next Spider-Man movie. Don’t complain because this ain’t it.
I don’t know how unfortunate it is that Bruce Wayne doesn’t come off like a loon – but since this movie is “all about” the psychology of Bruce Wayne, and written and directed by Christopher Nolan, I’m thinking Bale was probably directed to portray him as someone coping relatively well with a dissociative disorder – with a flat affect to go along with it.
I think anyone who’s inclined to like a good Batman movie is going to appreciate this movie a bit more than ol’ Liam, who seems to want a younger Adam West overusing his grappling hook in the New York City of Friends.
[mini rant]
Gagh, though I’m a faithful Globe reader for their news & analysis, their movie reviews suck dead goats when it comes to action adventure / SF / superhero films.
The Globe reviewers, chiefly Lacey and Groen, are, imnsho, a bunch of Toronto urban sophisticates film snobs who sneer on every piece of celluloid that isn’t made in Sweeden and doesn’t feature neurotic characters who wear black turtlenecks, chain-smoke Gauloises, have lengthy existential arguments, and die miserably at the end.
“A Hollywood Superhero movie, oh pshaw, those puerile Americans. Why does my management foce me to see this drivel… Oh well, I suppose I must…”
Dammit, they should at least review films from the perspective of viewers who are likely to want to see a film of the given type. If it’s a steroids & silicone explodo-fest, then tell me if it’s a *good *steroids & silicone explodo-fest. If it’s a three hanky chick flick, then tell me if it’s a *good or bad *three hanky chick flick. Don’t lump in Firefly and SW:ROTS in the same basket because they’re both SF and you think SF is only good for the math geeks you despised in high-school.
A pox on both their houses…
[/mini-rant]
Planning on taking the wife to see it this weekend. Saw the previews to it last week and they looked pretty good. Everything I’ve read seems pretty positive. Guess I’ll have to wait and see. Generally speaking, I usually like movies the critics hate and hate the ones they like so…
-XT
SOMEONE’s never heard of Robin.
runs and hides
Seriously…he’s…far from.
The Golden Age/Earth-2 Batman was married to Catwoman.
Recently, he’s been involved with, or flirted with, Sasha Bordeaux, Wonder Woman, Catwoman (again)…
Then there’s Vicki Vale (although, I can’t quite determine if they were romantically involved before the first movie), Poison Ivy (there was the mind control, there, but she needed to seduce him first)…No doubt others that I’m blanking on.
I seriously can’t think of a version of Batman that’s asexual, rather than just unable to maintain a relationship, and/or involved in stories that his romantic life is generally secondary to (unlike Superman whose relationship with Lois - or Lana, or Lori - is often the central point of the story).
Comics, I’ve already covered…
The Adam West TV series, the tension with him and Catwoman was still there.
The old animated TV series, ditto - plus a handful of civilian women.
Justice League Unlimited has been using the Wonder Woman flirtation. Pre-Unlimited Justice League didn’t bother with any romances other than the John/Shayera plot - even the Superman/Lois relationship which is generally more central than any of Bruce’s flings.
The Batman makes the Catwoman/Batman flirting a little more one-way than the others, but the episode that introduced her involved Bruce lamenting that he couldn’t find a woman, and there may be something there with the female cop…
The movies are what you’re complaining about, and what I’m saying isn’t out of character for him…
Mmm… Looking at Rotten Tomatoes, after 75 reviews we have:
RATING: FRESH
READING: 80%
One common complaint on the few bad reviews can be summed as: “How dare you Christopher Nolan? You directed Memento and now you lower yourself to direct this?!?!?” :rolleyes:
I bet those critics still think comics are only kid stuff, their heads would explode if they read Watchmen, the Dark Night returns or a good number of manga.
I so want this movie to be good.
I’d like it to be more in the vein of The Crow or Bladerunner
and as far away from Spiderman or Dick Tracy as possible.
Batman needs to be dark and brutal,
not flashy and colorful, IMHO.
As long as the batsuit has no batnipples, I will be happy.
I’m going to see this on Saturday with Alias and child. I haven’t been this geeked about a movie since Spider Man 2 came out. The cast is solid. The director is solid. Everything I’ve read about the approach Nolan and crew took to making the picture seems good.
Consider me geeked.
I have my tickets (well, I ordered them, and I’ll pick them up at the box office) to tonight’s show at the Alamo Drafthouse. I reread Batman: Year One last night, followed by The Dark Knight Returns and DK2 last night. I vividly recall seeing the first Burton version in the theater with my Dad and being blown away as a young comic book fan. Based on all reviews and a recommendation from a friend-in-the-know, I anticipate similar away-blowing this time. Maybe I’ll get some tickets for another show on Sunday and take Dad along.
I am so looking forward to this and was planning on seeing it saturday. Alas, I go in to have my gallbladder removed tomorrow and although I will be out of the hospital, I won’t be allowed to drive. 
Next week I guess.