I’ve seen this, too.
Yes, I’ve noticed this in trailers. The first time we saw a trailer for it, I remarked to my hubby that it Ledger’s last film, and hubby said “I didn’t see him anywhere”, which is a good thing, IMO. He’s not “Heath Ledger playing The Joker”, he is The Joker.
This is the Batman film I’ve been waiting to see for 19 years. It’s what I was expecting Michael Keaton’s Batman to be.
I still remember seeing Batman opening weekend in 1989 and being utterly disappointed. I was expecting a dark gritty crime drama since everyone was saying how “dark” it was. Dark? Pah-lease. Tim Burton fantasy film with a whimsical score by Danny Elfman and some Prince music (barf). And the sequels only got worse.
I knew someone someday would give it the grit and dark that it needed.
Thank you Christopher Nolan for making MY Batman.
It’s the one movie my wife has most been looking forward to this year, so we’ll definitely be there opening weekend (though Friday night may be tough, what with so many advance tix selling out and such).
It’s rating an 82 at Metacritic, which is higher than any other wide release film this year except for Wall-E. (Iron Man scored a 79).
Can’t wait.
My only beef with the new Batman movies is the X-trEEM super-kewl tactical military badass all-terrain batcrawler vehicle. That thing is SO not Batman’s style at all, and I can’t stand looking at it.
Joker looks absolutely amazing in the previews…I have very high hopes.
Some of the advance reviews (and from legitimate critics, not drooling webmonkeys) are saying that the film has real Best Picture credibility. My level of anticipation could not possibly be higher.
Hey, me too! Which day? I have tickets for Sunday.
Reading a few of the rare negative reviews of the film they all seem to have this in common: They didn’t like Batman Begins either and they loved Tim Burton’s Batman.
Now I know it’s got to be good.
FWIW, it’s based on the vehicle from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns.
I run an IMAX theater in LA. A friend of mine runs that theater in Seattle, and she definitely knows her stuff, so I’m certain you’ll get a great show.
As to the person asking whether they should see it in IMAX, the answer is an undeniable yes. The major action scenes of the film, plus a number of other establishing shots were actually filmed with an IMAX camera, the rest was filmed in 35mm and digitally remastered like all other IMAX DMR releases. It is quite simply breathtaking, and if you don’t see it in an IMAX theater you are missing out big time.
As for the film… what can I say? I’ve seen it 9 times already. No matter how outrageous you think the expectations for this film are, don’t worry - it’s as good or better than you’ve been led to believe. And yes, Ledger’s Oscar is in the bag.
Jeez, if that’s what all of the negative reviews are based on this must be the greatest movie of all time.
I’d say a nomination is in the bag. But the year’s far too early to predict a winner. Remember: (a) no posthumous nominee has ever gone on to win an acting Oscar*, and (b) the number of acting nominees from big-budget franchise films you can count on one hand, so it’s not exactly an Oscar-friendly genre for voters.
*Peter Finch was alive when he first received the nomination for Network. He died during the Oscar campaign.
Ah, but if he gets nominated, who’s not going to vote for him? Often when a young actor gets nominated for the first time they don’t win on the theory of “He’s got time to do something better.” Obviously that isn’t the case this time. And if you’ve seen any of the reviews, you’ll notice that people aren’t calling it the best big-budget action film of the year, they’re referencing films like Heat, and especially Godfather II.
But I stand by my thesis. If he gets nominated, there’s no way he doesn’t win.
Well, put him up with the last 5 winners:
2007 Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
2006 Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
2005 Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
2004 Jamie Foxx - Ray
2003 Sean Penn - Mystic River
With maybe the exception of Daniel Day Lewis I think he could have beat all the others.
I think we’re probably talking about Supporting Actor for Ledger, though, not Best Actor. In the Supporting category, his chances are probably pretty good.
I think plenty of people. It is a secret ballot after all.
There are any number of factors that play into picking a winner. Quality of performance and Sentimentality are certainly two, but they’re not automatic Shoe-ins. Just ask James Dean (a two-time posthumous Oscar loser, both times to actors who only received one nomination their entire careers).
I’ve read plenty of reviews, but critics don’t pick the Oscars, industry people do. And there is an innate prejudice against genre films in the “high-end” categories. That’s why you’ve never seen an animated film win a screenplay Oscar despite multiple attempts, and why a 62-year old previous nominee and Shakespearean legend couldn’t beat a younger first-time nominee whose movie made less than $6M at the B.O. (hint: he played a wizard).
Right now, Ledger seems a slam-dunk, and perhaps even a deserving one, because he’s the only game in town. The landscape will be very different, and the hype diminished, by December.
But if you’re that confident in your these, maybe you’re willing to lay some real-world odds. I smell a wager brewing…
Let’s look at the last 5 Supporting Actor winners and speculate how Ledger might have done:
Javier Bardem - tough, since they may end up splitting the Crazy Psychotic Villain vote. But the advantage is still Bardem’s: Comic Book movie vs. Best Picture winner.
Alan Arkin - the Codger/Lifetime Achievement award. That’s two different types of sentimentality going head-to-head. The only difference is that if Arkin (a previous two-time loser) wins, you actually get to see a beloved veteran give an appreciative acceptance speech (for a movie that’s also a Best Picture nominee). Dead Men don’t walk the Red Carpet.
George Clooney - the Superstar Award. Everybody Loves George, and since he wasn’t going to win for his other little movie (the Best Picture nominee that also earned him a Director nod), he would simply not be denied. Sorry.
Morgan Freeman - if there’s anybody that the industry loves more than George, it’s Morgan (up to then, a 3-time Oscar loser also in his 60s). Even Michelle Williams might’ve voted for him.
Tim Robbins - perhaps the best shot Heath would have among these 5 contests, but there are enough people in the industry who love Tim (both for his talent and his politics), that it would still be quite the showdown. And the Academy still prefers its crime stories high-brow. Graphic novels vs. “real” novels? Plus, Tim (previous nominee) was also in a Best Picture nominee.
Note that of the 5 movies these winners came from, only one of them had been released by the end of July of their respective years. And Ledger, as good as he may be as the Joker, would’ve had a very difficult time beating any of them. His loss is a tragedy and a win would be a lovely memorial tribute. But to already assume that it’s a foregone conclusion is a big mistake.
I want to go, but I’ll wait until all the crowds have thinned. We rarely go to the show, and the fewer jacked up kids I have to view it with, the happier I’ll be.
A small proposition? You have my attention sir!
Certainly I agree that there’s a bias against all sorts of genres when it comes to Oscar. Animation, Sci-Fi, Big-budget blockbuster, heck any kind of comedy at all. It takes a lot to overcome the inherent obstacles. That’s why I’ve made no claims to potential wins for Director or Picture, even though neither would shock me. And, of course, we still must wait for the inevitable late-December limited release of any number of Important Films that will change the landscape.
I know all that and it doesn’t shake my confidence one iota. All Ledger has to do is get nominated, and when he does he’ll win.
I’m up for a Signature Bet if you so desire, good Sir. Something perhaps along the lines of “TheBoltEater is more smarter than I is.”? My only concerns are twofold; one, you haven’t seen it yet, right? Seems unfair for you to bet against Heath blindfolded. Second, we’re gonna have to wait, like 8 months to find out. I could win a SuperBowl bet before this one.
I went to the theater today and bought my ticket for tomorrow night, 12:20. I considered waiting to catch it on a matinee, but fuck that. I’ve been looking forward to this movie since the credits started to roll on Batman Begins. I literally can’t remember the last time I’ve been so excited about a movie.
How many who like the Nolan Batman liked Memento?
I saw it yesterday (Australia got it first! A rare thing) and it’s very dark, and very surprising, with twists I did not expect.
It’s what comic book and superhero movies should be like, but never are.
It shits all over Iron Man, anyway.