OK - so remember back in '89 when the first 'Batman' movie came out - and you were REALLY stoked? (sorry, if you're under 20 and can't relate kids - but I digress) And remember how increasingly disappointed you became with every following sequel?
So this new one is comin' out soon, and since I'm not 16 anymore, and since I don't read comic books - ooo, sorry, 'graphic novels', I wasn't as fascinated as others for this new installment... until now.
I recently read that director Chistopher Nolan made the entire cast watch 'Blade Runner' together before filming, and stated, "This is how we're gonna make 'Batman' look".
Now, will that type of artistic direction put asses in the seats? You're damn right it will!
However, the Nee is playing mentors all over the place now. Not only is he the dead Jedi, but he has both Batman and Kingdom of Heaven to play the wise mentor role in. I like him, but howmany times in a 5 year period can you play the same character?
Having said that - Marc. I absolutely loved the first Batman and still think it should be the prototype for any comic here flick. Spiderman 2 comes a close second, despite not being an "origin tale." It'll be hard not to like a movie with Nolan directing, Bale as the Bat, and a great supporting cast, including none other than...
Know what I like about this board? Normally the posts BARELY hang onto the initial title thread. Which is nice, 'cause let's be honest here, how times could we read something along the lines of "Yeah Dude! Batman! Woo! Kick Ass!"?
Not that I don't see the degrees of separation from the lovely Miss Connelly to 'Batman'. I'm just curious at how haphazard ('random' would have been a better placed word there, but I'm a guy, hence, can't use the word 'random') this'll become.
AND - to put in my 2 cents (and sorry I don't have a picture handy), all the marbles go to Rachel Weisz in my book.
NOTE: Just found out 'Constantine' is rated R. So... that's good right? More Violence? More Profanity?
Alexander Knox: "Living room, dining room, arsenal. Would you look at this stuff! Who is this guy?"
Vicki Vale: "He throws these charity balls and yet collects all this..stuff."
Knox: "Check this out, he must have been king of the wickerpeople. Where do you suppose this one came from(points to samurai armour)?
Bruce Wayne: "Its Japanese."
Knox: "How do you know?"
Bruce Wayne: "Because I bought it in Japan".
The first Batman(1989) is one of my all time favs. That scene in the arsenal room was one of the few hints to the story of BAtman Begins. And fyi is right, this is the standard for any comic book movie ever. But my second place would go to Unbreakable (which WAS an origin story)rather than spidey 2 for best comic book movie.
Im surprised it took so long for the origin of the bat to finally spread its wings. Of all comic book heroes, this origin story seems the most intriguiging and rife with dramatic potential. While everyone else will be busy trying to deconstruct the inner conflict of Anakin Skywalker this summer, asking themselves "what makes an innocent child grow up to become darth vader?", I'll be satisfied to have bruce wayne as MY subject of psychoanalysis instead, with the far more interesting question in mind: "What brings a man, a normal human man, not a mutant, not an alien from a dying planet, not a radioactively enhanced genetic marvel, but a man WITHOUT super powers, what causes him to don a scary costume and fight crime?" This is the story of a man obsessed for lack of a better word. I think the enormous psychological implications of a superhero who never had superpowers are often overlooked. When a comic character can walk through walls or defy gravity, the idea of them donning a colorful outfit in the meantime isnt much of a stretch; if we're already willing to suspend our disbelief enough to accept their powers, we're also willing to believe the ridiculous outfits they wear and superhero names they sport. Plus, there is a certain logic in the overused peter parker mantra "with great power comes great responsibility". He becomes a superhero because his powers demand that responsibility to the good of society through them.
This is not bruce wayne's motivation. He saw his parents get killed and was compelled through the vision of a bat to do what he now does? While that may seem adequate in a somewhat romantic view of the "vigilante superhero", it doesnt take a freudian expert to realize little bruce wayne snapped. And lo and behold the first purely pschologically based superhero ever to grace comic book history. The first comic hero to reveal how cool it was to be conflicted. The idea of the inner demons of a hero being more formidable to him than the actual villains he fights pushed the whole superhero category into a more real, more complex world. This is why I think Batman succeeded so well in being taken seriously by Tim Burton. Its MADE to be taken seriously, at least more so than other comic stories. If the character Buddy of The Incredibles taught us anything its that there is something seriously wrong with someone who goes through the trouble of coming up with superhero outfits, devices, and identities, when they dont have superpowers. One detects the very unhealthy, underlying motivation of a millionaire who pools his wealth and resources and commits himself towards this end.
It also brought forth the classic dark brooding image of the superhero. Someone with more layers of moral ambiguity and pschological imbalance than layers of spandex. And for a while there was nothing more fun for a comic book reader than picking apart those layers through clues given throughout the story about the character. Tim Burton's movie subtly and ingeniously submits clues like these, Bruce Wayne suicidally walking through a haze of gunfire towards the Joker after he kills a rival mob boss at City Hall. Or when Vicki Vale remarks that people regard batman as dangerous and psychotic as the Joker. Indeed the very parallel nature between Batman and the Joker is implied all throughout the movie, particularly during the scene where Bruce Wayne confronts the Joker at Vicki's apartment and engages in a bizarre conversation with him that left us wondering which one of them was really crazier(it is even parodied a bit when both of them make the exact same critique to Vicki about her apartment after entering: "lots of space").
Luckily, noone picks psychological layers apart in a film better than Chris Nolan so this upcoming movie should be pretty damn good. What a refreshing notion for a comic book movie; that becoming a "superhero" can be just as easily a result of a traumatically suffered childhood as becoming a "supervillain" could be.
BTW all three of these chicks were equally hot in their day. Unfortunately that day, for all three of em, has passed.
Jessica Alba is my pick for a more up to date hottie. I dont care how dumb she is, something that fine should not be allowed to be smart. With Sin City and Fantastic Four on the way I predict she'll become the next hot item for hollywood vixens. And then expire just as quickly as the rest of them. I did almost hide my face in my hands though when I saw that fantastic four cast interview where she referred to the Thundercats cartoon tv series as the main influence for her deep appreciation for comic book artistry and writing. I was like, are you fucking kidding me?
But of course when all else fails and beauty seems fleeting,
theres always the immortal perfection of Natalie Portman.
OK - I would be remissed if I didn't mention this (no matter how much I may sound like a 13 year old), nonetheless. If you want to 'see' some of the best work of Jennifer Connelly, rent 'The Hot Spot' and/or 'Higher Ground'.
But... I imagine I am pretty much preaching to the choir on this one.
Jennifer Connolly has the odd talent to either look gorgeous or really plain, and I can't explain it. I am pretty sure that her furry eyebrows have something to do with it.
Bossy, you dare to say that Katie Holmes' time has passed? Good god, she's under 30!
But I'm with ya on the Natalie Portman thing. The only (possible) strike against her is that she just looks too innocent/nice girl-y. But I can live with that...
To the guy who said, "Portman is dumber than a box of hair." I would like to point out that she has a first class honours degree from Harvard and speaks four languanges fluently. That doesn't sound dumb to me
Yes katie holmes' day has passed. It doesnt matter that she's under 30, age has nothing to do with it. Natalie Portman, after all was in her prime at age 14. Which goes to show that her level of beauty transcends far beyond the mere barbaricism of sexual gratification.
I think in her "Leon, Beautiful Girls" days, Portman's beauty was profound. To call her merely shagadelic would be like calling Mozart a charming melodist. There's so much more.
And Flounder, she's smarter than you are and evidently more mature as well. My opinion, much like yours, is of course based on nothing.
Let us not fool ourselves, cynicism is not the same thing as wisdom. Never underestimate the sage-like serendipity of youth.
...on a multitude of interviews I have seen in which she repeatedly put her foot in her mouth, created awkward moments with the host, or just seemed unprepared for the interview.
Oh, she seemed a bit egotistical too, which just makes dumb that much more unnatractive.
My attraction to Alba and Portman lasted about as long as it took me to see interviews with them (forgiving Natalie some of her earlier interviews because she was so young).
And I wanted to use that line from "Trapped In Paradise".
interviews schminterviews.
I dont put much stock in'em. once in a while you get a unique insight into the person but most of the time its all just window dressing, purely for show. You're either used to it or not. Sure if your Tom Hanks you know how to do an interview. I dont think Portman at this stage cares about interviews and if it wasnt a damn near requisite of the movie business she probably wouldnt sign up to sit in anyone's chair. When she was younger I think interviews were fun and games, she seemed more flamboyant and unreserved back then. But now that she has a big rep for being an amibitious nerd, it stands to reason her poker face would come off as an ambitious dummy. Honestly, whom among the susceptible-to-self-consciousness age group would recognize themselves on David Letterman? Would you? Would I?
Beauty at its peak is somewhat akin to the brute force of a school bully. It reduces the carefully constructed logic of the thinking man to shambles.
That line is gettin old Flounder. Riff a little. How about "OhBrother Where art Thou?" - "..dumber than a bag of hammers"?
Check out Career Opportunities, a shitty 80's movie with Jennifer Connelly and Frank Whalley.
The movie sucked, but she's at her hottest, and there is a scene where she rides a coin operated horse all slow and seductive-like. I think she was like 19 when it was filmed. Definitely before the Hollywood eating disorder machine grabbed her by the neck.
For Katie Holmes, nothing tops The Gift.
I was never much into Neve Campbell, but I'm sure she's hot in something.
I dunno whats wrong with people these days. Kinda makes me ashamed that im in the age group where everyone thinks the Batman movies with George CLooney m Val Kilmer were the better Batman actors. I think one of the biggest problems with those two (not only the acting) but how they really disappointed me with the batsuit. Could someone please beat the crap out of the idiot who accentuated the nipples, ass n crotch in that suit? I like the first two Batmans also cus the actors were a bit more worthwhile. Jack Nicholson as the Joker, and Christopher Walken as the Mayor. I'd scale those two higher than Tommy Lee Jones n Jim Carrey i spose. Anyway. thats just me i guess.
ok bye
This Movie Better Live Up To The First. I Still Say Michael Keaton played the best Batman ever. If those Cheep ass hoes would of payed him more money he would of continue playing batman. Because the first to was the best Michael Keaton was @ still is the best. We will se how this movie holds up.! Your Friend jamie-Kid
There is a trailer, and a "Making of" the trailer, for a movie that will never get made, about Dick Grayson investigating the death of Batman.
I would download to disk, I think the "Making of" is about 25 minutes long, but worth every minute.
I recommend watching the trailer, then the making of, then watch the trailer again. It's amazing how good the trailer looks - especially after you see how they made it!
I thought this was a little personal, but since someone else brought it up. I went to high school with this guy. And John is real deal, we talk/email roughly once a month, to which I endlessly poke fun at the name of his 'studio'. But I respect him, 'cause lemmee tell ya, Hollywood is a LONG way from Rochester, NY. But I completelu concur, if you have the time (and space, Oy it eats up a lot) both the 'trailer' and making of are more entertaining than over half of the comic book films out there.
Katie Holmes is just not that hot in my opinion. And as for all the choices available...
Why would you cast so many well known pop culture icons if you're going for some type of 'novel approach' to the series.
My point is this... A casting person could find someone who is better eye candy in nearly any town in America (save for some in northern Maine), and possibly more 'talented,' whatever acting talent is, with a little searching and a willingness to cast new people.
I love seeing movies like Cube- nobody who is too well known that it distracts you from their character and makes you think about him or her as an actor in a movie.
Either that, or I just can't get by the 'Dawson Creek' lameness that I so detested as a twenty-something.
