Latest Dark Knight Rises trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xWcN2qgK5c&feature=player_embedded#!

cant wait for the movie!

Man I was sold on seeing this the minute I left the theatre after seeing THE DARK KNIGHT four years ago. And it's still a friggin month away!

In fact I think Christopher Nolan's problem is that THE DARK KNIGHT RISES* has gotten too much hyped up by everybody to ridiculous proportions.

Or put it another way, look at PROMETHEUS. That backlash of massive disapointment will look like spilled milk pouting in comparison if TDKR ("The Dorker!") comes up short to people's expectations.

*=When that title was announced, I wonder what context did it mean? (I was personally rooting for THE CAPE CRUSADER.) Then the Anne Hathaway in tight suit photos came out, and well they would make Batman "rise."

Except for the occasional kids movie I took my grandkids to, I haven't been to the movies in years. However, I will go see this one because it was made in Pittsburgh and I got to see a few minutes of it being filmed last summer.

From what I understand in the comics, after a brutal fight, Bane defeats Batman by breaking his back. Almost kills him. Certainly puts him out of commission. Some other dude takes over as Batman while Bruce Wayne recovers.

The TDKR viral marketing chugs along...

i like this movie tralier. i think this movie gonna be a big hit.

Interesting. A mayor signing into law a modification of state statute. I don't think so. Then again, Gotham is a fictional city in what, I presume, is a fictional state in a fictional nation.

Here's the trailer again, since the one above got taken down.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQqjK47c04

Considering this is Gotham City we're talking about, a town so bad that it makes Detroit look like fMayberry, I wonder if the state government gave them local home rule to the extreme when it came to punishing criminals. I mean after the events of THE DARK KNIGHT when a public official was martyred by being murdered by the vigilante "The Batman," (nevermind Joker raising hell in the city) maybe the subsequent uproar is why this Mayor has extraordinary powers.

What? It's about as logical as a billionaire dressed up as a flying rodent and beating up crooks and rapists at night.

(Funny but in the comics, they never could decide where Gotham City was. Is it in New England as NYC? Is it in the midwest like Chicago? I remember one issue, it was placed between Boston and NYC. Metropolis has a similar problem. Official current continuity, Metropolis is in Kansas as basically Kansas City on steroids but previously it's also been a stand-in for NYC. Try to enforce comic book continuity, and your brain will explode like SCANNERS.)

EDIT - I love that Aquarius horoscope.

Why Batman needs to die in 'Dark Knight Rises'

http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news...ight-rises?lite

Off-topic, but director Christopher Nolan is being honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/nailbiter111/news/?a=62536

13 minute Dark Knight Rises featurette

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UuUxqfAOUM&feature=youtu.be

I saw the trailer of this great action movie THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.Its a super-cool movie.I always waiting to watch this movie.

The full soundtrack:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498

I looked for an actual date of the ceremony. Coincidentally, I will be there tomorrow (touristing with visiting relatives) . It's been a long time since I was there but have never seen anyone officially be honored. I'll let you know.

One time, some years back, when I was there we just happened to see them film a scene from Ed Wood with Johnny Depp. Pretty cool, though they kept shooting the same scene over and over and over again. Guess it wasn't just right.


TIS

The Internet says it was on the 7th.

Well, I guess I'll be missing it then. LOl I hope something is happening when I'm there. We also plan to eat lunch at the Hard Rock in L.A. Last time I was there, was over 10 yrs ago and we were pleasantly surprised when KISS performed. You never know.



TIS

From watching the TDKR ads and trailers, one plot point I've been eagerly anticipating to see how it would be pulled off in dramatic context:

And the Oscar goes to ... Batman? Could happen with epic grandeur of ‘Dark Knight Rises’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/a...aGdW_story.html

No.

I only say that for two reasons. (1), there's so many upcoming movies that will also be serious contenders from Paul Thomas Anderson's eagerly anticipated THE MASTER to Spielberg's LINCOLN movie, it's too soon to speculate in July.

But most importantly, (2)Christopher Nolan's last two movies were insanely successful blockbusters. THE DARK KNIGHT made a billion, and INCEPTION actually did better overseas than TDK. Both blockbusters were pretty darn popular with critics and shit even both scored prestigious nominations for Nolan from the Director's Guild of America. The DGA self-explainatory the Hollywood union of directors and they vote those DGA awards, so shit even Nolan's peers thought he did pretty well both years.

And both times, he was snubbed by the Oscars for even a director nomination. With three DGA nods and ZERO Oscar directing nods, he shares that disgraceful honor with Meathead himself, Rob Reiner. (Nolan was previously DGA nominated for MEMENTO.) Without a Director nod, you can't be a serious contender to win Best Picture.

Nolan's predictament reminds me of the Oscars ignoring Spielberg for years. They even at one point gave him the Thalberg Award at a very young age (41) to win such a lifetime honorary prize just so they could get over the public's confusion for why the #1 successful filmmaker in history was snubbed by the Oscars. (His THE COLOR PURPLE infamously scored 10 nominations but won Zero.)

The Oscars in their self-absorbed world would rather not nominate, much less let win, massively popular "popcorn" movies unless their hand is absolutely forced by their voting body. Since the Best Picture nomination field expanded in recent years, its why several Pixar releases (rightfully) got nominated but zero director nods because they're animation which aren't "real" movies.

Now obviously because you are a popular blockbuster, it doesn't mean you can't win the Oscar. TITANIC (biggest hit at the time) and GLADIATOR and the last LORD OF THE RINGS movie are good exceptions. (Going back even further, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and FOREST GUMP.)

But that's the thing with the Oscars, that never-ending battle between voting for the popular entertainments and the wonderful if underseen/little-seen limited released/indie productions.

I mean I don't know about you guys, but I thought NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was an oustanding movie in every regard and absolutely deserved that Oscar. I thought THE HURT LOCKER was pretty damn good too, exceptional action filmmaking in our era of the despised "post-action" shakey cam nonsense. (Plus it deserved the win more than fucking AVATAR.)

Then in '08, THE DARK KNIGHT wasn't nominated. It should've been, not just because it deserved it IMO but because it was better than every single movie nominated for BP that year.

In short, I wouldn't be shocked if THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is better than the last two Best Picture winners*. And it still won't win, a nomination perhaps because of the 5+ nom field. I mean even INCEPTION got a Picture nod.

*=It won't take much to be better than THE ARTIST, a movie I thought was charmingly decent at the time but it's not aged well in reflection.

As a huge Batman fan, I will choose to ignore Ronnie's comment and hope he is wrong.

When it comes to The Dark Knight Rises, I'm not hoping for an Oscar. Just for the movie to actually live up to the hype. While I liked the underlying premise, I thought Batman Begins was kind of boring. The Dark Knight was better but mainly due to Ledger's performance. To this day, I still prefer the 1989 version.

Blasphemy, I know.

I think it will be impossible for it to live up to the hype (I hope it does, but that would be unrealistic). I liked all three films wih TDK as my favorite. Batman Begins was good as well but I agree that the whole origins story aspect of it was a bit boring IMO, but it needed to be told.

See that sentiment you two share on BEGINS baffles, for I was enthralled by that origins story, crafted with an appropriate larger than life stage. I know people wonder why these superhero movies need to have an origin story, but honestly when they're done right, they're pure storytelling magic. Even if it's an origin as well-known even to casual audiences as say Batman's origin. (I liken it to Jesus. There's some stories with tapestries worth weaving.)

I like that we see the evolution of Batman not just in getting his ass-kicking skills and costume, but specifically his ethical code. That's something taken for granted, because Batman came from a children-aimed literary medium of comic books. Superheroes didn't kill people. (I'm sure Punisher gave those old-timer cartoonists a stroke.)

But if you question that one rule of integrity, even when considering everything bad in the comics that's happened to Batman and his pseudo-family. I mean why doesn't he break Joker's neck after he murdered the 2nd Robin and paralyzed Batgirl? Wouldn't you? I would. I mean enough is enough, hell Gotham City would celebrate like Americans did after Osama Bin Laden got toe tagged. But really, why doesn't Batman lose his cool? Hell why doesn't he turn Gotham into a police state? What needs does he have of the (usually useless) Gotham cops?

Because as an idealized ubermensch American creation, he believes in Democracy and it's essnetial balance of law & order with a free open society. Yes he's a vigilante, but he doesn't kickass to feel better about himself or to defeat some rival ideology. In his mind, he tries to bring harmony back to that "balance" bent out of shape by the criminals and influences who've hijacked the governmental legal system for their own gain at the public's loss. It's why he doesn't kill criminals, he beats the hell out of them and leaves them for the police to collect. It's why people are incorrect to call him a fascist, he's rather democratic, disciplined and civilized for a vigilante.

It's why I loved that storyline of Bruce Wayne joining the League of Shadows (or League of Assassins from the comics), a secret army of vigilantes. I mean that's good, right? Who isn't for killing those bad evil people who get away with it?

Until of course he (and the audience) realize that this League is actually Al Qaeda, willing to kill thousands of innocent people in the name of "justice." That's why Batman is the hero, and they're the villains.

Tim Burton's first BATMAN movie is strange, like I don't care for it but it has so many elements I do admire. From Danny Elfman's soundtrack (and Prince's songs) to Keaton's Bruce Wayne to Nicholson having fun, etc. But the movie feels sorta mindless really, like a saturday morning cartoon on autopilot. I never really cared what happened. As an empty (but brilliant) aesthetics visual parade, it reminds me of DICK TRACY.

Plus personally, I just don't like Joker given an origin story or treated as a person. I prefered how Heath Ledger portrayed his Joker: not a person, but an absolutist in crime, evil, terrorism, whatever term you prefer. He's more powerful by that regard.

Wait scratch that metaphor. BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES was a saturday morning (and weekday afternoon) cartoon, and what exceptional storytelling, fun and usually quite engaging writing with even some deeply moving moments. I cared about Batman and well everything else happening in that show. (MASK OF THE PHANTASM is a worth-seeing movie based off that show. Better than the Burton movies.)

Of course I did like Burton's BATMAN RETURNS, one of the more insane summer blockbusters ever produced. It's not for everybody (unlike most summer releases try to be), but it's so perversely wacky in it's camp. Pfeiffer's Catwoman is able to drag some sort of interesting story out of Batman personally, so I liked RETURNS. (That scene of Penguin biting that dude's nose off freaked me out as a kid.)

Even though I prefer the 1989 version (mainly because Jack Nicholson is the best joker ever) I liked the whole idea behind making Batman more "realistic" and less comic book if one is going to do an updated reboot. So I like the idea behind it all. I thought it just didn't translate all that well in the first movie. But probably my biggest reservation was the look of Scarecrow, as much as I like Cillian Murphy as an actor. Also, there really is no need for the way Bale talks when he's in disguise.

Compared to the first, the second one was certainly better all around, though mainly due to the unexpected quality of Ledger's performance. But I still cringe at all the lavish worship heaped on it by the Nolan fan boys who act like it's the superhero Gone With the Wind and that Nolan is the Second Coming. If anything, I attribute it to the fact that, since so much of what comes out of Hollywood sucks nowadays, anything or anyone who produces some quality is looked at as a phenomenon.

In my opinion, Batman Begins was mediocre. The Dark Knight was pretty good. Hopefully The Dark Knight Rises will live up to the hype. As for Nolan, in a way he's like the Beatles. Is great at his craft, and has done some fine work, but not really worthy of the God-like praise he gets.

I have never been a Batman fan; never read the comic books, never really watched the old tv show AND never saw a Batman movie until I saw previews of "The Dark Knight". I was so intrigued by Heath Ledger's Joker, I actually went to the movie theater to see it. I only go to the theater when I really want to see a film. Everytime TDK is on tv, I have to at least watch parts of it. The Joker, in that film, has become one of my favorite movie villains.

It would appear, by the title of this new film, they are trying to draw off that character no? I can't imagine anyone holding a candle to Ledger in that same role. Also, totally on another subject, why is Christian Bale's voice so weird when he talks as Batman? Just my two cents.

TIS

I guess it's just part of his disguise. As I mentioned above, not really necessary, in my opinion.

Bale was going for the same idea that Kevin Conroy did with Batman: TAS, that Bruce Wayne and Batman would have different voice pitches. Obviously on one hand to aid in the disguise and PR ruse regarding Mr. Wayne, but also it pushes the thematic idea that they are two seperate characters. (Is Batman what Wayne really is and "Bruce Wayne" is his disguise?)





See? Subtle brilliantly-performed differences in the pitch, obviously the same voice actor but it gives a distinct character differential, and without being distracting or becoming a subject of intense public mockery. That's why he gets my vote for the greatest Batman actor.

I suppose Bale and Nolan wanted to make their Batman have a growl, like to build into the idea that he's intimidating people. But I don't know, a dude in a bat costume kicking your ass and dangling you off a rooftop would be enough to share me into cooperating, IMO. Honestly the only conceptual misstep Nolan has taken, if you don't count the useless prop that is Rachel Dawes, though to be fair she had a thematic importance in THE DARK KNIGHT. But she is a dull drag in BEGINS.

RR,

I get that Batman needs to have "another" voice to distinguish Bruce Wayne & Batman. It makes sense for the character. I guess I just find the voice more annoying than anything. It seems Bale could do better.

Btw, I am not following, but is this Batman going to have another "Joker" as a villain? If so, who? I can't imagine anyone topping Ledger in the role.

TIS

I can't remember if I reported this already, but anyway attached to TDKR will be the teaser trailer for next summer's MAN OF STEEL, the new Superman movie directed by Zack Snyder (300, WATCHMEN) and executive produced by Nolan. The trailer premiered last night at Comic Con and got rave reviews.

I'm all for a good Superman movie.

Can't explain why, but Superman, I'm good with too. Always loved Superman movies. Who's in the title role, do you know?


TIS

oh I definately agree. Personally I think Bale's "Bruce Wayne" (basically his Patrick Bateman from AMERICAN PSYCHO carried ver) doesn't get enough respect critically. It's so purposely vapid, telegenic-appropriate and such false sincereity. Reportedly that side of his performance was inspired when he saw Tom Cruise on Letterman.



The villain in TDKR will be Bane, who apparently from what I understand isn't the anarchy of Joker (and enjoying it) and more an ideological terorrist.

Catwoman's also in TDKR.

Henry Cavill, who THE TUDORS fans remember him as Charles Brandon. Incidentally he screentested to play Batman back in the day but of course beaten out by Bale.

Always indictations from tweeter feeds of several critics is that the TDKR review embargo will be dropped by midnight (west coast) so we'll probably start seeing official reviews tomorrow.

Can't say I know Cavill, but I guess he does have that Superman look (whatever that might be).




TIS

Two online reviews, from Empire and Hollywood Reporter, of TDKR. Looks promising. WARNING: some minor spoilers ahead.

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137000

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/dark-knight-rises-movie-review-batman-349354

And from what I gather on Twitter, Dave Letterman kinda gave away the ending....

Been reading some of the reviews, and one meme I'm noticing in several reviews (notably by Peter Travers and Newsweek) is this accusation that TDKR is Fox News propaganda, depicting Occupy Wall Street as terrorists, that Batman is fighting for the "1%" against the "99%."

What bullshit. I've obviously not seen the movie yet but let me give my interpretation from what I've read and heard. If I'm wrong, I'll admit as much after I've seen TDKR.

But even back in BATMAN BEGINS, they mentioned how the upper-elites of Gotham City have more or less self-enclosed themselves from the rest of that city's populace. They declared that universe's past Depression over, but it was still wrecking havoc on the lower social-economical classes of Gotham.

The exception to the 1%'s indifference is of course Bruce Wayne, he cares about the whole city, the 100%. Batman was created bcak in the 1930s, when the U.S. President was a wealthy aristocrat who as "traitor to his class" did through government try to help the helpless masses and inspire them. (FDR doesn't get enough credit for possibly saving America from Communism.)

But when such economical disparity exists without immediate attention & remedy by the government/society, it's prime seasoning for dangerous demagogues to take advantage for their own goals. Since Gotham failed to solve this real problem, Bane (I assume) uses this great failure for his own sinister needs.

Nolan did say a chief creative inspiration for TDKR was A Tale of Two Cities, which kids if you remember was about the French Revolution. A violent revolution of the impoverished masses lashing out against their indifferent, care-free Aristocracy trapped playing in their own self-enveloped Disney Land reality. It's not a proper metaphor really, but Bane=Napoleon?

I'm reminded of both sides claiming THE DARK KNIGHT was this or that position on the War on Terror, but nobody had velcro really to stick their agendas to TDK. I admire that Nolan is more gray than white & black, willing to ask questions that really nobody has real satisfactory answers for, much less Nolan himself and let audiences worry about the interpretation.

That's what good art does.

If you see TDKR and don't care for it, don't let the Internet know.

Rotten Tomatoes Halts Comments on ‘Dark Knight’



http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/0...night-furor/?hp

The above is what I've been talking about. The Nolan/Batman fanboys are so crazy about all this, if you don't join in on the adulation, it's almost blasphemy. Some of them just really go overboard. And I'm somebody who has liked Nolan's work ever since I saw Memento over a decade ago. But let's not lose our minds here.

It won't be long now before he starts talking about the liberal conspiracy to impurify our precious bodily fluids.
Limbaugh suggests villain "Bane" is a Romney reference

Bane was introduced by DC comics almost 20 years ago in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993). Does Rush really believe that the left-wing conspiracy reaches that far back?

He's such an an asshole.

What gets me is that these are the same people who repeatedly say "who cares what critics think?" Well apparently they do after all.

One of the great movie-related myths out there is that critics think don't matter, but how many movies have you all checked out based off "word of mouth"? How much do we look at RT scores? When was the last time you gave a movie a chance that initially you thought looked terrible because critics or your friends say it's decent?

Everybody's a critic, but really America is interestingly the only country in the world where "word of mouth" and critical opinion seem to affect box-office. Elsewhere on the globe, movie stars and genres sell the pictures with critical opinion making zero difference.

Example: THE TOURIST, a very mediocre thriller starring two of the world's biggest movie stars in Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Critics in America hated it, and it was a massive box-office disapointment at home. But overseas, it was a considerable hit.

The same happened earlier this year with the lousy BATTLESHIP which opened up overseas before coming to America, did extremely well ($200+ million) but in America it tanked and critics hated it.

Got tickets for Friday at 2:30 PM.

Opening day but not with the circle jerk fan boys who will be there at the midnight shows.

This is pure win.

The people at the Hub channel cut the TDKR trailer using footage from Batman: The Animated Series.

That was pretty good. Loved the animated series.

FIRST!

Saw it a couple hours ago, great flick. Depressing as hell though. And it had about 5000 plot twists and revealed secrets. Will say no more!

For the record, I'm buying ERC's predictions for a $185 million weekend for TDKR. I just don't believe it will break AVENGERS' opening weekend record because of too many factors against it: nearly 3 hours long, No 3-D (thus no $ sur-charge), and not necessarily will appeal to as many kiddies as AVENGERS did.

Not to mention what happened in Colorado last night, I wouldn't be surprised if many folks are turned off from seeing it because of that massacre.

(But still, $185 million for a nearly 3 hour movie in 3 days is outstanding none the less.)

****1/2 out of 5

Exceptional summer blockbuster spectacle entertainment. Maybe draggy here and there, but the set-up and built-up is worth it.

And for the record, this movie isn't Anti-OWS or whatever nonsense. For the political record, Bane is a Fascist here and I'm shocked most people haven't detected that. I mean he even outright say what his plan is, and he follows through on it. What do all dictators have in common? Establish rule by showing/using your armed force, and then maintain rule by setting the masses against each other by fear and let society decay like that plot device.

Like TDK, it has convoluted plotting (he and Nolan must've roomed together at college) but that's little complaints. Well, another one I'm still trying to figure out:



I'll tell you one thing: This movie contains Nolan's best action filmmaking work yet, and that first fight between Batman/Bane was brilliantly done. Nolan chooses not to sensationalize it, and for the first time in a Batman movie, Batman has a rival (if not superior) adversary in the physicality department.

So what is better, this or THE AVENGERS? I dunno, it's like picking between the Rolling Stones or Beatles, Michael Jackson or Prince. Both have advantages and drawbacks compared to each other, but in the end of the day nobody is picking a loser because both are winners.

They both get a gold star.

In wake of the Colorado disaster, WB has cancelled the Paris premiere of TDKR and pulled all ads and TV appearances for the cast this weekend. Nolan has also released a statement.

Rather than go into minute detail, I'll just sum up my review. I'd rate it about the same as the second one - **1/2 stars. Maybe ***. Like the Joker was for The Dark Knight, the saving grace for The Dark Knight Rises is Bane. Nolan's best work is still Inception.

I will say one thing though...

Good movie. Dark knight was better. When I first heard Bane's voice, I thought it was a joke.

In the first scene, he sounds like a fairy on laughing gas. But, he grows on you and is actually more intimidating than the Joker ever was. The movie was OK., but a half an hour too long and much more comic book like than the previous movies.

Also, I didn't like Batman getting his ass kicked the whole movie.

That was one thing I liked about it. Batman finally comes up against somebody that is superior to him physically. Also, if you're familiar with the comics, Bane nearly kills Batman.

I have to agree with Ivy. I mean that first fight with Bane, Nolan made the decision not to use music (used usually to sensationalize, drama-sauce up the fight) really adds to the brutality of what happens.

I mean that's storytelling 101: Greater your adversary, greater your hero. Shit I'll even argue Nolan's Bane was better than the Bane in the comics. Sure in spite of that one thing he's remembered for, Bane is usually never mentioned in the top 10 of Batman's villains. Rather a B-villain quite frankly.

Tell me guys, did the people at your screening gasp when

In answer to your hidden question, I was expecting it because that's what happened in the comics. There were some audible responses during other parts of the fight, though I don't remember any at the point you were talking about.

But I also had a problem with it. All the beating they gave each other and there was hardly any blood. C'mon.

I had a problem with the fact that after the incident you guys are talking about....

Oh, believe me, I know what you're talking about. I can nitpick with the best of 'em.

* While I'm aware the movie was nearly 3 hours, I felt it was rushing along too fast in the sense that they were trying to fit too much in. And because of that, there was a lack of "pacing" between individual scenes.

* Again, after the brutal fight between Batman and Bane, no blood? Or, for that matter, after the cop (played by Matthew Modine) got shot.

* And when the cops were charging Bane's guys in the street, what happened to their guns? Yes, they were trapped underground for 3 months but I don't remember seeing their guns confiscated. Anyone notice the few female cops charging along as well?

* And speaking of guns, why did Joseph Gordon Leavitt's character throw his gun away after he shot those two Bane guys dressed as construction workers? Heaven forbid a COP use his gun in SELF DEFENSE!

* While I loved Michael Cain's acting (very emotional) the ending would have been better if you took away the final 2 minutes or so. You know, since Bruce/Batman felt he hadn't given "everything" he had to Gotham yet. People who've seen it will know what I mean.

I could go on...

I've noticed some of those points too, and some other things. It's why I said in an earlier post that this part felt much more like a comic book to me, and less realistic.

What about the scene where he first appears again and is just standing there on the freeway, with a million cops approaching. When you watch that scene, there is no way he escapes. But, he steps on his bike and does anyway.

Chopper, THE DARK KNIGHT was many things, but "realistic"? I think the term you're looking for is "believable," but that's a subjective concept so what do I know? I like to think Nolan's Batman movies, no matter how fantastical they go (and they do go fantastical) there is always a sense of grounded reality to them.

Call me a cynic, but for whatever I do buy the idea of the U.S. government allowing Bane's occupation, even in spite of that movie universe's President claiming he doesn't negotiate with terrorists. Yet what does that govt. do? Give in. I just accept that, and I even liked that scene of JGL on the bridge confronting the military near the end.

More and more, this movie ages well for me personally, especially in the details. Like THE DARK KNIGHT, I think the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. I mean really, who didn't like that "exile" set piece? That was brilliant. (TDK might be slightly better than TDKR, but that's like saying Abbey Road might be better than the White Album.)

Really we've had a good summer when we have two "awesome" superhero movies in TDKR and AVENGERS, and I really can't pick which is better. The Internet has a bug up it's ass in spite of this wonderful season for that genre (and shit, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN was decent too.)



Blame that on the era of PG-13, where heaven forbid you can bash someone's head in but it's OK if no blood. Weird but in that regard, we're back in the pre-1980spre-PG-13 era where blood wasn't that frequent in such big popcorn blockbusters. If Bale was smoking in TDKR, MPAA would give the movie a R rating.



You want my pet theory? No evidence, but I like to believe in exchange for the regular food/water supplies being lined down to those cops, Bane forced them in exchange to give up their guns in those same buckets. (Yeah it's a stretch, but the concept is sound.)

What do you mean by that line about the female cops? That they're not that many women cops there, or that they're there at all?

That JGL gun toss came to my mind as well, but a friend of mine argued that it thematically helms back to BATMAN BEGINS when Christian Bale threw away that gun, and well with JGL's fate, I suppose that makes sense.

I also wonder if JGL tossed it because he didn't want to get distracted with that investigation and all that, he was too busy to solve that mystery. I mean this is the same city after all that chased Batman instead of guys who hijacked the stock market. (Misplaced priorities by the local police if you ask me.)



I will disagree with you by arguing this:

Box office estimates so far are almost $170 million.

It was about to become a massive, hand to hand brawl. What were they gonna do?

Let me quote a movie I loved as a kid, THE MONSTER SQUAD: "Kick him in the nards!"

I know there's nothing realistic about a guy dressing up as a bat and jumping rooftops, perhaps that was the wrong choice of words.

But the Dark Knight felt more believable indeed, and that is what Nolan brought to the Batman Legend: a more realistic, grittier take on the tale. I enjoyed TDKR a lot, but with the atomic bomb, certain people coming back from serious injury with a vengeance etc., it had much more of a comic book feel to it all.

And one thing I haven't mentioned yet: the Selina Kyle character was great. Smart, dangerous and sexy.

So this is where Nolan got the idea...

Slightly off-topic, I was talking with some friends about why is it that Batman seems to be eternally popular despite the changes in times and culture. I felt stupid for not mentioning Batman's #1 trump card immediately: His Rogue's Gallery.

The Joker
Penguin
Two Face
Poison Ivy
Mr. Freeze
Scarecrow
The Riddler
Scarface
Harley Quinn
Ra's al Ghul
Bane
Black Mask
Killer Croc
The Mad Hatter
Solomon Grundy*
Hush
Man-Bat
Firefly
Victor Zsasz

And so many others but those were the ones I remembered directly by memory. (I was going to add Catwoman too, but do people consider her a Bat-villain anymore?) I mean most of those names and their own particular, interesting gimmicks (most with a psychological flavor of some kind to them) is why I think Batman is still popular. You're only as good as your villain. Or Villains actually.

*=Not exclusively a Batman villain (originally a Green Lantern adversary actually) but I remembered him so I'll count him as well.

A nice end to a terrific trlogy. Hathaway stole the show IMHO.
Good thing the Nolan productions are over cause Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are getting a little long in the tooth.

Did Tom Waits Inspire Heath Ledger's Joker?



Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight is legendary. So is Tom Waits.

If these thoughts seem disconnected, you clearly need to watch this video.

The 1979 Australian TV interview with then 29-year-old Waits has been making the viral rounds on the Internet this weekend, and for good reason -- Waits' voice is virtually indistinguishable from Ledger's memorably creepy Joker. The only difference? Waits is speaking this way in real life.

Also worth noting is interviewer Don Lane's impressive -- and presumably unintentional -- rendition of Phil Hartman's Frank Sinatra impression.

The two share a genuinely awkward (read: hilarious) conversation -- witness Waits struggling to sit up and Lane attempting to avoid second-hand smoke to no avail.

Ledger's extreme commitment to his role as The Joker has been a topic of interest for years, particularly after the actor's untimely death.

But it seems that a little credit may be due to Waits's unique voice -- and perhaps even his casually bizarre demeanor.

Do you see the similarity? Let us know in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

http://news.yahoo.com/did-tom-waits-inspire-heath-ledgers-joker-video-193319410.html

Just seen the movie, wasn't too bad. Didn't like the ending though would of been better if batman had died like we initially thought. A heroic and noble act saving the city and then the end. Instead now were going to get loads of other movies.

Even if Batman did get nuked as you would prefer, you really think Warner Bros. will just end the (very lucrative) Batman movie series like that? He's become one of those characters that like James Bond, we'll always be getting more movies.

They're "rebooting" Batman (and rebooting a reboot at that) regardless if Batman got exterminated literally or not. There won't be a JGL spin-off (or Catwoman spin-off for that matter.)

Hell there was a report the other day that the "new" Batman would premiere inn the planned JUSTICE LEAGUE movie (2015?), and then his new film series starts the year later.

~If rumors are right, Summer 2015 we could very well have both AVENGERS 2 and the JUSTICE LEAGUE movie.

I'm not a batman fan but i went to see this film today and i was impressed with the film,

The outside scenes of the house where Bruce Wayne lives was filmed at Wollaton Hall which is in my home town of Nottingham..

I thought this film was excellent as another poster put, "it was a good end to a great trilogy", I dont wanna go any further or my inner nerd will come out, I was a pheen for the comics coming up..

Nolan is a badass director/writer, everything Ive seen him hasnt let me down, def one of the best in the last 8/10 yrs easy..

Good list, forgot a few but nicely done off the top... One villian forgot and who is off-topicly linked to TDKR is "King Snake" who is actually Bane's father, just sayin..

^^^^^ Thanks For Sharing. I happened to be a big fan of "King Snake."

No problem bro, me too he was badass, him and his "crew"--he actually shot Bane in one of the comic books(remember)when King Snake was just about to shoot BatMan and Bane jumped in the way, it was a crazy issue to say the least..

Honestly I don't remember King Snake so that's why I didn't mention him.

A Batman villain I really like that unfortunately the comics have never tackled yet was believe it or not from the Adam West TV show: Bookworm. (Played by Roddy McDowall.)

He's one of those classical Golden Age villains that's so ridiculous, it's adorable. Photographic memory of every book he's ever read, staging crimes using that knowledge. His Achilles heel is that he lacks Zero original creativity, going into crime after a failed career as a novelist, a detail I rather enjoy.

I think he's asking for a good "reboot" into the Batman comic universe.

Just saw this movie twice in the past two days, real good!!!