KurDB
08-26-2008, 08:35 PM
Where to begin? Let me first start off by saying that I like the Batman movie, and that I think it is well worth the price of admission, and even more, I’d say it was almost the best movie I saw this year (please see “Man on Wire” review). With that being said, I really liked the movie. I really think Bale is a great actor and Ledgers Joker is really exceptional. The fight scenes were well above what I expected considering the last foray into Gotham which basically had fight scenes that amounted to shadow boxing, as in, two shadows tumbling, punching, and kicking.
With all that said, here was my initial reaction after seeing the movie on opening night with costumed Jokers a plenty. The original (term used lightly) Batman movie with Keaton and Nicholson is still the best Batman movie ever made.
Before you rant and rave, and burn my house down, hear me out. The movie simply has some fatal flaws that keep it from cinema greatness (not referring to the box office, but the cult crowds; remember Titanic, where are the fans now?).
ONE: Too long, way way way too long for a Batman movie, for a comic book movie, for a movie in general. This movie was so long, that when I got out of the theater, even die hard fans were remarking that the end of the movie really got bogged down. There were so many parts in the movie that were a waste of time, I was basically left scratching my head. Don’t believe me? Was the tropical yacht scene with all the dancers useful in anyway shape or form? Exactly. Oh and how did capturing that business man add to the story, or any of the characters, other than showing off some cool gadgets like the KY Jelly bomb, and the flying wings? I thought you’d see it my way.
TWO: Why so serious? This movie took itself way too serious. Batman is an imaginary figure in an imaginary world, but this movie took great leaps and bounds to try and paint a Batman who’s Gotham City is more of a real world location. Not possible. Batman exists because of a suspension of disbelief, not because we think he really exists. The level of realism and seriousness that the movie strived for made me think at some points, “Batman looks ridiculous.” (think back to the confusing scene where Batman beats up Scarecrow to remind him that he already had a movie, he looked ridiculous walking around the garage in his outfit). The Batman I know is beyond human, he is an idea, he is artwork if you will, and to treat him as a real person is interesting, but only until you see him interact. This was borderline Star Trek, where Kirk and the others walk around Earth in the 1990’s … ok that was a little bit too far.
THREE: Not enough Joker. For what was supposed to be such an amazing performance, I felt like the character development was washed out. It answered no questions, and the Joker was the same he was at the beginning as he was in the end. Ask yourself one question: where did the Joker come from, because if you think this is the Joker that killed Brucie’s family, I think you might be giving him too much credit. The movie never settled on a story for the Joker. Is he ruthless and crazy, because if he simply is, and wants to bring mayhem, why does he leave boats of people with bombs that have some stupid Disney message in them. Nope, sorry, not Joker’s style. And, the end wasn’t even with the Joker, it was all about Two Face …. Um, ok, I completely understand that Two Face was to show that the Joker could corrupt something purely good and also have the relationship that makes the Batman a character with deeper levels, but … the ending is not the place for any of that, which brings me to my next point.
FOUR: The ending was so boring and anticlimactic. We go from Batman Begins where Wayne manor is demolished, a bomb on a train is headed for the center of the city, and they are basically evacuating the entire city because people are hallucinating from the water to The Dark Knight movie where maybe, MAYBE, a thousand people on boats are at risk. And that isn’t even the ending. Batman hardly fights with the Joker at all, never really gives the Batman a run for his money, and after all that, AFTER ALL THAT! We have to watch the real ending with Two Face, who is almost in a movie of his own at the end. He basically doesn’t even care what the hell Joker is doing with himself, Two Face is in his own little world.
FIVE: Batman's voice ... nuff said.
All this brings me to my original point. This movie is not the hype that surrounds it, and if TBS or Spike plays these two Batman movies, I’m watching the classic. Don’t be mad, why so serious?
If I were rating this movie, I would give it one plothole.
With all that said, here was my initial reaction after seeing the movie on opening night with costumed Jokers a plenty. The original (term used lightly) Batman movie with Keaton and Nicholson is still the best Batman movie ever made.
Before you rant and rave, and burn my house down, hear me out. The movie simply has some fatal flaws that keep it from cinema greatness (not referring to the box office, but the cult crowds; remember Titanic, where are the fans now?).
ONE: Too long, way way way too long for a Batman movie, for a comic book movie, for a movie in general. This movie was so long, that when I got out of the theater, even die hard fans were remarking that the end of the movie really got bogged down. There were so many parts in the movie that were a waste of time, I was basically left scratching my head. Don’t believe me? Was the tropical yacht scene with all the dancers useful in anyway shape or form? Exactly. Oh and how did capturing that business man add to the story, or any of the characters, other than showing off some cool gadgets like the KY Jelly bomb, and the flying wings? I thought you’d see it my way.
TWO: Why so serious? This movie took itself way too serious. Batman is an imaginary figure in an imaginary world, but this movie took great leaps and bounds to try and paint a Batman who’s Gotham City is more of a real world location. Not possible. Batman exists because of a suspension of disbelief, not because we think he really exists. The level of realism and seriousness that the movie strived for made me think at some points, “Batman looks ridiculous.” (think back to the confusing scene where Batman beats up Scarecrow to remind him that he already had a movie, he looked ridiculous walking around the garage in his outfit). The Batman I know is beyond human, he is an idea, he is artwork if you will, and to treat him as a real person is interesting, but only until you see him interact. This was borderline Star Trek, where Kirk and the others walk around Earth in the 1990’s … ok that was a little bit too far.
THREE: Not enough Joker. For what was supposed to be such an amazing performance, I felt like the character development was washed out. It answered no questions, and the Joker was the same he was at the beginning as he was in the end. Ask yourself one question: where did the Joker come from, because if you think this is the Joker that killed Brucie’s family, I think you might be giving him too much credit. The movie never settled on a story for the Joker. Is he ruthless and crazy, because if he simply is, and wants to bring mayhem, why does he leave boats of people with bombs that have some stupid Disney message in them. Nope, sorry, not Joker’s style. And, the end wasn’t even with the Joker, it was all about Two Face …. Um, ok, I completely understand that Two Face was to show that the Joker could corrupt something purely good and also have the relationship that makes the Batman a character with deeper levels, but … the ending is not the place for any of that, which brings me to my next point.
FOUR: The ending was so boring and anticlimactic. We go from Batman Begins where Wayne manor is demolished, a bomb on a train is headed for the center of the city, and they are basically evacuating the entire city because people are hallucinating from the water to The Dark Knight movie where maybe, MAYBE, a thousand people on boats are at risk. And that isn’t even the ending. Batman hardly fights with the Joker at all, never really gives the Batman a run for his money, and after all that, AFTER ALL THAT! We have to watch the real ending with Two Face, who is almost in a movie of his own at the end. He basically doesn’t even care what the hell Joker is doing with himself, Two Face is in his own little world.
FIVE: Batman's voice ... nuff said.
All this brings me to my original point. This movie is not the hype that surrounds it, and if TBS or Spike plays these two Batman movies, I’m watching the classic. Don’t be mad, why so serious?
If I were rating this movie, I would give it one plothole.