I have to chime in just because the exchanges here have gotten to be ridiculous. Yeah I was somewhat skeptical on Batman's new suit and the BatPod - granted, not to the point where I am writing it off as driven by "toyetics." I just re-watched Batman Begins a few days ago when all this debating started. Do people fail to realize that Lucius Fox's location within the Wayne company was essentially a WAREHOUSE of military equipment - most of which was so expensive/sophisticated it was never used???
Take the new Batsuit: Alfred does point out to Bruce at one point in the movie that his equipment isn't exactly perfect (such as when they shatter the mask with a hammer) so he has to be careful. I believe the line was, "Try not to land on your head." It would only make sense that he would be attempting to upgrade the suit as time progresses.
I almost imagine the BatPod as being a segment of the Tumbler (aka the Batmobile). If you examine the way it looks and is operated, it almost seems like it would shoot off from the front of the Tumbler, like when Batman (and Gordon) is pulled down into the targeting area to fire missles. I mean it is called the BatPOD, which one could take as another way of saying "escape pod."
Spiked gauntlets? Last I saw, Batman uses them in Batman Begins to break Ducard's sword during the final battle train sequence. If they begin shooting out of his wrists, they might as well be a different type of batarang, which were also used in the film.
I won't sit here and act like I have absolute faith in the project - I thought nothing would spoil the Spider-Man movies but Spider-Man 3 was an absolute disaster. But from what I know, I have faith in those handling the project.
The Dark Knight Trilogy (Christopher Nolan, 2005-2012)
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Darth Lavender
- Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:24 pm
An idea/opinion on Batman Begins which I don't think has been discussed anyway;
Bruce Wayne should show some kind of remorse for killing Dukhat.
I think some fans of the comics have commented on the fact that Dukhat's death was still very out of character for Wayne, and I definitely agree (it's a second-rate excuse in an otherwise notably intelligent movie)
But, if the writers actually use this to create a more complex Batman, then I'm all in favour of it. (I have no problem with Batman killing someone in anger or by accident, as long as they deal with the emotional effects properly.)
Recently watched the animated "Batman vs. Dracula" and probably the single strongest aspect of that film was Batman's relationship with the Joker (if you haven't seen the film, early on Joker appears to die while being chased by Batman, which depresses Batman immensely (then there's later stuff with Batman feeding Joker his own blood to keep the fellow alive, etc.)
That same movie (Batman vs. Dracula) incidentally, tried to get out of the whole "Batman doesn't kill" thing in a marginally more compelling manner than Batman Begins (Wayne and Alfred debate killing Dracula and eventually conclude that since Dracula isn't human/alive (and, presumably, hasn't a soul) it's not exactly murder to kill him. It's a slight stretch, but it's a heck of a lot more compelling than "I don't kill, so I'm just going to leave this guy trapped on a train hurtling towards destruction" (I might find that reasoning plausible if Batman were a lawyer, but it's not nearly consistent with the character as established elsewhere)
Like I said, I have absolutely no problem with a young, inexperienced Batman briefly kidding himself with a lame excuse so he can kill Dukhat, just as long as the writer's deal with Batman's killing properly and don't just gloss over it.
The 'toyetics' really don't concern me too much (I do wish they'd just give Batman a proper 'R' rating, but with the film's budget and the MPAA's corruption, I'm sure they can get plenty of horror and darkness into the PG13)
Thing to remember is, as was amusingly pointed out somewere on the internet (can't remember were) Batman's only real superpower is being rich. The use of large quantities of gadgets and gizmo's is central to Batman (if, however, they started giving Scarecrow or Joker (or Mr. Freeze) his own theme-car, volcanic hide-out, rocket-ships, etc. THEN I would be concerned.)
Also, perhaps worth commenting on, Batman Returns is one of my favourite 'light entertainment' films (along with Hellraiser II, Blade II and Chinese Ghost Story, it's just plain good fun) and I might comment more specifically on the movie itself elsewhere, but as for the merchandising, I was a kid at the time the movie was released (about 10) so I can very distinctly recall most of the merchandising and, interestingly enough, there was a LOT of it but it didn't tie in very closely with the film at all.
(Perhaps the best example, the Penguin action-figure was based on Burgess Meredith portrayal, and there was a Robin action figure despite his never appearing in the film. Interestingly, the Penguin's *very* toyetic-looking duck-mobile was never merchandised (I seem to recall an Umbrella-plane being released instead) there was definitely no merchandising tie-in with the computerised Batarang or the Penguins arctic lair, etc. etc.
So I think a lot of the toyetics in Batman Returns had more to do with Burton's whimsy than actual merchandising opportunities (although I get the impression he would have made the full transition to sell-out with Batman Forever, I seem to recall reading that Burton even wanted a Neg... African-American Robin)
Bruce Wayne should show some kind of remorse for killing Dukhat.
I think some fans of the comics have commented on the fact that Dukhat's death was still very out of character for Wayne, and I definitely agree (it's a second-rate excuse in an otherwise notably intelligent movie)
But, if the writers actually use this to create a more complex Batman, then I'm all in favour of it. (I have no problem with Batman killing someone in anger or by accident, as long as they deal with the emotional effects properly.)
Recently watched the animated "Batman vs. Dracula" and probably the single strongest aspect of that film was Batman's relationship with the Joker (if you haven't seen the film, early on Joker appears to die while being chased by Batman, which depresses Batman immensely (then there's later stuff with Batman feeding Joker his own blood to keep the fellow alive, etc.)
That same movie (Batman vs. Dracula) incidentally, tried to get out of the whole "Batman doesn't kill" thing in a marginally more compelling manner than Batman Begins (Wayne and Alfred debate killing Dracula and eventually conclude that since Dracula isn't human/alive (and, presumably, hasn't a soul) it's not exactly murder to kill him. It's a slight stretch, but it's a heck of a lot more compelling than "I don't kill, so I'm just going to leave this guy trapped on a train hurtling towards destruction" (I might find that reasoning plausible if Batman were a lawyer, but it's not nearly consistent with the character as established elsewhere)
Like I said, I have absolutely no problem with a young, inexperienced Batman briefly kidding himself with a lame excuse so he can kill Dukhat, just as long as the writer's deal with Batman's killing properly and don't just gloss over it.
The 'toyetics' really don't concern me too much (I do wish they'd just give Batman a proper 'R' rating, but with the film's budget and the MPAA's corruption, I'm sure they can get plenty of horror and darkness into the PG13)
Thing to remember is, as was amusingly pointed out somewere on the internet (can't remember were) Batman's only real superpower is being rich. The use of large quantities of gadgets and gizmo's is central to Batman (if, however, they started giving Scarecrow or Joker (or Mr. Freeze) his own theme-car, volcanic hide-out, rocket-ships, etc. THEN I would be concerned.)
Also, perhaps worth commenting on, Batman Returns is one of my favourite 'light entertainment' films (along with Hellraiser II, Blade II and Chinese Ghost Story, it's just plain good fun) and I might comment more specifically on the movie itself elsewhere, but as for the merchandising, I was a kid at the time the movie was released (about 10) so I can very distinctly recall most of the merchandising and, interestingly enough, there was a LOT of it but it didn't tie in very closely with the film at all.
(Perhaps the best example, the Penguin action-figure was based on Burgess Meredith portrayal, and there was a Robin action figure despite his never appearing in the film. Interestingly, the Penguin's *very* toyetic-looking duck-mobile was never merchandised (I seem to recall an Umbrella-plane being released instead) there was definitely no merchandising tie-in with the computerised Batarang or the Penguins arctic lair, etc. etc.
So I think a lot of the toyetics in Batman Returns had more to do with Burton's whimsy than actual merchandising opportunities (although I get the impression he would have made the full transition to sell-out with Batman Forever, I seem to recall reading that Burton even wanted a Neg... African-American Robin)
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
Michael Jai White has joined the cast and will be playing Gamble.
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flyonthewall2983
- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 7:31 pm
- Location: Indiana
- Contact:
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patrick
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:15 pm
- Location: Philadelphia
No, but he did play the titular character in Spawn, which was one of the worst comic book movies ever (but yet I've watched it at least once on TBS). However, according to IMDB he's incredibly proficient in various martial arts, so I guess if he's going to be fighting and not talking I won't complain.
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JHunter
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 11:47 pm
- Location: Philly
He was in Kill Bill, only he his scene was cut out. He had a fight scene against David Carradine's Bill. The sequence isn't available on either DVD (hopefully on the recut version).patrick wrote:No, but he did play the titular character in Spawn, which was one of the worst comic book movies ever (but yet I've watched it at least once on TBS). However, according to IMDB he's incredibly proficient in various martial arts, so I guess if he's going to be fighting and not talking I won't complain.
I had big expectations for him after Spawn, since there were relatively few black action actors at the time (mainly Wesley Snipes), let alone one who was actually a martial artist. But things never seem to line up for him. Maybe he'll have better luck after a high-profile gig like this.
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lord_clyde
- Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2004 8:22 am
- Location: Ogden, UT
I thought the fight scene was an extra feature on Kill Bill vol. 2. In fact I swear it was.JHunter wrote:He was in Kill Bill, only he his scene was cut out. He had a fight scene against David Carradine's Bill. The sequence isn't available on either DVD (hopefully on the recut version).patrick wrote:No, but he did play the titular character in Spawn, which was one of the worst comic book movies ever (but yet I've watched it at least once on TBS). However, according to IMDB he's incredibly proficient in various martial arts, so I guess if he's going to be fighting and not talking I won't complain.
I had big expectations for him after Spawn, since there were relatively few black action actors at the time (mainly Wesley Snipes), let alone one who was actually a martial artist. But things never seem to line up for him. Maybe he'll have better luck after a high-profile gig like this.
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JHunter
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 11:47 pm
- Location: Philly
You're right. My memory was a bit faulty on this one. I checked the disc after writing that and it was there.lord_clyde wrote:I thought the fight scene was an extra feature on Kill Bill vol. 2. In fact I swear it was.JHunter wrote:He was in Kill Bill, only he his scene was cut out. He had a fight scene against David Carradine's Bill. The sequence isn't available on either DVD (hopefully on the recut version).patrick wrote:No, but he did play the titular character in Spawn, which was one of the worst comic book movies ever (but yet I've watched it at least once on TBS). However, according to IMDB he's incredibly proficient in various martial arts, so I guess if he's going to be fighting and not talking I won't complain.
I had big expectations for him after Spawn, since there were relatively few black action actors at the time (mainly Wesley Snipes), let alone one who was actually a martial artist. But things never seem to line up for him. Maybe he'll have better luck after a high-profile gig like this.
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Noir of the Night
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:57 am
Through some sort of mix-up, this was accidentally attached to Transformers when I saw it yesterday, which was incredibly thrilling. That the surprise of the teaser overshadowed the film I was there to see speaks more for Transformers' banality than for the trailer itself, but still, it's pretty damn good. Heath Ledger has the voice down. And, of course, the laugh.
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
The teaser has hit the web officially. Click on that fuzzy box beside the word "handed".
Whysoserious.com is no more, so if you missed it, the teaser can be found here.
Whysoserious.com is no more, so if you missed it, the teaser can be found here.
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Mr Sausage
- Has Risen from the Grave
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:02 am
- Location: Canada
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lord_clyde
- Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2004 8:22 am
- Location: Ogden, UT
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Mr Sausage
- Has Risen from the Grave
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:02 am
- Location: Canada
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
Some of the cast recently presented some exclusive footage at Wizard World Chicago and some new details have emerged including speculation that Two Face will indeed appear as a villain in the film. More details on what was screened here.
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jbeall
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Atlanta-ish
Really? I don't hear Nicholson at all. Ledger sounds a little less cartoonish, a little more menacing... frightening, even.lord_clyde wrote:My roommate said the same thing last night. I would hate to see the character reduced to an impersonation.Mr_sausage wrote:The Joker's voice sounds like he's impersonating Jack Nicholson.
That teaser rocks, though. I'm officially excited as hell about The Dark Knight. Only a year to go!
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Via_Chicago
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:03 pm
For those of you interested in this film, I stumbled across some stills:
Stills from The Dark Knight - Batman, Batsuit, Joker
Stills from The Dark Knight - Batman, Batsuit, Joker
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Jem
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 3:03 am
- Location: Potts Point
Is that pash rash?Via_Chicago wrote:For those of you interested in this film, I stumbled across some stills:
Stills from The Dark Knight - Batman, Batsuit, Joker
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lord_clyde
- Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2004 8:22 am
- Location: Ogden, UT
Looks like they're gone. . .Via_Chicago wrote:For those of you interested in this film, I stumbled across some stills:
Stills from The Dark Knight - Batman, Batsuit, Joker
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Darth Lavender
- Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:24 pm
Looks like Joker may have lost the cheek-slits in the early image 
Still, good costume, looks great in the scenes with Batman (so much great contrast... Messy vs' Precise... Dark vs' Colorful... etc. Heck, maybe they should recast the movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathiau in the leads.)
I'm actually warming more and more to the Joker as a character (probably because his biggest strength, the pure, unbridled sadism, was absent from most of the incarnations I watched growing up (especially the Adam West series...)
Penguin was my childhood hero, and will always be number one for me in the pantheon of Batman characters, but it's getting very easy to see why Joker is so popular.
btw, according to Wikipedia, it's been pretty much confirmed that SPOILER Scarecrow and Two-Face will both make brief appearances
Would have been a lovely little treat to be suprised by those in the actual movie, but regardless it's probably well past time for me to start actively avoiding trailers, etc. about this movie so I can fully enjoy it when I see it.
Still, good costume, looks great in the scenes with Batman (so much great contrast... Messy vs' Precise... Dark vs' Colorful... etc. Heck, maybe they should recast the movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathiau in the leads.)
I'm actually warming more and more to the Joker as a character (probably because his biggest strength, the pure, unbridled sadism, was absent from most of the incarnations I watched growing up (especially the Adam West series...)
Penguin was my childhood hero, and will always be number one for me in the pantheon of Batman characters, but it's getting very easy to see why Joker is so popular.
btw, according to Wikipedia, it's been pretty much confirmed that SPOILER Scarecrow and Two-Face will both make brief appearances
Would have been a lovely little treat to be suprised by those in the actual movie, but regardless it's probably well past time for me to start actively avoiding trailers, etc. about this movie so I can fully enjoy it when I see it.