Comic Book Films & TV

[Gabriel]

I'm probably dreaming it, but did they use the shiny eyes at all in Batman Begins in a Scarecrow gas scene? Sort of works there with fog and wibblyness, but not 'Ben Affleck has shiny eyes'.

I remember the Batman appearing as a demon to Crane during the climax when the city is going crazy... he had the eyes there.

[Colly]

That's the one.

[Ant]

Next bank holiday i'm going to get a massive bottle of Coke, some Disaronno and a tub of sweet popcorn and watch TDK trilogy again.

[HC]

Next bank holiday i'm going to get a massive bottle of Coke, some Disaronno and a tub of sweet popcorn and watch TDK trilogy again.

I re-watched the trilogy a couple months back. My appreciation for Batman Begins has increased, TDK is still awesome, and TDKR is still the weakest link by far.

[Berober]

Batman Begins has always been my favourite, something about an origin story is much better to me.

[Benjamin]

Nah, I've always felt The Dark Knight is the best of the three, and the best comic book superhero movie ever made. Winter Soldier is super close, though, I will admit.

Also, although Rises is definitely the weakest of the trilogy, it's still a really solid film. Saw it again a couple of months ago and realized I didn't have as many problems as I initially did with it.

[EWB's Best Poster.]

Rises was one of the worst movies made that year, and a total slap in the face to what they had built before it. Every time I think of it, I hate it more.

[DFF]

TDKR > TDK > Begins.

Begins was a good film.

TDK was one of the best comic adaptations that kept a comic book vibe.

TDKR was a better straight up film.

[Benjamin]

Not really, there was a lot wrong with Rises, but it was a really good summer film, and even when you watch it now it's a fun film to spend two hours on. Honestly, 2012 had about a billion more terrible movies made that year. It wasn't the best year for film at all.

[HC]

TDKR > TDK > Begins.

Begins was a good film.

TDK was one of the best comic adaptations that kept a comic book vibe.

TDKR was a better straight up film.

Were you high when you watched it!?

But seriously, I was very underwhelmed by TDKR. I didn't hate it, and my opinion actually improved after re-watching, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the previous two films. Bane is great, Anne Hathaway is much more competent than I expect although I still dislike the casting, and even the first 2/3rds of the movie as a whole are decent/pretty good, but the final act man was just so.....eh. Going in depth in tags:

Talia's death sequence was so cringe-worthy and cheesy. Let me deliver this evil monologue and then close my eyes! Give me a break. Bane's death was swift and done by Catwoman of all people. I mean one gun blast and he's gone. Very underwhelming. If anything, Bane deserved the dying monologue. No one gave a shit about Talia. And then there's the infamous getting a way from a bomb in a matter of seconds. They should've had the balls to let Bruce die a hero. He's a famous playboy presumed dead after saving an entire city and he's just going to wander around dining in Italy. Boo! Also, there's no involvement whatsoever from the U.S. military despite the fact that the fictional equivalent of Chicago/NYC has been captured by a terrorist. Really? Oh, and how could I forget the flaming Bat symbol, which, while cool, makes no sense whatsoever when you think about it. You're on a limited timetable to stop a terrorist from blowing the city up but hey let's stop and make my logo shiny.

With all that being said, it was still better than a good 75% of the comic book films that get churned out. It's just going by the standard the other two films were at, it sucks.

[Benjamin]

You also forgot how he managed to travel from the middle of nowhere back to Gotham with absolutely zero resources.

But on the whole, it's still a pretty fun film. Like I said, it's not brilliant or anything, and yeah, it might have tainted the trilogy quite a bit, but it's a fun film that served most of it's purpose, even though Nolan did decide that he wanted every plot device imaginable in the final act, because Batman, y'know?

Still, he caused less damage than Superman did, so there's that.

[HC]

Forgot about that one. The ending just wanted to have its cake and eat it too. Even something as simple as....

Flipping the Italy scene at the end would've made it much better. Have Alfred see him eating only to realize he's daydreaming and that Bruce is really gone. Not that "Oh hey I tracked down Catwoman too" bullshit.

Don't get me started on MOS. TDKR is much better than that in comparison. Never have I wanted to like a movie so badly only to have to admit to myself that it wasn't that good. I really tried to like. I really did. I like Cavill as Superman, though.

[Benjamin]

Yeah, the casting wasn't the problem. Everyone, especially Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire represent!) was great in it. The thing that messed it up was the filmmakers complete tunnel vision, without once thinking, "Hmm, if this happened, what would be the consequences?"

Although, if the rumor is true, and the set up for the sequel is that old Batman is going to Metropolis to see if this blue and red guy is actually a good guy and he'll take him down if he isn't, they kind of set it up nicely.

Still doesn't make up for Metropolis completely forgiving Superman for destroying their city, though.

[HC]

Agreed. I liked the casting as well except for maybe Amy Adams(who is wonderful, but I just don't know about her as Lois or her chemistry with Cavill). Yeah, the destruction aspect can be redeemed to a degree if they acknowledge it in the sequel with a Spider-Man-esque "HERO OR MENACE" type deal. I can almost chalk it up to Superman's inexperience in the film. He needs to acknowledge what he did, though, even if it's a throw-away scene of him feeling guilty about it.

The problems with the movie were definitely pacing and too much fighting. I know it's an action movie, but in an origin story like MOS there needed to be more character development on a personal, non ass-kicking level. It felt like the second half of the movie was a fucking Dragon Ball Z episode.

[Benjamin]

Great, now I want Superman vs. Goku.

[HC]

Don't we all, man. Don't we all.

[Colly]

You also forgot how he managed to travel from the middle of nowhere back to Gotham with absolutely zero resources.

But on the whole, it's still a pretty fun film. Like I said, it's not brilliant or anything, and yeah, it might have tainted the trilogy quite a bit, but it's a fun film that served most of it's purpose, even though Nolan did decide that he wanted every plot device imaginable in the final act, because Batman, y'know?

Still, he caused less damage than Superman did, so there's that.

I've always felt the 'back to Gotham with no resources' was a fairly weak complaint given that he spends a fair chunk (years wise, not minutes in movie) of Begins travelling the world with no resources. That doesn't change the other complaints of course.

[Benjamin]

I thought that part was that he did it with his millions of dollars? Like in the comics? I don't really remember much of the beginning of Begins, though, so I'm probably wrong.

[Colly]

I thought he just went wandering and nicking stuff (but off himself, he's not a baddy!)?

[Jimmy]

Yeah, he ditched all his money and did it on his own back. I never had a problem with that complaint of TDKR either.