The Dark Knight Falls

Before I begin:  What I am going to be writing here is very different from my 'normal' 'reviews' and is more along the lines of a list of things that bothered me about Christopher Nolan's final film in his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. I also want to state that I actually liked the film overall.  Which is scary after all of it's brutal flaws.  I guess certain actors just carried the film for me, while others (including the director) did their best to ruin it.  To be honest, had the first two movies in the film not been so terrific and flowed through the scenes with such a sense of fluidity, then I probably wouldn't have felt the need to post such a list.  However, Nolan set a precedent with his other films, and while the film was impressive in it's own right, it truly missed the bar on many levels.  Here are some of my biggest problems/inconsistencies with the film...

• Time frame - the entire bomb sequence in the later half of the film, starting from the football scene up until the explosion, was completely discombobulated.  Certain aspects of the film take longer than they should, while others seemed to occur way too fast.  I will elaborate on these more throughout the list, but for now just keep this idea in mind.

• Injuries - Batman apparently can barely walk in the beginning of the film.  Okay…why?  During the moving it is claimed that the last time confirmed sighting of batman was the night that Harvey Dent died.  If I remember correctly, Batman was seen running away from a pack of dogs and police in an effort to escape.  He seemed pretty fine to me there and if that was his last time out as the Batman then what on earth happened?  Did Alfred break his leg to stop him from going out again to fight crime? Bruce also somehow creates this thing on his leg in a matter of moments that makes him strong enough to break a brick wall. Well that is awesome…bravo.  Now, why have you been waiting 8 years to do something that ‘seemingly’ takes no time at all and makes you able to walk like the 30-40 year old man that you are at this point?  Lastly, Bruce gets his back broken and heals in a record amount of time by a simple punch from an old man and also somehow doesn’t die (or even get hurt for that matter) every time he jumps and hangs himself trying to get out of the prison. 

• Travel - How on earth does he get back into Gotham City after the Bane locks it down.  I understand that he is “Batman” but he doesn’t get in as Batman; he enters as Bruce Wayne.  Let’s also not forget that he somehow gets across the world with no money or resources and without letting anyone on to his whereabouts.  (Don’t you think that if anyone actually saw him they would think to themselves… “Hey…that’s Bruce Wayne.  He lives in Gotham, how did he get out?”)

• Bane fights Batman.  Bane reveals Batman’s identity to Catwoman, and many of his other guards.  Bane defeats Batman and removes his mask.  Countless people (mainly guards) now know that Batman is Bruce Wayne.  Many also know that he is either in prison, in a wheelchair from watching Bane break his back, or dead.  So please…Christopher Nolan…explain that when Bruce Wayne gets back into Gotham, and is purposely captured by some of Bane’s guards, that there isn’t a completely insane reaction from any of the guards that he has shown up?  This makes absolutely no sense. 

• Miranda Tate/Talia is completely ridiculous in this story.  Why butcher a very deep character and turn her into a senseless killer out for revenge.  Her and Bruce are supposed to have a meaningful relationship and they even have a kid.  At one point Bane says “He will come for her”.  Why?  There was never any real developed relationship between the two.  They just had one night together…and Bruce Wayne has had hundreds of one nights with women.  She really did nothing to stand out whatsoever.  Now I know that this is Nolan’s Batman.  That makes sense because this is his version of the well known and established superhero.  But why do I feel like I just don’t care about Talia, the random board members who take charge in this film, or the hothead beat cop (Robin).

• Robin - Please just stop.  Take this out of the film.  It is completely ridiculous and nonsensical.  First of all…how could he ever be ‘Robin’ if his name is Robin?  Who wouldn’t guess that it was him? Second, how is John Blake short for Robin?  The character in the film says to Blake that he should use his full name…not his original name.  Please explain how this makes any sense.  Oh, and one more thing.  How does he have ridiculous intuition?  Really…a smile gave away that Bruce Wayne was Batman…really.  Do ex-cops normally going swinging from a rope like Tarzan randomly into a waterfall in hopes that they won’t smash into a wall and die instantaneously.  Well he is Joseph Gordon-Levitt…and he can do nothing wrong in the eyes of well…everyone...so I guess its fine.

• Bruce’s fingerprints being stolen made him lose like 25 million in the stock market.  At some point in the series he had about 50 million.  I could be very off about this but just bare with me.  He lost about half of it on the renewable energy thing that he created.  That would leave him with about 25 million.  Someone explain to me how if someone takes my fingerprints I can go into millions of dollars in debt better on stock futures.  Oh, and where can I park my motorcycle if I decide to head down to Wall Street and do some trading to try and make my money back. 

• Inception? – Did Bruce really escape a nuclear like bomb or do Caine and Nolan just love inception so much that they figured they had to do another level of dreaming in this film as well.

• James Gordon (Gary Oldman) – Commissioner Gordon was quite possibly the best character in the entire series.  Nolan actually tried to play down the character's overall dedication and faithfulness to the force in this film.  Somehow JGL is the one on top with that little one liner “hands look pretty dirty to me”.  What a joke…what an insult to the character, the actor, and the fans. 

• Joker-  First of all I want to start by saying that I can only imagine the pain and suffering of the friends and family of Heath Ledger following his death.  It is sad when anyone dies in this world and even more so when it is a well liked and very talented man such as Ledger.  However, to completely remove the Joker from the third film is probably the most outrageous thing I have ever seen in film making.  In The Dark Knight, the Joker is made out to be the most intense and unforgiving villain to ever grace the streets of Gotham.  It suited that character well because it is well known that Batman's greatest foe has always been the unforgettable Joker.  I’m curious though…did we all take crazy pills before seeing this last film in the trilogy.  Are we really supposed to believe that the Joker just vanished/ran away after the last film?  Okay…well thank you Nolan, you just completely ruined the character and disgraced the entire series.  Batman has been doing nothing for almost a decade…what the hell happened to the Joker?  Maybe he just stayed in prison this time.  Wait, didn’t all the prisoners get released…Oops.  Well he was a villain from another movie and he really didn’t fit into this storyline.  Wait, Scarecrow was in this film…Oops.  What a joke.  The actor who played the Joker did die…but the character did not.

I just want to point out again that I actually enjoyed the film.  I really just don't understand how we are all supposed to be okay with the Joker being completely absent even in a flashback scene or something.  He did kill the girl that Bruce Wayne loved.  Shouldn't we have seen or heard something about him during Wayne's agonizing?  It would have been the same situation if Michael Caine died of old age and then there was just no Alfred in the final film...lame.

Bane's voice...lame, loud, and sounded like a megaphone.

After all the senseless killing in the film, Nolan's liberties with certain characters and his casting, and a very odd aspect of the entire film where a character (Lucius Fox) ran Wayne's company...when he claimed that he was resigning at the end of the last film.  Did Nolan ever even watch the second film and if so does he realize that many people either saw a triple feature of all three films or watched the prequels at home before the final movie?  

Movies that I liked better than The Dark Knight Rises:

• Batman Begins
• Superman Returns
• The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man

The first thing that must be said about The Amazing Spider-Man is that you must view this film on it's own accord to see how spectacular it truly is.  The second thing that must be said about the film is that it must be viewed in comparison to the other films in the Spider-Man franchise, as well as every other comic book film, to see its faults.  Now I can imagine that those two concepts sound very conflicting, and in fact they may seem like exact opposites.  Essentially, that is what I was going for with those statements.  I believe that there are definitely two factions amongst moviegoers (both frequent and casual) who are both on completely opposing sides of the spectrum when it comes to loving or hating the new Spider-Man film.  One group are classified as those who hate the idea of there being a new Spider-man film so shortly after the last trilogy had ended.  The other group, who apparently have shown themselves to be much more dominate in the box office, are those who had such a bitter hatred for Spider-Man 3 that they welcomed Mark Webb's taking over a reboot of the series.  Truthfully, there are so many reasons why each side has come to their respective conclusions...but I am going to do my best to bring to light a few aspects of each of the film series to help people better understand the issues at hand.



Sam Raimi's Spider-Man

• Following the success of the X-Men film, Marvel Studies went on to produce Spider-Man.  The film completely revamped the superhero film genre and set the standard for many films to come.  
• Also like the X-Men film series, the Spider-Man series delivered quite possibly one of the most successful sequels (at the time...obv Dark Knight, Iron Man 2, etc were more successful).
• Surprisingly, Spider-Man's third movie in the series also delivered what is arguably considered one of the worst experiences in a comic book sequel.  (X-Men: The Last Stand may have that crown.  The final film needed less dancing from Peter, more Venom, and a revamped Harry Osborn that didn't ride a surfboard like glider.)
• Tobey Maguire was a terrific Spider-man and embodied the character exactly as I had imagined he would be on screen.  Aside from his very abnormal appearance in the final film, there really isn't anything bad to say about him.
• The villains in the films (mainly The Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus) set the standard for future generations of villains on screen.  Willem Dafoe will always remain in my mind as the best way of depicting the character.  Alfred Molina played an exceptional role as well, truly embodying the role of Doctor Octopus while also taking his own spin on the character.  The Sandman was also an excellent villain choice for the third film, and to be honest, had the film not been so horribly received I am sure that Thomas Haden Church would have garnered much more attention for his role in the film.
• Lastly, I want to point out the the supporting characters that stood out in this series.  Aunt May, MJ, Harry, Dr. Connors, and most importantly J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simmons was hilarious as the editor in chief at the Daily Bugle.  This magnificent casting of one of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man's most important villains could not have been more perfect.  His absence from the new movie can only be described as a tribute to J. K. Simmons).
• There is so much more to say about this film series that has been completely butchered by my lack of detail, as well as the obvious lack of care from all comic book fans following the reboot, that the trilogy is really not receiving the credit it deserves here.

Mark Webb's Amazing Spider-Man

• The overall casting of this film was beyond perfect.  There truly wasn't an actor out of place during any part of the film.  (Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, with Martin Sheen, and Sally Field just to name a few).  I actually really enjoyed seeing a new take on the character of Spider-Man.  However, I realized something upon finishing the movie that struck me as very odd.  I honestly did not care at all about the character.  I cared about what was going to happen to the Lizard, and I was worried about Aunt May, Gwen and even Captain Stacy.  I really just had no love for spider-man in this film.  The last series really made us feel the struggles Peter Parker was going through.  There were motivational quotes, dramatic scenes, and intense emotions that flowed out through the film.  I felt none of that in this film...and that is it's biggest fault. (They even needed a final scene to try and make you care about Peter Parker/his family...which still had little to no effect.)
• Remember how I said that the casting for this film was perfect?  Well it was...considering the fact that they obviously couldn't cast anyone from the last series in this one.  I seriously believe that Tobey Maguire played a better Spider-man than Andrew Garfield.  I also believe that it is completely lame how Mark Webb used the basis for some of the characters from the last series to streamline the audience right into relationships with the characters.  Really...you are using the Lizard...the villain that Sam Raimi built up to for the previous two Spider-Man films?
• Do gentlemen really prefer blondes?  I can't say for sure...but it seems that Spider-Man does.  However, I liked Kirsten Dunst as MJ in the first Spider-Man so much more than Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy in Amazing.  Now I know these are completely different characters, but honestly, I preferred Bryce Dallas Howard's performance as Gwen in Spider-Man 3 over Emma Stone's performance as well.  Flat out...she is a better actor than Emma Stone in my opinion.
• New York City looked a lot better in Raimi's trilogy.  The Amazing Spider-Man was a little too dark to see how beautiful the city can truly be.  It also made the main villain a little difficult to spot since he is dark green.  (Yes, I would have preferred a lab coat as opposed to the naked lizard we received)
• It was honestly a little too soon to make a reboot of the series.  It would be comparable to rebooting Iron man in 3 years...get the point?) 
• The Amazing Spider-Man was not a family movie.  Spider-Man (2002) was a lot of family fun and was a movie that could be enjoyed by all ages.  However, this movie is definitely fan service and not successful in sincerely being the best option for all viewers. 
• Lastly, it was smart of the new film to not go with Norman Osborn as the main villain in this film.  Just as Batman Begins waited until the second film to bring back the Joker, The Amazing Spider-Man played things smart by sticking away from contesting with the talent of Willem Dafoe. 

Conclusions 
I am going to tell you the one thing that you have been waiting to hear/read since you saw this...GO SEE THIS FILM.  It truly is an amazing movie as the title says, but that doesn't make it free from criticism just because it is a reboot of a series.  Also, just because Spider-Man 3 was not the best comic book film of all time, it should not damaged the reputation of the other films to the point of being forgotten.  There were some memorable performances in Raimi's trilogy.  (Bruce Campbell was also hilarious in all three films...and let us not forget Macho Man, R.I.P. ...) 

There is much more that needs to be said but I will leave you with this...
Give the new movie a chance, but don't forget the old trilogy either. 

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Before I write anything about the film itself...I would like to add a disclaimer for all the many people who have been on the edge of their seats waiting for my next post.  The first is that I have never read the book that the film is based on.  I also have never read any of the sequels either.  To be even more honest, I have not even seen the critically acclaimed (such a cliché phrase imo, but whatever) Swedish films based on the books either.  So it is safe to say that I am as close to objectively viewing this film as one could be without ever having seen another murder mystery film to compare this one to.  With all that being said I hope to see you at the end of this 'review' in a few minutes...have fun :)

If you are thinking about seeing this film then there are a few things you should know right off the bat.  One of them is that at some times this movie will do a number on your ability to keep your food down.  The second is that there are some scenes in the film which will still be confusing even by the end of the film.  The third is that the running time for the film is rather long compared to the other films in theaters these days.  The forth and most important is that a lot of the dialogue is spoken with heavy foreign accents.  I guess this makes sense since the majority of the film takes place in Sweden, but it makes some of the more confusing scenes even more difficult to comprehend.


After reading all of that I want to make sure you understand one thing before you decide which movie you are going to head to watch...the movie is the best movie I have seen all year.  The film stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara and the two are about as far from compatible as one could imagine but somehow it works.  I can't explain why black looks good next to white but sometimes it makes something beautiful, like a zebra or 95% of the film 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'.  Kidding aside, I want to explain why I simply loved this movie even though it had it's slight flaws.

There is a scene early on in the film where Craig's character, Mikael Blomkvist, is first intrigued by the murder mystery that plagues the majority of the film.  The manner in which the details are revealed to him make him all but forget about his "4:30 train" back home and stay focused on the facts of this mysterious disappearance.  Why is this one of the best scenes of the film?  Well it is really quite simple.  The moment when the main character first becomes dedicated to this mission the audience is also drawn in as well.  I haven't sat and watched a movie with such focus in so long.  I was constantly trying to figure what was really going on and who were the more suspicious characters.  I found myself pointing fingers and different people in almost every scene.

I would like to note that the movie does something else that simply blew my mind.  It offered a plot twist in a film that borrowed heavily from other films and summed them up together in a way that made its parts almost unrecognizable.  I will label this moment as the 'Orinoco Flow' scene.  Something combined out of scenes from Silence of the Lambs, American Psycho, Se7en and Reservoir Dogs is what an amateur critic such as myself would most appropriately label it.  It was sick, twisted, and great entertainment.

I realized the further I got into writing about this film the less I could say without spoiling the film.  So if you are one of my avid fans and have read my posts before then you know that I usually leave a line or two at the end that sum up everything I have said thus far.  Here is what I have for you - Go See this Movie!  Bring a friend, go on a slightly empty stomach so that by the time certain scenes arise your food is too far down to come back up, and make sure you give this film an honest chance.  Try not to judge the film like my mom judged my immense amount of time playing video games...if she had known now that...okay bad example.  Just give the film a chance...trust me, you will enjoy it!

Notable Mentions:
- Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, and Joely Richardson all played remarkable supporting roles.  Some of which I will not soon forget.
- The opening sequence was definitely the most intriguing of the year. (Immigrant Song - Remix byTrent Reznor and Karen O-Sung)
- The original title of the book which the film is based on is 'Men Who Hate Women'
- Stieg Larsson, the author of the book which inspired the film, never lived to see any of his 'Millenium Trilogy' books published. (The name for 'The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' Series)

Life As We Know It

Unfortunately, there just aren't enough hours in the day (or hours in my life for that matter) to write an entry in my blog about every film I have seen.  Therefore, it may be blatantly obvious that I do not always choose the most noteworthy films to write about.  I tend to reserve my time for films that actually have some sentimental value while still at least being decent pieces of work.  The next film that kinda has some tie with my current state of emotions is the film Life as We Know It.  It stars Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel and the guy from Sweet Home Alabama (as opposed to the delicate descriptive words of someone I had the pleasure of watching the film with... "The a-hole who wouldn't sign the divorce papers").  The plot revolves around two unlikely godparents who are for the most part thrown into guardianship of a young child.  Enough about the facts...it's time for me to turn on Moth's Wings by Passion Pit and begin to tell you all of my biased reasons for why I enjoy this film.

Let me start out by saying that I do not actually like seeing Heigl or Duhamel in any films.  Most people don't know their history but both of them were actually mainly television stars who only in recent years began to garner not so much success...but more attention.  In my opinion both of them should have stayed in their domain.  I don't say this because of anything that has to do with their acting; in actuality they are terrific in every film they have starred in.  I mainly say this statement directed at Heigl because basically she acts in films like she would if each movie was just another episode of a television series.  I'm still waiting for her to break out of the typecast of the "nervous yet still overly enthusiastic" woman in her 30's.  I suppose I just have to lower my expectations for her and realize she isn't going to have that breakout performance in this lifetime.  I just think that she has such potential to be an amazing actress.  I hate to say this for many reasons...but look at Heath Ledger.  I actually took him seriously after I saw Dark Knight.  He changed my perception that I had in every way possible.  I know that is an extreme example but seriously...when are we going to see her do something special?

In my opinion it is Duhamel who is the only interesting one in the film.  However, its obvious that he isn't the center of attention.  There are few moments when we get to see exactly what is going on in his life or in his head.  In fact, those few moments are the funniest of the entire film.  His attempt at bring the Sophie (the baby) to work is nothing short of hilarity.  I have never seen or heard of someone hiring a taxi driver to babysit but it is too funny to even think of how ridiculous it is.  I don't like to ruin any scenes in a film but if you haven't seen it by now...well I don't think you will break your neck slipping on the ice to go run out and rent this one. 

The key to this film is the supporting characters.  The neighbors that come over during the film for certain things just made me crack up.  The one husband who has been so abused that he is in "accept mode", the overweight ex-jock, and the gay couple give the film that extra bit of laughter that Heigl's awkwardness fails to erect.

My favorite part is when I write about a film but I tend to wander rather than stay focused on the movie.  It is normally a sign of being poorly educated...however in actuality it is just my style and if you don't like it then you really don't have to be here do you?

Lastly I will ask myself a question that you probably are wondering if you are reading this at all.  Should I go and see this film?  The answer is a resounding "Yes"!  It is a great laugh, but it also has some sad scenes.  It makes you think and it also makes you just let loose and enjoy the show.  Does that describe a certain type of movie to you?  Perfect date movie?  Exactly.  It's too bad that 3 of the 5 times I have watched this film it has been by myself and one of them was with my brother.  Not exactly a date even though he did lend me some of his blanket...strictly for survival purposes (If you have ever been in my basement in the winter you know what I am referring to!).  In all seriousness, similar to Duhamel's statement in the film - somehow Heigl, Duhamel, the baby, and the guy from Sweet Home Alabama are a film cast that actually works.  So go...pick this one up and watch it with the girl, or guy, or whatever torture you are currently subjecting yourself to.

On that note...I will try and reveal my next post sooner.  Until next time...

Favorite Original Film Soundtrack

I simply waited far too long to write on my blog.  One thing I have recently acquired a taste for is original musical composition in film.  When watching a film, I used to not even notice anything besides what I could see with my eyes.  However, my sense of hearing has been tingling as of late and it simply must be allowed to speak.  The amount of allusion in that sentence is just too much for its own good but regardless, I must carry on.  Should I be direct with my favorite film?  Should I beat around the bush?  Should I tell you what is my second favorite first (if that makes any sense)?  I am going to go with my second favorite original composition for a film which may be a surprise to some.

When I first saw the film Tron I was very young.  I did not fully appreciate how awesome it was.  Only until recently did I get a chance to view it with a more inept understanding and truly enjoy it.  When I heard that a sequel was getting released and that Jeff Bridges would be staring in the film...well that's exactly it, I literally had no words that could come out of my mouth.  If there was ever a time when a literal ellipsis existed...that was surely it.  The new film was amazing and I only wish I had time to review it.  What I am writing simply does not do the film justice.  From the very beginning of the film, I was completely enthralled by the orchestral background that accompanied this work of art.  Please...do yourselves a favor and listen to the sound clip on the side.  Oh, and did I mention that the original composer of the soundtrack for the film was Daft Punk.  Need I say more?  I think not...


So...how do we top Daft Punk and Tron?  We don't.  You simply can't top either of them.  They are the masters of their realm...but that realm of cinema and music are actually not my favorite, so therefore in my mind they can be topped.  I want to start off by saying that there is one trailer that I watched more times on repeat than any other in the history of my life.  No, it is not The Little Mermaid on my VHS tape of Bambi (although that is a close second).  It is the trailer to Casino Royale...one of the best films I have ever experienced.  Why this movie is simply amazing is not up for debate in this post.  Another day I will surely write about it, but for now I have to tell you why it is my favorite soundtrack.  Simply put, the entire film is captured with the most appropriate composition.  I have the soundtrack, and often times I play the film while I am on the computer just to hear the music in the background; anyone that dormed with me in college knows this to be true.  However, I never saw the worth of the soundtrack until about 3 quarters into the film.  It comes at a point of the film when quite possibly the biggest twist of events occurs.  I can't say anymore without posting a giant spoiler alert at the beginning of the film but the scene is notable for being the only one of its kind in the bond films.  It is also such a compelling one that it warranted a true sequel (technically the only one of it's kind in bond films as well, and please don't argue with me on that).  Please listen to clip.  It displays one of the many parts to the scene which I am describing.  

David Arnold...you did it.  Thank you so much for such an amazing score. 


Notable Mention - Batman Begins/Dark Knight

Mrs. Doubtfire

When I think of the word 'funny' the first name that pops into my head is Robin Williams.  I can make a list of all the films featuring Robin Williams that have not reached the standards of a comedic film.  However, nothing would be more erroneous than to claim him a bad actor.  He is one of the most gifted actors and some of his films are easily the greatest I have ever seen.  Right now I will only have the time to focus on one.  The film I am here to talk about is Mrs. Doubtfire.  Not only is this one of my favorite comedy films, but it is also what I consider to be one of the best films I have ever experienced.  I use that word fittingly because the film is truly an experience every time I watch it.

So where to begin with this film.  Would you believe me if I said that everyone should see this?  I hope so.  I hope that just the title of this post can just make jump out of your chair and pick up this movie.  It will always bring a smile to your face.  I will start off by saying that the story of this film is unforgettable, but at the same time not completely unbelievable.  Sure if you take a closer look at the film it may seem a little bit more perverse than Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, but take an even closer look.  It shows the great lengths a man will go to just to be with his children.  While I may not show it to everyone, I always get a little teary eyed when watching this film.  That is what is so great about Mrs. Doubtfire though; it makes you laugh and cry.

One of my favorite animated films as a child was Aladdin.  The spontaneity of the genie always made me chuckle.  It was only years later that I realized who was behind the character.  I knew then that Robin Williams was making me laugh from before I even knew what laughter meant.  Ironically, he still does make me laugh.  While watching Mrs. Doubtfire (which as I write this post, the film is in the final few minutes on AMC) I still laugh about the same things but I always find something new to laugh about each time I see the movie.  The film was made so creatively that children could get a kick out of it, adolescents could see the meaning of the film, and adults could laugh at how one man deals with some of the troubles that life can toss at us.  There is a lot of childhood humor as well as adult humor that you can only understand with age.

Since there are just too many scenes that make me fall over laughing I will only bring two of scenes to your attention.  The first is mid way through the film when Mrs. Sellner, the court liaison, arrives at Daniel's apartment.  As she comes to inspect his apartment Robin Williams gets caught in a particular predicament. While he has to switch between playing his two characters to keep his story straight the scene becomes nothing short of hilarious.   The 'nightly marang mask' that he creates to hid his face and all the other little phrases he lets out during the scene show his true talent as an actor.  While not as funny, but certainly just as important to grasping Robin Williams' sense of humor, there is a scene in which Mrs. Doubtfire speaks about her deceased husband.  It is simply so funny that he keeps the whole sham going so far as to even create fake family members.  Even when he is unprovoked, he still manages to bring up "Winston" and come up with a believable back story as well.  I must say that I know that with every film, there is a script.  While I have never been on the set of one of his films, I have heard that Robin Williams improvises most of the time with his lines.  I almost feel like I can tell which lines he has created.  His humor is so distinct, and after seeing so many of his interviews as well as his stand-up acts, to me it is simply unmistakable.

Do I want to keep writing about this film?  Is that even a real question?  Well considering the movie has ended and I'm about to go plug in the DVD so I can watch it with the slight vulgarity while removing the commercials, I think it is safe to say that I will have to end this posting.  Don't think that I forgot about Pierce Brosnan or Sally Field's performance in the film.  There just simply isn't enough time to comment on all the supporting actors in this film.  I do my best, but right now all I can say is that they complement Robin Williams in every way possible.  Don't forget to check out the soundtrack to the film as well.  The instrumental parts are amazing...I must look into this more and find out what genius composer was behind them.

Well...for the next film I chose to write about, I am at just as much of a disadvantage as anyone else.  I have no idea what or when it will be, but I hope it will be soon and I know it will be interesting.

Check out the Trailer!

Batman Begins vs The Dark Knight

I can't tell you how many times have I heard someone say that "The Dark Knight is the best film I've ever seen".  Not only do I have to disagree with that statement, but I won't even say that The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman film.  However, before I jump down their throats I really try to analyze that statement.  There are three parts to it.  First, there is the title.  Second, there is the idea of it being the best film.  Third, there is the most crucial part of the statement in which most people don't realize that there opinion is based very limited experience.  While anyone could lie to make their statements sound much more intelligent let's be honest.  Most people have not seen most of the Batman films.  There was Batman: The Movie (1966), starring Adam West, which was an adaptation of the 60s TV show.  The two films in which Micheal Keaton played Batman, Batman & Batman Returns.  Lastly there was Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.  On a side not there were also many animated films, some of which were actually released in theaters (Batman: Mask of Phantasm).  Sadly I haven't even touched upon the massive amount of comic book films that you are ruling out by claiming The Dark Knight is the best.  However, I can only ask for so much when it comes to judging a film.

Alright, so you are back.  You stopped reading and watched all 7 other Batman films and now you are ready to make a fair assessment.  Okay, that is a completely ridiculous request.  At least tell me you've seen them all in the past 5 years...the past ten...ever?

How about we just look at the two Christopher Nolan films?  Would that be more reasonable?  I just got done watching both Batman Begins followed by The Dark Knight.  I literally finished watching and began to write this post.  I have to tell you...out of the two films, it is obvious to me which is the better film.

I have to admit when I first went into the reboot, I was very skeptical.  Prior to viewing Batman Begins, the only batman films I truly enjoyed were the ones in which Micheal Keaton played Bruce Wayne/Batman.  His humor, his egoism, and his level of casual bad ass in the two films is unparalleled.  However, my skepticism at Christian Bale's ability to take on the family name of Wayne was completely wasted.  I actually didn't enjoy the film until the second or third time I watched it because I had just went into it with a negative attitude.  The casting of the film was great, the plot was enticing and the sets/filming locations were simply beautiful.  Chicago and London were terrific choices for the Gotham City Nolan tried to portray.  However it was the filming in Iceland, that were supposed to be what I assume China, which were my favorite scenes in the film.  An ensemble supporting cast of Micheal Caine, Katie Holmes, and Morgon Freeman support the story and plot in ways that no other actors can.  Who wouldn't want a butler like Alfred, and a 'love of your life' like Rachel?  Not to mention an ally like Lucius.  We feel sympathetic to Bruce after seeing his childhood experience.  His back story has always been there in the comics, but seeing it in film really makes us know a billionaire can have a difficult life as well.  All that is great and it's what helps to move the film forward to it's climactic ending of Batman saving his beloved city of Gotham.


At the end of Batman Begins, there is a scene where Jim Gordon (portrayed by Gary Oldman) sets up the skylight with the Batman symbol and tells him about The Joker.  I can't imagine a member of the audience not excited to see the next film after that scene.  So we are forced to wait three long years to see the dark knight in The Dark Knight.  I watched the trailer for the film probably 100 times (sadly that is a spot on estimate).  I got the the theater on opening night and I was more excited than anyone in the theater, I guarantee it.  Unfortunately I ended up having to leave that showing, but I made it the next day.  Everyone that had seen the movie the night before was raving about the film.  Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Maggie Gyllenhaal had apparently stolen the show.  Well that was no big surprise to me.  I had seen Batman Returns and the same thing had happened to Batman in that film.  The spotlight had gone to Danny DeVito/Michelle Pfeiffer, and rightfully so.  They were amazing in the film, and along with Christopher Walken...they really made that film spectacular.  It is my favorite film of the original film series for this reason.  However, just because it is my favorite...does it make it better than the original Batman.  The solid answer there is a resounding "No".  The same goes for The Dark Knight.  Most people just love the film because of Ledger's performance.  I truly believe his performance was amazing as well.  Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face was also just icing on the cake.

I may not be completely happy with the lack of amount of time I spent speaking about Nolan's films, so let me just say these last few things.  Batman Begins has, better villains, a better story and for that matter, a more believable story.  The Dark Knight has better special effects and more time dedicated to villains as well as supporting characters.  Both truly terrific films, but honestly Liam Neeson (Ra's al Ghul) and Cillian Murphy (The Scarecrow) as the villains in the first film were better than the villains in the sequel.  Why?  Better actors, better fight scenes and completely unexpected villains for the first film of the reboot series.  We have all seen The Joker so many times before...well the people who have seen all the batman films at least.


So as another post comes to a close I have to say two last things.
1) Never...ever...say anything about Ledger's 'Academy Award winning' performance until you have seen the original Batman.  I have two words for you... Jack...Nicholson.

2) Thank you to a certain somone who gave me the idea to write this, although they may not even realize they did.